PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Leon Leobotas (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Fedor Emalianenko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Leobotas
vs
Emalianenko

191 cm
19
275 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

183 cm
22
232 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight 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, Leon Leobotas!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Fedor Emalianenko!
The judges for this bout are Viktor Lagutenko, Ivan Kurochkin and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Emalianenko throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Emalianenko throws a hook but Leobotas blocks it.
The fight stays on the outside here - Emalianenko looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Nice sprawl there from Leobotas as Emalianenko shoots in.
Emalianenko tries to clinch up.
Leobotas stuffs the takedown.
Emalianenko closes the distance and clinches up with Leobotas, looking for a takedown. Emalianenko pushes Leobotas against the cage but Leobotas circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Leon Leobotas has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Fedor Emalianenko.

Leobotas shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.

Leobotas with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Leobotas could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

Leobotas swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Emalianenko is now in Leobotas's guard. A big mistake from Leobotas there, giving up the dominant position!

Leobotas has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Emalianenko can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Leobotas trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Emalianenko stopping the sweep attempt from Leobotas.
Emalianenko passes Leobotas's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Leobotas tries to roll over but Emalianenko keeps him under control.
Emalianenko perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Emalianenko's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Leobotas wants to improve his position but Emalianenko is controlling well.
Emalianenko wants to take a breather but Leobotas is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Emalianenko throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Emalianenko seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Emalianenko is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
Emalianenko looks gassed!

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Emalianenko shoots and misses

and Leobotas counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Leobotas.

Leobotas thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Leobotas cracks Emalianenko with a solid left hand.
Leobotas stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Emalianenko swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Emalianenko working a defensive guard here.
Leobotas postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Leobotas postures up.
Leobotas cracks Emalianenko with a solid left hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Emalianenko looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Leobotas throwing strikes from guard but Emalianenko blocks nicely.
Leobotas stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Emalianenko swivels though and keeps the full guard.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Emalianenko lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Leobotas at a distance.
Leobotas blocks a head kick by Emalianenko.
Leobotas closes the distance but Emalianenko moves to the side
and Emalianenko counters with a left to the body.
Emalianenko tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

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.

Leobotas closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Emalianenko did well to prevent Leobotas getting side control.
Emalianenko is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Leobotas tries to pass the half guard into mount. Emalianenko knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Emalianenko trying to control from the bottom.
Emalianenko blocking the ground and pound attempt from Leobotas.
Emalianenko makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Emalianenko.
Emalianenko looking to hit a scissor sweep but Leobotas is one step ahead there.
Leobotas looking to pass the guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Leon Leobotas dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Emalianenko clinches but Leobotas breaks the clinch

and Leobotas counters with a nice double leg into side control. Emalianenko won't be happy with that.
Emalianenko is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Leobotas sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Emalianenko is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.

Emalianenko explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
Leobotas dives in and grabs Emalianenko's left leg, looking for a takedown. Emalianenko pushes down on Leobotas's head and hops out.
Emalianenko shoots and misses
and Leobotas counters with a stiff right hand.
Leobotas gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Emalianenko moves into the clinch.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Emalianenko's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Emalianenko avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Leobotas gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Emalianenko is trying to drag Leobotas to the mat but Leobotas just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Leobotas tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Leobotas holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Emalianenko tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Leon Leobotas has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Fedor Emalianenko.

Emalianenko's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Emalianenko doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Leobotas counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Leobotas.

Leobotas gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Leon Leobotas overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Leobotas takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Emalianenko looking for submissions off his back.

Leobotas is looking for a kimura here.
Leobotas is nestled in close to Emalianenko, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Leobotas thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Emalianenko's head.
Emalianenko pushes Leobotas off looking to stand but Leobotas dives back in and keeps control.

Leobotas is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Emalianenko has managed to free his arm - good work.
Emalianenko moves into full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Emalianenko looking for a sweep. Not yet Emalianenko, not yet.
Leobotas trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Leobotas throws a strike but Emalianenko rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Leobotas keeping moving, preventing Emalianenko from controlling successfully.

Leobotas looking for subs off his back but Emalianenko has passed one foot through into half guard.
Leobotas flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Leobotas lands one or two decent shots to the body here. Although from his own half guard, he's not going to be causing too much damage.
Emalianenko wants to pass the guard but Leobotas is defending well.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Emalianenko in particular looking to stall.
Emalianenko is keen to just control but Leobotas is a slippery customer.

Leobotas looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Emalianenko working Leobotas over with strikes.
Emalianenko is looking to take a break and control but Leobotas is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

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

Emalianenko closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Leobotas to the mat! Leobotas manages to get full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Leon Leobotas dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Emalianenko gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Leobotas throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Leobotas prevents Emalianenko from breaking the clinch.
Emalianenko fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Emalianenko blocks an elbow strike from Leobotas.
Emalianenko tries to pull guard but Leobotas holds him up against the cage and eventually Emalianenko drops back down to his feet.
Emalianenko is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Emalianenko blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Leobotas misses with a knee strike.
Leobotas working Emalianenko over with knees to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Emalianenko tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Leobotas just stands there and leans against the cage.
Leon Leobotas has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Fedor Emalianenko.
Emalianenko is trying to force a seperation but Leobotas has the dominant position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Emalianenko goes for a takedown in the clinch but Leobotas prevents it.
Leobotas with a knee to the head.

Leobotas wants the takedown. Emalianenko is fighting it off but Leobotas persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Emalianenko's guard against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Leobotas wants to pass the guard but Emalianenko is keeping the position.
Leobotas postures up in Emalianenko's guard and throws a big left but Emalianenko blocks it.
Connects with an elbow from the bottom, proving to the judges that he's still active off his back.
Emalianenko working a defensive guard here.
Emalianenko wants to sweep but no luck.
Leobotas throws a strike but Emalianenko rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Emalianenko forces his way into half guard.

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.
Leobotas tries to get to full guard but Emalianenko has control of the leg.
Emalianenko controlling the action here.
Leobotas is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Emalianenko scores with a couple of nice shots.

Leobotas has hold of a guillotine but he's not going to be able to crank on it really with only half guard, so it's no trouble for Emalianenko. Oh but Leobotas has got full guard now! Oh boy! This one could be over very soon! Emalianenko goes limp - he's gone! Leobotas jumps up and celebrates with the crowd - fantastic submission finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:53 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Leon Leobotas!