PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Efrain Escudero (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Erik Swoigteair (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Erik Swoigteair struggled to make weight for this fight. He only made it down to 172.6lbs at the first attempt and had to take the additional two hours to make the official bout weight. Let's see how much it's taken out of him. Efrain Escudero has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Escudero
vs
Swoigteair

175 cm
22
176 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

180 cm
19
175 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Efrain Escudero!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Erik Swoigteair!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Viktor Lagutenko and Valeri Chadov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
No luck for Swoigteair with that takedown attempt.
Swoigteair looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!
Escudero bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Swoigteair avoids the head kick by Escudero.

Escudero scores a takedown into full mount!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Escudero gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!

Escudero gets a clinch.
Escudero throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Swoigteair blocks it with crossed arms.

Escudero escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Swoigteair swats away the attempt to clinch by Escudero.

Escudero looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Escudero wants to stand but Swoigteair is controlling his posture from full guard.
Swoigteair is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Escudero stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Swoigteair circles away from the clinch attempt.

Escudero closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Swoigteair to the mat! Swoigteair manages to get full guard.
Escudero wants to stand but Swoigteair has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Swoigteair not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Escudero trying to stand up but can't free himself from Swoigteair's guard.
Swoigteair looking for a sweep. Not yet Swoigteair, not yet.
Swoigteair has a closed guard, preventing Escudero from standing up.

Swoigteair manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Swoigteair fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Escudero avoids it really well and circles away.

Swoigteair shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Escudero is trying to defend but Swoigteair finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Escudero has one foot on Swoigteair's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Nice takedown defense from Escudero. No joy for Swoigteair on that attempt.
Efrain Escudero has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Erik Swoigteair.
Escudero pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Swoigteair takes the fight into the clinch.
Escudero wants to get back to striking at distance but Swoigteair won't allow it.
Escudero tries for a takedown. No joy.

Swoigteair pulls guard.
Swoigteair controls Escudero momentarily but Escudero frees himself.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Escudero decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Swoigteair, up you get!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Swoigteair shoots for a takedown but Escudero saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

Escudero gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Escudero wants to get back to his feet but Swoigteair is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Swoigteair wants to pass the guard but Escudero is keeping the position.
Escudero throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Swoigteair stops Escudero from standing up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Efrain Escudero dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Swoigteair darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Escudero is staying active underneath Swoigteair, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Swoigteair stops Escudero from getting back to his feet.
Swoigteair wants to control but Escudero is keeping him busy.
Efrain Escudero overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Swoigteair thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Escudero's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Escudero wants to get back to his feet.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Escudero slips under a jab.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Escudero avoids the head kick by Swoigteair.
Efrain Escudero is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Swoigteair throws a head kick that misses
and Escudero counters with a nice low kick that buckles Swoigteair's knee momentarily.
Escudero fails with a takedown attempt.
Swoigteair is looking to clinch.
Swoigteair shoots in for a takedown but Escudero shows good takedown defense.
Swoigteair closes this distance looking for a takedown but Escudero circles away.
Swoigteair misses with a takedown attempt

and Escudero counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Efrain Escudero has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Erik Swoigteair.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Swoigteair is trying to maintain the position but Escudero is very close to passing his half guard.
Swoigteair might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Escudero kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Escudero prevents Swoigteair from improving his position.
Swoigteair wants to control but Escudero is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Escudero tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Swoigteair.

Escudero is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Swoigteair defends it well.
Swoigteair trying to control from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Escudero tries to clinch

and Swoigteair counters by moving into the clinch.
Swoigteair stalling in the clinch.
Swoigteair wants to break the clinch but can't.
Swoigteair has Escudero pressed against the cage, preventing Escudero from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Swoigteair keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Escudero's efforts to push away.

Swoigteair drags the fight down to the ground.
Escudero wants to stand and escape but instead Swoigteair has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Escudero tries to land a sweep but no joy.

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.

Escudero isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Swoigteair stacks Escudero on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Swoigteair!
Swoigteair tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.

Swoigteair stands up and we're back to a striking position.

Swoigteair drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Swoigteair pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Escudero is keeping the position for now.
Swoigteair in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Swoigteair is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Erik Swoigteair showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Swoigteair misses with the combination.
Escudero lands a head kick. Swoigteair smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Escudero misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Swoigteair gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.

Swoigteair is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Swoigteair controlling the position.
Swoigteair keeping moving, preventing Escudero from controlling successfully.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Escudero gets to his feet - Swoigteair follows without any prompting.
Escudero tries for a takedown but Swoigteair circles away easily

and Swoigteair counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Swoigteair jumps guard.
Escudero is looking to stand up but Swoigteair won't let him.
Swoigteair is trying to keep Escudero in close.
Swoigteair bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Escudero's guard.
Swoigteair trying to control but Escudero is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Escudero preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Swoigteair stops Escudero from standing up.
Escudero keeping full guard, as Swoigteair tries to pass.
Escudero wants to hit a switch here but Swoigteair passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Escudero there!
Swoigteair controlling the position easily from mount.

Swoigteair is standing up out of mount! Strange tactic there - he must really want this one on the feet!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Swoigteair misses with a takedown attempt
and Escudero connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

Swoigteair drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

Swoigteair decides to stand up, so the ref orders Escudero to his feet.
Escudero misses with a double jab.
Swoigteair tries to clinch up.
Escudero shoots in but no luck this time.
Swoigteair is trying hard to land a takedown here. Escudero sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Escudero lands a front kick.
Swoigteair with a lazy takedown attempt

and Escudero counters with a single leg into guard. Swoigteair didn't expect that.
Efrain Escudero has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Erik Swoigteair.

Escudero stands up from Swoigteair's guard - Escudero perhaps looking for a knockout.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Swoigteair avoids the head kick by Escudero.

Swoigteair feints and as Escudero raises his hands in defense, Swoigteair changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.

Escudero is looking for a triangle here but Swoigteair uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Escudero on the wrong end of some ground and pound.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Erik Swoigteair.
I think Swoigteair has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 28:29
Judge Valeri Chadov scores the fight 29:29

The fight is ruled a draw!