PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Muscle Freak (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Vladimir Bukharin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Vladimir Bukharin 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!

Freak
vs
Bukharin

185 cm
19
198 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

180 cm
27
196 lbs
8 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Counter striker
Powerful

[WOT] Inner Beast Nutrition And Laundry
[WOT] DTK Designs (Laundry)

Brute

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Muscle Freak!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Vladimir Bukharin!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Jack Bonds and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Freak tries to clinch there but Bukharin circles away.
Freak takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.

Bukharin drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Bukharin looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Freak keeping full guard, as Bukharin tries to pass.
Bukharin controlling from the top position.
Freak tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Bukharin looking to pass the guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bukharin looking to sit in guard and control but Freak gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Freak decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Bukharin fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Freak on the side of the head.
Freak misses with a head kick.
Freak tries to clinch there but Bukharin circles away.
Freak's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Bukharin connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Freak scrambles back to his feet.
Freak tries to close the distance and clinch up but Bukharin swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Freak is looking to clinch.
Freak moves in looking to clinch but Bukharin pushes him off.
Freak wants to clinch but Bukharin slips to the side
and Bukharin makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Bukharin throws a predictable looking body shot
and Freak counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Freak tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Bukharin manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Bukharin avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Bukharin feints and as Freak raises his hands in defense, Bukharin changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Bukharin chips away with some ground and pound.
Bukharin trying to control but Freak is working from the bottom.
Bukharin stays in close to Freak's body and controls the position.
Freak trying to keep a closed guard but Bukharin is proving a slippery customer.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bukharin lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Freak keeping full guard, as Bukharin tries to pass.
Bukharin trying to control the position from guard on top but Freak is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Bukharin throws a big right hand that misses.
Bukharin advances position into side control!
Bukharin trying to control the position but Freak is working away.

Bukharin goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Freak rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Bukharin's guard! Nice work there by Freak!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Bukharin throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Freak preventing the sweep.
Freak advances position into side control!

Freak decides to stand up, so the ref orders Bukharin to his feet.
This has been an exciting period of action!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Freak attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Freak looks to clinch
and Bukharin cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vladimir Bukharin dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Freak tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Bukharin cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Freak is looking to clinch.

Freak gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Freak looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

Freak's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Bukharin throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Freak's waist but Freak gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Bukharin off to one side.

Freak gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Bukharin to score an easy takedown into full guard.

Bukharin got a little sloppy there for a moment and Freak has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Bukharin has managed to get both his arms back between Freak's legs - danger averted.
Bukharin missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Bukharin trying to control the position from guard on top but Freak is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bukharin cracks Freak with a solid left hand.
Freak utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Vladimir Bukharin has got the better of the ground game so far.
Freak is looking to sweep but instead, Bukharin has passed into half guard.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Bukharin lands a nice short elbow.
Bukharin is keen to just control but Freak is a slippery customer.
Bukharin throwing shots but Freak is blocking nicely.
Freak blocking the ground and pound attempt from Bukharin.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Freak wants to get back to full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Freak is pressing down on Bukharin's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bukharin trying to control the position from guard on top but Freak is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Bukharin pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Freak is keeping the position for now.
Bukharin loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Freak looking to control.
Bukharin is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Freak is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Freak keeping full guard, as Bukharin tries to pass.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Freak is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Muscle Freak just wasn't active enough.
Bukharin lands a jab to Freak's midsection.
Freak looks to land a combination but Bukharin avoids it well.
Freak throws a nice looking combination but Bukharin bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Freak tries to clinch there but Bukharin circles away.
Bukharin ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Freak moves away.
Freak defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Bukharin.
Freak tries to clinch
enabling Bukharin to counter with a crisp jab.
No luck for Bukharin with that takedown attempt.
Muscle Freak has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Vladimir Bukharin.
Bukharin looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Freak is fending him off so far but Bukharin persists. Nope, Freak circles away and we're back to standing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Freak uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Bukharin.
Freak buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Freak tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Bukharin looks to land a right hand but Freak moved out of range.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Freak buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Freak tries to clinch up but Bukharin circles away and keeps his distance.
Freak wants to clinch.
Bukharin is trying hard to land a takedown here. Freak sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Freak tries to clinch but Bukharin is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vladimir Bukharin 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!

Freak tries to clinch but Bukharin moves out of range.
Freak defending well as Bukharin loads up on a big left hand.
Freak tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Muscle Freak is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Freak avoids a lazy jab quite easily.

Freak pushes Bukharin up against the cage in a clinch.
Freak has Bukharin pressed against the cage, preventing Bukharin from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Bukharin drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Freak gets the underhooks and prevents it.

Bukharin pulls guard.

Bukharin throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Freak avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Freak avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Bukharin looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Bukharin is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Freak defends well.

Bukharin working for a triangle but Freak defends it easily.
Freak not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bukharin is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Freak is fighting to break Bukharin's control of his arms but Bukharin is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Bukharin is trying to control the position but Freak postures up.

Bukharin is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Freak stands up from guard. Let's bang!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Freak tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Bukharin paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Freak lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Freak.
Freak throws a right and a left that Bukharin avoids nicely.

Bukharin dives in and scores a takedown into Freak's guard.
Freak preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Vladimir Bukharin is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Freak keeping moving, preventing Bukharin from controlling successfully.
Bukharin with a nice head shot there.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Freak controls Bukharin momentarily but Bukharin frees himself.
Bukharin stops Freak from standing up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bukharin is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Freak looking for a sweep. Not yet Freak, not yet.
Muscle Freak has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Bukharin is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Muscle Freak just wasn't active enough.
Bukharin throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Freak tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Bukharin was well out of range. Poor timing from Freak.

And that's the end of the fight!
Vladimir Bukharin comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Bukharin winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Frank Antenori scores the fight 27:30
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 27:30
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Vladimir Bukharin!
Vladimir Bukharin really struggled to get his t-shirt on before his hand was raised. Making sure that BioPharm Nutrition logo gets some air time is pretty tricky when you're all sweaty.