PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Frank Carwin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mihail Safin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Carwin
vs
Safin

151 cm
25
265 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

192 cm
19
225 lbs
1 - 6 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

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 Hilo, Frank Carwin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Mihail Safin!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Safin defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Carwin.
Safin tries for a takedown but Carwin circles away easily

and Carwin decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Safin's guard.
Safin throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Carwin is stalling in the full guard.
Safin throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Safin will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Safin tries to strike from the bottom.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Carwin postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Carwin stopping the sweep attempt from Safin.
Safin is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Carwin controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
Safin is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Safin wants to control the pace but Carwin is squirming around nicely.
Safin throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Carwin because Safin loaded up on that one.
BOOM! Safin connects with a massive shot to the dome!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Carwin is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Safin trying to control but Carwin is having none of it.
Carwin throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Carwin is wriggling around trying to escape.
Carwin is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Safin trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Safin has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Carwin is trying to escape the mount.

Safin goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Carwin turns into him and now he's in Safin's guard.
Safin trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Carwin might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Safin looks gassed!
Carwin trying to stand up but can't free himself from Safin's guard.
Carwin trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Safin will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Safin trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Safin looking for a sweep. Not yet Safin, not yet.
Safin is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Carwin sitting in guard here, content to control.
Safin trying to strike off his back.
Carwin won't allow Safin to get back to his feet.
Carwin content to stall in guard here.

Frank Carwin has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Carwin changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Safin tries to avoid it but Carwin manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Safin to the ground. Safin escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.

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.
Carwin fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Frank Carwin. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Carwin swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

Carwin clinches up against the cage.
Carwin wants a takedown.
Carwin wants to break the clinch but can't.

Safin escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Safin misses with a takedown
and Carwin counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

Carwin closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Safin to the mat! Safin manages to get full guard.
Carwin has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Safin is proving hard to escape from.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Frank Carwin dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Carwin throws the kick towards the body but Safin avoids it.
Safin with a poor takedown
and Carwin counters with a stiff right hand.
Carwin pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Safin tries for a takedown but Carwin circles away easily
and Carwin counters with a nice body shot.

Carwin gets a takedown into half guard.
Carwin trying to pass the guard but Safin defending well.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Safin is trying to maintain the position but Carwin is very close to passing his half guard.
Carwin stalling.

That's one minute gone in the round.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Carwin seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Frank Carwin.
Carwin lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Safin at a distance.
Carwin fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Safin takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Carwin fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Safin avoids it really well and circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Safin tries for a takedown but Carwin circles away easily

so Carwin counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Frank Carwin has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mihail Safin.
Safin trying to strike off his back.
Safin throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Carwin not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Safin manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Carwin is squirming around, avoiding Safin's attempts to control the action.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Carwin wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Safin.
Carwin is looking to improve his position but Safin isn't that keen on the idea.
Carwin holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Safin tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Carwin is squirming around, avoiding Safin's attempts to control the action.
Frank Carwin overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Carwin wants to hold on but Safin pushes him away.
Carwin blocking the ground and pound.
Safin avoids the attempt from Carwin to control.
Safin thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.

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.
Safin prevents Carwin from getting the reversal.
Safin throwing strikes here but Carwin is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Carwin gets back to half guard.
Safin thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Carwin works his way to full guard. Good work.
Safin wants to control from the top but Carwin keeps moving.
Carwin is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Safin is controlling him.
Safin engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Connects with an elbow from the bottom, proving to the judges that he's still active off his back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Frank Carwin 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!

Carwin throws a leg kick but Safin sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Safin stuffs the takedown attempt from Carwin. Carwin gets slowly back to his feet.
Safin with a poor takedown

and Carwin decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Safin's guard.
Safin tries to strike from the bottom.
Carwin postures up.
Safin throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Safin looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Safin will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Carwin is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Safin thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Carwin throws a big right hand that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Safin being controlled here, momentarily.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Safin throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Carwin wanted to stand there but Safin had control of the position.
Safin is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Safin doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Safin tries to strike from the bottom.
Carwin slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

We're going to have a standup here because Frank Carwin wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Safin misses with a takedown attempt
and Carwin counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Frank Carwin is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Carwin.

That's two 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.
Safin doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Carwin counters with a series of strikes. Safin will be more careful next time no doubt.
Frank Carwin has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mihail Safin.
Safin has his takedown stuffed

and Carwin counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Carwin with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Safin misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Safin tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Safin wants to control the action here but instead Carwin manages to pass to full mount!
Safin throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Safin tries to hold on but Carwin pushes him away.
Safin is trying to escape the mount.
Mihail Safin has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Carwin content just to control the position here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Safin throwing hammer fists to the chest of Carwin. What's that going to do exactly?
Safin flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Safin is looking to get to half guard.
Safin swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Safin throwing hammer fists to the chest of Carwin. What's that going to do exactly?
Carwin content just to control the position here.
Safin is looking to get to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Carwin can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Safin is looking to escape.
Carwin working Safin over with strikes here.
Safin slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Safin wants to get back to full guard.
It looks like Carwin is going to stand back up.

Carwin seems to be looking for submissions.
Carwin moves nicely into side control.
Frank Carwin is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Carwin wants to stand but Safin has his arm trapped.

And that's the end of the fight!
Frank Carwin showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Carwin has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 30:27
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Frank Carwin!