PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Dmitri Braga (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Martin Tarav (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Tarav has a pretty significant injury - he really shouldn't be fighting right now but he's a warrior and he's here none the less! Dmitri Braga has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Braga
vs
Tarav

185 cm
20
214 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

200 cm
25
230 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Dmitri Braga!
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, Martin Tarav!
The judges for this bout are Aleksandr Martynov, Viktor Lagutenko and Sergei Dronov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Braga swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Braga looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Braga fails with the takedown.

Tarav gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Braga to score an easy takedown into full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Tarav is trying to control the position but Braga postures up.
Braga showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Braga changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Tarav tries to avoid it but Braga manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Tarav to the ground. Tarav escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.

Braga has Tarav up against the cage in a clinch.
Braga connects with a nasty looking knee right to Tarav's face.

Tarav manages to break the clinch.

Tarav closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Braga trying to control but Tarav postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tarav is keen to just control but Braga is a slippery customer.

Tarav is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Braga wants to control but Tarav is keeping busy and won't allow it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.

Dmitri Braga has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Tarav displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Braga.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dmitri Braga. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Tarav looks to score with a jab to the body but Braga is just out of range.
Braga shoots and misses
and Tarav counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Braga slaps away a takedown attempt from Tarav, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Tarav tries to clinch but Braga moves out of range.
Horrible takedown by Tarav or perhaps it was just good defense by Braga which made him look bad.

Braga closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Braga lands in his opponent's guard.
Braga loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Braga avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Braga won't allow Tarav to sweep him here.
Braga has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Braga stands up from guard. Let's bang!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Tarav tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Braga paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Braga shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Tarav defends it nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dmitri Braga dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Martin Tarav's cut.
That's time! Braga's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Braga tries to clinch up but Tarav circles away and keeps his distance.

Braga looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Tarav!
Braga with a couple of short strikes.
Dmitri Braga overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Braga pushing the pace here, looking to move to his opponents back and work for a finish.
Braga throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Tarav tries to reverse the position but Braga maintains control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tarav wants to hold on but Braga pushes him away.
Braga tries to control but Tarav wriggling away.
Braga looking to control and managing it successfully.
Tarav is flailing around like a fish out of water, trying to land strikes.
Braga knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Tarav on the ground.
Tarav is trying to escape the mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tarav regains half guard.

Braga decides to stand up.
Tarav shoots in but no luck this time.
Braga throws a body kick despite being completely out of range
and Tarav counters with a low kick, right behind Braga 's knee.
Braga shoots for a takedown but Tarav saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Braga fails with the takedown

and Tarav counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Braga!
Braga on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Braga tries to get out of the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tarav is dominating on the ground here - he's now on his opponent's back, looking to sink in the hooks. Braga is in real trouble.
Braga tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Braga is trying to escape the mount.
Tarav lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.

Tarav with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Tarav controlling from the full mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Braga is looking to improve his position but Tarav isn't that keen on the idea.
Braga'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.
Braga tries to lock up and control but Tarav gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Tarav lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Braga hang on?
Braga tries to reverse the position but Tarav maintains control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Martin Tarav will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Martin Tarav's cut.
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!

Tarav shoots in but no luck this time.
Braga looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

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

Tarav thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Braga throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Tarav's corner is telling him to maintain position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Braga working a defensive guard here.
Braga working a defensive guard but Tarav passes into half guard.

Tarav maintaining the dominant position here and is working for a kimura. He's locked it up! Braga could be in real trouble here! He's trying to wriggle out but Tarav has cracked it and Braga is screaming in pain - he's tapped out! Great finish by Tarav!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:52 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Martin Tarav!