PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between IP Freely (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Victor Frolov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Frolov is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Manowar - Holy War. IP Freely has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Freely
vs
Frolov

160 cm
21
140 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

175 cm
25
136 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Good in bed

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Intelligent

KAISER

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 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, IP Freely!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Victor Frolov!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Tarja Halkonen and Arvi Lind.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Frolov takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Frolov swings widly with a right hand

and Freely counters with a shoot takedown. Frolov fights it but they end up in guard.
Freely might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Freely content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Freely postures up and lands a big shot to Frolov's brow.
Freely sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Frolov is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Freely loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Frolov keeping moving, preventing Freely from controlling successfully.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Frolov is trying to control the position but Freely postures up.
Frolov wants to sweep here but Freely controlling him for the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.

We're going to have a standup here because IP Freely wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Frolov looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Freely tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Freely throws a body punch but Frolov moves out of range.
Frolov stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Frolov wants it to stay on the feet.
Nice takedown defense from Frolov. No joy for Freely on that attempt.
Freely avoids the body shot from Frolov.
Freely tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Frolov paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Freely misses with a series of wild punches.
Freely moves in looking to clinch but Frolov pushes him off.
Frolov keeps the fight on the outside.
Freely keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Freely throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
A telegraphed right hand from Frolov misses the target.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Frolov circles away from the clinch attempt
and Frolov cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

Frolov shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Freely manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Frolov trying to control the position from guard on top but Freely is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Frolov throws a big elbow that misses.
Frolov looking to sit in guard and control but Freely gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Freely preventing the sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Freely is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Freely throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Frolov works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Freely working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Frolov bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Freely's guard.
Freely will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Frolov throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Freely works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Frolov trying to control the position from guard on top but Freely is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Frolov pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Freely is keeping the position for now.
Freely keeping moving, preventing Frolov from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Frolov missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Frolov working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Freely is on top in guard.
Freely wants to control from the top but Frolov keeps moving.
Freely is looking to work some ground and pound but Frolov has wrist control.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Freely trying to control but Frolov is working from the bottom.
Freely working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Frolov's head.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Freely trying to control but Frolov is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

IP Freely dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Frolov misses with a low kick as Freely jumps back.
Freely tries to clinch but Frolov is having none of it.
Freely fails with an attempt to clinch.

Freely rushes Frolov and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Freely changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Frolov fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Freely tries to score with a low kick but Frolov moves his leg out of the way.
Freely misses with a low kick.
Frolov misses with a wild combination.
Frolov throws a looping overhand right but Freely ducks down to avoid it.
Frolov misses with a double jab.
Frolov fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Freely looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Frolov wants to clinch.
Frolov fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Freely manages to avoid it.

Freely fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Frolov, pushing him back against the cage.
Freely tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Frolov avoids it.
Freely tries for a takedown. No joy.
Freely misses with a knee strike.
Frolov has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Freely after a bit of a struggle.
Frolov drops down looking for an ankle pick but Freely pulls his leg out and moves away.
Freely tries to close the distance and clinch but Frolov swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Freely uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Frolov.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Freely tries to clinch there but Frolov circles away.
Frolov misses with a double jab

and Freely counters with a single leg into guard. Frolov didn't expect that.
Frolov keeping moving, preventing Freely from controlling successfully.
Freely has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Frolov is proving hard to escape from.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Freely trying to control the position from guard on top but Frolov is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Freely with a flurry of punches that miss.
IP Freely overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Freely stays in close to Frolov's body and controls the position.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

IP Freely has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Freely fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Frolov has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Freely.

Freely gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Frolov is breathing heavily.

Freely has an active guard here but Frolov has managed to pass into half guard.
Freely tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.

Freely looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Frolov wants to lay and pray for a moment but Freely keeps working.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Frolov stops Freely from getting back to his feet.

Freely is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Frolov pulls his head out easily.
Frolov sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Freely defending well though.
Freely has hold of Frolov's hands but Frolov slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.

Freely looking for submissions off his back.
Frolov trying to control the action but Freely is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

IP Freely 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!

The fight stays on the outside here - Freely looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Frolov lands a right hook to the body.
Frolov thows a body shot but no joy.
Freely uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Frolov.
A combination from Frolov does no damage.
Frolov doesn't manage to clinch there - Freely circles away.
Freely chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Freely tries to clinch there but Frolov circles away.
Freely closes this distance looking for a takedown but Frolov circles away.
Frolov looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Freely defending well as Frolov loads up on a big left hand.
Frolov swats away the attempt to clinch by Freely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Freely wants to clinch
and Frolov counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Freely doesn't manage to clinch there - Frolov circles away.
Freely scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Freely tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Frolov manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Frolov swats away the attempt to clinch by Freely.
Freely tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Frolov paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Frolov shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Frolov takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Connects with an elbow from the bottom, proving to the judges that he's still active off his back.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Freely trying to strike off his back.
Frolov throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Freely works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Freely controlling Frolov's posture.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Frolov trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Freely throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Freely wants to stand and escape but Frolov is having none of it.
Frolov trying to control the position from guard on top but Freely is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Freely lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Frolov!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Freely is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Frolov can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Freely is landing with some decent strikes but Frolov is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Frolov wants to hold on but Freely pushes him away.
Frolov is in a horrible position here. Freely smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.

Frolov defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Freely.
Freely looking to finish Frolov with some ground and pound. This is bad for Frolov!

Frolov is rocked!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Freely drops a big elbow. That's hurt Frolov! More shots from Freely and the ref steps in! The fight is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:29 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). IP Freely!
In his post fight interview, IP Freely started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.