PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Alex Yashin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mietek Kafar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Yashin
vs
Kafar

215 cm
25
280 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

195 cm
25
265 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Alex Yashin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Mietek Kafar!
The judges for this bout are Konstantin Menshow, Valeri Chadov and Illya Tyunina.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Yashin looks to land a right hand but Kafar moved out of range.
Kafar takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.

It looks like Mietek Kafar has been cut.
Yashin tries to clinch up but Kafar circles away and keeps his distance.
Kafar throws a head kick that misses.
Yashin fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Kafar finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Yashin tries to close the distance and clinch but Kafar swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Kafar looking to slow down the pace here.
Yashin tries to pull guard but Kafar won't allow it.
Kafar with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Kafar keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Yashin's efforts to push away.
Kafar is struggling to control the position.
Yashin on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kafar is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Yashin is looking to break free of the clinch but Kafar has double underhooks.
Kafar looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

Kafar breaks from the clinch.
Kafar tries to clinch up

and Yashin counters with a nice double leg into side control. Kafar won't be happy with that.
Yashin trying to control the action but Kafar is working from the bottom.
Yashin is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Kafar is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Kafar wants to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee asks Yashin politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Yashin prefers to stall for the moment though.
Yashin lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Yashin wants to lay and pray for a moment but Kafar keeps working.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yashin is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.

That's four 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.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Alex Yashin wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Yashin looks for a takedown but Kafar sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alex Yashin. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kafar tries to clinch but Yashin moves out of range.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Kafar!
Kafar fails with the takedown.
Yashin misses with a body shot.
Yashin shoots in looking for a takedown. Kafar tries to sprawl out of it but Yashin keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Kafar manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Yashin is breathing heavily.
Yashin fails to land the takedown.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alex Yashin dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Mietek Kafar's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

A head kick from Kafar lands but Yashin takes it in his stride.

It looks like Alex Yashin has been cut.
Yashin throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
A nice combination there by Kafar.
Kafar doesn't manage to clinch there - Yashin circles away.
Kafar doesn't manage to clinch there - Yashin circles away.
Yashin misses with a combination
and Kafar counters with an outside leg kick.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kafar looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Yashin is fending him off so far but Kafar persists. Nope, Yashin circles away and we're back to standing.
Kafar feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Yashin's calf.
Yashin throws a lazy body kick
and Kafar counters with a nice low kick that buckles Yashin's knee momentarily.
Kafar tries to clinch up

and Yashin counters with a shoot takedown. Kafar fights it but they end up in guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Kafar has his feet on Yashin's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Kafar scoring well with a low kick there.
Kafar scoring well with a low kick there.
Yashin throws a body kick despite being completely out of range
and Kafar counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

Kafar closes the distance and clinches.
Kafar is looking to control Yashin's arms but Yashin gets an underhook and turns him. Now Kafar has his back to the cage.

Kafar breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Kafar.

Kafar decides to stand back up. Kafar steps back and let's Yashin get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yashin tries to land a body kick
and Kafar counters with an inside leg kick.
Yashin defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Kafar.
Kafar pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Kafar clinches with his opponent.
Kafar tries to throw a body punch but Yashin avoids it by throwing Kafar back against the cage.

Yashin breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
A head kick misses from Kafar.

Kafar takes the fight into the clinch.
Yashin is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Kafar gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Kafar is trying to break the clinch but Yashin has him pressed against the cage.
Yashin goes for a takedown attempt but Kafar pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Yashin tries for a takedown but Kafar circles away easily
and Kafar counters with a three punch combo that has Yashin backing up. Yashin nods at Kafar to acknowledge the strikes.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alex Yashin. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yashin shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Kafar but Kafar pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Kafar gets caught flat footed, as Yashin shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Kafar is looking to stand up but Yashin isn't so interested in that idea.

Yashin gets to his feet. Kafar looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kafar lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Yashin avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Yashin fails with a takedown attempt.
Kafar misses with a wild combination.
Kafar tries to close the distance and clinch up but Yashin swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Yashin closes this distance looking for a takedown but Kafar circles away.
Yashin has his takedown stuffed

so Kafar counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Yashin working a defensive guard here.
Kafar wants to stand but Yashin is controlling his posture from full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mietek Kafar showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Yashin has taken the fight to the clinch.

Yashin's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Yashin displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Kafar.

Kafar shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Yashin looking to hit a scissor sweep but Kafar is one step ahead there.
Yashin has a closed guard, preventing Kafar from standing up.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Yashin pushes Kafar off and gets back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Horrible takedown by Yashin or perhaps it was just good defense by Kafar which made him look bad.

Kafar clinches up against the cage.
Kafar tries to pull guard but Yashin won't allow it.
Kafar looking to throw knees to the head but Yashin is blocking nicely.
Kafar gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Yashin.

Kafar breaks from the clinch.
Yashin fails in his attempt to clinch.

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.
Kafar tries to clinch but Yashin moves out of range.

Kafar instigates a clinch.
Yashin avoiding damage as Kafar throws knees to the body.
Kafar with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Kafar wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Kafar looking to stall.

Yashin breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Yashin wants to clinch
and Kafar counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
Kafar tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Yashin counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
A low kick from Yashin misses
and Kafar counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Kafar scoring well with a low kick there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yashin takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Yashin shoots in and drives through. Kafar sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alex Yashin. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Kafar gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Yashin tries for a takedown. No joy.
Kafar displaying some good clinch control by pressing Yashin up against the cage.
Yashin is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.

Kafar pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Kafar shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Yashin has closed the distance and engaged Kafar in a clinch.
The referee is keeping an eye on Kafar - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Yashin looking for a takedown.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yashin goes for a takedown in the clinch but Kafar prevents it.
Kafar is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Yashin wants to get back to striking at distance but Kafar won't allow it.
Kafar scores with a shoulder strike.
Kafar jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Yashin walks away with a smile on his face. Kafar gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Yashin fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Yashin avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Yashin closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Kafar quickly recovers to half guard.
Yashin working Kafar over with strikes.
Yashin not doing much here.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Mietek Kafar.
I think Kafar 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 Valeri Chadov scores the fight 28:29
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mietek Kafar!