PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between David hughes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Saku Vippera (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). hughes comes to the cage accompanied by tema dos guerreiro. On his way into the cage it seems that David hughes has been attacked by a crazed fan! It looks like it might have been the just bleed guy! Luckily David hughes seems to be OK! I thought that lunatic was in prison!?

hughes
vs
Vippera

175 cm
18
154 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

175 cm
23
156 lbs
7 - 14 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter striker
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, David hughes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 14 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Saku Vippera!
The judges for this bout are Konstantin Menshow, Sergei Dronov and Vladimir Khabensky.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
hughes tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Vippera swivels and escapes.
hughes closes the distance and clinches up with Vippera, looking for a takedown. hughes pushes Vippera against the cage but Vippera circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

Vippera bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
A lull in the action here.
Let's hope that Vippera has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

Vippera stands up.

Vippera clinches with his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Vippera escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Vippera is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in hughes's half guard.
hughes is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Vippera is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
hughes tries to get to full guard but Vippera has control of the leg.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
hughes trying to hold on to Vippera's head to control him but Vippera postures up.
Vippera content to control rather than advance.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
hughes tries for a takedown but Vippera circles away easily

and Vippera counters with a nice double leg into guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for David hughes. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Vippera trying to stand up but can't free himself from hughes's guard.
Vippera trying to control but hughes is working from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
hughes is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Vippera wants to pass the guard but hughes is keeping the position.
Vippera advances position into side control!
hughes is trying to control Vippera's posture but Vippera avoids it.
hughes is not content to let Vippera control the position.

That's four 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.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Vippera working away.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Vippera closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Vippera lands in his opponent's guard.
hughes is trying to hold Vippera in close to prevent damage but Vippera has managed to pass into half guard.
hughes trying to get back to full guard but Vippera takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!
Vippera looking to control but hughes is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Saku Vippera dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Vippera!
Vippera moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.

Vippera scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
hughes is looking to get back to full guard here but Vippera has managed to pass to side control instead.
Vippera lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Vippera pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Vippera controlling the pace for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
hughes wants to hold on but Vippera pushes him away.
Vippera tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
hughes is trying to escape the mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Vippera sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
hughes in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
hughes is looking to get to half guard.
Vippera avoids the attempt from hughes to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
hughes really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Vippera controlling from the full mount.
hughes tries to lock up and control but Vippera gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

Vippera looking for a guillotine from mount but hughes is having none of it.

That's four 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.

Vippera is standing up, even though he is in mount.
Vippera is breathing heavily.
hughes misses with a takedown

and Vippera counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Vippera.
hughes is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Saku Vippera showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Vippera closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming hughes to the mat! hughes manages to get full guard.
Vippera trying to control the position from guard on top but hughes is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
hughes 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.
Vippera trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
hughes not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Vippera won't allow hughes to sweep him here.
Vippera's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Saku Vippera has got the better of the ground game so far.
hughes tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Vippera drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but hughes manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Vippera has hughes in his guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

hughes drops back, looking for a kneebar! Vippera looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Vippera looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Vippera!
hughes dodges the ground and pound from Vippera.
hughes is looking to reverse the position.
Vippera with the ground and pound but hughes regains half guard under the barage of strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vippera slows the pace down in half guard.
Vippera prevents hughes from improving his position.
hughes has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Vippera is working away from the top position though.
Vippera performing his best blanket impression for a moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
hughes is trying to stand back up but Vippera is controlling him
hughes keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Nice strikes from Vippera there.
Vippera controlling the pace.
hughes wants to control but Vippera is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Vippera wants to pass to mount but hughes is defending the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Vippera not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
hughes is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
hughes has his takedown stuffed

and Vippera counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Vippera stands up out of the half guard.
hughes with a lazy takedown attempt

and Vippera counters with a takedown into side control.
Vippera scores with punches from side control.
hughes takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
David hughes has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Saku Vippera is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
hughes being controlled for a moment.

And that's the end of the fight!
Saku Vippera comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Vippera has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 26:30
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight 26:30
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Saku Vippera!