PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Vevrin Betlach (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and D J Rich (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Betlach comes to the cage accompanied by Higher Ground. 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.

Betlach
vs
J Rich

176 cm
30
145 lbs
25 - 11 - 0

173 cm
32
145 lbs
23 - 18 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

$10

TFP Graphics - Pit Inc
5th Round Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 25 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Vevrin Betlach!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 23 - 18 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, D J Rich!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Viktor Lagutenko and Vladimir Khabensky.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rich shoots and misses
and Betlach counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Rich chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Betlach can pounce on him.
Rich looks for the body kick but Betlach saw that one coming.
Betlach tries to clinch up.
Betlach stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Betlach wants it to stay on the feet.
Rich steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Betlach. That one must have hurt.
Betlach avoids the body shot from Rich.
No joy there for Rich, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Betlach misses with a looping left.
Betlach throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Rich stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Betlach takes one on the button.
Rich takes a jab right on the kisser.
Rich is looking to clinch.
Betlach lands a high kick!
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!

Rich shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Betlach is trying to defend but Rich finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

Betlach looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rich seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Betlach works his way to full guard. Good work.
Rich stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Betlach swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Rich postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Betlach trying to control the position.
Rich engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Betlach avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Rich preventing the sweep.
Rich looking to sit in guard and control but Betlach gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Betlach slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Betlach throws a big elbow that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rich is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Betlach is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Betlach trying to control but Rich is working from the bottom.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Vevrin Betlach just wasn't active enough.
Rich takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Betlach thows a body shot but no joy.
Betlach looks to throw the jab but Rich is out of range.
Betlach cracks Rich with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Rich throws a body punch but Betlach moves out of range.
Betlach throws a body kick that misses
and Rich counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Rich circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Betlach scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Rich doesn't seem bothered though.
Rich takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
A decent looking cross lands there for Betlach.
Rich shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Betlach sprawls well. Betlach wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Rich gets slowly back to his feet.
Vevrin Betlach has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of D J Rich.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Rich misses with an attempted mid kick.
Rich lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Betlach is looking to land body kicks.
Betlach slips a jab and a cross from Rich.
Rich misses with an attempted mid kick.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Betlach fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Rich manages to avoid it.
Rich throws a series of punches but Betlach moves out of range.
Betlach paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Rich throws a right hand that Betlach ducks under and follows up with a left that Betlach also avoids with ease.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vevrin Betlach dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Betlach lands a jab to Rich's midsection.
Betlach swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Rich throws a front kick that sends Betlach stumbling back into the cage.
Rich moves to clinch but Betlach breaks away
and Betlach counters with a series of strikes. Rich will be more careful next time no doubt.
D J Rich is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
A combination from Rich does no damage.
Betlach wants to clinch up but Rich keeps it at a distance.
The crowd cheers as Rich lands an impressive looking overhand right. Betlach doesn't seem phased though.
Betlach throws a looping overhand right but Rich ducks down to avoid it.
Betlach works over Rich's head and body with a nice combination.
Betlach looks for the body kick but Rich saw that one coming.
Rich throws a push kick but Betlach slaps the foot to one side.
Rich misses with the body kick
and Betlach counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Good standup being displayed there by Betlach as he connects with a hook.
Rich looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Rich tries to close the distance and clinch but Betlach swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rich moves away from the strike by Betlach.
Nice takedown defense from Betlach. No joy for Rich on that attempt.
Betlach tries to land a front kick but Rich steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Rich scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Rich takes a shot to the body in his stride.
A shot to the liver by Rich. Beautiful body shot.
Rich fails with a takedown attempt.
Rich scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Rich tries a head kick but it misses.
Betlach tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Rich manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Good shot there by Betlach.
Vevrin Betlach is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Rich is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Betlach takes a swing at Rich's ribcage but misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rich fails with a takedown attempt.
Vevrin Betlach has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of D J Rich.
Rich throws an overhand right that lands on Betlach's shoulder, as Betlach tries to avoid the shot.
Rich closes the distance but Betlach moves to the side
and Betlach counters with a two punch combo.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Betlach misses with a jab, cross combination.
Rich throws a nice looking combination but Betlach bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Rich misses with a body kick.
Vevrin Betlach is winning the standup battle so far.
Betlach misses with a series of wild punches.
Betlach throws a big shot that misses.
Betlach misses the jab.
Rich fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Betlach avoids it really well and circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rich misses with the combination.
Rich scores with a kick to the body.
Rich fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Betlach tries to clinch but Rich moves out of range.
Rich throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Rich shoots and misses
and Betlach counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Rich is breathing heavily.
Betlach digs a good hook to Rich's body.
Betlach throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Betlach works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Betlach throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Rich.
A combination from Betlach does no damage.
Betlach avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Betlach punishes Rich's body with a nice straight punch.
Rich needs to keep his hands up - Betlach had a free shot at his head there.
Rich tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Betlach counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Betlach connects with an inside leg kick.
Rich on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Betlach scores with a spinning back kick!
A decent looking cross lands there for Betlach.
Betlach is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Rich fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
A slow jab from Betlach misses its intended target.

Betlach moves into the clinch successfully.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Betlach stalling the fight.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vevrin Betlach dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Rich uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Betlach.
Betlach misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
A leg kick checked by Rich.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Betlach, as that shot connected.
Betlach explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
A nice inside leg kick there by Betlach. That's going to slow Rich down.
Betlach scores with a nice right hand.
Rich will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Rich tries to land a front kick but Betlach steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Betlach misses with a few strikes there.
Betlach lands a slapping body shot.
Betlach moves into range and lands a nice body kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rich walks into a left hand.
Betlach looks to land a left hand but Rich moved out of range nicely.
Rich misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Betlach jabs at Rich's body.
Rich takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Nice defenses there by Rich.
Rich uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Betlach.
Rich shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Betlach as he jumps to the side.
Rich takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Rich looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Betlach is fending him off so far but Rich persists. Nope, Betlach circles away and we're back to standing.
Vevrin Betlach has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of D J Rich.
Betlach lands with a kick to the temple. Rich shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Betlach throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Betlach throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Betlach lands with a good body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Betlach dodges the punch combination from Rich.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Rich fails with the takedown.
Betlach thows a body shot but no joy.
Rich wants to clinch.
Rich takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Rich takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Betlach displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Rich.
Betlach throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Betlach bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rich takes one on the button.
Rich ducks right into an uppercut from Betlach.

Rich is rocked!
Rich shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Betlach defends it nicely.
Betlach lands a nice hook to Rich's body. Rich takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Betlach scores with a nice strike.
Rich is still on wobbly legs! Can Betlach finish him?
Betlach fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Rich manages to avoid it.
Rich seems to have recovered his senses.
Rich swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Betlach.
Betlach moves in looking to clinch but Rich pushes him off.
Betlach scores with the left hand. Rich knows he should have avoided that one.
Rich has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Betlach tries to land a front kick but Rich steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.

Betlach has managed to clinch.
Betlach lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Rich or not.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Betlach lands a right hand.
Betlach working aggressively here.
Betlach pushes Rich back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Betlach lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Rich tries to circle away but Betlach has him pinned against the cage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Betlach creates a bit of space for himself and rocks Rich with a big uppercut! Rich tries to clinch up but Betlach pushes him back against the cage and lands another monster strike that crumples Rich to the mat! Rich covers up and Betlach unloads with more strikes until the referee steps in to end the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:58 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Vevrin Betlach!
Vevrin Betlach very nearly forgot to thank $10 amongst all the excitement of his win but just as the interview came to a close, he screamed their name. Hopefully he'll get a few nice freebies in the mail as a thank you.