PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Anzhor Azhiev (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tor Leka (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Azhiev
vs
Leka

177 cm
22
160 lbs
5 - 10 - 0

170 cm
19
165 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Anzhor Azhiev!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Tor Leka!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Marco Blurström and Arvi Lind.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A combination from Leka does no damage.

Azhiev takes the fight into the clinch.
Leka prevents the takedown attempt.
Leka misses with a punch to the body.
Leka pressing his opponent against the cage.
Azhiev wants a takedown.
Azhiev drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Leka gets the underhooks and prevents it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Anzhor Azhiev. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Azhiev goes for a takedown attempt but Leka pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Azhiev is looking to clinch but Leka is avoiding it.
Leka keeps the fight on the outside.
Anzhor Azhiev seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Leka lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Azhiev circles away quickly and effectively.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Leka.
Azhiev is looking for a sweep.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Leka tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Leka has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Azhiev is not content to let Leka control the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Leka wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Azhiev, who protects the arm well.
Azhiev regains half guard.
Azhiev is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Leka scores with a couple of nice shots.
Leka takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Azhiev makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Azhiev.
Leka working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Leka seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Azhiev escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Leka gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Azhiev is looking to sweep but instead, Leka has passed into half guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Leka works his way into side control.

Leka looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Leka is working Azhiev over with some ground and pound from side control.
Azhiev is looking to reverse the position.
Leka cracks Azhiev with a big right hand but Azhiev just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Leka scoring with punches from side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Leka trying to control the action but Azhiev is working from the bottom.

Leka looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

Leka tries for a kimura but Azhiev is defending well.
Azhiev is trying to improve his position.
Azhiev is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Leka's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Leka is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Azhiev gets back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Azhiev actively working from the bottom here.
Azhiev is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Leka scores with a couple of nice shots.

Leka is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Azhiev has managed to free his arm - good work.

Leka is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Azhiev sees it coming and defends easily.

Azhiev looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Well, if Leka is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Let's hope that Leka has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tor Leka dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Azhiev fails with a takedown attempt.

Azhiev clinches up with Leka and pushes him back against the cage.
Leka has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Azhiev is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Azhiev is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Leka gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Azhiev has hold of one of Leka's legs. Leka is fighting the takedown attempt but Azhiev gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Leka bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Azhiev's guard.
Leka slips nicely into half guard.
Azhiev is staying active underneath Leka, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Azhiev is pressing down on Leka's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Leka is working Azhiev over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Azhiev looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Leka passes into side control.
Tor Leka has got the better of the ground game so far.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Leka thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Leka landing strikes.
Azhiev stops Leka from passing to mount.
Leka wants to lay and pray for a moment but Azhiev keeps working.
Azhiev regains half guard.
Azhiev is staying active underneath Leka, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Leka looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Leka working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Leka tries to pass the half guard into mount. Azhiev knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Leka lands strikes from half guard.
Leka seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Azhiev does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

Azhiev actively working from the bottom here.
Still in half guard, Leka seems content to control.
Leka seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Azhiev on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Azhiev actively working from the bottom here.
Leka trying to control the pace.
Leka is pressing down on Azhiev's thigh, looking to free his foot. Azhiev is holding on for now.
Leka throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Azhiev is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Leka's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Leka's back!

Azhiev tightening his grip on Leka, looking for the choke.
Leka tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Leka tries to reverse the position but Azhiev maintains control.

Azhiev goes for an armbar but Leka turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Leka.
Leka cracks Azhiev with a solid left hand.

Leka is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Azhiev has an active guard here but Leka has managed to pass into half guard.

Azhiev is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Leka pulls his head out easily.
Leka wants to control but Azhiev is keeping him busy.

Leka is trying for a kimura here. Azhiev looks like he's in a lot of pain... and he's tapping out! Leka wins by kimura!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:54 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Tor Leka!