PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Jay Walker (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kogo Taforma (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kogo Taforma has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Jay Walker's chin.

Walker
vs
Taforma

182 cm
26
169 lbs
12 - 9 - 0

179 cm
25
175 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very strong

Good wrestler
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 9 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Jay Walker!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Kogo Taforma!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Dmitry Maklakov and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Walker shoots in and gets a takedown into Taforma's guard.
Taforma is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Walker engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Walker throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

Walker decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Taforma, up you get!
Taforma tries to clinch up

and Walker decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Taforma's guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Taforma is wriggling around but Walker manages to pass to half guard.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.

Walker is working for a kimura but Taforma is defending it quite comfortably.

Walker looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Walker wants to control but Taforma is keeping him busy.
Taforma is trying to stand up here but Walker is controlling him well.
Walker perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Taforma tries to push off, looking to stand up, but Walker manages to move to mount!
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Taforma can do anything to dispel that myth.

Walker working for a guillotine from mount but Taforma is in no mood to give up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Walker looking to control and managing it successfully.
Walker dominating with strikes here.
Walker with the ground and pound from mount.
Taforma really wants to buck Walker off and get back to his feet.

Walker with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Taforma's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Walker scoring with strikes but Taforma is staying in there.
Walker tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taforma wants to try and get back to his feet.

Walker working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Walker trying to control but he's not successful this time.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Walker raining down shots from the mount!
Walker looking to control and managing it successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Walker in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.

Taforma defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Walker.

Walker is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Taforma has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Taforma!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Taforma trying to control the position from guard on top but Walker is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Taforma must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jay Walker dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Kogo Taforma's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Walker closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Walker frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Taforma is working to get back to half guard.
Taforma is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Walker landing strikes, looking to finish!
Taforma is looking to improve his position but Walker isn't that keen on the idea.
Walker punishing his opponent with strikes.
Taforma really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Walker. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Taforma trying desperately to get to his feet.
Walker working away from the top, dropping strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Walker working for a submission but Taforma is keeping him at bay.
Taforma trying desperately to get to his feet.
Taforma is breathing heavily.

Walker with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.

Walker is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Taforma is surviving well by controlling Walker's body position as best he can.

Walker has control of Taforma's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Taforma regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Taforma's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Walker can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Taforma is looking to escape.

Walker moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Taforma has worked his arm free - good work by Taforma!
Taforma tries to get back to half guard but can't.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Walker trying to control the position but Taforma is working away.

Walker wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Taforma, who protects the arm well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Walker is looking to take a break and control but Taforma is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Taforma tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.
Walker punishes Taforma with strikes from the back mount.

Taforma defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Walker's arms.
Walker scores with punches and elbows.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Walker is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Taforma has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
Walker is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Taforma can do to turn this around?
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Walker looking to soften up his opponent with punches.
Walker gets his hands free as Taforma looks to control.

Taforma is staying cool under pressure, defending well against the rear naked choke attempt from his opponent.
Walker trying to control.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

Taforma showing good submission defense here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jay Walker dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Kogo Taforma's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Walker shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Taforma defends it nicely.
Taforma misses with a takedown attempt - Walker sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Walker closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Taforma to the mat! Taforma manages to get full guard.
Walker sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Walker distracts Taforma with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taforma keeping moving, preventing Walker from controlling successfully.
Taforma is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Walker trying to control the position from guard on top but Taforma is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Jay Walker just wasn't active enough.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Walker.
Taforma misses with a body shot
and Walker counters with a lovely shot to the body.
A low kick from Taforma is predictable there

and Walker counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Taforma takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Walker controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taforma wants to stand and escape but Walker is having none of it.
Jay Walker is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Walker stands and throws Taforma's legs to the side, diving into side control.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Taforma is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Walker works to advance to full mount. Taforma defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Walker content just to control the position here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taforma tries to reverse the position but Walker maintains control.
Walker sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Jay Walker just wasn't active enough.
Walker fails with the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jay Walker. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A head kick by Taforma misses

and Walker counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Taforma's guard now.
Walker slips nicely into half guard.
Taforma is trying to stand back up but Walker is controlling him
Walker perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Taforma is looking to escape.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Walker keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Kogo Taforma has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Jay Walker has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Taforma enables Walker to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Taforma manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jay Walker showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Walker 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 Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight for Jay Walker!
Judge Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight for Jay Walker!
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight for Jay Walker!

Jay Walker wins by unanimous decision!
A very excited looking Jay Walker made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.