PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Niclas Ekman (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Reinis Repss (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Niclas Ekman looks tired to me. Hopefully he has got enough gas left in the tank to put in a good performance.

Ekman
vs
Repss

193 cm
22
205 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

175 cm
22
195 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight 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, Niclas Ekman!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Reinis Repss!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Illya Tyunina and Aleksandr Martynov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Repss scores with a crisp jab that stopped Ekman in his tracks.
Ekman looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Repss stalks Ekman and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Ekman's face. Ekman staggers backwards, shaken.
Good exchange - Repss coming out on top.
Repss throws a shot to the body.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Ekman fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Ekman has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Ekman there as he acknowledges the shot.

Ekman ducks straight into an uppercut from Repss and tumbles to the canvas! It’s a flash knockdown though - Ekman manages to regain guard straight away.
Repss trying to stand up but can't free himself from Ekman's guard.
Repss really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Ekman. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Repss gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Ekman slips a jab from Repss.
Repss's corner calls for a 1-2. Repss obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ekman takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Ekman on the wrong end of a nice jab.

Ekman is rocked!
Repss throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Ekman sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Ekman takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Repss throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Repss moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Repss swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Repss jabs at Ekman's body.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Repss scores with a hook.
Repss throws a head kick that half lands.
Nice straight punches there by Repss. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Repss.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Repss fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
A decent looking cross lands there for Repss.
A left lands for Repss.
Repss is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Ekman had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into pâté.
Repss displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Ekman.
Repss might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Nice jab there from Repss.
Repss scores with a jab to the jaw.
Repss throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Ekman.
Ekman gets cracked there but stands up to it.
A jab from Repss finds it's way through Ekman's defenses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Repss throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Repss tries to bum rush Ekman with a series of wild strikes but Ekman uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Repss connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Repss swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Ekman.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Ekman.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Niclas Ekman. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Repss connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Ekman looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Repss's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Repss duly obliges.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Repss, as that shot connected.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ekman fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Repss lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Repss lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Repss with a hook.
Repss looks to throw the jab but Ekman is out of range.

Ekman shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Ekman works his way into full mount!
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Ekman trying to control but Repss is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Reinis Repss dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Repss misses with a two punch combination.
Niclas Ekman seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Repss scores with a one two! Ekman had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Repss!
Repss throws a series of punches but Ekman moves out of range.
Repss dips to his left and cracks Ekman with an uppercut!
Repss punishes Ekman's body with a nice straight punch.
Repss moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Ekman throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Repss's waist but Repss gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Ekman off to one side.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ekman takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Jab from Repss.
Ekman fails with the takedown.
Repss throws an overhand right that lands on Ekman's shoulder, as Ekman tries to avoid the shot.
The fighters circling - Repss throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Repss lands with a good body shot.
Danga de danga de dang - Repss scores with a four punch combination!
Repss scores with a nice right hand.

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.
Repss throws the left hand but Ekman avoids the punch easily.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Ekman is defended easily by Repss.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Niclas Ekman. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Repss, as that shot connected.
Repss throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

Ekman closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Repss is trying to stand up here but Ekman is controlling him well.
Ekman content to control rather than advance.
Repss pushes Ekman off looking to stand but Ekman dives back in and keeps control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ekman looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Repss wants to get back to his feet.
Ekman trying to control the action but Repss is working from the bottom.
Repss is trying to stand back up but Ekman is controlling him

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
A right-left combo lands from Repss.
Ekman avoids the head kick by Repss.
Repss lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Repss keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Ekman fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Repss avoids it really well and circles away.
Ekman shoots for a takedown but Repss saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Repss misses with a wild combination.
Ekman shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Repss defends it nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Reinis Repss showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Repss lands a two punch combo.
Ekman takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Repss scores with a hook.
Ekman shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Repss defends it nicely.
Repss takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Repss connects with a looping right hand.
Reinis Repss is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Repss misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Reinis Repss seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Repss lands a jab to the nose.
Repss is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Ekman.
Repss has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Repss throws a shot from downtown. Ekman moves away and avoids it.
Repss throws a lazy right hand but Ekman sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Nice defenses there by Ekman.
Ekman will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Repss waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Ekman.
Repss lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.

Ekman looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Repss!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Repss wants to get back to his feet.
Ekman moves to the back.

Repss is displaying good submission defense - not really looking in danger of submitting to the rear naked choke at the moment. That could change in an instant of course if Ekman gets his way!
Ekman tries to get the hooks in deep but Repss pushed the leg off.

Ekman is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Repss has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Repss is trying to get back to his feet but Ekman has full control of the position and if anything, Repss has just worked his way into a worse spot.
A bit of a pause in the action here. Ekman controlling the positon.
Repss controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.
A bit of a pause in the action here. Ekman controlling the positon.
Ekman trying to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Repss controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.
Repss staying busy and making it hard for Ekman to control.

Ekman is working hard for the rear naked choke here.

Repss manages to get to his feet, escaping the difficult position.
Ekman shoots in for a takedown but Repss shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Niclas Ekman. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ekman defending well as Repss loads up on a big left hand.
Repss lands an overhand right.
Niclas Ekman has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Reinis Repss is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Ekman throws a head kick that misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Reinis Repss.
I've got Repss winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 26:30
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 28:30
Judge Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Reinis Repss!