PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Dana White (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Aleksandr Vakhrushev (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rumors backstage are that the fighters have been paid to keep it standing but we know that would never happen in MMA!

White
vs
Vakhrushev

187 cm
23
185 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

180 cm
23
188 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Dana White!
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, Aleksandr Vakhrushev!
The judges for this bout are Illya Tyunina, Aleksei Zolotukhin and Ivan Kurochkin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Vakhrushev tries to clinch up.
Vakhrushev wants to clinch up but White keeps it at a distance.
White shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Vakhrushev pinned against the cage. Vakhrushev gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Vakhrushev gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and White counters with a nice double leg into side control. Vakhrushev won't be happy with that.
Vakhrushev is trying to control White's posture but White avoids it.
White throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
White trying to control the action but Vakhrushev is working from the bottom.
Vakhrushev is trying to improve his position.
White wants to lay and pray for a moment but Vakhrushev keeps working.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The strikes coming from White are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Vakhrushev is looking for a sweep.

White working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Vakhrushev is looking to regain half guard here but White keeps moving and retains side control.
Vakhrushev is trying to control White's posture but White avoids it.

Vakhrushev explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Vakhrushev clinches.
Vakhrushev lands an elbow that stopped White in his tracks for a moment.

Vakhrushev breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Vakhrushev tries a low kick but White avoids it.
Vakhrushev blocks a head kick by White.
Vakhrushev keeps the fight on the outside.
White darts in trying to clinch

and Vakhrushev counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
White pushes Vakhrushev off looking to stand but Vakhrushev dives back in and keeps control.
Vakhrushev not doing much here.
Vakhrushev looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Vakhrushev looks gassed!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
White is staying active underneath Vakhrushev, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
White tries to roll over but Vakhrushev keeps him under control.
White is refusing to be controlled, as Vakhrushev sits in half guard.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Aleksandr Vakhrushev hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Vakhrushev doesn't succeed with the takedown

and White counters with a shoot takedown. Vakhrushev fights it but they end up in guard.
White is looking to work some ground and pound but Vakhrushev has wrist control.
White connects with a couple of short punches.
Vakhrushev tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Vakhrushev is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst White is controlling him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vakhrushev looking to control.
White trying to control but Vakhrushev is working from the bottom.
White postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
White trying to control but Vakhrushev is working from the bottom.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Dana White wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Vakhrushev misses with a takedown attempt
and White counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Dana White has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Aleksandr Vakhrushev.
White shoots in but Vakhrushev avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Vakhrushev fails with the takedown
and Vakhrushev takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
White tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Vakhrushev counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in White's guard now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Dana White will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

White throws a series of punches but Vakhrushev moves out of range.
Vakhrushev wants to clinch

and White counters with a takedown into side control.
Vakhrushev can't do much from the bottom here.
White landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Vakhrushev is not content to let White control the position.
Vakhrushev sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
White trying to control from half guard but Vakhrushev is working away.
White thows a huge punch but Vakhrushev dodges it nicely.
Vakhrushev is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
White is trying to control the action in half guard but Vakhrushev is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Dana White overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Vakhrushev keeps control of the position for the meantime.

White is looking for a kimura here.

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.
Vakhrushev is holding on to half guard well.
Vakhrushev flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.

White stands up from half guard.
White misses with a takedown attempt - Vakhrushev sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Dana White is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Vakhrushev has his takedown stuffed

and White counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
White wants to stand but Vakhrushev has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
White trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Vakhrushev wriggles free and stands up.

White feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.

White stands up from Vakhrushev's guard - White perhaps looking for a knockout.
White looks to clinch
and Vakhrushev counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
White tries for a takedown but Vakhrushev circles away easily

and Vakhrushev counters with a single leg into guard. White didn't expect that.

White has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Vakhrushev off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
White avoids the head kick by Vakhrushev.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

White shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Vakhrushev manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
White postures up.

Vakhrushev had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. White defends it easily.
White loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Vakhrushev wants to sweep but no luck.
White postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dana White 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!

White misses with a series of wild punches.

Vakhrushev scores with a takedown into White's guard.
Vakhrushev wants to pass the guard but White is keeping the position.
Vakhrushev trying to control but White is working from the bottom.
Vakhrushev looking to sit in guard and control but White gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

White stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vakhrushev showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from White.
Vakhrushev stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Vakhrushev wants it to stay on the feet.
Dana White seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Vakhrushev lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Vakhrushev lands a jab-cross combination.
White misses with a double jab

and Vakhrushev counters with a shoot takedown. White fights it but they end up in guard.

White is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Vakhrushev decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
White darts in trying to clinch
and Vakhrushev counters with a slapping leg kick.
Vakhrushev with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling White to score with a decent uppercut.
White explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Vakhrushev throws a one two combo.
Vakhrushev circles away from the clinch attempt

and Vakhrushev moves into the clinch.

Vakhrushev breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
White throws a one two combo.
Vakhrushev fails with the takedown

and White counters with a single leg into guard. Vakhrushev didn't expect that.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vakhrushev is trying to control the position but White postures up.
Vakhrushev might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control White kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Vakhrushev manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
White keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
White wants to get back to his feet.

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.
Vakhrushev trying to control but White is having none of it.
Vakhrushev prevents White from getting the reversal.
You get the feeling that White really doesn't like being in this position too much.

Vakhrushev looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Vakhrushev working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.

And that's the end of the fight!
Aleksandr Vakhrushev comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think White has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Illya Tyunina scores the fight 29:28
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 29:29
Judge Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 28:29

The fight is ruled a draw!