PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Anzhor Azhiev (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Deurell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Azhiev
vs
Deurell

177 cm
23
166 lbs
5 - 12 - 0

165 cm
26
165 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

ADCC Champion
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

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 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Anzhor Azhiev!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, John Deurell!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Arvi Lind and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A jab from Deurell finds it's way through Azhiev's defenses.
Azhiev tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Deurell counters with a three punch combo that has Azhiev backing up. Azhiev nods at Deurell to acknowledge the strikes.

Deurell shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Azhiev manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Deurell sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Azhiev's guard.
Deurell looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Azhiev with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Deurell winds up and cracks Azhiev with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Deurell has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Deurell moves into full mount! Azhiev won't be happy about that!
Azhiev is trying desperately to improve position.
Deurell landing strikes from the mount.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Azhiev is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Deurell with good strikes from the mount here!
Deurell working Azhiev over with strikes here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Deurell with a couple of short strikes.
Deurell has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Azhiev's face.
The referee warns Azhiev that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Deurell raining down hammerfists from mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Deurell raining down hammerfists from mount.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Deurell lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Azhiev hang on?
Azhiev knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Deurell on the ground.
Deurell cracks Azhiev with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Deurell raining down shots from the mount!
Deurell postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Azhiev looks a forlorn figure.
Deurell lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Azhiev is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Deurell landing punches.
Azhiev taking shots to the head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Deurell with the ground and pound from mount.
Deurell putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Azhiev is bucking up trying to escape but Deurell cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Deurell punishing his opponent with strikes.
Deurell lands a big elbow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Deurell landing strikes from the mount.
Deurell with good strikes from the mount here!
Deurell should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Deurell with good strikes from the mount here!
Deurell connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
A nice elbow there by Deurell.
Deurell unloading with bombs!
BOOM! Deurell connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Deurell lands a nice shot to the head.
Deurell with a couple of short strikes.
Deurell trying to control but Azhiev is having none of it.
Deurell working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Deurell trying to control but Azhiev is having none of it.
BOOM! Deurell connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Deurell fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Deurell punishing his opponent with strikes.
Azhiev is in a horrible position here. Deurell smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Deurell cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
BOOM! Deurell connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Deurell landing strikes, looking to finish!
Deurell lands with some strikes.
Azhiev slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Deurell is looking to take a break and control but Azhiev is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Deurell slips a nice elbow through Azhiev's hands, connecting with Azhiev's forehead.
Deurell takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Deurell not doing much here.

Deurell maintaining the dominant position here and is working for a kimura. He's locked it up! Azhiev could be in real trouble here! He's trying to wriggle out but Deurell has cracked it and Azhiev is screaming in pain - he's tapped out! Great finish by Deurell!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:55 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). John Deurell!