PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Guram Gugenishvili (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Altair Mayer (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.

Gugenishvili
vs
Mayer

196 cm
22
249 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

182 cm
24
245 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Enjoys gardening

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, Guram Gugenishvili!
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, Altair Mayer!
The judges for this bout are Aleksandr Martynov, Dmitry Maklakov and Sergei Dronov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Mayer closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Gugenishvili did well to prevent Mayer getting side control.
Gugenishvili trying to control but Mayer postures up.

Gugenishvili looking for submissions off his back.
Gugenishvili is doing well to control the position and prevent Mayer from advancing to side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Mayer trying to control from half guard but Gugenishvili is working away.
Gugenishvili is trying to get back to full guard.
Mayer is keen to just control but Gugenishvili is a slippery customer.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.

Gugenishvili is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Mayer pulls his head out easily.
Gugenishvili wants to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gugenishvili moves into full guard.
Gugenishvili working a defensive guard here.
Gugenishvili 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.

Gugenishvili looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

Gugenishvili isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Mayer stacks Gugenishvili on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Mayer!
Mayer really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Gugenishvili. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Gugenishvili is looking to reverse the position.
Gugenishvili struggling a bit here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gugenishvili tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Mayer wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Mayer working away.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gugenishvili being controlled for a moment.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Gugenishvili wants to get back to his feet.
You can see the frustration on Gugenishvili's face as Mayer controls the position.
Gugenishvili is not content to let Mayer control the position.
Gugenishvili is looking for a sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mayer trying to control the position but Gugenishvili is working away.

Altair Mayer has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.

Mayer looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Gugenishvili!
Mayer blocks Gugenishvili's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Mayer scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Gugenishvili?
Mayer lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Mayer avoids the attempt from Gugenishvili to control.
Mayer controlling the position easily from mount.
Mayer avoids the attempt from Gugenishvili to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mayer prevents Gugenishvili from getting the reversal.
Gugenishvili wants to hold on but Mayer pushes him away.
Gugenishvili bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Mayer working a defensive guard here.

Guram Gugenishvili has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Mayer is looking to clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Altair Mayer dominated that round.
That's time! Gugenishvili's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Mayer scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!

Mayer forces Gugenishvili back against the cage and clinches.

Mayer pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Guram Gugenishvili is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Gugenishvili shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Gugenishvili postures up.

Mayer is working an open guard so Gugenishvili takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Mayer tries for a takedown but Gugenishvili circles away easily

and Gugenishvili counters with a takedown into side control.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Gugenishvili looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Gugenishvili wants to lay and pray for a moment but Mayer keeps working.
Gugenishvili scores with a couple of short elbows.

That's one minute gone in the round.
You can see the frustration on Mayer's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

Gugenishvili thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

Gugenishvili is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Mayer has escaped the position, nice work there.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Gugenishvili is looking to take a break and control but Mayer is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Gugenishvili cracks Mayer with a big elbow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gugenishvili landing a few strikes.

Gugenishvili goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Mayer has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Gugenishvili but great work by Mayer.
Gugenishvili is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.

Mayer seems to be working for a kimura but Gugenishvili defends the submission attempt.

Mayer is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Gugenishvili missing with punches from the bottom.
Gugenishvili gets full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mayer working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Mayer preventing the sweep.

Gugenishvili escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Mayer gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Mayer is fighting to break Gugenishvili's control of his arms but Gugenishvili is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Gugenishvili manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Mayer can't escape the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Gugenishvili looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Gugenishvili looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Gugenishvili tries to control but Mayer wriggling away.
Guram Gugenishvili overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Gugenishvili is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Mayer is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Mayer is looking to improve his position but Gugenishvili isn't that keen on the idea.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Gugenishvili is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Mayer has managed to escape the submission attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Guram Gugenishvili dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Gugenishvili with a poor takedown

so Mayer counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Mayer trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Gugenishvili wants to sweep but no luck.
Mayer prevents Gugenishvili from getting back to his feet.
Mayer trying to control but Gugenishvili is working from the bottom.

Mayer drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Mayer jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Gugenishvili trying to keep a closed guard but Mayer is proving a slippery customer.

Gugenishvili is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Mayer is aware though and is defending well.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Gugenishvili is trying to keep Mayer in close.

Gugenishvili is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gugenishvili can't get the takedown.
Mayer lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Mayer taking a breather.

Mayer breaks the clinch.

Gugenishvili gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Mayer to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Mayer won't allow Gugenishvili to sweep him here.
Gugenishvili striking off his back but it's not causing Mayer any problems.
Mayer working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Mayer trying to control but Gugenishvili is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mayer stopping the sweep attempt from Gugenishvili.
Mayer looking to pass the guard.

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

Gugenishvili is looking to sinch up a triangle. Mayer throws the leg off to one side though and gets in tight to Gugenishvili's body to avoid the submission. Gugenishvili has instead reached around Mayer's neck and now has a guillotine! Oh, this is biiiig trouble! Gugenishvili arches his back and squeezes and forces the tap from his hapless opponent.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:03 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Guram Gugenishvili!