PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between KirNik Kirillov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hicham Fellah (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Kirillov
vs
Fellah

168 cm
19
130 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

160 cm
18
130 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

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 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, KirNik Kirillov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Hicham Fellah!
The judges for this bout are James Ackerman, William Gold and James Atkins.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Fellah moves into the clinch.
Fellah fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Fellah stalls.
Fellah is trying to break the clinch but Kirillov has him pressed against the cage.
Kirillov tries a knee to the head but Fellah blocks it.
Fellah tries to throw a body punch but Kirillov avoids it by throwing Fellah back against the cage.
Fellah is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Kirillov to keep the fight standing.
Kirillov lands with a left to the head.
Kirillov creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Kirillov connects with a knee to the head.
Fellah has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Fellah tries to pull guard but Kirillov won't allow it.
KirNik Kirillov has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Hicham Fellah.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fellah tries for a takedown. No joy.
Fellah is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Kirillov prevents a takedown attempt there.
Kirillov scores with a knee to the head.

Kirillov breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Fellah rushes Kirillov and presses him up against the cage.
Kirillov tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Fellah avoids it.
Kirillov tries to land a knee to the head but Fellah blocks with his arms.

Kirillov pulls guard successfully.
Kirillov trying to control the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Fellah would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kirillov wants to sweep but no luck.
Fellah wants to stand but Kirillov has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Fellah has gone for a leg lock! Kirillov slips out almost immediately though and dives into Fellah's guard.

Fellah uses the cage to get back to his feet.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Kirillov clinches with his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fellah tries to land knees in the clinch but Kirillov avoids the damage to the body.

Fellah manages to pull guard.
Kirillov has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Kirillov stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Fellah swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Kirillov won't allow Fellah to sweep him here.
Fellah not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Fellah looks gassed!
Kirillov slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Kirillov misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Fellah takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Fellah drives through and clinches with Kirillov against the cage.
Kirillov lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Fellah.

Kirillov breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Fellah shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Kirillov throws a nice head kick!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kirillov pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Fellah back to the cage. Kirillov follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Kirillov shoots for a double leg takedown but Fellah sprawls well. He's pushed Kirillov's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Kirillov moves in looking to clinch but Fellah pushes him off.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Nice shot lands for Kirillov.
Kirillov shoots for a double leg takedown but Fellah sprawls well. He's pushed Kirillov's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Kirillov is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Fellah's half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

KirNik Kirillov dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Fellah fails with the takedown.
Fellah shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Kirillov as he jumps to the side.
Kirillov shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Fellah gets a clinch.

Kirillov jumps into guard, dragging Fellah to the mat.
Kirillov looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Fellah wants to control from the top but Kirillov keeps moving.
Fellah tries to free his leg and advance position but Kirillov is retaining full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kirillov is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Fellah is looking to stand up but Kirillov won't let him.
Fellah is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Fellah trying to control the position from guard on top but Kirillov is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Fellah wants to stand but Kirillov is controlling his posture from full guard.
Fellah is breathing heavily.
Kirillov tries to strike from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kirillov manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Kirillov avoids the attempt from Fellah to control.
Kirillov knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Fellah on the ground.

Kirillov looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Kirillov looking to control and managing it successfully.
Fellah tries to lock up and control but Kirillov gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kirillov putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Kirillov wants to control the pace but Fellah is squirming around nicely.
Fellah is in all sorts of trouble here.
Kirillov tries to control but Fellah wriggling away.
Fellah is wriggling around trying to escape.
Kirillov scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Kirillov lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Fellah is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kirillov postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Fellah looks a forlorn figure.
Kirillov trying to control but Fellah is having none of it.
KirNik Kirillov overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Kirillov postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Fellah looks a forlorn figure.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kirillov content just to control the position here.
Kirillov with shots to the head and body - Fellah looks very uncomfortable down there.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Kirillov breaks from Fellah's wrist control and lands an elbow.

Kirillov is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Fellah has managed to escape the submission attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

KirNik Kirillov dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Fellah on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Kirillov tries to clinch but Fellah moves out of range.
Kirillov scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Kirillov works Fellah's body with a nice hook.
Kirillov lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Fellah circles away quickly and effectively.
Fellah slaps away a takedown attempt from Kirillov, before circling back to the center of the mat.

Fellah clinches up against the cage.
Fellah fails to pull the fight into his guard.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fellah avoids a kick to the body.

Fellah fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Kirillov, pushing him back against the cage.
A short uppercut from Kirillov.
Fellah effectively controlling the action here.
Kirillov is trying to pull guard but Fellah has him pressed against the cage.
Kirillov gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Fellah.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Fellah just misses with a elbow thrown towards Kirillov's brow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fellah drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Kirillov gets the underhooks and prevents it.
KirNik Kirillov has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Hicham Fellah.
Fellah takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Kirillov lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Kirillov stalling the fight.

Kirillov breaks from the clinch.
Kirillov moves in looking to clinch but Fellah pushes him off.
Kirillov fails to land the takedown.
Kirillov shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Fellah but Fellah pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Fellah takes the fight into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fellah is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Kirillov to keep the fight standing.
Fellah wants to take the fight to the mat but Kirillov manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Fellah fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Fellah tries to circle away but Kirillov has him pinned against the cage.
Kirillov is pressed up against the cage. Fellah has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Kirillov down to the mat. Kirillov avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Kirillov is trying hard to land a takedown here. Fellah sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

Fellah closes the distance and clinches.
Fellah tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Kirillov breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Fellah bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Fellah wants to control but Kirillov is keeping him busy.
Fellah working away.
Kirillov is in a bad spot here and he knows it... just holding on for now.
Kirillov wants to control but Fellah postures up.
Hicham Fellah has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
KirNik Kirillov is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Fellah swings around for an armbar but Kirillov sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Fellah's guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Hicham Fellah.
I think Kirillov has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 James Ackerman scores the fight 30:27
Judge William Gold scores the fight 30:27
Judge James Atkins scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... KirNik Kirillov!