PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Arthur St John (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alen Zalac (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Zalac is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Eminem - Not Afraid. 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.

St John
vs
Zalac

190 cm
25
220 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
21
260 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Big heart

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

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 Las Vegas, Arthur St John!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Alen Zalac!
The judges for this bout are Robert Twigg, Cecil Peabody and Frank Dennis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Zalac misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
St John lands a jab to the nose.

It looks like Alen Zalac has been cut.
St John swats away the attempt to clinch by Zalac.
St John scores with a head kick.
A head kick by Zalac misses
and St John connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Zalac throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Zalac looks gassed!
St John with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Zalac avoids a punch combination nicely.
St John lands a jab-cross combination.
This has been an exciting period of action!
St John scores with a head kick. Zalac tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
St John connects with a leg kick. Zalac looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Zalac tries to grapple but his opponent circles
enabling St John to counter with a crisp jab.
St John swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Zalac counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for St John!
St John tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's one minute gone in the round.
St John slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
St John slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
St John is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
St John utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Zalac wants to control from the top but St John keeps moving.
Zalac has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
St John wants to sweep but no luck.
St John lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Zalac!

St John with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

St John has control of Zalac's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Zalac regains control of the situation pretty easily.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Zalac sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Zalac looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
St John works his foot free and advances to mount.

St John looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

St John swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Zalac is now in St John's guard. A big mistake from St John there, giving up the dominant position!
Zalac working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of St John's head.

St John throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Zalac wants to control from the top but St John keeps moving.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Arthur St John dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Alen Zalac'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.

Zalac tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and St John counters with a head kick. That will keep Zalac thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!

Zalac throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. St John was covering up waiting for the punch and Zalac finishes the takedown easily into guard.

Zalac postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! St John is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Zalac, into his guard.

St John is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

That's one minute gone in the round.

St John thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
St John trying to control but Zalac is working from the bottom.
Zalac looking to control.
St John trying to control but Zalac is working from the bottom.
St John wanted to stand there but Zalac had control of the position.

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.
St John trying to control the position from guard on top but Zalac is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
St John pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Zalac is keeping the position for now.
St John trying to move into half guard but instead Zalac has managed to sweep!
Zalac postures up in St John's guard and throws a big left but St John blocks it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zalac trying to control but St John is working from the bottom.
St John utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Zalac thows a big elbow that misses.
Zalac working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
St John keeping moving, preventing Zalac from controlling successfully.
Zalac stopping the sweep attempt from St John.
Zalac with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's four 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.

Zalac got a little sloppy there for a moment and St John has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Zalac has managed to get both his arms back between St John's legs - danger averted.

St John looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Zalac is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Zalac looking to sit in guard and control but St John gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alen Zalac showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Alen Zalac'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. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

A big left from Zalac misses.
Zalac misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Zalac avoids the head kick by St John.
St John throws a nice head kick!
St John lands with a nice combination. Zalac backs away looking to recover.
Arthur St John is winning the standup battle so far.
St John lands with a nice combination. Zalac backs away looking to recover.
St John lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
St John throws a combination. Zalac tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
St John lands a head kick!
St John fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Zalac takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
St John scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Danga de danga de dang - St John scores with a four punch combination!
St John lands a slapping body shot.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Zalac changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. St John tries to avoid it but Zalac manages to keep hold of a leg and drag St John to the ground. St John escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Zalac throws a combination that misses
and St John finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
St John lands a nice looking body kick.
St John uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Zalac.
St John tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Zalac closes the distance but St John moves to the side
and St John counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Zalac tries to clinch
letting St John counter with a right hand.
Zalac takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
St John scores with a head kick.
Zalac has a takedown stuffed.
St John lands with a slapping head kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zalac tries for a takedown but St John circles away easily
and St John connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Arthur St John has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Alen Zalac.
A bone on bone clash there as St John blocks the leg kick.
St John lands an overhand right.
St John lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Zalac circles away quickly and effectively.
Zalac closes the distance looking to clinch
and St John connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
St John changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
St John circles away from the clinch attempt
and St John cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Zalac throws a leg kick
and St John makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
St John throws a head kick that looked like it stung.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
St John throws a head kick but Zalac moves out of range.
Zalac keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from St John.
Zalac throws a combination that misses
and St John counters with an outside leg kick.
Zalac gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Zalac avoids the body shot from St John.
Zalac will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Zalac looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Zalac tries to clinch but fails miserably
and St John counters with a low kick, right behind Zalac 's knee.
A head kick from St John lands but Zalac takes it in his stride.
St John has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Zalac finds it's way round the side to connect with St John's head.
Zalac avoids the head kick by St John.
St John takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Zalac shoots in looking for a takedown but St John manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Zalac's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.

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.
Zalac takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Zalac throws a series of punches but St John avoids them all with ease.
St John lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Zalac misses with a kick to the body
and St John counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Zalac is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Both fighters circling a little - St John finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Zalac tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Zalac avoids a punch combination nicely.
Zalac is trying hard to land a takedown here. St John sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Zalac shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with St John but St John pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Zalac on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by St John. St John obviously looking to wear him down.
Zalac shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts St John as he jumps to the side.
Zalac takes one on the chin but keeps coming.

And that's the end of the fight!
Arthur St John showed his dominance in that final round.
I think St John 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 Robert Twigg scores the fight 29:28
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 29:27
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Arthur St John!