PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Destin Craven (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Aleksander Shevchenko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Craven
vs
Shevchenko

173 cm
24
184 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

186 cm
26
184 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Big heart

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Destin Craven!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Aleksander Shevchenko!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Dmitry Maklakov and Fedor Mirinova.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A right-left combo lands from Shevchenko.
Shevchenko rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Craven moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Craven throws a right hand that Shevchenko ducks under and follows up with a left that Shevchenko also avoids with ease.

Shevchenko tries to keep at a distance but Craven has taken the fight into the clinch.
Shevchenko is looking to take this one to the mat.
Craven connects with a nasty looking knee right to Shevchenko's face.
Craven comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
A short left from Craven.
Craven lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Craven lands a good knee to the midsection. Shevchenko won't want to take too many of those.
Craven cracks Shevchenko with a nice body shot.
Craven scores with a shoulder strike.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Shevchenko is trying to drag Craven to the mat but Craven just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Shevchenko can't break the clinch.
Craven could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Craven crunches a lovely knee into Shevchenko's ribcage.

Craven escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Craven looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sloppy strikes from Craven. Those never looked like landing.
Craven feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Shevchenko's calf.
A nice leg kick lands there from Craven.
Craven lands a head kick!

Shevchenko gets tackled into the cage by Craven. Craven maintains the clinch.
Craven digs a right hand into Shevchenko's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Shevchenko's gas tank.
Craven lands a nice knee to the body.
Craven lands a body punch in the clinch.
Knees to the body from Craven.
Shevchenko looks winded!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Craven.
Craven scores with a nice hook to the head.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Craven.
Craven lands a nice shot to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nice body punch from Craven.
A short uppercut from Craven.
Craven lands an elbow inside.
Craven lands a body punch.
Craven lands a body shot in the clinch.
Craven scores a nice knee to the body.
Craven crunches a lovely knee into Shevchenko's ribcage.
Craven lands an elbow inside that Shevchenko shrugs off.
Nice body punch from Craven - that landed with a thud.
Craven lands a good knee to the midsection. Shevchenko won't want to take too many of those.
Craven lands a knee to the body.

Craven breaks the clinch.
Shevchenko blocks a head kick by Craven.

Craven rushes Shevchenko and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Craven.

Craven pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Craven lands a glancing blow to the side of Shevchenko's head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shevchenko blocks a head kick by Craven.

Craven gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Craven lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Nice elbow from Craven.
Craven lands an uppercut.
Craven lands a knee to the body.
Craven is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Craven obliges.
Good body shot from Craven.
Craven is working Shevchenko over against the cage.
Shevchenko tries to circle away but Craven has him pinned against the cage.
Craven presses Shevchenko against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
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!
Craven digs a right hand underneath Shevchenko's ribcage. Shevchenko let out a lung full of air as it connected.

Craven breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Craven scores with a nice body kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A slapping leg kick lands for Craven.
Craven lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Craven misses with a head kick.
Craven misses with a body shot.
Craven throws a head kick but Shevchenko moves out of range.
A nice leg kick lands there from Craven.
Craven lands a head kick. Shevchenko smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Craven throws a nice inside leg kick.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Craven lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Craven pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Some wild striking there from Shevchenko.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Craven takes a swing at Shevchenko's ribcage but misses.
Craven throws a sloppy head kick and Shevchenko moves out of range easily.
Craven pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Craven misses with a few strikes there.
Destin Craven is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Craven looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
A head kick misses from Craven.
Shevchenko throws a right hand that Craven ducks under and follows up with a left that Craven also avoids with ease.
Craven throws a right and a left that both miss.
Craven tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Destin Craven is winning the standup battle so far.
Craven punishes Shevchenko's body with a nice straight punch.
Craven swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Shevchenko counters with a nice uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Craven pushes Shevchenko up against the cage in a clinch.
Craven scores a nice knee to the body.
Craven tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Shevchenko's elbow.
Craven throws a knee to the head but misses.
Craven is working Shevchenko over against the cage.
Shevchenko is trying to force a seperation but Craven has the dominant position.
Shevchenko has had enough of the clinch but Craven keeps him there for the moment.
Shevchenko jumps guard but Craven stands there with Shevchenko around his waist. Shevchenko gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Craven lands a nice knee to the body.
Shevchenko is breathing heavily.
Craven stops a takedown attempt from Shevchenko.
Craven landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Craven scores with a knee to the head.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Craven lands a good knee to the midsection. Shevchenko won't want to take too many of those.

Craven breaks from the clinch.
A head kick from Craven lands but Shevchenko takes it in his stride.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Craven lands with a nice combination. Shevchenko backs away looking to recover.
Craven scoring well with a low kick there.
A head kick misses from Craven.
Craven throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Shevchenko avoids the head kick by Craven.
A punch combination from Craven misses.
Shevchenko throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Craven.
Craven tries a head kick but it misses.
Craven lands with a nice body kick.
Shevchenko avoids the head kick by Craven.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Craven swinging wildly here.
Shevchenko pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Craven back to the cage. Shevchenko follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Craven lands a head kick!
Craven lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Shevchenko backs up against the cage.
No joy there for Shevchenko, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Shevchenko's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Craven tried to score with a low kick but Shevchenko checks it.
No joy there for Shevchenko, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Craven dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Shevchenko. That did some damage!
Shevchenko avoids the head kick by Craven.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Craven wants to clinch.
Good work by Shevchenko as he checks the leg kick.
Craven misses with a double jab
and Shevchenko counters with a left and a right that stings Craven.

Shevchenko gets tackled into the cage by Craven. Craven maintains the clinch.
Craven lands a good knee to the midsection. Shevchenko won't want to take too many of those.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Craven putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Shevchenko in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Craven pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Shevchenko moves out of range of the leg kick from Craven.
An inside leg kick lands from Craven.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Destin Craven dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Shevchenko throws a right hand that Craven ducks under and follows up with a left that Craven also avoids with ease.
Shevchenko misses with a hook. Craven ducked under it nicely.
Craven throws a head kick that misses.
Craven lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Craven tries to bum rush Shevchenko with a series of wild strikes but Shevchenko uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Craven looks to land a right hand but Shevchenko moved out of range.
Craven tries a head kick but it misses.
Shevchenko avoids a punch combination nicely.
Shevchenko misses with the combination.
Some wild striking there from Shevchenko.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shevchenko fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Craven throws a head kick but Shevchenko moves out of range.
Craven turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Craven misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Shevchenko fails to land with a series of punches.
Shevchenko lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Craven circles away quickly and effectively.
Shevchenko takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Craven tries a head kick but it misses.
Craven misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Craven throws a head kick that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Craven throws a front kick that sends Shevchenko stumbling back into the cage.
Craven tries a head kick but it misses.
Craven doesn't manage to clinch there - Shevchenko circles away.
Craven throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Craven throws out a leg kick but Shevchenko moves out of range and Craven only half commits.
Shevchenko feints a jab promting Craven to slip. Shevchenko then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Craven slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Craven will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Shevchenko throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Shevchenko misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shevchenko checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Destin Craven seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Craven pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Craven swings away with a body shot that misses
and Shevchenko connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Craven misses with a wild combination.
Craven throws a head kick that half lands.
A head kick misses from Craven.
Shevchenko throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Craven.
Jab, jab by Shevchenko - just one landing.
Shevchenko fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Craven swings away with a leg kick that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Craven pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Craven throws a head kick but Shevchenko moves out of range.
Shevchenko throws a series of strikes that have Craven backpedaling.
Craven goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Destin Craven is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Sloppy strikes from Shevchenko. Those never looked like landing.
Shevchenko throws a nice looking combination but Craven bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

Craven has managed to clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Shevchenko jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Craven walks away with a smile on his face. Shevchenko gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Shevchenko throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Aleksander Shevchenko has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Craven lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Destin Craven.
Well Craven has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 30:26
Judge Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 30:26
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Destin Craven!