PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Xano Master (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nicoli Maximus (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Master might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to House music. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Master
vs
Maximus

174 cm
18
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

183 cm
22
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
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, Xano Master!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Nicoli Maximus!
The judges for this bout are Valeri Chadov, Fedor Mirinova and Viktor Lagutenko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Master swinging wilding here.

Master gets caught flat footed, as Maximus shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Master is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Maximus is trying to stand up here but Master is controlling him well.
Maximus is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Maximus is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Maximus wants to control but Master is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Maximus pushes Master off looking to stand but Master dives back in and keeps control.
Master sitting and controlling from the half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Master stalling away here and it's allowed Maximus to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Maximus working a defensive guard here.
Master could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Master makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Maximus is striking from the bottom but Master uses the opportunity to pass into half guard.
Maximus trying to control but Master postures up.
Master wants to take a breather but Maximus is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Maximus flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Master controlling the pace.
Maximus is looking to control Master's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Maximus avoid being mounted?
Maximus tries to get to full guard but Master has control of the leg.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Maximus tries to clinch there but Master circles away.
Master misses with a takedown attempt

and Maximus counters with a single leg into guard. Master didn't expect that.
Master is breathing heavily.
Master utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Maximus stands up from Master's guard - Maximus perhaps looking for a knockout.

Maximus instigates a clinch.

Maximus pulls Master into guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Master won't allow Maximus to get back to his feet.
Master wants to pass the guard but Maximus is keeping the position.
Master is working hard here to advance position.
Maximus is trying to keep Master in close.

Maximus scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Maximus tries to close the distance and clinch up but Master swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Maximus digs a good hook to Master's body.
Master fails with a takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Master feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Master slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Master preventing the sweep.

Maximus scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Maximus fails with the takedown

and Master counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Master in particular looking to stall.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Nicoli Maximus will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Maximus lands the left hand.
A head kick by Maximus misses

and Master counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Maximus's guard now.
Master sitting in guard here, content to control.

Master stands up from Maximus's guard - Master perhaps looking for a knockout.
A shot to de liver by Maximus. Beautiful body shot.
Maximus tries to clinch but Master moves away

and Master counters with a shoot takedown. Maximus fights it but they end up in guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Master avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Master stops Maximus from standing up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Master wants to control from the top but Maximus keeps moving.
Maximus wants to sweep but no luck.
Maximus lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Master!
Maximus wants to control the pace but Master is squirming around nicely.
Maximus scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Maximus lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Maximus with shots to the head and body - Master looks very uncomfortable down there.
Maximus looking to control but Master is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Maximus unloads with some shots from mount but Master bucks and avoids them well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maximus looking to control but Master is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Master is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Master is in a bad position, trying to hold on for dear life but he is really struggling to maintain any sort of control.
Master tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Maximus throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Master because Maximus loaded up on that one.

Maximus jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Master is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Master and Maximus has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maximus trying to control the position but Master is working away.
Master is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Maximus wants to pass the guard but Master is defending well.
Master desperately trying to maintain half guard.
Master is trying to maintain the position but Maximus is very close to passing his half guard.
Master controlling the position for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Master is looking to control Maximus's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Master avoid being mounted?
Maximus wants to stand up but Master has a hold of him and won't allow it.

Maximus decides to stand and escape the position.

Maximus closes the distance and clinches.

Maximus breaks from the clinch.
Maximus tries to close the distance and clinch up but Master swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Xano Master is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Maximus tries to clinch up

and Master counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Maximus's guard now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Xano Master dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Maximus listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
A combination from Maximus does no damage.
Maximus connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Master fails with the takedown
and Master takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Maximus throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Maximus with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Maximus closes the distance looking to clinch

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

Maximus pushes Master off and scrambles back to his feet.

Master scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Maximus takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Master in particular looking to stall.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Master not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Maximus trying to control here but he's found himself mounted! Oh no!
Maximus doing his best to control the position. Can he escape?
Xano Master overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Maximus is in all sorts of trouble here.
Master avoids the attempt from Maximus to control.

Master stands up from the dominant position, so we're back on the feet.
Master takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Master stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Maximus.
Nicoli Maximus seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maximus is looking to clinch but Master is avoiding it.
Master is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Maximus.
Maximus misses with a takedown attempt

and Master counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Maximus!
Master scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Maximus?
Master trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Master takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Maximus regains half guard.
Master stops Maximus from getting back to his feet.
Master controlling the action here.
Master tries to pass to full mount but Maximus defends it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Master sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Master seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Maximus for as long as he can get away with.
Master seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Maximus does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Maximus wants to get back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Master thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Maximus fails with the takedown

and Master counters with a takedown into side control.

Master is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Maximus knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Maximus is trying to get back to half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Master stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Master shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Maximus makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.

And that's the end of the fight!
Xano Master showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Master has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Valeri Chadov scores the fight 29:28
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 29:28
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Xano Master!