PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Kyle Howe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Shamil Zavurov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be a great matchup!

Howe
vs
Zavurov

178 cm
18
185 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

177 cm
25
197 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

Good wrestler
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Kyle Howe!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Shamil Zavurov!
The judges for this bout are James Atkins, William Gold and Sam Margolis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Zavurov tries to close the distance and clinch up but Howe swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Zavurov misses with a low kick.
Zavurov throws a leg kick

and Howe counters with a takedown into side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Howe is looking to take a break and control but Zavurov is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Zavurov is looking for a sweep.
Zavurov dodges the ground and pound from Howe.
Howe wants to control but Zavurov is keeping him busy.
Zavurov is trying to improve his position.
Check out the look on Howe's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Zavurov can do anything to dispel that myth.
Howe working away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zavurov tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Howe wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Howe is looking to take a break and control but Zavurov is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Howe is breathing heavily.
Zavurov struggling a bit here.
Howe fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Howe working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Howe has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Zavurov is pushing Howe's head away, looking to escape. Howe manages to hold on to the position though.
Zavurov tries to buck Howe off but Howe is having none of it.
The ground and pound from Howe seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Zavurov tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Zavurov keeps Howe under control for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Zavurov pushes Howe away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Howe gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Howe landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Sloppy strikes there by Howe.
Howe throws a strike aimed at the side of Zavurov's head but Zavurov avoids it well.
Zavurov is looking to reverse the position.
Zavurov parries the strikes from Howe easily there. Howe is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Zavurov to escape.
Zavurov is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Zavurov wants to get back to his feet.
Zavurov is trying to improve his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zavurov is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Howe throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Zavurov is trying to improve his position.
Zavurov tries to get back to his feet but has found himself mounted instead. Damn, that's gotta suck.
Zavurov is wriggling around trying to escape.
Zavurov squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
Zavurov tries to lock up and control but Howe gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Howe working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Zavurov really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

That's four 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.
Zavurov wants to control but Howe is having none of it.
Zavurov is looking to improve his position but Howe isn't that keen on the idea.
Zavurov wants to hold on but Howe pushes him away.
Howe thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Zavurov is bucking up trying to escape but Howe cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Howe fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Zavurov is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kyle Howe dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Zavurov moves in looking to clinch but Howe pushes him off.
A shot to the body from Howe misses

and Zavurov counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Howe's guard now.
Zavurov trying to control the position from guard on top but Howe is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Zavurov is looking to stand up but Howe won't let him.
Zavurov not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Zavurov tries to free his leg and advance position but Howe is retaining full guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Zavurov engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Shamil Zavurov was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Zavurov tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Howe manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Zavurov looking to score a takedown here. Howe is defending well but Zavurov drives through and ends up in Howe's guard.
Zavurov trying to stand up but can't free himself from Howe's guard.
Zavurov showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Zavurov pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Howe is keeping the position for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zavurov would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Zavurov advances position into side control!

Zavurov decides to stand up, so the ref orders Howe to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zavurov throws a wild body kick that Howe sees coming a mile off.

Zavurov shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Howe's guard.
Zavurov has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Howe is proving hard to escape from.

Zavurov drops back looking for a leg! Howe is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Howe manages to kick Zavurov off! Zavurov jumps back into Howe's guard.
Zavurov tries to stand but Howe is controlling from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zavurov stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Howe swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Zavurov is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Zavurov tries to stand but Howe is controlling from the bottom.
Zavurov trying to control the position from guard on top but Howe is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shamil Zavurov showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Zavurov wants to clinch up but Howe keeps it at a distance.
Howe falls off balance throwing a combination

and Zavurov counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Zavurov tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Howe.
Howe is trying to stand.
Zavurov wants to get back to his feet.
Zavurov is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Zavurov is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Zavurov trying to control the pace.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Zavurov trying to control from half guard but Howe is working away.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Shamil Zavurov was stalling too much, according to the referee.

Zavurov manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Howe on his heels. He'll look to pass Howe's guard now, I'm sure.
Zavurov is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Zavurov wants to get up but he can't break Howe's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Zavurov really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Howe. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howe looking for a sweep. Not yet Howe, not yet.
Zavurov content to stall in guard here.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Shamil Zavurov wasn't active enough on the ground.

Zavurov shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Howe manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Zavurov engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zavurov trying to control the position from guard on top but Howe is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Shamil Zavurov hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Zavurov tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Howe paws at him with a jab and circles away.

And that's the end of the fight!
Shamil Zavurov comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Zavurov has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 James Atkins scores the fight 28:29
Judge William Gold scores the fight 26:29
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Shamil Zavurov!