PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Matiss Briedis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Uldis Bauska (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Briedis
vs
Bauska

179 cm
21
200 lbs
3 - 0 - 1

195 cm
21
205 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Enjoys gardening

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 3 - 0 - 1, fighting out of St Petersburg, Matiss Briedis!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Uldis Bauska!
The judges for this bout are Konstantin Menshow, Vladimir Khabensky and Aleksandr Martynov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bauska shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Briedis as he avoids it easily.
Briedis shoots and misses
enabling Bauska to counter with a crisp jab.

Briedis feints and as Bauska raises his hands in defense, Briedis changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Bauska looking to control.
Bauska wants to stand and escape but Briedis is having none of it.
Briedis postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Bauska is trying to control the position but Briedis postures up.
Briedis trying to control the position from guard on top but Bauska is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Briedis not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Bauska keeping moving, preventing Briedis from controlling successfully.
Bauska manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Briedis manages to get himself to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bauska trying to control but Briedis is working from the bottom.
Bauska prevents Briedis from getting back to his feet.
Bauska trying to stand up but can't free himself from Briedis's guard.

Bauska decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Bauska scores with a nice head shot.
Briedis misses with a takedown

so Bauska counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bauska wants to control from the top but Briedis keeps moving.

Briedis kicks Bauska off and gets to his feet.
Briedis is breathing heavily.
Bauska with a lazy takedown attempt

and Briedis counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Briedis.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Briedis wants to control from the top but Bauska keeps moving.
Briedis showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Briedis might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Bauska throwing strikes off his back to little effect.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bauska trying to keep a closed guard but Briedis is proving a slippery customer.

Briedis gets to his feet. Bauska looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Bauska tries for a takedown but Briedis circles away easily

and Briedis counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Matiss Briedis has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Uldis Bauska.
Bauska keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Briedis not doing much here.
Bauska is not content to let Briedis control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bauska has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Briedis is working away from the top position though.
Briedis not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Briedis is keen to just control but Bauska is a slippery customer.
Briedis perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Briedis scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Bauska has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Briedis is working away from the top position though.
Briedis is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matiss Briedis dominated that round.
That's time! Briedis's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Bauska with a lazy takedown attempt

and Briedis counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Briedis postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Bauska looking to hit a scissor sweep but Briedis is one step ahead there.
Bauska not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Briedis chips away with some ground and pound.
Bauska lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Briedis!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Briedis wants to try and get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Briedis somehow manages to escape the mount and get back to his feet!
Briedis circles away from the clinch attempt

and Briedis counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Briedis is pressing down on Bauska's thigh, looking to free his foot. Bauska is holding on for now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Bauska gets back to full guard.
Briedis tries to stand but Bauska is controlling from the bottom.
Bauska working a defensive guard here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bauska can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Briedis controls the pace.
Briedis lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

Bauska had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Briedis defends it easily.

Briedis stands and steps away. Bauska gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bauska fails with the takedown

and Briedis counters with a takedown into side control.
Briedis is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Bauska's shoulder. That is not cool.
Briedis misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Bauska gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Bauska won't allow Briedis to pass to mount.

Briedis postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Bauska to stand up.
Bauska is looking to clinch.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Briedis.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Briedis in side control, just content to control the action for now.

Briedis decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Briedis looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Briedis is taking a breather. Bauska says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matiss Briedis dominated that second round.
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!

Bauska shoots and misses

and Briedis counters with a nice double leg into side control. Bauska won't be happy with that.
Briedis scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Bauska to see if he's OK.

Briedis stands up and beckons Bauska to his feet.
Matiss Briedis is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Bauska connects with a body shot.

Briedis scores with a takedown into Bauska's guard.
Bauska keeping moving, preventing Briedis from controlling successfully.
Briedis is really struggling to control Bauska but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Bauska working a defensive guard here.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bauska is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Bauska wants to stand up but Briedis is controlling him.
Briedis controlling from the top position.
Briedis works over Bauska with some ground and pound from guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Briedis scoring with punches to the head and body.

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

Briedis closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Briedis is looking to advance position but Bauska won't allow it.
Bauska avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Briedis.
Briedis thows a huge punch but Bauska dodges it nicely.
Bauska is looking to control Briedis's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Bauska avoid being mounted?
Briedis perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bauska wants to get back to his feet.
Well, if Briedis 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.
Bauska wants to control but Briedis is keeping busy.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Briedis looks for a takedown but Bauska sprawls well.
Bauska doesn't manage to clinch there - Briedis circles away.
Bauska misses with a takedown attempt

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bauska looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Bauska looking to control.
Briedis trying to control but Bauska is working from the bottom.
Briedis sitting in guard here, content to control.
Bauska working a defensive guard here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Matiss Briedis showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Briedis, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 30:27
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 30:27
Judge Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Matiss Briedis!