PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Rafael Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Denis Severnov (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.

Santos
vs
Severnov

183 cm
20
186 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
18
190 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Rafael Santos!
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, Denis Severnov!
The judges for this bout are Aleksandr Martynov, Igor Prikhodko and Dmitry Maklakov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Severnov moves out of range as Santos throws a body kick.
Severnov avoids the head kick by Santos.
Santos staying out of range there.
Santos will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Santos moves to clinch but Severnov breaks away

and Severnov counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Santos's guard now.
Severnov trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Severnov stopping the sweep attempt from Santos.
Severnov trying to control but Santos is working from the bottom.
Severnov missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

Severnov stands up from Santos's guard - Severnov perhaps looking for a knockout.
Santos misses with a takedown attempt
and Severnov counters with a series of strikes. Santos will be more careful next time no doubt.

Santos tries to keep at a distance but Severnov has taken the fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Severnov looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

Severnov's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Santos is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Severnov misses with the combination.

Santos gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Severnov takes a knee to the side of the body.
Severnov wants to get back to striking at distance but Santos won't allow it.

Santos successfully pulls guard.
Severnov stops Santos from standing up.
Severnov trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Santos looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Severnov postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Severnov throws a big right hand that misses.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Severnov trying to control the position from guard on top but Santos is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Severnov must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Severnov with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

Santos is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Severnov defends well.
Santos is breathing heavily.

Severnov gets to his feet - Santos follows without any prompting.
Santos wants to clinch
and Severnov counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Severnov avoids a kick to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos closes the distance looking to clinch
and Severnov counters with a nice low kick that buckles Santos's knee momentarily.
Santos scores with a hook to the body. Severnov takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Severnov throws a low kick but it's checked well by Santos.
Severnov misses the shot to the body.

Severnov scores a takedown into full mount!
Santos is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Santos is trying to escape the mount.
You get the feeling that Santos really doesn't like being in this position too much.
Severnov working away from the top, dropping strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Severnov lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Severnov avoids the attempt from Santos to control.
Santos working to try and regain half guard.
Severnov lands a nice shot to the head.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Santos slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Santos tries to get to full guard but Severnov has control of the leg.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Denis Severnov dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Severnov gets a clinch.
Severnov has Santos pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Santos manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Severnov wants a takedown.
Santos looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Severnov wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Santos has him pressed against the cage.
Santos lands a body shot in the clinch.

Santos pulls guard successfully.
Santos is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Severnov preventing the sweep.
Santos trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Santos working a defensive guard here.

Severnov postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Santos is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Severnov, into his guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos trying to control but Severnov is working from the bottom.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Santos landing some decent shots from guard.
Severnov has momentary wrist control but Santos slips an elbow through the middle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Severnov working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Santos.
Santos trying to control the position from guard on top but Severnov is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Santos wanted to stand there but Severnov had control of the position.
Santos works a leg free and moves into half guard.

Santos seems to be looking for submissions.
Severnov is not content to let Santos control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos working over Severnov with some ground and pound. Severnov looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Santos wants to stand up but Severnov is controlling the position.
Severnov wants to improve his position but Santos is controlling well.

Severnov manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Santos shoots in and drives through. Severnov sprawls well.
Santos tries to close the distance and clinch but Severnov swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Severnov falls off balance throwing a combination

and Santos counters with a shoot takedown. Severnov fights it but they end up in guard.
Denis Severnov has got the better of the ground game so far.
Santos would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Santos stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Severnov swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Severnov has his feet on Santos's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Severnov throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Santos counters with a series of strikes. Severnov will be more careful next time no doubt.
Santos shoots in but Severnov avoids the takedown attempt easily.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Santos is defended easily by Severnov.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rafael Santos dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Severnov swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Santos counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Severnov checks a low kick from Santos.
Rafael Santos is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Santos tries to clinch up but Severnov circles away and keeps his distance.
Santos has his takedown stuffed

and Severnov decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Santos's guard.
Severnov is working Santos over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Santos pulls Severnov in close to prevent any damage.
Severnov throwing strikes but missing.
Santos trying to keep a closed guard but Severnov is proving a slippery customer.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Severnov cracks Santos with a solid left hand.
Severnov thows a big elbow that misses.

Severnov decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Santos, up you get!
Santos gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Santos lands a head kick. Severnov smiles back at him and beckons him forward.

Severnov clinches.
Severnov goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Santos is working for takedown but Severnov is calmly controlling the position for now.
Severnov has Santos pressed against the cage, preventing Santos from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos with a lazy takedown attempt

and Severnov counters by moving into the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rafael Santos. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Santos is trying to force a seperation but Severnov has the dominant position.
Severnov lands a body shot in the clinch.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Santos changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Severnov fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Severnov shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Santos napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Santos struggling a bit here.

Severnov working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

Severnov stands up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos thows a left - swing and a miss!
Severnov will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Severnov tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Severnov blocks a head kick by Santos.
Santos misses with a head kick.
Santos tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Santos clinches up against the cage.
Santos can't get the takedown.
Santos tries to break free but Severnov pushes him back against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Severnov successfully pulls guard.
Santos trying to control but Severnov is working from the bottom.
Santos would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

We're going to have a standup here because Rafael Santos wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Severnov stuns Santos with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.

And that's the end of the fight!
Denis Severnov comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Severnov has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 28:29
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 28:29
Judge Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Denis Severnov!