PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Joahim Szlagier (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Oleksandr Yechev (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Yechev has chosen Lose Yourself by Eminem as his entrance music. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Szlagier
vs
Yechev

187 cm
19
184 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

215 cm
22
198 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Joahim Szlagier!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Oleksandr Yechev!
The judges for this bout are Konstantin Menshow, Igor Prikhodko and Viktor Lagutenko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Horrible takedown by Szlagier or perhaps it was just good defense by Yechev which made him look bad.
Yechev is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Yechev tries to clinch up.
A head kick misses from Szlagier.
Yechev on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Szlagier. Szlagier obviously looking to wear him down.
Szlagier avoids the head kick by Yechev.
Szlagier shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Yechev sprawls well. Yechev wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Szlagier gets slowly back to his feet.
Yechev tries to clinch there but Szlagier circles away.
Szlagier shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Yechev sprawls well. Yechev wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Szlagier gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Joahim Szlagier. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Szlagier stuffs the takedown attempt from Yechev. Yechev gets slowly back to his feet.
Yechev fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Szlagier circles away from the clinch attempt.
Szlagier has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Yechev.
Nice takedown defense from Yechev. No joy for Szlagier on that attempt.

Szlagier forces Yechev back against the cage and clinches.

Yechev turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Szlagier wants to control but Yechev postures up.
Yechev trying to control the action but Szlagier is working from the bottom.
Szlagier might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Szlagier gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Szlagier is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yechev cracks Szlagier with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Yechev looking to control but Szlagier is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Szlagier is desperately trying to improve his position but Yechev has a good base and remains in mount.
Yechev wants to control the pace but Szlagier is squirming around nicely.
Szlagier keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Yechev lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yechev tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Szlagier tries to reverse the position but Yechev maintains control.
Yechev tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Szlagier tries to hold on but Yechev pushes him away.
Szlagier is breathing heavily.
Yechev tries to control but Szlagier wriggling away.
Yechev in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.

Yechev has control of Szlagier's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Szlagier regains control of the situation pretty easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Szlagier tries to hold on but Yechev pushes him away.
Szlagier is looking to get to half guard.

Yechev stands up from the dominant position, so we're back on the feet.

Yechev forces Szlagier back against the cage and clinches.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Yechev trying to land knees to the body.

Yechev manages to break the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Oleksandr Yechev dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Yechev closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Szlagier did well to prevent Yechev getting side control.
Yechev not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Szlagier is not content to let Yechev control the position.
Szlagier regains full guard. Nicely done.
Yechev looking to sit in guard and control but Szlagier gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Szlagier has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Szlagier with a flurry of punches that miss.
Szlagier prevents Yechev from getting back to his feet.

Szlagier stands up from guard. Let's bang!

That's one minute gone in the round.

Yechev looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Szlagier is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Szlagier tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Yechev decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Szlagier, up you get!
Yechev avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Szlagier pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Yechev lets loose with a powerful body kick. Szlagier will feel that in the morning.
Szlagier throws a sloppy head kick and Yechev moves out of range easily.
Szlagier avoids a punch combination nicely.

Yechev drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Yechev controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

Szlagier pushes Yechev off and gets back to his feet.
Yechev shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Szlagier but Szlagier pushes him off and we're back to square one.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yechev closes the distance and clinches up with Szlagier, looking for a takedown. Yechev pushes Szlagier against the cage but Szlagier circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Yechev closes the distance looking to clinch
and Szlagier counters with a leg kick.
Yechev will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Joahim Szlagier has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Oleksandr Yechev.
Szlagier is looking to clinch but Yechev is avoiding it.
Yechev tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Szlagier swivels and escapes.

Szlagier clinches with his opponent.

Szlagier successfully pulls guard.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Yechev's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Szlagier doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Szlagier seems keen to control Yechev's posture.
Oleksandr Yechev has got the better of the ground game so far.

Yechev gets to his feet - Szlagier follows without any prompting.
Szlagier tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Yechev lands with a slapping head kick.

Szlagier gets in close and instigates a clinch.
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.
Yechev with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Yechev jumps guard but Szlagier stands there with Yechev around his waist. Yechev gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Szlagier throws a knee to the head but misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Oleksandr Yechev 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! This is the final round!

Yechev keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Yechev wants to clinch up but Szlagier keeps it at a distance.
Szlagier misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Szlagier fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Joahim Szlagier. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Yechev throws a quick inside leg kick.

Yechev shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Yechev showed some decent athleticism there.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Yechev tries to pass to full mount but Szlagier defends it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Szlagier is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Yechev jumps into side control!
Szlagier gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Yechev looking to control and managing it successfully.
Yechev scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Yechev controlling the pace for now.
Yechev landing shots from mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Yechev is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Szlagier to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Szlagier shrugs it off.
Szlagier sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Yechev controlling the pace.

Yechev decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Szlagier closes this distance looking for a takedown but Yechev circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yechev shoots in and drives through. Szlagier sprawls well.
Yechev fails with the takedown.
Szlagier shoots in for a double leg but Yechev sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Szlagier avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Yechev changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Szlagier tries to avoid it but Yechev manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Szlagier to the ground. Szlagier escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Szlagier throws a nice head kick!
Yechev keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Yechev buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
The fight stays on the outside here - Yechev looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Szlagier leaves Yechev with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Yechev tries to clinch but Szlagier is having none of it.
Szlagier scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Yechev fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Szlagier has managed to clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Szlagier fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Szlagier has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Yechev after a bit of a struggle.
Joahim Szlagier has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Oleksandr Yechev is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

Yechev has hold of one of Szlagier's legs. Szlagier is fighting the takedown attempt but Yechev gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Oleksandr Yechev comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Yechev winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 27:30
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 27:30
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Oleksandr Yechev!
Oleksandr Yechev got down on his knees post fight and begged the management for a title shot. 'Please, I want that title shot so bad! Give it to me!'