PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Andy Borg (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nikolai Kulczak (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Borg
vs
Kulczak

197 cm
18
235 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

200 cm
18
250 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
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 St Petersburg, Andy Borg!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Nikolai Kulczak!
The judges for this bout are Igor Prikhodko, Konstantin Menshow and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Kulczak closes the distance and clinches.
Kulczak lands a shot to the body.

Kulczak jumps guard.
Kulczak is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Kulczak scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Borg tries to clinch

and Kulczak counters by clinching up.
Borg is trying to push Kulczak away but Kulczak has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Borg looking to slow down the pace here.
Kulczak tries to pull guard but Borg holds him up against the cage and eventually Kulczak drops back down to his feet.

Kulczak pulls guard successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Kulczak holds on and takes a little breather.
Kulczak is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Kulczak is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Borg not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

Borg has gone for a leg lock! Kulczak slips out almost immediately though and dives into Borg's guard.
Kulczak throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Borg works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

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.
Kulczak stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Borg swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Kulczak preventing the sweep.

Borg has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Kulczak can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Kulczak wants to stand but Borg has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Borg lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Kulczak!
Kulczak holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Borg tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
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.
Borg is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Kulczak can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Borg wants to control the pace but Kulczak is squirming around nicely.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Kulczak is trying to stand.
Borg trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Kulczak is wriggling around trying to escape.
Kulczak tries to hold on but Borg postures up.
Borg looking to control but Kulczak is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Borg mounts Kulczak! Really nice guard pass there!
Borg tries to control but Kulczak wriggling away.
Kulczak avoids a series of strikes thrown by Borg.
Kulczak is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

Borg looking for a guillotine from mount but Kulczak is having none of it.
Kulczak wants to hold on but Borg pushes him away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Nikolai Kulczak will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Kulczak has closed the distance and engaged Borg in a clinch.
Kulczak is trying to push Borg away but Borg has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Borg tries to pull guard but Kulczak holds him up against the cage and eventually Borg drops back down to his feet.

Kulczak breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Kulczak tries to bum rush Borg with a series of wild strikes but Borg uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Andy Borg is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Borg shoots in but no luck this time.
Borg fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Andy Borg. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kulczak tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Borg fails with the takedown
and Kulczak counters with a two punch combo.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Kulczak lands a jab-cross combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Borg avoids the body shot from Kulczak.
Borg gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Kulczak moves into the clinch.

Kulczak pulls guard.
Borg wants to control from the top but Kulczak keeps moving.
Kulczak is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Kulczak is looking for a triangle but Borg pushes his legs off easily.
Kulczak looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Borg trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Kulczak wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Kulczak is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Borg prevents Kulczak from getting back to his feet.
Borgis looking to pass into half guard but Kulczak pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Kulczak is in guard.
Borg controlling the position.
Borg wants to sweep here but Kulczak controlling him for the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kulczak trying to control but Borg is working from the bottom.

Kulczak stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Kulczak tries to clinch
and Borg counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Kulczak throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Kulczak misses with a series of wild punches.
Borg shoots in and drives through. Kulczak sprawls well.
Kulczak is looking to clinch but Borg is avoiding it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kulczak throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Kulczak lands with a shot to the body.
Kulczak misses with the combination.
Kulczak misses with a wild combination.
Kulczak avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Borg shoots in looking for a takedown but Kulczak manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Borg's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.

Kulczak clinches up against the cage.
Borg prevents a takedown attempt there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nikolai Kulczak showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Borg shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Kulczak's guard.
Borg wants to control from the top but Kulczak keeps moving.
Kulczak is looking to stand up but Borg isn't so interested in that idea.

Kulczak had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Borg defends it easily.
Borg looking to pass the guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Borg's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Borg wants to pass the guard but Kulczak is keeping the position.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

Kulczak throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Borg stands up from Kulczak's guard - Borg perhaps looking for a knockout.
Kulczak's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Kulczak duly obliges.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Borg shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Kulczak but Kulczak pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Kulczak lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Borg circles away quickly and effectively.
Kulczak scores with a three punch combo!
Kulczak scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Borg looks to clinch
and Kulczak counters with a three punch combo that has Borg backing up. Borg nods at Kulczak to acknowledge the strikes.
Borg tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Kulczak swivels and escapes.

Kulczak has taken the fight to the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kulczak wants a takedown but no success here.

Borg breaks from the clinch.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Kulczak tries to pull guard but Borg won't allow it.

Borg pulls Kulczak into guard.
Kulczak trying to control the position from guard on top but Borg is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Borg is trying to keep Kulczak in close.
Borg is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

Kulczak stands up and waves to Borg to follow him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Kulczak has taken the fight to the clinch.
Kulczak gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Borg.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Andy Borg. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Kulczak lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Borg is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Kulczak scores with a couple of nice shots.
Kulczak is thwarting Borg's attempts to control the position.
Borg missing with punches from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nikolai Kulczak comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Kulczak winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 27:30
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 27:30
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nikolai Kulczak!