PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ishod Izgoev (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ivan Drago (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.

Izgoev
vs
Drago

185 cm
22
260 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

198 cm
22
261 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Heavy handed

Attliction

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, Ishod Izgoev!
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, Ivan Drago!
The judges for this bout are Valeri Chadov, Aleksei Zolotukhin and Illya Tyunina.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Drago blocks a head kick by Izgoev.

Izgoev feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Izgoev might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Izgoev trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Izgoev stopping the sweep attempt from Drago.
Drago is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Drago trying to control the position.
Izgoev passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Drago wants to control but Izgoev postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Izgoev shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Izgoev was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Drago is looking to get to half guard.
Izgoev throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Drago tries to hold on but Izgoev postures up.

Izgoev working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Drago is trying desperately to improve position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Drago is squirming around, avoiding Izgoev's attempts to control the action.
Drago is desperately trying to improve his position but Izgoev has a good base and remains in mount.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Drago looks gassed!
Drago tries to lock up and control but Izgoev gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

Izgoev working for a guillotine from mount but Drago is in no mood to give up.
Drago is working to get back to half guard.
Drago tries to hold on but Izgoev pushes him away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Izgoev stands up from the dominant position, so we're back on the feet.
Drago will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Izgoev shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Drago as he avoids it easily.
Drago tries to clinch but Izgoev moves out of range.
Izgoev lands a high kick!

It looks like Ivan Drago has been cut.
Izgoev looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Drago is fending him off so far but Izgoev persists. Nope, Drago circles away and we're back to standing.
Drago takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Drago gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Izgoev counters by clinching up.
Izgoev with a knee to the head.

Drago manages to break the clinch.
Izgoev closes the distance and clinches up with Drago, looking for a takedown. Izgoev pushes Drago against the cage but Drago circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ishod Izgoev. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Drago throws a head kick but Izgoev moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Izgoev has Drago up against the cage in a clinch.
Izgoev is working for takedown but Drago is calmly controlling the position for now.
Izgoev tries to land a knee to the head but Drago blocks with his arms.
Izgoev taking a breather.
Izgoev looking for a takedown.
Drago fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Drago is working for takedown but Izgoev is calmly controlling the position for now.
Drago wants a takedown.
Izgoev wants a takedown but no success here.

Izgoev breaks the clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Izgoev looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Drago fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.

It looks like Ishod Izgoev has been cut.
Drago clinches but Izgoev breaks the clinch

and Izgoev counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Drago tries to pull guard but Izgoev holds him up against the cage and eventually Drago drops back down to his feet.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for leaving it all in the cage!
Izgoev manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ishod Izgoev dominated that round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Drago tries for a takedown but Izgoev sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Drago tries for a takedown but Izgoev circles away easily

and Izgoev counters by clinching up.
Izgoev stalling in the clinch.
Izgoev tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Drago smiles and moves away.

Drago clinches with his opponent.
Drago goes for a takedown in the clinch but Izgoev prevents it.
Ishod Izgoev has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ivan Drago.
Drago looking to stall.

Izgoev breaks from the clinch.

Izgoev clinches up against the cage.
Drago looking to stall.
Izgoev blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Izgoev tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Drago smiles and moves away.
Drago takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.

Izgoev shoots in and bounces Drago off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Drago is breathing heavily.
Drago utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Drago looking to control.
Drago can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Izgoev controls the pace.
Izgoev trying to control but Drago is working from the bottom.
Izgoev wanted to stand there but Drago had control of the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Izgoev trying to control but Drago is working from the bottom.
Drago trying to control the position.
Izgoev trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Drago stuffs the takedown.
Drago has his takedown stuffed

and Izgoev moves into the clinch.

Izgoev breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Izgoev throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Drago counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Drago fails with a takedown attempt.

Izgoev scores with a takedown into Drago's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Drago wants to stand up but Izgoev is controlling him.
Drago is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Drago 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.
Drago has Izgoev pulled in close to control his posture.

That's four 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.
Izgoev trying to control the position from guard on top but Drago is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Drago manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Drago doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Izgoev counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Izgoev blocks a low kick nicely.
Drago wants to clinch up but Izgoev keeps it at a distance.
Horrible takedown by Drago or perhaps it was just good defense by Izgoev which made him look bad.

Izgoev rushes Drago and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Izgoev wants a takedown but no success here.
Drago trying to stall but Izgoev improves his position.

Izgoev turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Izgoev wants to lay and pray for a moment but Drago keeps working.
Drago prevents Izgoev from moving into mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ishod Izgoev dominated that second round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Izgoev rushes Drago and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Izgoev gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Drago regains guard.

Drago has his foot on Izgoev's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Izgoev works his way back into a safe position though.
Drago keeping moving, preventing Izgoev from controlling successfully.
Izgoev passes Drago's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Izgoev trying to mount his opponent but Drago defends it.
Drago on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Drago is looking to improve his position.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Drago takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Izgoev works his way into full mount!

That's one minute gone in the round.
A nice elbow there by Izgoev.
Izgoev looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Izgoev looking to control but Drago is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
A nice elbow there by Izgoev.
Drago really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Izgoev avoids the attempt from Drago to control.
Drago is in all sorts of trouble here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Drago tries to hold on but Izgoev postures up.
Drago is working to get back to half guard.
Drago swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Izgoev unloads with some shots from mount but Drago bucks and avoids them well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Izgoev wants to control the pace but Drago is squirming around nicely.
Drago working to try and regain half guard.
Drago tries to hold on but Izgoev pushes him away.
Izgoev trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Izgoev lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Drago wants to hold on but Izgoev pushes him away.
Izgoev looking to control but Drago is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Drago is desperately trying to improve his position but Izgoev has a good base and remains in mount.
Izgoev lands a big elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Drago is desperately trying to improve his position but Izgoev has a good base and remains in mount.
Izgoev knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Drago on the ground.
Drago gets back to half guard.
Drago works his way to full guard. Good work.
Drago bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Izgoev's guard.
Izgoev is looking to stand up but Drago isn't so interested in that idea.

Izgoev is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Drago trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Drago postures up.
Izgoev utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Ivan Drago has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Drago throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Izgoev works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ishod Izgoev showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Izgoev 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 Valeri Chadov scores the fight 30:27
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ishod Izgoev!