PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Alex Brealey (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Robert Zhirkov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Brealey
vs
Zhirkov

177 cm
33
134 lbs
17 - 5 - 0

180 cm
37
141 lbs
29 - 15 - 1

Good wrestling
World class MT
Granite chin

ADCC Champion
World class boxer
Good gas tank

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 17 - 5 - 0, fighting out of New York, Alex Brealey!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 29 - 15 - 1, fighting out of Montreal, Robert Zhirkov!
The judges for this bout are Colin Fray, Chris Saunders and Josh West.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Zhirkov rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Brealey counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Brealey moves away from the strike by Zhirkov.
Brealey on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Zhirkov throws a right and a left that Brealey avoids nicely.
Zhirkov throws out a powerful jab.
A telegraphed right hand from Zhirkov misses the target.
Brealey bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Zhirkov's head.
Brealey fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Zhirkov connects with a looping right hand.
Zhirkov goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Zhirkov lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Brealey scores with a hook to the body. Zhirkov takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Brealey scores with a jab to the body.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Brealey misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Brealey throws a body punch but Zhirkov moves out of range.
Brealey throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Zhirkov scores with a hook to the body. Brealey takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zhirkov scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Brealey bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Zhirkov connects with a solid leg kick.
Zhirkov works the jab nicely.
A big right from Zhirkov misses.
Zhirkov throws a poor cross that misses
and Brealey connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Zhirkov thumps Brealey with a low kick.
Zhirkov throws a shot from downtown. Brealey moves away and avoids it.
Brealey throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Brealey thows a body shot but no joy.
Brealey lands with a good body shot.
Brealey throws a body punch but Zhirkov moves out of range.
Zhirkov connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Brealey keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Zhirkov misses with a looping right.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Brealey connects with a body shot.
Brealey swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A chopping leg kick lands by Zhirkov.
Zhirkov throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Brealey chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Zhirkov can pounce on him.
Brealey misses with a body shot.
Zhirkov moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Zhirkov scores with a one two! Brealey had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Brealey misses with a body shot
and Zhirkov counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Brealey lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Zhirkov circles away quickly and effectively.
Brealey blocks the body kick.
Brealey ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Brealey is looking to wear down Zhirkov with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Zhirkov tries a head kick but it misses.
Zhirkov shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Brealey but Brealey pushes him off and we're back to square one.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Zhirkov won't allow Brealey to get back to his feet.
Zhirkov content to stall in guard here.
Brealey wants to stand and escape but Zhirkov is having none of it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Zhirkov controlling from the top position.
Brealey really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Brealey avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Brealey working a defensive guard here.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Zhirkov darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Brealey throws out a loose jab but Zhirkov uses good head movement to avoid it.
Zhirkov thows a left - swing and a miss!
Brealey slips under a jab.
Brealey lands a nice looking body kick.
Nice body kick there by Zhirkov.
Zhirkov swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Brealey showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Zhirkov.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Brealey throws a body punch but Zhirkov moves out of range.
Brealey uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Zhirkov.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Zhirkov uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Brealey.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Robert Zhirkov dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Brealey takes one on the button.
Brealey buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Brealey misses with a body punch
and Zhirkov counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Robert Zhirkov seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Zhirkov lands with a good body shot.
Brealey checks a leg kick.
Zhirkov throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Brealey.
Zhirkov scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Brealey misses with a straight right.
Brealey tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Zhirkov was well out of range. Poor timing from Brealey.
Brealey swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Zhirkov waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Brealey.
Zhirkov fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
A chopping leg kick lands by Zhirkov.
Brealey avoids a low kick by using good footwork.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zhirkov pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Brealey throws a hook but Zhirkov blocks it.
Brealey cracks the inside of Zhirkov's front leg.
Brealey is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Zhirkov.
Brealey misses with a low kick as Zhirkov jumps back.
Zhirkov jabs Brealey to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Zhirkov throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Zhirkov misses with a wild body shot.
Zhirkov pushes Brealey away with a front kick.
Brealey throws a combination. Zhirkov tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Zhirkov throws a looping overhand right but Brealey ducks down to avoid it.
Brealey chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Brealey cracks Zhirkov with a right hand to the side of the head.
Brealey tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Zhirkov was well out of range. Poor timing from Brealey.
Brealey throws a jab when Zhirkov was well out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Brealey slips under a jab.
A slow jab from Zhirkov misses its intended target.
Zhirkov throws a wild body kick that Brealey sees coming a mile off.
Brealey keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Zhirkov scores with a decent looking hook.
Brealey scores with a body shot.
Zhirkov looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Zhirkov dodges the punch combination from Brealey.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Brealey is defended easily by Zhirkov.
Brealey with a jab.
Brealey throws a leg kick but Zhirkov sees it coming and checks it nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zhirkov works the jab nicely.
Brealey tries to work over Zhirkov's front leg with a kick but Zhirkov checks it.
Brealey ducks under a wild hook from Zhirkov.
Zhirkov darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Zhirkov pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
A chopping leg kick lands by Zhirkov.
Zhirkov with a poor takedown
and Brealey counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Zhirkov doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Zhirkov misses with a wild body shot.
Brealey throws a body punch but Zhirkov moves out of range.
Zhirkov misses with an uppercut.
Brealey throws a series of punches but Zhirkov avoids them all with ease.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Zhirkov lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Brealey has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Brealey and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
A looping hook to the body misses from Zhirkov. Brealey does a little dance to reset his feet.
Brealey looks to score with a jab to the body but Zhirkov is just out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zhirkov throws a head kick but Brealey moves out of range.
Brealey looks to score with a jab to the body but Zhirkov is just out of range.
Zhirkov showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Brealey.
Brealey ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Zhirkov motions for Brealey to come forward. Zhirkov throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Brealey shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Zhirkov tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Nice defenses there by Zhirkov.
Zhirkov's corner calls for a 1-2. Zhirkov obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
A leg kick checked by Zhirkov.
Zhirkov avoids the body shot from Brealey.
Brealey blocks a low kick nicely.
Zhirkov will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Robert Zhirkov will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Zhirkov looks to score with a jab to the body but Brealey is just out of range.
Zhirkov throws a series of punches but Brealey avoids them all with ease.
Brealey throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Brealey moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Brealey stuffs the takedown attempt from Zhirkov. Zhirkov gets slowly back to his feet.
Brealey tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Zhirkov takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Zhirkov misses with an uppercut
and Brealey counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Zhirkov takes a swing at Brealey's ribcage but misses.
Brealey on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Nice body kick from Zhirkov.
Zhirkov looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Zhirkov misses the shot to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Brealey fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Brealey thows a body shot but no joy.
Brealey moves away from the strike by Zhirkov.
Brealey slips a jab and a cross from Zhirkov.
Zhirkov throws a quick inside leg kick.
Brealey takes a swing at Zhirkov's ribcage but misses.
Brealey just misses with a punch to the body.
Brealey swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Zhirkov counters with a straight right hand.
Brealey moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Brealey is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Zhirkov throws a leg kick but Brealey sees it coming and moves out of range.
Zhirkov lands a nice looking body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Brealey misses the jab.

Brealey closes the distance and clinches.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Brealey.
Zhirkov tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Zhirkov pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Zhirkov fails with a takedown attempt.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Zhirkov closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Zhirkov takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Zhirkov looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Brealey gets back to full guard.
Zhirkov postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Zhirkov prevents Brealey from getting back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Brealey 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.
Zhirkov working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Zhirkov throwing strikes but missing.

Brealey had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Zhirkov defends it easily.
Zhirkov loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Zhirkov's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Zhirkov working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Brealey's head.
Brealey looking to hit a scissor sweep but Zhirkov is one step ahead there.
Zhirkov throwing strikes but missing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Brealey trying to control the position.
Robert Zhirkov is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Brealey keeping moving, preventing Zhirkov from controlling successfully.

Brealey working for submissions but it's allowed Zhirkov to get to half guard.
Zhirkov scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Brealey has hold of Zhirkov's hands but Zhirkov slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Alex Brealey has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Brealey is looking to improve his position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Robert Zhirkov comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Zhirkov has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Colin Fray scores the fight 27:30
Judge Chris Saunders scores the fight 27:30
Judge Josh West scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Robert Zhirkov!
Robert Zhirkov decided to hype himself up post fight. It was going well but he went on about it a bit too long and the crowd turned on him a little.