PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Travis Night (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Anselmi Samara (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.

Night
vs
Samara

188 cm
21
218 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

183 cm
26
215 lbs
12 - 6 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Very strong

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Travis Night!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 6 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Anselmi Samara!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Illya Tyunina and Vladimir Khabensky.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice cross by Night.
Night jabs Samara to the body, keeping him at a distance.

Night takes the fight into the clinch.
Night is trying to break the clinch but Samara has him pressed against the cage.
Night lands with a short shot to the head.
Samara working aggressively here.
Samara trying to control the position but instead, Night has worked for underhooks and has pushed Samara into the cage.
Night is trying to break the clinch but Samara has him pressed against the cage.
Samara lands a shot to the body.
Samara has a couple of punches blocked by Night.
Night wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Samara works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Night tries to circle away but Samara has him pinned against the cage.
Samara holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Samara lands a right hand that snaps the head of Night backwards.

Night escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Samara throws a right hand that misses
and Night counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Samara tries to clinch up
and Night counters with a straight punch to the midsection.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Samara misses with a double jab
and Night counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Anselmi Samara seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Night lands a head kick. Samara smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Samara shoots and misses
and Night connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Samara tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Night counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Samara throws an off balance right hand
and Samara takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Night lands a nice looking kick to the body. Samara takes a step back to recover.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nice sprawl there from Night as Samara shoots in.
Samara takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Night connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Samara momentarily.
Samara misses with a body punch
and Night counters with a straight right hand.
Night connects with a body shot that sends Samara's belly button to the back.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Samara swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Night counters with a good, hard body kick but Samara shrugs it off.
Samara looks gassed!
Night scores with a body shot.
Night works Samara's body with a nice hook.
Night scores with a nice strike.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Samara avoids a punch combination nicely.
Night ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Samara wants to clinch
and Night counters with a nice kick to the body.
A cross from Night lands.
Night throws a shot to the body.
Night ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Samara sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Night connects with a body shot.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Samara takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Nice uppercut lands for Night. That snapped Samara's head back.
Night is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.
Samara on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Night moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Night dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Night lands with a good body shot.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Nice shot lands for Night.
Night fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Samara looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Samara takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Travis Night dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Samara on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Samara dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Samara looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Donk. Night catches Samara right on the button with a cross.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Night, as that shot connected.
Night is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Samara can do to turn this around?
Samara throws a poor cross that misses
and Night connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Samara misses with a takedown attempt - Night sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Samara has closed the distance and engaged Night in a clinch.
Night wants to break free but Samara has control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Night looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Samara misses with a hook to the ribs.
A short uppercut from Night.
Samara is breathing heavily.
Night is leaning against Samara and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Night scores with a nice hook to the head.

Night breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Anselmi Samara is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Samara throws a lazy uppercut
and Night counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Night lands an overhand right.
Samara has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Samara there as he acknowledges the shot.
A shot to the body from Samara misses
and Night counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Night thows a body kick. Samara tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Night cracks Samara with an open hand slap.
Night jabs Samara right on the nose. Samara blinks but takes it well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Samara takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Travis Night is winning the standup battle so far.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Night scores with a jab to the jaw.
Night digs a good body shot into Samara's ribs.
Night scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Samara doesn't seem bothered though.
Travis Night is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Night changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Night lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Night dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Samara has Night pressed against the cage, preventing Night from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Samara misses with a body punch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Night's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Samara tries to keep at a distance but Night has taken the fight into the clinch.
Night scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Samara has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.

Night escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Samara looks for a takedown but Night sprawls well.
Night scores with a body shot.
Night scores with a jab to the head.
No joy there for Night, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Night lands a right hook to the body.
Samara gets off balance looking for a body kick
letting Night counter with a right hand.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Night cracks Samara with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Night lands a body shot.
Samara walks into a jab.
Night dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Samara throws a combination that misses
letting Night counter with a right hand.
Samara takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Night lands a head shot.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Night takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Samara fails with the takedown
and Night counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Travis Night dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Night throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Samara on the side of the head.
Samara throws a lazy uppercut
and Night counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

Samara gets tackled into the cage by Night. Night maintains the clinch.
Night is trying to break the clinch but Samara is controlling him.

Night breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Samara scores with a hook to the body. Night takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Night on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Samara tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Night cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

Night clinches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Night lands a nice shot to the body.
Samara takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Night breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
A left and a right from Night both land. Nice combination.
Night fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Samara.

Night closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Night tries to break the clinch but Samara is controlling the position.

Night breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Night has managed to clinch.
Samara lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Night tries to break the clinch but Samara is controlling the position.
Night lands a body punch in the clinch.
Nice body punch from Samara - that landed with a thud.
Samara changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Night fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Night lands a nice hook to Samara's body. Samara takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Travis Night is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Samara rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Night counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Samara thinking.
Night punishes Samara's body with a nice straight punch.
Samara falls off balance throwing a combination
enabling Night to counter with a crisp jab.
Night lands a right hook to the body.
Night takes a swing at Samara's ribcage but misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Samara swings widly with a right hand
and Samara takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

Night has Samara up against the cage in a clinch.
Night avoiding damage as Samara throws knees to the body.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Samara leaning his opponent against the cage.
Samara misses with a punch on the inside.
Night wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Samara taking a breather.
Night stops a takedown attempt from Samara.

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.
A short right from Samara.
Anselmi Samara has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Samara looking to stall.
Samara content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Night is looking to break free of the clinch but Samara has double underhooks.
Night wants to break free but Samara has control.
Night wants to break free but Samara has control.
Samara misses with a hook to the ribs.
Night is working Samara over against the cage.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Night.
Samara is trying to drag Night to the mat but Night just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Travis Night has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Anselmi Samara.
Samara is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Night is defending well for now.

And that's the end of the fight!
Travis Night showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Night 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 Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 30:25
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Travis Night!