PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Tim Duffy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Timur Rafkatovich (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Duffy's entrance music is Scary Monsters. A fine choice. Timur Rafkatovich has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Duffy
vs
Rafkatovich

190 cm
22
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

182 cm
24
210 lbs
2 - 11 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Inexperienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Dangerous knees
Solid chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Tim Duffy!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 11 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Timur Rafkatovich!
The judges for this bout are Dmitry Maklakov, Fedor Mirinova and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rafkatovich stuffs the takedown.
Rafkatovich looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!
Duffy fails with a takedown attempt.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Duffy decides to pull guard.
Duffy is pulling down on Rafkatovich's head to control his posture.
Duffy looking for a sweep. Not yet Duffy, not yet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rafkatovich pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Duffy is keeping the position for now.
Rafkatovich being controlled here momentarily.
Duffy knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Rafkatovich on the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.

We're going to have a standup here because Tim Duffy wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Duffy keeps the fight on the outside.
Duffy misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Rafkatovich.

Duffy rushes Rafkatovich and presses him up against the cage.

Duffy breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Rafkatovich should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.

Duffy darts in and clinches Rafkatovich up against the cage.

Duffy jumps guard.
Duffy trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Rafkatovich trying to control the position from guard on top but Duffy is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Duffy has his hands on Rafkatovich's head, controlling the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Duffy wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Rafkatovich manages to pass to side control.
Duffy is looking to improve his position.
Rafkatovich moves into side control, avoiding the strikes from Duffy.
Duffy holding on.
Duffy is not content to let Rafkatovich control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Duffy manages to work his way to half guard, despite Rafkatovich's best efforts.
It looks like Rafkatovich is going to stand back up.
Duffy throws a strike from the bottom that misses.

Duffy makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Duffy throws a series of punches but Rafkatovich moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Duffy keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Duffy shoots in looking for a takedown but Rafkatovich manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Duffy's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tim Duffy. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Duffy misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Duffy shoots in for a takedown but Rafkatovich shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Duffy changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Rafkatovich tries to avoid it but Duffy manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Rafkatovich to the ground. Rafkatovich escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Duffy shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Rafkatovich as he jumps to the side.
Rafkatovich fails to land the takedown.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Duffy is looking to slow Rafkatovich down with leg kicks.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Duffy instigates a clinch.

Duffy pulls guard effortlessly.
Duffy is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Rafkatovich preventing the sweep.
Duffy trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Duffy bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Rafkatovich's guard.
Duffy is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Rafkatovich is breathing heavily.
Rafkatovich trying to control the position.
Duffy content to stall in guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Duffy in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Duffy has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Duffy is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Tim Duffy.
Rafkatovich fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Duffy avoids it really well and circles away.
Duffy shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Rafkatovich sprawls well. Rafkatovich wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Duffy gets slowly back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Duffy misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Duffy blocks a head kick by Rafkatovich.
Duffy shoots for a double leg takedown but Rafkatovich sprawls well. He's pushed Duffy's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Duffy fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tim Duffy. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Duffy avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Duffy shoots in but Rafkatovich avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Duffy changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Rafkatovich tries to avoid it but Duffy manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Rafkatovich to the ground. Rafkatovich escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Rafkatovich misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Duffy is trying hard to land a takedown here. Rafkatovich sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Duffy stuffs the takedown attempt from Rafkatovich. Rafkatovich gets slowly back to his feet.
Duffy tries for a takedown but Rafkatovich sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

Duffy gets a clinch.

Duffy pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Duffy swats away the attempt to clinch by Rafkatovich.
A big left from Rafkatovich misses.
Tim Duffy is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Duffy gets in close and instigates a clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rafkatovich is looking for a takedown.
Rafkatovich wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Rafkatovich stops a takedown attempt from Duffy.
Rafkatovich is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Duffy pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Duffy's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Duffy.
Duffy shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rafkatovich closes the distance looking to clinch

and Duffy counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Duffy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tim Duffy dominated that second round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Rafkatovich fails in his attempt to clinch.
Duffy changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Rafkatovich tries to avoid it but Duffy manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Rafkatovich to the ground. Rafkatovich escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Duffy shoots for a double leg takedown but Rafkatovich sprawls well. He's pushed Duffy's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Rafkatovich slaps away a takedown attempt from Duffy, before circling back to the center of the mat.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tim Duffy. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rafkatovich shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Rafkatovich wants to clinch up but Duffy keeps it at a distance.
Duffy misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Duffy is trying hard to land a takedown here. Rafkatovich sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Duffy throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Rafkatovich.
Duffy takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Duffy goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Rafkatovich fails with a takedown attempt.

Duffy darts in and clinches Rafkatovich up against the cage.
Duffy tries to land a knee to the head but Rafkatovich blocks with his arms.
Rafkatovich jumps guard but Duffy stands there with Rafkatovich around his waist. Rafkatovich gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Rafkatovich tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Duffy drags the fight down to the ground.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Duffy keeping full guard, as Rafkatovich tries to pass.
Duffy is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.

Duffy working for a triangle but Rafkatovich defends it easily.
Rafkatovich trying to control but Duffy is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rafkatovich loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Duffy seems keen to control Rafkatovich's posture.

Timur Rafkatovich has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Duffy shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Rafkatovich as he jumps to the side.
Duffy goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Duffy throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Rafkatovich on the side of the head.
Duffy shoots in and drives through. Rafkatovich sprawls well.
Rafkatovich tries for a takedown but Duffy sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Rafkatovich tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Duffy fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Duffy defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Rafkatovich.
Duffy changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Rafkatovich tries to avoid it but Duffy manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Rafkatovich to the ground. Rafkatovich escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Rafkatovich on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Timur Rafkatovich has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Tim Duffy is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Horrible takedown by Duffy or perhaps it was just good defense by Rafkatovich which made him look bad.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tim Duffy showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Duffy 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 Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 30:27
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 30:27
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tim Duffy!
Tim Duffy looked relieved post fight as he said the following; 'I thank my opponent for giving me just another day of practice, thank my fans for believing in me, and thank you to my family for not being there for me. Im stronger than ever.'.