PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Optimus Prime (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Vladimir Arlovski (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Prime comes into the arena with Metalingus by Alter Bridge blaring out of the sound system. Arlovski has chosen Machine Head-Now I Lay Thee Down as his entrance music. Rumors backstage are that the fighters have been paid to keep it standing but we know that would never happen in MMA!

Prime
vs
Arlovski

191 cm
29
288 lbs
12 - 8 - 0

190 cm
32
255 lbs
26 - 20 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Legion of Pain Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Optimus Prime!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 26 - 20 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Vladimir Arlovski!
The judges for this bout are Russell Pearce, Columbo Gatti and Jorge Garcia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Arlovski misses with a jab, cross combination.
Prime takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Prime bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Prime bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Prime dodges the punch combination from Arlovski.
Arlovski swats away the attempt to clinch by Prime.
An inside leg kick from Prime misses.
Arlovski's jab looks to have found its range, popping Prime under the eye.
Prime tries to close the distance and clinch up but Arlovski swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Arlovski buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Prime looks to land a left hand but Arlovski moved out of range nicely.
Arlovski moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.

Prime fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Arlovski, pushing him back against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Arlovski breaks the clinch.
Nice straight punches there by Prime. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Prime.

Prime shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Prime throwing shots but Arlovski is blocking nicely.
Arlovski avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Prime.
Arlovski is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Prime not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Prime scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Arlovski wants to get back to full guard but Prime has passed into side control.
Arlovski is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Prime's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Prime trying to control the action but Arlovski is working from the bottom.
Arlovski wants to control but Prime is keeping busy.
Prime throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Prime scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Prime is looking to advance position but Arlovski won't allow it.
Prime drops an elbow to the side of Arlovski's head.
Prime is stalling here. Arlovski is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Prime seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Arlovski has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Arlovski controlling from side mount.
Arlovski working the ground and pound.
Prime gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Prime is controlling Arlovski's trapped leg to prevent Arlovski from advancing to side control.
Arlovski is looking to take a break and control but Prime is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Prime wants to get back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Arlovski is trying to control. Prime wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Prime tries to roll over but Arlovski keeps him under control.
Arlovski is pressing down on Prime's thigh, looking to free his foot. Prime is holding on for now.
Arlovski is keen to just control but Prime is a slippery customer.
Prime wants to improve his position but Arlovski is controlling well.
Arlovski wants to free his trapped foot but Prime is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Arlovski passes to side control.
This has been an exciting period of action!
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Prime struggling a bit here.
Arlovski wants to control but Prime is keeping him busy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Vladimir Arlovski will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Prime waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Arlovski.
The fighters circle momentarily. Prime darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Prime thows a body shot but no joy.
Arlovski shoots in for a takedown but Prime shows good takedown defense.
Arlovski swinging wildly here.

Arlovski gets caught napping as Prime dives in and scores a takedown. Arlovski manages to retain guard.
Arlovski controlling Prime's posture.
Prime missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Arlovski wants to stand and escape but Prime is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Prime wants to control from the top but Arlovski keeps moving.
Arlovski preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Prime postures up in Arlovski's guard and throws a big left but Arlovski blocks it.
Prime in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Prime trying to control the position from guard on top but Arlovski is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Prime throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Arlovski works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Prime has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Prime postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Prime with a flurry of punches that miss.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Arlovski trying to keep a closed guard but Prime is proving a slippery customer.
Arlovski keeping full guard, as Prime tries to pass.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Prime stays in close to Arlovski's body and controls the position.
Prime won't allow Arlovski to sweep him here.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Arlovski shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Prime defends it nicely.
Arlovski swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Prime counters with a good low kick that Arlovski was not able to check.
Prime pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Vladimir Arlovski seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Arlovski misses with a series of wild punches.
Prime displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Arlovski throws out the jab.

Prime closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Prime blocks an uppercut.
Arlovski lands a nice uppercut.
Prime tries to work over Arlovski's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Prime cracks Arlovski with a nice body shot.
Arlovski is breathing heavily.
Prime lands with a right to the head.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Prime.
Prime wants a takedown.
A short right from Prime.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Arlovski wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Arlovski breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Arlovski misses with a jab, cross combination.

Prime fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Arlovski sprawls well initially but Prime persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Prime not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Arlovski keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Prime tries to pass to full mount but Arlovski defends it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Arlovski keeping hold of Prime's head, controlling as best he can.
Arlovski keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Prime not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Arlovski keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Arlovski is looking to improve his position.
Arlovski avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Prime.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Prime is pressing down on Arlovski's thigh, looking to free his foot. Arlovski is holding on for now.
Prime seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Arlovski does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Optimus Prime dominated that second round.
That's time! Prime's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Prime lands a really nice looking cross but Arlovski seems unphased.
Arlovski waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Prime.
Arlovski circles away from the clinch attempt.
Arlovski throws a head kick that misses.
Prime displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Arlovski.
Prime scores with a body shot.
A combination from Arlovski does no damage.
Arlovski misses with a head kick.
Prime is looking to clinch but Arlovski is avoiding it.
Arlovski tries to move into range but Prime moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Arlovski throws a head kick that misses.
Prime misses with a wild body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Prime blocks a leg kick.
Prime slips a jab and a cross from Arlovski.
Prime looks to throw the jab but Arlovski is out of range.
Prime moves in looking to clinch but Arlovski pushes him off.
Prime swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Prime cracks the inside of Arlovski's front leg.
Arlovski misses with an uppercut.
Arlovski pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Arlovski wants to clinch
and Prime counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

Prime has taken the fight to the clinch.
Arlovski throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Primes head.
The referee calls for Prime to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Arlovski lands an uppercut.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Arlovski doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Arlovski swings away with an uppercut that misses.
A short body shot lands from Prime as the two fighters clinch.
Arlovski tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Arlovski blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Arlovski is trying to break free.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Prime.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Prime creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Arlovski is trying to force a seperation but Prime has the dominant position.
Prime stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Arlovski takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Prime lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Prime lands a right hand.

It looks like Vladimir Arlovski has been cut.
A nice left hand lands by Prime.

Arlovski is rocked!
Prime tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Arlovski is still on wobbly legs! Can Prime finish him?

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Prime is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Arlovski prevents a body shot from Prime.
Arlovski seems to have recovered his senses.
Prime wants to stall.
Optimus Prime has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Prime scores with a nice hook to the head.
Prime scores with a hook to the body.
Nice body punch from Prime.

Prime pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Prime drops his shoulder and cracks Arlovski with a huge uppercut! Arlovski goes down! Can Prime finish him?
This has been an exciting period of action!
Prime arches his back and unloads with a massive left and a right! Arlovski's eyes roll back into his head, he's out cold! The ref dives in to stop the fight - wow, they were hard shots!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:58 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Strikes). Optimus Prime!
An out of breath Optimus Prime thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.