PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Bogban Dyachenko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Wikus Van Der Merwe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Dyachenko
vs
Van Der Merwe

175 cm
18
139 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

215 cm
19
143 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Brown Belt
Basic striking
Inexperienced

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Bogban Dyachenko!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Wikus Van Der Merwe!
The judges for this bout are Shirou Masuda, Kenichi Hosakawa and Taro Takaoka.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dyachenko circles away from the clinch attempt
and Dyachenko counters with a two punch combo.

Van Der Merwe is rocked!
No luck with that takedown attempt from Dyachenko.
A head kick misses from Dyachenko.
Dyachenko swats away the attempt to clinch by Van Der Merwe.
Dyachenko slips a jab and a cross from Van Der Merwe.
Van Der Merwe tries to clinch

and Dyachenko counters with a single leg into guard. Van Der Merwe didn't expect that.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Dyachenko wants to stand but Van Der Merwe has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Van Der Merwe being controlled here, momentarily.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Dyachenko accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Van Der Merwe looking to control.
Van Der Merwe avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Dyachenko wants to stand and escape but instead Van Der Merwe has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Van Der Merwe is looking to stand up but Dyachenko won't let him.
Dyachenko pulls Van Der Merwe in close to his closed guard and prevents Van Der Merwe from doing any damage or advancing position.
Dyachenko might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Van Der Merwe is looking to stand up but Dyachenko won't let him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Van Der Merwe preventing the sweep.
Dyachenko keeping moving, preventing Van Der Merwe from controlling successfully.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Dyachenko throws a nice looking combination but Van Der Merwe bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

Dyachenko closes the distance and clinches.
Van Der Merwe is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Van Der Merwe is trying to maintain a safe position but Dyachenko gets an underhook and turns Van Der Merwe into the cage.
Van Der Merwe goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
With the fighters up against the cage, Van Der Merwe throws an elbow but misses.

Dyachenko's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Dyachenko tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Van Der Merwe swivels and escapes.
The fight stays on the outside here - Van Der Merwe looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Van Der Merwe tries to clinch
and Dyachenko counters with a right hand to the body.
Dyachenko swats away the attempt to clinch by Van Der Merwe.

Dyachenko instigates a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Van Der Merwe struggles to land a body shot inside as Dyachenko controls his hands.
Van Der Merwe is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Dyachenko is keeping busy.
Van Der Merwe is persisting with his attempts to control the action in the clinch, rather than do any real damage.

Dyachenko pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Van Der Merwe darts in trying to clinch

and Dyachenko holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Dyachenko jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Van Der Merwe walks away with a smile on his face. Dyachenko gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bogban Dyachenko. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Dyachenko pushes Van Der Merwe up against the cage in a clinch.

Dyachenko's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Van Der Merwe tries to clinch up.
Dyachenko blocks a jab.
Van Der Merwe throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Van Der Merwe throws a series of punches but Dyachenko moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dyachenko avoids a punch combination nicely.

Dyachenko darts in and clinches Van Der Merwe up against the cage.
Van Der Merwe is looking to control Dyachenko's arms but Dyachenko gets an underhook and turns him. Now Van Der Merwe has his back to the cage.
Van Der Merwe seems frustrated at his inability to get double underhooks.
Van Der Merwe tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Dyachenko's elbow.
Dyachenko misses with a body punch.
Van Der Merwe is pressed up against the cage. Dyachenko has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Van Der Merwe down to the mat. Van Der Merwe avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Dyachenko gets a clinch.
Van Der Merwe is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Dyachenko manages to break the clinch.

Dyachenko closes the distance and clinches.
With the fighters up against the cage, Van Der Merwe throws an elbow but misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Van Der Merwe moves in looking to clinch but Dyachenko pushes him off.
Van Der Merwe tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Dyachenko counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Dyachenko tries a body shot but Van Der Merwe blocks it.

Dyachenko manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Van Der Merwe trying to control the position from guard on top but Dyachenko is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Van Der Merwe won't allow Dyachenko to get back to his feet.
Van Der Merwe would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Dyachenko keeping moving, preventing Van Der Merwe from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Wikus Van Der Merwe.
Dyachenko changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Van Der Merwe tries to avoid it but Dyachenko manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Van Der Merwe to the ground. Van Der Merwe escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.

Dyachenko pushes Van Der Merwe up against the cage in a clinch.
Van Der Merwe is trying to maintain a safe position but Dyachenko gets an underhook and turns Van Der Merwe into the cage.
Dyachenko trying to control the position but instead, Van Der Merwe has worked for underhooks and has pushed Dyachenko into the cage.
Van Der Merwe is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Dyachenko is keeping busy.
Dyachenko is stalling here.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Van Der Merwe stops a takedown attempt from Dyachenko.

Dyachenko manages to break the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Van Der Merwe fails with an attempt to clinch.
Van Der Merwe tries to clinch up

and Dyachenko counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Dyachenko.
Van Der Merwe prevents a takedown attempt there.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bogban Dyachenko. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Dyachenko pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Van Der Merwe tries to clinch up.

Dyachenko gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Van Der Merwe with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Van Der Merwe tries to throw a body punch but Dyachenko avoids it by throwing Van Der Merwe back against the cage.
Dyachenko is stalling here.
Dyachenko is looking for a takedown.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Dyachenko blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Van Der Merwe trying to control the position but instead, Dyachenko has worked for underhooks and has pushed Van Der Merwe into the cage.
Dyachenko tries to pull guard but Van Der Merwe forces him back to his feet, against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Van Der Merwe misses with a hook from the clinch.
Van Der Merwe trying to stall but Dyachenko improves his position.
Van Der Merwe struggles to land a body shot inside as Dyachenko controls his hands.
Dyachenko is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Van Der Merwe is defending well.
Van Der Merwe looking to stall.
Van Der Merwe can't find room to land a body shot as Dyachenko controls the action.
Van Der Merwe looking to slow down the pace here.
Van Der Merwe lands a body punch.
Van Der Merwe taking a breather.
Van Der Merwe is trying to slow the pace down but that's a couple of times in a row that he's tried to get underhooks and Dyachenko has denied him.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Wikus Van Der Merwe.
Van Der Merwe slaps away a takedown attempt from Dyachenko, before circling back to the center of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Van Der Merwe is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Wikus Van Der Merwe seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Van Der Merwe tries to close the distance and clinch but Dyachenko swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Van Der Merwe looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Dyachenko fails with a takedown attempt.
Van Der Merwe is looking to clinch but Dyachenko is avoiding it.
Wikus Van Der Merwe is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Van Der Merwe doesn't manage to clinch there - Dyachenko circles away.
Van Der Merwe tries to clinch up.
Van Der Merwe moves in looking to clinch but Dyachenko pushes him off.
Dyachenko tries to land a leg kick but Van Der Merwe saw it coming and moves away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Wikus Van Der Merwe will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's time! Back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Van Der Merwe pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Dyachenko shoots in for a takedown but Van Der Merwe shows good takedown defense.
Van Der Merwe wants to clinch

and Dyachenko holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Dyachenko escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Dyachenko avoids the head kick by Van Der Merwe.
Van Der Merwe misses with a straight left.
Van Der Merwe is looking to clinch.
Van Der Merwe looks to clinch
and Dyachenko counters with an inside leg kick.
Dyachenko shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Van Der Merwe defends it nicely.
Van Der Merwe moves to clinch but Dyachenko breaks away

and Dyachenko counters by moving into the clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Van Der Merwe tries to stall but Dyachenko uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Dyachenko cracks Van Der Merwe with a nice body shot.
Van Der Merwe looking to stall.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Wikus Van Der Merwe.
Dyachenko sizes up Van Der Merwe with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Dyachenko will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bogban Dyachenko. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Van Der Merwe rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Dyachenko moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Van Der Merwe is looking to clinch.
Van Der Merwe tries to clinch but Dyachenko moves away
and Dyachenko counters with a nice low kick that buckles Van Der Merwe's knee momentarily.
Van Der Merwe tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Dyachenko counters by clinching up.
Van Der Merwe taking a breather.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Van Der Merwe misses with a hook from the clinch.

Dyachenko jumps guard.

Dyachenko working for a triangle but Van Der Merwe defends it easily.
Dyachenko keeping full guard, as Van Der Merwe tries to pass.
Dyachenko keeping moving, preventing Van Der Merwe from controlling successfully.
Van Der Merwe looking to pass the guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Van Der Merwe wants to control from the top but Dyachenko keeps moving.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Wikus Van Der Merwe.
Van Der Merwe tries to close the distance and clinch up but Dyachenko swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Van Der Merwe misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Dyachenko.
Van Der Merwe tries to clinch but Dyachenko moves out of range.
Van Der Merwe doesn't manage to clinch there - Dyachenko circles away.
Van Der Merwe is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Van Der Merwe doesn't manage to clinch there - Dyachenko circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Van Der Merwe keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Van Der Merwe throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Dyachenko dives in and grabs Van Der Merwe's left leg, looking for a takedown. Van Der Merwe pushes down on Dyachenko's head and hops out.
Van Der Merwe tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Dyachenko manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Van Der Merwe tries to clinch but Dyachenko moves out of range.
Van Der Merwe tries to clinch but Dyachenko moves away

and Dyachenko moves into the clinch.
Van Der Merwe tries to stall but Dyachenko uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Van Der Merwe stalling in the clinch but Dyachenko improves position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Dyachenko tries to throw a body punch but Van Der Merwe avoids it by throwing Dyachenko back against the cage.
Bogban Dyachenko has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Dyachenko has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Van Der Merwe is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Dyachenko is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.

And that's the end of the fight!
Wikus Van Der Merwe comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Van Der Merwe has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Shirou Masuda scores the fight for Bogban Dyachenko!
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight for Bogban Dyachenko!
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight for Bogban Dyachenko!

Bogban Dyachenko wins by unanimous decision!