PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Alexandros Althea (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ibra Zlatan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Alexandros Althea had real problems making weight for this fight. After initially coming in at 206.1lbs, he had two hours to make the official fight weight. He made it but it will have taken a lot out of him to cut those extra few pounds. The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Althea
vs
Zlatan

186 cm
20
219 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

193 cm
20
215 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
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 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Alexandros Althea!
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, Ibra Zlatan!
The judges for this bout are Konstantin Menshow, Igor Prikhodko and Valeri Chadov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Althea avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Althea looks for a takedown but Zlatan sprawls well.

Althea feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Zlatan is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Zlatan looking for a sweep. Not yet Zlatan, not yet.
Zlatan is pulling down on Althea's head to control his posture.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zlatan is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Ibra Zlatan.
Zlatan fails in his attempt to clinch.
Left hook, right uppercut from Zlatan.

Zlatan clinches with his opponent.
Althea tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Althea letting Zlatan take a breather here.
Althea throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Zlatan blocks it with crossed arms.

Althea has hold of one of Zlatan's legs. Zlatan is fighting the takedown attempt but Althea gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Zlatan controlling Althea's posture.
Althea trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zlatan is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Althea sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Zlatan controlling Althea's posture.
Althea is breathing heavily.
Let's hope that Zlatan 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.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Ibra Zlatan.
Zlatan tries to close the distance and clinch up but Althea swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Zlatan takes the fight into the clinch.
Zlatan missing with knees to the body.
Zlatan tries to pull guard but Althea won't allow it.
Zlatan throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Althea blocks it with crossed arms.
Althea tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Zlatan putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Althea in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Zlatan is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Althea is defending well for now.
Zlatan holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Zlatan throws a knee to the head but misses.
Althea takes a knee right on the jaw!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Althea is trying to trip Zlatan. He has hold of a leg but Zlatan is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Althea persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Zlatan controlling Althea's posture.
Althea trying to control but Zlatan is working from the bottom.
Althea being controlled here momentarily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Ibra Zlatan will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Zlatan throws a right and a left that both miss.
Althea throws a body kick that misses.
Zlatan tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Althea paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Left hook, right uppercut from Zlatan.
Zlatan tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Althea paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Althea misses with a body shot.
Zlatan moves in looking to clinch but Althea pushes him off.
Althea swats away the attempt to clinch by Zlatan.
The fight stays on the outside here - Zlatan looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Althea swats away the attempt to clinch by Zlatan.
Althea keeps the fight on the outside.
Althea fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Althea circles away from the clinch attempt.
Althea swats away the attempt to clinch by Zlatan.
Ibra Zlatan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Althea fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Zlatan avoids it really well and circles away.
Zlatan misses with a double jab.
A punch combination from Althea misses.
Zlatan fails with an attempt to clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Zlatan looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
The fight stays on the outside here - Zlatan looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Althea avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Althea lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.

That's two 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.
Zlatan tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Zlatan tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Zlatan tries to clinch up.
Zlatan throws the left hand but Althea avoids the punch easily.
The fight stays on the outside here - Zlatan looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Zlatan clinches with his opponent.
Zlatan wants a takedown but no success here.
Zlatan misses with an elbow strike.
Zlatan pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Zlatan manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Althea is working for takedown but Zlatan is calmly controlling the position for now.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alexandros Althea. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Zlatan misses with a knee to the head.
Zlatan tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Althea is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Zlatan pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Althea as Zlatan tries to tie him up.
Althea using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Zlatan has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Althea looking to throw knees to the head but Zlatan is blocking nicely.
Zlatan displaying some good clinch control by pressing Althea up against the cage.
Zlatan missing with knees to the body.
Zlatan working Althea over with knees to the body.
Zlatan misses with a knee to the head.
Althea missing with knees to the body.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Zlatan misses with a knee to the head.
Zlatan misses with a knee strike.
Althea using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Zlatan has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Nice elbow from Zlatan.
Zlatan tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Althea blocks the elbow strike.
Althea looking to throw knees to the head but Zlatan is blocking nicely.
Zlatan connects with a nasty looking knee right to Althea's face.
Zlatan stalling the fight.
Zlatan tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Althea just stands there and leans against the cage.
Althea with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Zlatan trying to land knees to the body.
Althea tries a knee to the head but Zlatan blocks it.

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.
Zlatan looking to throw knees to the head but Althea is blocking nicely.
Zlatan with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Althea throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Zlatan blocks it with crossed arms.
Althea tries a knee to the head but Zlatan blocks it.
Althea takes an elbow to the temple.
Zlatan is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Althea pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Althea tries to land a knee to the head but Zlatan blocks with his arms.
Althea misses with a knee strike.
Zlatan displaying some good clinch control by pressing Althea up against the cage.
Althea is trying to drag Zlatan to the mat but Zlatan just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Althea takes an elbow to the temple.
Althea avoiding damage as Zlatan throws knees to the body.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Althea connects with a knee to the head.
Althea with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Zlatan comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Zlatan lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Althea blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ibra Zlatan 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! This is the final round!

Zlatan jabs Althea right on the nose. Althea blinks but takes it well.
Althea connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Althea throws a low kick, looking for Zlatan's leg but Zlatan calmly moves out of range.
Althea shoots in for a takedown but Zlatan shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
A leg kick checked by Zlatan.
Althea fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Zlatan checks it well.
Zlatan avoids the body shot from Althea.

Zlatan closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Zlatan tries to score a body lock takedown but Althea shows good agility there to stay on his feet.

Althea lands a takedown into guard.
Zlatan looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Althea preventing the sweep.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Zlatan is on top in guard.
Althea avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Zlatan trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Althea controls Zlatan momentarily but Zlatan frees himself.

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.
Zlatan postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Althea trying to control the position.
Zlatan looking to pass the guard.
Althea avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Althea working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Zlatan.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Zlatan wants to clinch up but Althea keeps it at a distance.
Zlatan displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Althea swats away the attempt to clinch by Zlatan.
Zlatan takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Althea keeps the fight on the outside.
Zlatan wants to clinch up but Althea keeps it at a distance.
Zlatan displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Althea throws out the jab.
Zlatan tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Althea fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Zlatan tries to clinch up.
Althea avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Althea avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Zlatan tries a head kick but it misses.

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.
Althea circles away from the clinch attempt.
The fight stays on the outside here - Zlatan looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Zlatan is looking to clinch.
Zlatan on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Althea. Althea obviously looking to wear him down.
Zlatan looks for a takedown but Althea sprawls well.
Althea fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Zlatan takes a shot right to the bread basket.
The fight stays on the outside here - Zlatan looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Zlatan lands a nice looking kick to the body. Althea takes a step back to recover.
Alexandros Althea has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Ibra Zlatan is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Althea is defended easily by Zlatan.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Alexandros Althea.
I think Zlatan 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 Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 28:29
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 28:29
Judge Valeri Chadov scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ibra Zlatan!