PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Alexander Karelin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rey Miracle (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Karelin
vs
Miracle

200 cm
25
190 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

188 cm
25
202 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Granite chin

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Solid chin

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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Alexander Karelin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Rey Miracle!
The judges for this bout are Dmitry Maklakov, Illya Tyunina and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Karelin looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Miracle!
Miracle keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Miracle tries to hold on but Karelin postures up.
Karelin working Miracle over with strikes here.

It looks like Rey Miracle has been cut.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Miracle wants to control but Karelin is having none of it.

Karelin jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Miracle manages to avoid the submission attempt.

Karelin is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Miracle knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Miracle is looking to reverse the position.
Miracle wants to control but Karelin postures up.
Miracle is trying to get back to his feet.
Karelin is looking to take a break and control but Miracle is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Miracle is trying to control Karelin's posture but Karelin avoids it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Miracle parries the strikes from Karelin easily there. Karelin is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Miracle to escape.
Karelin will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

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.

Karelin tries for a kimura but Miracle is defending well.
Karelin trying to control the position but Miracle is working away.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Miracle struggling a bit here.

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

Karelin looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Karelin is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
You can see the frustration on Miracle's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Miracle tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Karelin working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Miracle is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Karelin off and has taken his back!

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.

Miracle is working for a rear naked choke. Karelin is not defending it well and Miracle has tightened it up quickly! This could be all over! Karelin refuses to tap and goes to sleep, forcing the referee to intervene. A little trickle of blood came out of Karelin's nose as his head slumped to the floor. That is naaaasty!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:27 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Rey Miracle!