PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Vladmir Tsipin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mark Twain (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Tsipin
vs
Twain

175 cm
21
150 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

189 cm
22
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Vladmir Tsipin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Mark Twain!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Illya Tyunina and Dmitry Maklakov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Tsipin tries to keep at a distance but Twain has taken the fight into the clinch.
Good body shot from Tsipin.

Tsipin pulls Twain into guard.
Twain has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Tsipin is proving hard to escape from.

Tsipin throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Twain is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

Twain decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Tsipin, up you get!
Nice sprawl there from Twain as Tsipin shoots in.

Tsipin closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
The referee asks Tsipin politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Tsipin prefers to stall for the moment though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Twain trying to control but Tsipin flips him over like a cheap hooker and has his back!
Twain tries to break free.
Tsipin is trying to stick to Twain's back but Twain is turning into Tsipin. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Tsipin's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Twain.
Tsipin looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Twain looking to sit in guard and control but Tsipin gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Tsipin looking to pass the guard.
Twain wants to sweep but no luck.
Twain bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Tsipin's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Tsipin uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Twain stalks Tsipin and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Tsipin's face. Tsipin staggers backwards, shaken.
Tsipin misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Twain.
Tsipin has a takedown stuffed.

Tsipin scores a takedown into full mount!
Tsipin is breathing heavily.
Twain is trying desperately to improve position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Tsipin avoids the attempt from Twain to control.
Tsipin looking to control but Twain is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Twain tries to hold on but Tsipin postures up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Tsipin can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Twain is looking to escape.
Twain can't escape the position.
Tsipin controlling the pace for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Twain is in all sorts of trouble here.
Twain is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Tsipin content just to control the position here.
Twain has given up his back, trying to stand up. Not clever.
Twain trying to control but he's just got himself in more trouble.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vladmir Tsipin dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Tsipin lands with a nice combination. Twain backs away looking to recover.
Tsipin keeps the fight on the outside.

Twain gets a clinch.
Twain lands with a right to the head.
Twain avoiding damage.
Tsipin tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Twain's elbow.

Tsipin's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Twain misses with a two punch combination.
Twain misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Twain swats away the attempt to clinch by Tsipin.
Tsipin misses with a takedown attempt

and Twain counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Tsipin!
Tsipin is trying desperately to improve position.
Tsipin wants to hold on but Twain pushes him away.
Twain is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Twain controlling his opponent.
Tsipin is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Tsipin might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Tsipin holds on to Twain around his waist, trying desperately to prevent any attacks.
Tsipin is squirming around, avoiding Twain's attempts to control the action.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Tsipin tries to hold on but Twain pushes him away.
Twain controlling the pace for now.
Tsipin tries to control the position but Twain now has his back.
Tsipin holding both Twain 's hands and preventing any damage.

Tsipin is looking to stand back up. He's having to work hard to escape but eventually he manages it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tsipin shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Twain tries to clinch

and Tsipin counters with a nice double leg into side control. Twain won't be happy with that.
Twain manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Tsipin is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Twain is looking to take a break and control but Tsipin is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Tsipin is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Twain's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Twain's back!
Twain manages to reverse the position and now he's in Tsipin's guard. Nice work there by Twain.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Twain preventing the sweep.

Twain is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Twain preventing the sweep.

Twain gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Tsipin with a poor takedown
and Twain counters with a nice body shot.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Vladmir Tsipin. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Tsipin keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Tsipin throws a lazy head kick

and Twain counters with a nice double leg into guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mark Twain showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Twain fails to land with a series of punches.
Tsipin throws a series of strikes that have Twain backpedaling.
Tsipin doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Twain counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Twain is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Twain gets a takedown into half guard.
Tsipin is looking to improve his position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Twain looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tsipin has a hand on Twain's thigh, trying to get back to full guard. Twain takes advantage of the position though and mounts him!
Twain trying to control but he's not successful this time.
A nice elbow there by Twain.
Twain is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Mark Twain has got the better of the ground game so far.
Twain controlling the pace for now.

Twain goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Tsipin turns into him and now he's in Twain's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tsipin cracks Twain with a solid left hand.

Tsipin decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Twain, up you get!
No luck with that takedown attempt from Tsipin.
A lazy body kick from Twain

and Tsipin counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Tsipin is thwarting Twain's attempts to control the position.
Tsipin seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Twain works his way to full guard. Good work.
Twain has Tsipin pulled in close to control his posture.
Tsipin in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Tsipin looking to sit in guard and control but Twain gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Tsipin working a defensive guard but Twain passes into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Well, if Twain is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Tsipin wants to control but Twain is keeping busy and won't allow it.

Twain is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Tsipin sees it coming and defends easily.
Tsipin has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Twain is working away from the top position though.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Vladmir Tsipin.
I think Tsipin has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 29:28
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 29:28
Judge Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Vladmir Tsipin!