PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Aleksey Nikiten (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Vasily Fedoseev (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Vasily Fedoseev has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Nikiten
vs
Fedoseev

160 cm
25
150 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

165 cm
26
154 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Good in bed

Decent wrestler
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Aleksey Nikiten!
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, Vasily Fedoseev!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Valeri Chadov and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Fedoseev shoots in and bounces Nikiten off the ropes to secure the takedown into guard.
Nikiten looking for a sweep. Not yet Nikiten, not yet.
Fedoseev throws a strike but Nikiten rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Nikiten slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Fedoseev really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Nikiten. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Nikiten postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.

Nikiten tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Nikiten has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Fedoseev wants to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fedoseev parries the strikes from Nikiten easily there. Nikiten is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Fedoseev to escape.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Fedoseev can do anything to dispel that myth.
Fedoseev throwing some weak shots from the bottom that do no damage.
Nikiten wants to control but Fedoseev is keeping him busy.
Nikiten working the ground and pound.
Fedoseev can't do much from the bottom here.

Nikiten is trying to get an arm triangle but Fedoseev is defending well.
Nikiten tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.

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.
Nikiten postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Fedoseev wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Nikiten sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Fedoseev is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Nikiten throws an elbow but Fedoseev slips to the side and avoids it well.

Nikiten is trying to get an arm triangle but Fedoseev is defending well.
Nikiten looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Fedoseev is avoiding damage well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Nikiten is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Fedoseev has escaped the position, nice work there.
Fedoseev is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Fedoseev is looking for a sweep.
Nikiten in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.

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.
Fedoseev struggling a bit here.
Fedoseev is trying to buck Nikiten off.
Nikiten trying to control the position but Fedoseev is working away.
Fedoseev is pushing Nikiten's head away, looking to escape. Nikiten manages to hold on to the position though.
Nikiten wants to stand but Fedoseev is controlling his arm.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Nikiten is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Fedoseev knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Fedoseev is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aleksey Nikiten dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the ring so we can get back down to business.

Nikiten shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Fedoseev pinned against the cage. Fedoseev gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
A telegraphed right hand from Fedoseev misses the target.
Nikiten uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Fedoseev.
Fedoseev throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Fedoseev keeps the fight on the outside.
Fedoseev misses with a double jab
and Nikiten counters with a solid body kick.

Fedoseev gets a takedown into half guard.
Fedoseev controlling the pace.
Nikiten is pressing down on Fedoseev's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Nikiten could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

Nikiten working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Fedoseev doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Fedoseev manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fedoseev stands up over Nikiten, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Fedoseev must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Fedoseev throws a strike but Nikiten rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Fedoseev looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Nikiten passes into half guard.
Nikiten seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Fedoseev does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Fedoseev is looking to escape.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Nikiten passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Fedoseev!

Nikiten is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Fedoseev is surviving well by controlling Nikiten's body position as best he can.
Fedoseev keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Nikiten wants to get back to his feet but Fedoseev is holding on tight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fedoseev is trying to stand but he's just given Nikiten his back.
Fedoseev just trying to survive but Nikiten is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.
Fedoseev holding both Nikiten 's hands and preventing any damage.
Nikiten trying desperately to keep hold of the dominant position.
Fedoseev tries to escape but Nikiten has the hooks in and won't let him break free.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Fedoseev wants to get back to his feet.

Fedoseev is staying cool under pressure, defending well against the rear naked choke attempt from his opponent.

Fedoseev is staying cool under pressure, defending well against the rear naked choke attempt from his opponent.
Fedoseev tries to escape but Nikiten has the hooks in and won't let him break free.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aleksey Nikiten dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Fedoseev shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Nikiten pinned against the cage. Nikiten gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Fedoseev throws a low kick but it's checked well by Nikiten.

Fedoseev scores a takedown into full mount!
Fedoseev throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Fedoseev looking to control but Nikiten is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Nikiten is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Nikiten bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Fedoseev is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Nikiten is controlling him.
Nikiten trying to control the position from guard on top but Fedoseev is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nikiten pushes down on Fedoseev's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Nikiten is looking to take a break and control but Fedoseev is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Nikiten thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Fedoseev's head.

Fedoseev is defending against the submission attempts here by Nikiten.
Fedoseev tries to get to full guard but Nikiten has control of the leg.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Fedoseev wants to get back to his feet.
Fedoseev wants to stand back up but Nikiten manages to pass into side control.
Fedoseev wants to get back to his feet but Nikiten drags him back down.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fedoseev sneaks back into half guard.

Fedoseev looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Nikiten is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Fedoseev blocking the ground and pound.
Nikiten looking to ground and pound but Fedoseev is blocking nicely.
Nikiten dominating with strikes here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Nikiten swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Fedoseev is now in Nikiten's guard. A big mistake from Nikiten there, giving up the dominant position!
Fedoseev missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Fedoseev controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Fedoseev wants to control from the top but Nikiten keeps moving.
Aleksey Nikiten is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Nikiten working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Fedoseev.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Fedoseev throwing strikes from guard but Nikiten blocks nicely.
Fedoseev wants to get up but he can't break Nikiten's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Vasily Fedoseev.
Well Nikiten has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 29:28
Judge Valeri Chadov scores the fight 29:28
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Aleksey Nikiten!