PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Mike Henry (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Grigor Borisov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Henry
vs
Borisov

188 cm
20
195 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

185 cm
23
200 lbs
6 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Mike Henry!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Grigor Borisov!
The judges for this bout are Aleksandr Martynov, Dmitry Maklakov and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Borisov misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Borisov throws a right and a left that Henry avoids nicely.
Henry slips under a jab from Borisov.
Borisov looks to land a left hand but Henry moved out of range nicely.
Henry will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Henry looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Borisov is fending him off so far but Henry persists. Nope, Borisov circles away and we're back to standing.
Borisov displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Henry.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mike Henry. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Henry blocks a jab.
Borisov fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Borisov jabs at Henry's body.
Borisov throws a looping overhand right but Henry ducks down to avoid it.
Henry slips a straight right by Borisov.
Borisov fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Henry on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Borisov misses with an uppercut.
A left lands for Borisov.
Grigor Borisov is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Borisov misses with a hook. Henry ducked under it nicely.
Henry moves forwards but Borisov connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Borisov misses with a body shot.
No joy there for Borisov, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Borisov thows a body shot but no joy.
Borisov throws a right hand that Henry ducks under and follows up with a left that Henry also avoids with ease.
Borisov lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.

Henry moves into the clinch successfully.
Henry has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Borisov is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Henry keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Borisov's efforts to push away.
Henry tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Henry throws an elbow that misses.

Borisov breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Borisov jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Borisov misses with a looping right.
Borisov misses with a looping left.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Borisov misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Henry.
Henry staying out of range there.
Borisov misses the jab.
Henry will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Henry shoots for a double leg takedown but Borisov sprawls well. He's pushed Henry's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Henry throws a chopping leg kick but Borisov manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Borisov rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Henry moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Borisov throws a lazy right hand but Henry sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.

Henry changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Borisov looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Henry working away.
Henry fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Borisov avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Henry.
Borisov wants to control but Henry postures up.
The ground and pound from Henry seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henry sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Borisov is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Borisov tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Henry is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Borisov has escaped the position, nice work there.

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

Borisov gets caught flat footed, as Henry shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Henry trying to control but Borisov is working from the bottom.
Henry throwing strikes from guard but Borisov blocks nicely.
Henry pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Borisov is keeping the position for now.
Henry is looking to work some ground and pound but Borisov has wrist control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Henry postures up in Borisov's guard and throws a big left but Borisov blocks it.
Henry missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Borisov controls Henry momentarily but Henry frees himself.
Henry missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Borisov misses with a straight left.
Borisov dips to his left and cracks Henry with an uppercut!
Borisov swinging wildly here.
Borisov throws an overhand right that lands on Henry's shoulder, as Henry tries to avoid the shot.
Henry slips under a jab from Borisov.
Henry slips under a jab.
Nice sprawl there from Borisov as Henry shoots in.

Henry feints and as Borisov raises his hands in defense, Henry changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Henry is looking to clinch.
Borisov misses with a straight right.
Henry keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Borisov.
Henry slips a straight right by Borisov.
Grigor Borisov seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Henry tries to clinch but Borisov is having none of it.
Borisov throws a hook but Henry blocks it.
Borisov misses with a body shot.
Borisov jabs at Henry's body.
Henry wants to clinch.
Borisov throws a hook but Henry avoids it easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Henry keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

Henry rushes Borisov and presses him up against the cage.
Henry misses with a short punch on the inside.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henry has Borisov pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Borisov manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Henry taking a breather.
A short right from Borisov on the inside.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.

Borisov pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Borisov is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Borisov throws a looping overhand right but Henry ducks down to avoid it.
A big left from Borisov misses.
Henry avoids the body shot from Borisov.
Henry uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Borisov.
Borisov darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Henry moves in looking to clinch but Borisov pushes him off.

Henry closes the distance and clinches.
Henry pushes off an throws an elbow but Borisov leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Borisov is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Borisov will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Henry up against the cage.
Borisov is looking to break free of the clinch but Henry has double underhooks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Henry throws an elbow but it's blocked.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Henry jumps guard but Borisov stands there with Henry around his waist. Henry gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Henry unloads a knee to the mid-section.

Borisov breaks from the clinch.
Henry uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Borisov.
Henry fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mike Henry. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Borisov lands the left hand.
Borisov misses with the combination.
Henry misses with a takedown attempt - Borisov sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Borisov throws the left hand but Henry avoids the punch easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henry blocks a jab.
Henry is looking to clinch.

Henry shoots in and bounces Borisov off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Henry postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Henry missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Borisov is looking to stand up but Henry isn't so interested in that idea.

Borisov working for a triangle but Henry defends it easily.
Borisov is breathing heavily.
Henry with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Henry keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Borisov's head.
Henry in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Henry with a flurry of punches that miss.
Henry wants to pass the guard but Borisov is keeping the position.
Henry is looking to work some ground and pound but Borisov has wrist control.
Henry keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Borisov's head.
Borisov looking for a sweep. Not yet Borisov, not yet.
Henry chips away with some ground and pound.
Henry won't allow Borisov to get back to his feet.
Borisov looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Henry working some strikes from top position.
Henry throws a big right hand that misses.
Henry throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Borisov works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Henry trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Grigor Borisov will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's time! Back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Henry clinches with his opponent.
Henry has Borisov pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Borisov manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Henry pushes off an throws an elbow but Borisov leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.

Borisov escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Borisov stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Borisov wants it to stay on the feet.

Borisov gets caught flat footed, as Henry shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Henry in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Henry postures up.
Henry looking to pass the guard.
Henry throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Borisov not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Henry throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Henry throws a strike but Borisov rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Borisov stands up and waves to Henry to follow him.
Grigor Borisov seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fighters circling - Borisov throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Borisov throws a wild body kick that Henry sees coming a mile off.
Borisov is looking to land body kicks.
Borisov leaves Henry with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mike Henry. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A jab from Borisov misses.
Borisov thows a left - swing and a miss!
Henry doesn't manage to clinch there - Borisov circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Henry dives in and grabs Borisov's left leg, looking for a takedown. Borisov pushes down on Henry's head and hops out.
Henry fails with a takedown attempt.
Jab from Borisov.
Borisov cracks Henry with a right hand to the side of the head.
No luck for Henry with that takedown attempt.
A big right from Borisov misses.
Borisov throws a hook but Henry avoids it easily.
Borisov looks to score with a jab to the body but Henry is just out of range.

Henry drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Henry working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Borisov taking punishment in the form of punches.
Borisov gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Borisov controlling the position well.
Borisov is trying to stand back up but Henry is controlling him
Henry trying to control from half guard but Borisov is working away.
Henry throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

Henry is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Borisov won't allow Henry to pass to mount.
Henry throwing shots but Borisov is blocking nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Borisov keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Henry looks for a takedown but Borisov sprawls well.
Borisov stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Borisov wants it to stay on the feet.
No luck for Henry with that takedown attempt.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Henry.
A swing and a miss from Borisov.
Borisov jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Borisov misses with a two punch combination.
Borisov throws a nice looking combination but Henry bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Grigor Borisov.
I've got Borisov 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 Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight for Grigor Borisov!
Judge Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight for Grigor Borisov!
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight for Grigor Borisov!

Grigor Borisov wins by unanimous decision!