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PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Nikola Zrinski (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Francesco Baja (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Francesco Baja told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!
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| 185 cm
19
200 lbs
0 - 5 - 0 |
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210 cm
19
188 lbs
3 - 4 - 0 |
BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
KO power |
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BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Knockout power |
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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
0 - 5 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Nikola Zrinski!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of
3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Francesco Baja!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Ivan Kurochkin and Illya Tyunina.
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Baja tries to keep at a distance but Zrinski has taken the fight into the clinch.
Baja looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!
Baja has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Zrinski is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Zrinski breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Zrinski throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Zrinski displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Baja.
Zrinski bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Zrinski throws a head kick that half lands.
Zrinski throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Zrinski misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Zrinski throws a nice outside leg kick.
Nikola Zrinski seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Zrinski moves in looking to clinch but Baja pushes him off.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Zrinski throws a head kick but Baja moves out of range.
Zrinski lands a nice looking kick to the body. Baja takes a step back to recover.
Baja blocks a head kick by Zrinski.
Zrinski throws a head kick that misses.
Zrinski closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Zrinski tries to advance to mount but can't.
Baja is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Zrinski in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Baja is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Zrinski asserts his dominance and retains side control.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zrinski working the head with strikes.
Zrinski has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Zrinski tries to clinch there but Baja circles away.
Zrinski tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Zrinski throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Baja takes a kick to the side of the head.
Baja takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Zrinski misses with a wild combination.
Zrinski throws a sloppy head kick and Baja moves out of range easily.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zrinski has Baja up against the cage in a clinch.
Baja goes for a takedown in the clinch but Zrinski prevents it.
Nikola Zrinski has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Francesco Baja.
Zrinski has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Baja regains guard immediately.
Zrinski trying to control but Baja is working from the bottom.
Zrinski tries to stand but Baja is controlling from the bottom.
Baja pushes Zrinski off and gets back to his feet.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Baja shoots and misses
and Zrinski makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Baja really felt that one!
Baja blocks a head kick by Zrinski.
Baja blocks a head kick by Zrinski.
Zrinski misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Baja avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Zrinski misses with a head kick.
Zrinski tries a head kick but it misses.
Baja avoids the head kick by Zrinski.
Baja walks into a stiff left hand from Zrinski.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Nikola Zrinski dominated that round.
That's time! Zrinski's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.
Baja avoids the head kick by Zrinski.
Zrinski throws a head kick that Baja semi-blocks.
A head kick misses from Zrinski.
Zrinski darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Baja is trying to stand up here but Zrinski is controlling him well.
Baja is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
Baja kicks off Zrinski and gets to his feet.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Zrinski gets a clinch.
Zrinski breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Zrinski tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Baja tries to keep at a distance but Zrinski has taken the fight into the clinch.
Baja is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Zrinski pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Zrinski wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Zrinski stops a takedown attempt from Baja.
Baja tries for a takedown. No joy.
Nikola Zrinski has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Francesco Baja.
Zrinski is pressed up against the cage. Baja has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Zrinski down to the mat. Zrinski avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Zrinski tries to clinch but Baja moves out of range.
Zrinski throws a sloppy head kick and Baja moves out of range easily.
Zrinski connects with a high kick.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zrinski is looking to clinch but Baja is avoiding it.
Zrinski misses with a head kick.
Zrinski throws a head kick that misses.
Zrinski tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Baja blocks a head kick by Zrinski.
Baja takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Nikola Zrinski is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Baja keeps the fight on the outside.
Zrinski throws a head kick but Baja moves out of range.
Zrinski throws out a powerful jab.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Baja misses with a takedown
and Zrinski counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Baja fails with the takedown
and Zrinski counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Zrinski misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Zrinski tries a head kick but it misses.
Baja is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Zrinski is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Zrinski cracks the inside of Baja's front leg.
Baja shoots and misses
and Zrinski counters with a thumping low kick.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Baja crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Zrinski - the referee stops the clock and Baja gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Zrinski. Baja manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Baja shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Zrinski counters with a single leg into guard. Baja didn't expect that.
Baja wants to get back to his feet but Zrinski is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Baja pushes Zrinski off and scrambles back to his feet.
Zrinski swinging wildly here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Nikola Zrinski dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!
Zrinski decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Baja kicks Zrinski off and gets back to his feet.
Zrinski tries a head kick but it misses.
Zrinski plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Excellent takedown into side control there by Zrinski.
Zrinski wants to control but Baja is keeping him busy.
Baja is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Zrinski is controlling him well.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Baja explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
Zrinski pulls out of a head kick attempt.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Baja blocks a head kick by Zrinski.
Zrinski goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Baja ducks under a wild hook from Zrinski.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Zrinski.
Zrinski throws a nice looking combination but Baja bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Zrinski darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Zrinski connects with a high kick.
Zrinski throws a sloppy head kick and Baja moves out of range easily.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Zrinski closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Zrinski lands in his opponent's guard.
Baja has a closed guard, preventing Zrinski from standing up.
Zrinski with a flurry of punches that miss.
Baja scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Zrinski tries a head kick but it misses.
Zrinski tries a head kick but it misses.
Baja on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Baja closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Zrinski did well to prevent Baja getting side control.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zrinski wants to improve his position but Baja is controlling well.
Baja thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Baja seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Zrinski tries to roll over but Baja keeps him under control.
Baja sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Zrinski defending well though.
Zrinski is trying to stand.
Baja lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Baja missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Zrinski pulls out of a head kick attempt.
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.
Zrinski fails in his attempt to clinch.
Zrinski changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Baja looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Baja throws Zrinski to one side and escapes!
Nikola Zrinski is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Baja has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Zrinski.
Zrinski misses with a head kick.
Zrinski scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Baja has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Baja wants to get back to his feet but Zrinski drags him back down.
Baja prevents Zrinski from improving position.
Baja is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Baja bucks up and manages to escape back to his feet!
Francesco Baja has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
A head kick misses from Zrinski.
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 Nikola Zrinski.
Well Zrinski has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 30:28
In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nikola Zrinski!
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| S |
C
A |
G |
S |
C
B |
G |
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S |
C |
G |
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energy
A | B |
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hype
A | B |
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pop
A | B |
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mgr
A | B |
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FIGHT
RATING
35% |
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