PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Vlad Kalashnikov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ardel Dixon (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.

Kalashnikov
vs
Dixon

200 cm
25
258 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

225 cm
24
275 lbs
5 - 6 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Decent elbows
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Powerful

MADE IN GERMANY
Vodka Rags

MADE IN GERMANY

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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Vlad Kalashnikov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Ardel Dixon!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Johanna Lukiainen and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dixon throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Dixon is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Dixon avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Kalashnikov tries to clinch up but Dixon circles away and keeps his distance.
Kalashnikov tries to close the distance and clinch up but Dixon swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Dixon throws a series of punches but Kalashnikov avoids them all with ease.
Kalashnikov explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Vlad Kalashnikov seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kalashnikov doesn't manage to clinch there - Dixon circles away.
Dixon keeps the fight on the outside.
Kalashnikov wants to clinch up but Dixon keeps it at a distance.
Kalashnikov moves in looking to clinch but Dixon pushes him off.
Kalashnikov doesn't manage to clinch there - Dixon circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dixon misses with a double jab.
Kalashnikov is looking to clinch.
Kalashnikov tries to clinch but Dixon moves out of range.
Kalashnikov is looking to clinch.
Dixon avoids the head kick by Kalashnikov.
Dixon swats away the attempt to clinch by Kalashnikov.
Kalashnikov tries to clinch up but Dixon circles away and keeps his distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Kalashnikov tries to close the distance and clinch up but Dixon swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Kalashnikov moves in looking to clinch but Dixon pushes him off.
Kalashnikov throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Dixon looks gassed!
Kalashnikov moves in looking to clinch but Dixon pushes him off.
Kalashnikov is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Vlad Kalashnikov is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Kalashnikov uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Dixon has time to react.
Dixon lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Kalashnikov circles away quickly and effectively.
Kalashnikov is looking to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kalashnikov tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Dixon manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Kalashnikov tries to clinch up but Dixon circles away and keeps his distance.
Kalashnikov tries to close the distance and clinch up but Dixon swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Kalashnikov is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Kalashnikov tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Dixon manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Kalashnikov looks to land a right hand but Dixon moved out of range.
Kalashnikov tries to clinch up but Dixon circles away and keeps his distance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
The fight stays on the outside here - Kalashnikov looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Kalashnikov tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Dixon manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Sloppy strikes from Dixon. Those never looked like landing.
Kalashnikov fails with an attempt to clinch.
Kalashnikov tries to clinch up.
Left hook, right uppercut from Dixon.
Kalashnikov fails in his attempt to clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Kalashnikov has taken the fight to the clinch.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Kalashnikov obliges.
Kalashnikov connects with a nasty looking knee right to Dixon's face.

It looks like Ardel Dixon has been cut.
Kalashnikov lands a good knee to the midsection. Dixon won't want to take too many of those.
Kalashnikov connects with a nasty looking knee right to Dixon's face.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Kalashnikov unloads a knee to the mid-section. Dixon lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Kalashnikov lands a nice knee to the body.
Nice elbow from Kalashnikov.
Kalashnikov lands an elbow just above Dixon 's eye.
Kalashnikov putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Dixon in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Kalashnikov lands a knee to the body.
Dixon takes a knee to the side of the body.
Kalashnikov with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

That has opened up Ardel Dixon's cut even more.
Kalashnikov unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Kalashnikov lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Kalashnikov lands an elbow that stopped Dixon in his tracks for a moment.
Dixon takes an elbow to the temple.
Kalashnikov utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Knees in the clinch landing for Kalashnikov.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Kalashnikov looking to throw knees to the head but Dixon is blocking nicely.
Kalashnikov is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Dixon can do to turn this around?
Dixon wants a takedown.
Vlad Kalashnikov has scored more points in the clinch so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kalashnikov scores a nice knee to the body.
Nice elbow from Kalashnikov.
Knees in the clinch landing for Kalashnikov.
Dixon has Kalashnikov pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Kalashnikov manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Dixon takes a knee to the side of the body.
Kalashnikov lands an elbow just above Dixon 's eye.
Dixon can't get the takedown.
Vlad Kalashnikov has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ardel Dixon.
Kalashnikov lands a knee to the head.
Kalashnikov lands a knee to the head.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Kalashnikov.

Dixon gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Kalashnikov regains guard.
Dixon is working Kalashnikov over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Dixon lands a couple of elbows.
Dixon throws and elbow that misses. Kalashnikov uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Dixon's guard. Nice move by Kalashnikov!
Kalashnikov has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Kalashnikov wants to stand and escape but instead Dixon has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dixon throwing strikes but missing.
Kalashnikov utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Kalashnikov might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Dixon landing some decent shots from guard.
Kalashnikov is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Dixon in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dixon throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Kalashnikov works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Dixon stopping the sweep attempt from Kalashnikov.
Dixon is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Dixon postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Dixon throwing strikes but missing.
Dixon working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Dixon makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Dixon in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Kalashnikov knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Dixon on the ground.
Kalashnikov avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Dixon postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Dixon with a flurry of punches that miss.
Dixon landing with the ground and pound.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Dixon accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Dixon lands a couple of digs.
Kalashnikov working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Dixon.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vlad Kalashnikov dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Ardel Dixon's cut.
That's time! Kalashnikov's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. And we move into the final round!

Kalashnikov tries to clinch there but Dixon circles away.
Kalashnikov misses with a head kick.
Kalashnikov stuffs the takedown attempt from Dixon. Dixon gets slowly back to his feet.
Dixon swats away the attempt to clinch by Kalashnikov.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kalashnikov moves in looking to clinch but Dixon pushes him off.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dixon avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Kalashnikov is looking to clinch.
Dixon fails to land with a series of punches.
Kalashnikov tries to close the distance and clinch but Dixon swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Kalashnikov fails with an attempt to clinch.
Kalashnikov fails in his attempt to clinch.

Kalashnikov rushes Dixon and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Dixon changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Kalashnikov fights it off and pushes away nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Kalashnikov is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Kalashnikov is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Kalashnikov tries to clinch but Dixon moves out of range.
Kalashnikov is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kalashnikov moves in looking to clinch but Dixon pushes him off.
Kalashnikov tries to clinch up but Dixon circles away and keeps his distance.
Kalashnikov scores with a kick to the body.
Kalashnikov is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Kalashnikov here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
Kalashnikov tries to close the distance and clinch up but Dixon swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kalashnikov tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Dixon paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Kalashnikov tries to clinch but Dixon is having none of it.
Kalashnikov tries to clinch up.
Kalashnikov tries to clinch up.
Kalashnikov throws a nice inside leg kick.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Kalashnikov tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Ardel Dixon has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Vlad Kalashnikov is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
A head kick misses from Kalashnikov.

And that's the end of the fight!
Vlad Kalashnikov showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Kalashnikov, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 30:27
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Vlad Kalashnikov!