PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Alex Karelin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tim Tebow (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Karelin's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Russian National Anthem. Tebow has chosen God's Gonna Cut You Down as his entrance music. Alex Karelin is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples... Tweaking his own nipples that is.

Karelin
vs
Tebow

205 cm
29
279 lbs
16 - 7 - 0

191 cm
27
240 lbs
9 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

ADCC Champion
World class boxer
Heavy handed

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 16 - 7 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Alex Karelin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Tim Tebow!
The judges for this bout are Alec Ball, Robert Douchet and Steve Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tebow misses with a series of wild punches.
Karelin misses with a right hand
and Tebow counters with a stiff right hand.

It looks like Alex Karelin has been cut.

Karelin drives through with a takedown into guard.
Tebow not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Karelin scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Tebow tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Karelin scoring with some ground and pound.
Karelin preventing the sweep.
Karelin is looking to work some ground and pound but Tebow has wrist control.
Tebow not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Karelin stays in close to Tebow's body and controls the position.
Tebow is looking to stand up but Karelin isn't so interested in that idea.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Karelin lands a couple of elbows.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Tebow keeping full guard, as Karelin tries to pass.
Karelin stops Tebow from standing up.
Karelin is working Tebow over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

Tebow escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Karelin gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Tebow looking for subs off his back but Karelin has passed one foot through into half guard.

Tebow looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Karelin is keen to just control but Tebow is a slippery customer.
Tebow wants to control but Karelin is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Tebow is trying to stand.
Karelin throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Tebow tries to push off, looking to stand up, but Karelin manages to move to mount!
Karelin putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Karelin prevents Tebow from getting the reversal.
Karelin scoring with strikes but Tebow is staying in there.
Tebow tries to hold on but Karelin postures up.
Tebow is trying to stand.
Tebow tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Karelin avoids the attempt from Tebow to control.
Karelin lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Tebow hang on?
Tebow tries to lock up and control but Karelin gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Karelin tries to control but Tebow wriggling away.
Tebow bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Karelin is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Tebow looking to sit in guard and control but Karelin gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Tebow is looking to stand up but Karelin isn't so interested in that idea.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alex Karelin dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Alex Karelin's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Tebow is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Karelin.
Karelin takes a swing at Tebow's ribcage but misses.
Karelin has a takedown stuffed.
Tebow scores with a shot to the body.
Tebow thows a body shot but no joy.
Tebow scores with a decent looking hook.
Tebow tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Karelin was well out of range. Poor timing from Tebow.
Karelin ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Tebow lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Karelin takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Tebow digs a good hook to Karelin's body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tebow looks to land a right hand but Karelin moved out of range.
Tebow lands an overhand right.
Karelin staying out of range there.
Tebow uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Karelin.
Karelin slips under a jab.
Karelin keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Karelin uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Tebow.
Karelin walks into a stiff left hand from Tebow.

Tebow gets caught flat footed, as Karelin shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Karelin prevents Tebow from getting back to his feet.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Tebow throws his legs up looking for a submission but Karelin uses it to pass to side control.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
You can see the frustration on Tebow's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Tebow is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Alex Karelin overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Karelin slows the pace down.
Karelin trying to control the position but Tebow is working away.
Karelin will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tebow is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Karelin is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
Tebow working to try and regain half guard.
Tebow is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Tebow keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Tebow takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Karelin wants to control the pace but Tebow is squirming around nicely.

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.
Karelin controlling the pace for now.
Tebow keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Karelin unloading with bombs!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Tebow tries to hold on but Karelin pushes him away.
Tebow regains half guard.
Karelin wants to take a breather but Tebow is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tim Tebow showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Alex Karelin's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Karelin takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Tebow throws a right hand that misses
and Karelin counters with a straight right hand.
Tebow throws a jab when Karelin was well out of range.
Tebow throws a hook but Karelin avoids it easily.
Tebow lands a jab to the nose.

Alex Karelin's cut is getting worse.
Tebow scores with a shot to the body.
Sloppy strikes from Tebow. Those never looked like landing.
Tebow throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

Karelin drops Tebow with a big left hand and mounts him. Tebow is in big trouble!

Tebow is rocked!
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Karelin drops a big elbow. That's hurt Tebow! More shots from Karelin and the ref steps in! The fight is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:02 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Alex Karelin!