PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Jake Damajur (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Vasiliy Syrovatkin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Vasiliy Syrovatkin told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Damajur
vs
Syrovatkin

179 cm
20
155 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

165 cm
25
163 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Jake Damajur!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Vasiliy Syrovatkin!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Bishop, Paul Tew and William Gold.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Syrovatkin darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Damajur wants to get back to his feet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Syrovatkin content to control rather than advance.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Vasiliy Syrovatkin wasn't active enough on the ground.
Syrovatkin lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Damajur circles away quickly and effectively.
Syrovatkin throws a big shot that misses.
Syrovatkin misses with a wild body shot.
Syrovatkin swats away the attempt to clinch by Damajur.
Syrovatkin circles away from the clinch attempt
and Syrovatkin cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Damajur wants to clinch up but Syrovatkin keeps it at a distance.

Syrovatkin is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Damajur's half guard.
Damajur controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Syrovatkin prevents Damajur from improving his position.
Syrovatkin controlling the action here.
Syrovatkin trying to pass the guard but Damajur defending well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Syrovatkin perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Syrovatkin passes to side control.
Syrovatkin tries to advance to mount but can't.
Damajur is trying to buck Syrovatkin off.
Damajur struggling a bit here.
Syrovatkin is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Let's hope that Syrovatkin has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Damajur tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Syrovatkin wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Syrovatkin controlling from side mount.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vasiliy Syrovatkin dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Syrovatkin shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Damajur napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Syrovatkin content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Syrovatkin tries to move into full mount but can't pass Damajur's legs.
Damajur dodges the ground and pound from Syrovatkin.
Syrovatkin content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
The strikes coming from Syrovatkin are missing the target in this wave of attacks.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Syrovatkin happy to just control the position for now.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Damajur manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Syrovatkin is controlling Damajur's position as best he can from this difficult position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Vasiliy Syrovatkin.
Syrovatkin circles away from the clinch attempt.

Syrovatkin looking to score a takedown here. Damajur is defending well but Syrovatkin drives through and ends up in Damajur's guard.
Damajur is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Damajur has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Syrovatkin is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Damajur.
Damajur tries to bench press Syrovatkin off him but Syrovatkin keeps the position.
Damajur is trying to control Syrovatkin's posture but Syrovatkin avoids it.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Syrovatkin is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Damajur's shoulder. That is not cool.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Damajur prevents Syrovatkin from improving position.
Syrovatkin happy to just control the position for now.
Damajur sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Syrovatkin sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Syrovatkin thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Damajur to regain full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Syrovatkin won't allow Damajur to get back to his feet.
Syrovatkin stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Damajur swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Syrovatkin is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Damajur working a defensive guard here.
Syrovatkin preventing the sweep.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Syrovatkin slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vasiliy Syrovatkin showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Syrovatkin scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
The strikes coming from Syrovatkin are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Syrovatkin in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Damajur is trying to get back to half guard.
Vasiliy Syrovatkin has got the better of the ground game so far.
Syrovatkin takes a little break here. Damajur wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Damajur is looking for a sweep.
Syrovatkin misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Syrovatkin slows the pace down.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Vasiliy Syrovatkin hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Damajur fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Damajur dives in and grabs Syrovatkin's left leg, looking for a takedown. Syrovatkin pushes down on Damajur's head and hops out.
Jake Damajur is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Damajur enables Syrovatkin to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Damajur manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Syrovatkin advances to half guard.
Damajur blocking the ground and pound attempt from Syrovatkin.
Syrovatkin not doing much here.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Syrovatkin throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Syrovatkin perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Syrovatkin sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Damajur defending well though.
Damajur is trying to get back to full guard.
Syrovatkin with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Damajur is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Syrovatkin's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Syrovatkin's back!
Syrovatkin just trying to survive but Damajur is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Syrovatkin manages to reverse the position and now he's in Damajur's guard. Nice work there by Syrovatkin.
Damajur is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Damajur being controlled here, momentarily.
Jake Damajur has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Syrovatkin pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Damajur is keeping the position for now.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Syrovatkin controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Vasiliy Syrovatkin is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Vasiliy Syrovatkin wasn't active enough on the ground.
Syrovatkin throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Damajur stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.

And that's the end of the fight!
Vasiliy Syrovatkin comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Syrovatkin 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 Daniel Bishop scores the fight 27:30
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight 27:30
Judge William Gold scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Vasiliy Syrovatkin!