PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Fedor Emelianenko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Francisco Mir (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Mir comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Nas - Hate Me Now kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Emelianenko
vs
Mir

183 cm
22
229 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

191 cm
22
265 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Fedor Emelianenko!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Francisco Mir!
The judges for this bout are Igor Prikhodko, Valeri Chadov and Vladimir Khabensky.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mir tries to close the distance and clinch but Emelianenko swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Francisco Mir seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Emelianenko keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Mir doesn't manage to clinch there - Emelianenko circles away.
Emelianenko avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Mir fails in his attempt to clinch.
Emelianenko takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Mir tries to close the distance and clinch up but Emelianenko swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Mir.
Emelianenko managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Mir.
Emelianenko knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Mir on the ground.
Mir has control of an arm but Emelianenko manages to advance to Mir's back!
Mir is trapped and Emelianenko is scoring with shots to the head and body.
Mir tries to escape the position.
Emelianenko wants to control but Mir is keeping busy.
Mir is really stuck here.

Emelianenko looking for the RNC.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Emelianenko is controlling the position but Mir somehow manages to roll and ends up with half guard.
Mir avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Emelianenko.
Mir is doing well to control the position and prevent Emelianenko from advancing to side control.
Mir wants to control but Emelianenko is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Emelianenko sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Mir defending well though.
Emelianenko thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Mir holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
Emelianenko working the head and body with strikes.
Mir is looking for a sweep. Emelianenko is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's two 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.
Mir is trying to control but can't.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

Mir is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Emelianenko pulls his head out easily.
Emelianenko seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Mir does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Mir is trying to maintain the position but Emelianenko is very close to passing his half guard.

Mir actively working from the bottom here.
Mir tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Mir slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Mir controls Emelianenko momentarily but Emelianenko frees himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Mir is on top in guard.
Emelianenko lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Mir!
Mir tries to reverse the position but Emelianenko maintains control.
BOOM! Emelianenko connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Emelianenko avoids the attempt from Mir to control.
Mir is looking to get to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mir regains half guard.
Mir wants to control but Emelianenko is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Emelianenko wants to stand up but Mir has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Mir is looking to control Emelianenko's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Mir avoid being mounted?
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mir makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Mir.
Mir is trying to keep Emelianenko in close.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Francisco Mir will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Mir tries to close the distance and clinch up but Emelianenko swats him away and circles back towards the center.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Emelianenko.
Emelianenko with a poor takedown

and Mir counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Mir.
Emelianenko on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Emelianenko tries to get out of the position.
Emelianenko throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Emelianenko throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Mir passes Emelianenko's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Emelianenko throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Emelianenko tries to get to full guard but Mir has control of the leg.
Mir with the ground and pound but Emelianenko uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Mir content to stall in guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mir looking to sit in guard and control but Emelianenko gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Mir looking to control.
Emelianenko trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Emelianenko preventing the sweep.
Mir working a defensive guard here.
Mir manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Emelianenko manages to get himself to full guard.
Mir trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Emelianenko looking to control but Mir passes into half guard.

That's two 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.
Mir is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Emelianenko!
Mir landing punches.
Mir controlling from mount.
Mir scoring with strikes but Emelianenko is staying in there.
Mir prevents Emelianenko from getting the reversal.
Mir tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Mir punishing his opponent with strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mir working Emelianenko over with strikes here.
Mir takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Mir dominating with strikes here.
Mir with shots to the head and body - Emelianenko looks very uncomfortable down there.
Mir lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Emelianenko hang on?
Mir lands a nice shot to the head.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Mir scoring with strikes but Emelianenko is staying in there.
The referee warns Emelianenko that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Mir landing strikes, looking to finish!
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Mir cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Mir takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mir dominating with strikes here.
Mir landing strikes, looking to finish!
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Mir cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Emelianenko in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Mir lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Emelianenko hang on?
A nice elbow there by Mir.

Emelianenko is rocked!
Mir sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Mir can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Emelianenko is looking to escape.
Mir has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Mir tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Francisco Mir showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Mir fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Emelianenko sprawls well initially but Mir persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Mir is looking to advance position but Emelianenko won't allow it.
Francisco Mir has got the better of the ground game so far.
Emelianenko wants to get back to full guard.
Emelianenko is trying to control but can't.
Mir controlling the action here.
Mir seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Emelianenko does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Mir is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Francisco Mir.
Mir fails in his attempt to clinch.
Emelianenko misses with a takedown attempt

so Mir counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Mir stands up and waves to Emelianenko to follow him.
Mir is looking to clinch but Emelianenko is avoiding it.
Mir tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Emelianenko paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Mir is looking to clinch but Emelianenko is avoiding it.
Emelianenko walks forward, straight into a front kick from Mir.
Mir moves in looking to clinch but Emelianenko pushes him off.
Emelianenko circles away from the clinch attempt.
Mir fails in his attempt to clinch.

Mir closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Mir passes to side control.
Mir working the ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Mir tries for a kimura but Emelianenko is defending well.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Mir scores with a couple of short elbows.
Mir controls the position.
Mir throws an elbow but Emelianenko slips to the side and avoids it well.
Mir advances nicely into full mount.
Mir is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Emelianenko can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Mir raining down shots from the mount!
Mir controlling the position easily from mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mir landing punches.
Mir working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Emelianenko really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Mir content just to control the position here.
Mir lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.

Mir has control of Emelianenko's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Emelianenko regains control of the situation pretty easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mir lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Mir landing shots from mount.
Francisco Mir is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Mir takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Emelianenko really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Mir sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Fedor Emelianenko has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Mir's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

And that's the end of the fight!
Francisco Mir comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Mir has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 25:30
Judge Valeri Chadov scores the fight 25:30
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Francisco Mir!