PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jonas Valanciunas (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Vitaly Anatoly (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Valanciunas
vs
Anatoly

192 cm
18
215 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

188 cm
18
210 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Jonas Valanciunas!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Vitaly Anatoly!
The judges for this bout are Steve Montenegro, Dean Styles and Anthony Taglia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Valanciunas throws a leg kick that is checked

and Anatoly counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Valanciunas!
Anatoly avoids the attempt from Valanciunas to control.
Valanciunas is trying to stand but he's not in a good position to be doing that! Anatoly has taken his back!
Valanciunas really must keep his cool here. He's controlling one of Anatoly's hands and whilst he does that, he's got a chance of escaping the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Anatoly decides to stand up.
Valanciunas looks for the body kick but Anatoly saw that one coming.
Valanciunas scores with a jab to the body.

Valanciunas clinches up against the cage.

Valanciunas escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Anatoly blocks a head kick by Valanciunas.
Jonas Valanciunas seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Valanciunas pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Valanciunas lands a nice looking kick to the body. Anatoly takes a step back to recover.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Valanciunas thows a leg kick but Anatoly checks it

and Anatoly counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Valanciunas!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Valanciunas tries to hold on but Anatoly postures up.
Valanciunas reaches up to try and control the position but Anatoly seems to have an arm triangle now! Uh oh! Valanciunas rolls and tries to escape and now Anatoly has his back!
Valanciunas looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
Valanciunas trying to get back to his feet but Anatoly is in full control for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Valanciunas tries to escape the position.
Valanciunas just trying to survive but Anatoly is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.
Anatoly has the hooks in. Valanciunas is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.

Anatoly decides to stand up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Valanciunas throws a half hearted mid kick.
Valanciunas misses with a low kick as Anatoly jumps back.
Valanciunas lands a front kick.
Valanciunas throws a head kick but Anatoly moves out of range.
Valanciunas lands a jab to Anatoly's midsection.
Anatoly's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Valanciunas connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Anatoly scrambles back to his feet.
Valanciunas rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Anatoly moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Valanciunas misses with a body kick.
Valanciunas looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Valanciunas misses with a body kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jonas Valanciunas dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Anatoly looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Valanciunas is fending him off so far but Anatoly persists. Nope, Valanciunas circles away and we're back to standing.
Jonas Valanciunas is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Valanciunas misses with a leg kick

and Anatoly counters with a takedown into side control.
Valanciunas tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Anatoly presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!

Anatoly gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!
Valanciunas misses with a kick to the body

and Anatoly counters with a nice double leg into side control. Valanciunas won't be happy with that.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Valanciunas is trying to work for a sweep but Anatoly has mounted him!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Valanciunas really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Anatoly is standing up out of mount! Strange tactic there - he must really want this one on the feet!
Valanciunas throws the kick towards the body but Anatoly avoids it.
Valanciunas throws a right hand that Anatoly ducks under and follows up with a left that Anatoly also avoids with ease.
Anatoly avoids a kick to the body.
Anatoly checks the leg kick nicely there.
Valanciunas throws a body kick the misses

and Anatoly counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Valanciunas pulls Anatoly in close to prevent any damage.

Anatoly stands and steps away. Valanciunas gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Valanciunas misses with a low kick.
Valanciunas misses with a low kick as Anatoly jumps back.
Valanciunas throws the kick towards the body but Anatoly avoids it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Valanciunas drives through and clinches with Anatoly against the cage.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Valanciunas.
Anatoly struggles to land a body shot inside as Valanciunas controls his hands.
Anatoly misses with a body punch.
Anatoly struggles to land a body shot inside as Valanciunas controls his hands.
Anatoly goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Valanciunas blocks an uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Anatoly lands with a right to the head.
Valanciunas wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Anatoly fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Anatoly.

Valanciunas breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Valanciunas.
Valanciunas looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Anatoly shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Valanciunas defends it nicely.
A clash of legs there as Anatoly blocks the low kick.
Valanciunas looking to land some kicks to the body here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Valanciunas gets off balance looking for a body kick

and Anatoly counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Valanciunas!
Valanciunas wants to control but Anatoly is having none of it.
Vitaly Anatoly has got the better of the ground game so far.
Valanciunas is in a bad position, trying to hold on for dear life but he is really struggling to maintain any sort of control.

Anatoly stands up from mount. Strange move.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Anatoly avoids a kick to the body.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Valanciunas.
Some bone on bone action there as Anatoly checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vitaly Anatoly showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Valanciunas misses with a leg kick

and Anatoly counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

Anatoly decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
Valanciunas looks to throw a body kick

so Anatoly counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Valanciunas looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Anatoly puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Anatoly escapes and gets back to his feet.
Valanciunas wants to clinch.
Jonas Valanciunas is winning the standup battle so far.
Anatoly moves out of range of the body kick from Valanciunas.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Valanciunas gets a clinch.
Anatoly can't find room to land a body shot as Valanciunas controls the action.
Anatoly tries to throw a body punch but Valanciunas avoids it by throwing Anatoly back against the cage.
Anatoly struggles to land a body shot inside as Valanciunas controls his hands.

Valanciunas's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Valanciunas doesn't manage to clinch there - Anatoly circles away.
Anatoly shoots in but no luck this time.
Valanciunas tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Anatoly manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Valanciunas scoring well with a low kick there.
Anatoly stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Valanciunas.
Valanciunas misses with a body kick.
Jonas Valanciunas is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Valanciunas.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Anatoly shoots in for a double leg but Valanciunas sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Anatoly takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Valanciunas is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Valanciunas throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Valanciunas misses with a kick to the body.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Valanciunas drives through and clinches with Anatoly against the cage.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Anatoly.
Valanciunas blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Valanciunas wants to get back to striking at distance but Anatoly won't allow it.
Valanciunas wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Valanciunas blocks an uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Valanciunas tries to circle away but Anatoly has him pinned against the cage.
Still in the clinch, Anatoly scores with a nice short uppercut.

Valanciunas breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Valanciunas looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Valanciunas tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Anatoly paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Valanciunas misses with a low kick as Anatoly jumps back.
Valanciunas throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Anatoly avoids the head kick by Valanciunas.
Valanciunas swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Valanciunas is looking to land body kicks.
Anatoly shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Valanciunas but Valanciunas pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Jonas Valanciunas has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Vitaly Anatoly.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Anatoly fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Anatoly takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Valanciunas throws a push kick but Anatoly slaps the foot to one side.
Anatoly blocks the body kick.
Anatoly avoids a kick to the body.
Valanciunas misses with a low kick.
Anatoly avoids the head kick by Valanciunas.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Valanciunas swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Valanciunas.
Valanciunas throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jonas Valanciunas showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Valanciunas has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Steve Montenegro scores the fight 29:28
Judge Dean Styles scores the fight 29:28
Judge Anthony Taglia scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jonas Valanciunas!