PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ruslan Khabiibov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Guran Tkeshelashvili (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ruslan Khabiibov looks tired to me. Hopefully he has got enough gas left in the tank to put in a good performance.

Khabiibov
vs
Tkeshelashvili

184 cm
25
205 lbs
1 - 5 - 1

182 cm
25
205 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Experienced

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Enjoys gardening

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 5 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Ruslan Khabiibov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Guran Tkeshelashvili!
The judges for this bout are Fedor Mirinova, Sergei Dronov and Dmitry Maklakov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Khabiibov tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Tkeshelashvili counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Khabiibov keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Tkeshelashvili performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Khabiibov throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Tkeshelashvili controlling the pace.
Tkeshelashvili not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Tkeshelashvili scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Tkeshelashvili is just content to waste time from the top position. Khabiibov takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.

Tkeshelashvili decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Tkeshelashvili shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Khabiibov manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Tkeshelashvili is working Khabiibov over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Tkeshelashvili works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Tkeshelashvili missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Khabiibov is breathing heavily.
Tkeshelashvili is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Tkeshelashvili seems to be looking for submissions.
Tkeshelashvili with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

Tkeshelashvili escapes and gets back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tkeshelashvili will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Tkeshelashvili fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Khabiibov sprawls well initially but Tkeshelashvili persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Tkeshelashvili trying to control the pace.
Tkeshelashvili 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.
Khabiibov is trying to get back to full guard.
Tkeshelashvili is taking a breather. Khabiibov says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Tkeshelashvili stands up and beckons Khabiibov to join him on the feet.
Khabiibov looks to clinch

and Tkeshelashvili counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Tkeshelashvili.

Tkeshelashvili stands up from guard. Let's bang!

Tkeshelashvili gets the takedown into side control.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Khabiibov is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Tkeshelashvili lands a few punches from side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Tkeshelashvili is staying tight to Khabiibov's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Tkeshelashvili in side control lands a decent elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tkeshelashvili cracks Khabiibov with a big elbow.
Tkeshelashvili taking a breather here.
It looks like Tkeshelashvili might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.
Khabiibov on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Khabiibov takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Guran Tkeshelashvili dominated that round.
That's time! Khabiibov's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Tkeshelashvili has closed the distance and engaged Khabiibov in a clinch.
Tkeshelashvili takes an elbow to the forehead.

Tkeshelashvili pulls Khabiibov into guard.
Tkeshelashvili has control of Khabiibov's left arm, preventing Khabiibov from doing any damage.
Tkeshelashvili controls Khabiibov momentarily but Khabiibov frees himself.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

Tkeshelashvili kicks Khabiibov off and gets to his feet.
Khabiibov fails with an attempt to clinch.
Khabiibov slips a jab and a cross from Tkeshelashvili.

That's one minute gone in the round.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Khabiibov enables Tkeshelashvili to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Khabiibov manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Tkeshelashvili throwing strikes but missing.
Khabiibov preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Khabiibov being controlled here, momentarily.
Tkeshelashvili stands up over Khabiibov, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Tkeshelashvili distracts Khabiibov with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tkeshelashvili trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Tkeshelashvili has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Tkeshelashvili with a nice head shot there.
Tkeshelashvili not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
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!
Tkeshelashvili trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Tkeshelashvili engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Tkeshelashvili lands a couple of elbows.
Tkeshelashvili stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Khabiibov swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tkeshelashvili stays in close to Khabiibov's body and controls the position.
Tkeshelashvili makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Tkeshelashvili looking to sit in guard and control but Khabiibov gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Tkeshelashvili had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Khabiibov defends it easily.
Tkeshelashvili bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Khabiibov's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tkeshelashvili works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Tkeshelashvili lands with a punch from half guard.
Tkeshelashvili working Khabiibov over with strikes.
Tkeshelashvili performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Tkeshelashvili lands a nice short elbow.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Tkeshelashvili landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Guran Tkeshelashvili showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Tkeshelashvili closes the distance and clinches.

Tkeshelashvili gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Khabiibov wants to get back to his feet.
Tkeshelashvili missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Tkeshelashvili slows the pace down in half guard.
Tkeshelashvili landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Tkeshelashvili is controlling the pace.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Tkeshelashvili is nestled in close to Khabiibov, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tkeshelashvili controlling the action here.
Guran Tkeshelashvili has got the better of the ground game so far.
Khabiibov has hold of Tkeshelashvili's hands but Tkeshelashvili slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Khabiibov has hold of Tkeshelashvili's hands but Tkeshelashvili slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Nice strikes from Tkeshelashvili there.
Khabiibov taking some punishment here, with Tkeshelashvili in his half guard.

Khabiibov is rocked!
Tkeshelashvili is nestled in close to Khabiibov, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Oh Khabiibov is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tkeshelashvili passes the guard and advances to mount!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Tkeshelashvili loads up on a couple of big shots to the head that have Khabiibov scrambling to escape. He can't get free though and several more unanswered shots from Tkeshelashvili land to the head. The referee has no choice but to stop the fight. Tkeshelashvili stands and salutes the crowd.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:22 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Guran Tkeshelashvili!