PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Mark Giel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Riddell (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.

Giel
vs
Riddell

180 cm
22
175 lbs
6 - 5 - 0

185 cm
23
178 lbs
9 - 8 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
KO power

Good wrestler
Good kicks
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 5 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Mark Giel!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 8 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Mike Riddell!
The judges for this bout are Dmitry Maklakov, Viktor Lagutenko and Aleksandr Martynov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Riddell lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
The fight stays on the outside here - Riddell looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Riddell tries to clinch up but Giel circles away and keeps his distance.
Riddell tries for a takedown but Giel sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Riddell shoots in looking for a takedown but Giel manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Riddell's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.

Riddell rushes Giel and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Riddell with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Riddell lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

It looks like Mark Giel has been cut.
Riddell stalling against the cage.
Riddell pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
A left hand lands to the body for Riddell.

Riddell's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Giel throws a nice looking combination but Riddell bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nice jab there from Giel.
Riddell tries to clinch there but Giel circles away.
Riddell wants to clinch.
Giel throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Riddell.
Riddell avoids a punch combination nicely.
Some wild striking there from Giel.
Mark Giel is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Riddell looks for the body kick but Giel saw that one coming.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Giel connects with a looping right hand.

Riddell gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Riddell is struggling to control the position.

Riddell manages to pull guard.
Riddell bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Giel's guard.
Riddell postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Riddell prevents Giel from getting back to his feet.
Riddell throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Giel works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Riddell slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

Riddell thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Riddell landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.

Riddell tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Riddell has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

Riddell tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Riddell is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Giel is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Riddell trying to control the position but Giel is working away.
Giel dodges the ground and pound from Riddell.
Riddell wants to take a breather but Giel manages to regain guard - a lesson learnt for Riddell.
Riddell sitting in guard, not really doing much.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Riddell dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Mark Giel's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Giel steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Riddell. That one must have hurt.
Giel will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Nice takedown defense from Giel. No joy for Riddell on that attempt.
Riddell slips a jab and a cross from Giel.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Giel looks to land a combination but Riddell avoids it well.
Riddell tries to close the distance and clinch up but Giel swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Giel throws a series of punches but Riddell avoids them all with ease.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Riddell shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.

Riddell goes for an armbar but Giel turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Giel.

Riddell had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Giel defends it easily.
Riddell has Giel pulled in close to control his posture.

Riddell throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Riddell looking for a sweep. Not yet Riddell, not yet.

Riddell working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Giel has passed into half guard!

Riddell manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Some wild striking there from Giel.
The fight stays on the outside here - Riddell looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Giel fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Giel throws a right and a left that both miss.
Riddell avoids a punch combination nicely.
Some wild striking there from Giel.
Giel throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Riddell.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Giel looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
A punch combination from Giel misses.
Giel takes a swing at Riddell's ribcage but misses.

Riddell shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Riddell lands a big shot there that rocks Giel but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Riddell trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Riddell thowing shots but they're missing.
Riddell trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Riddell is in the full mount, landing strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Riddell showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Mark Giel's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Giel throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Riddell closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Riddell throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Riddell throwing shots but Giel is blocking nicely.
Riddell trying to control the action but Giel is working from the bottom.
Giel keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Riddell is taking a breather. Giel 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.
Riddell is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Giel!
Riddell breaks from Giel's wrist control and lands an elbow.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Riddell thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Giel is bucking up trying to escape but Riddell cracks him with another couple of good strikes.

Riddell working for a guillotine from mount but Giel is in no mood to give up.
Giel is in a horrible position here. Riddell smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Riddell misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Giel holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Riddell tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Riddell has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Riddell postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Giel looks a forlorn figure.
Riddell looking to ground and pound but Giel is blocking nicely.
Riddell tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Riddell lands a nice shot to the head.
Giel is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Riddell punishing his opponent with strikes.

Mark Giel's cut is getting worse.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Riddell moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Giel has worked his arm free - good work by Giel!

Riddell wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Giel, who protects the arm well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
An elbow from Riddell crashes against the mat.
Riddell working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Riddell wants to control but Giel is keeping him busy.
Riddell creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Giel sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Riddell trying to control the position but Giel is working away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Riddell in side control, throwing shots but Giel defends.
Riddell wants to lay and pray for a moment but Giel keeps working.
Riddell with the ground and pound but Giel regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Still in half guard, Riddell seems content to control.
Riddell looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Giel with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.

Mark Giel's cut is bleeding quite badly. He's got to try and protect it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Riddell passes to full mount!
Mark Giel has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Mike Riddell is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Riddell postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Giel looks a forlorn figure.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mike Riddell comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Riddell 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 Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 27:30
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 27:30
Judge Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mike Riddell!