PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Edge Yota (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Avon Barksdale (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Edge Yota looks tired to me. Hopefully he has got enough gas left in the tank to put in a good performance.

Yota
vs
Barksdale

177 cm
22
185 lbs
2 - 4 - 0

180 cm
19
190 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Solid chin

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 2 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Edge Yota!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Avon Barksdale!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Illya Tyunina and Aleksandr Martynov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Barksdale fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Barksdale scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Yota tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Barksdale wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

Barksdale decides to stand back up. Barksdale steps back and let's Yota get back to his feet.
Avon Barksdale seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Barksdale swats away the attempt to clinch by Yota.
Yota circles away from the clinch attempt.
Yota misses with a takedown attempt

and Barksdale counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Barksdale wants to pass the guard but Yota is defending well.

Barksdale decides to stand and escape the position.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Barksdale misses with a body shot.

Barksdale has Yota up against the cage in a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barksdale stalling.
Yota prevents a takedown attempt there.
Barksdale is trying to break the clinch but Yota has him pressed against the cage.
Yota tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Yota is trying to break the clinch but Barksdale has him pressed against the cage.
Barksdale gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Yota.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Edge Yota. That's going to take a lot out of him.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
A right hand to the body from Barksdale.

Barksdale breaks the clinch.
Yota slips a jab and a cross from Barksdale.
Yota throws a sloppy head kick and Barksdale moves out of range easily.
Yota is breathing heavily.
Barksdale lands a high kick!

Barksdale scores with a takedown into Yota's guard.
Barksdale advances to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are battling for position here. Yota manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Barksdale stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Yota swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Yota not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Barksdale trying to control the position from guard on top but Yota is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Yota looking to control but Barksdale passes into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barksdale seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Yota tries to roll over but Barksdale keeps him under control.
Yota slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Yota wants to sweep here but Barksdale controlling him for the moment.
Barksdale must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Barksdale trying to control the position from guard on top but Yota is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Yota trying to keep a closed guard but Barksdale is proving a slippery customer.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Barksdale stands and steps away. Yota gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Barksdale, as that shot connected.
Yota shoots in and drives through. Barksdale sprawls well.

Barksdale forces Yota back against the cage and clinches.

Barksdale manages to break the clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Barksdale rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Yota moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Barksdale lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Avon Barksdale dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Yota misses with a takedown attempt

and Barksdale counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Barksdale manages to break the clinch.
Left hook, right uppercut from Barksdale.
Yota tries to clinch but Barksdale moves out of range.
Yota shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Barksdale counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Yota's guard now.
Barksdale is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Barksdale is looking to stand up but Yota won't let him.

Barksdale is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Barksdale wants to control from the top but Yota keeps moving.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Barksdale stands and steps away. Yota gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

Barksdale rushes Yota and presses him up against the cage.

Barksdale has picked Yota up - he's going for a ride! Barksdale dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Barksdale sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Yota defending well though.
Yota manages to get to full guard.
Yota manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Barksdale manages to get himself to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barksdale wants to get back to his feet but Yota is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Barksdale looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Barksdale has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Yota off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Barksdale looks for a takedown but Yota sprawls well.

Yota drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yota is working Barksdale over with some ground and pound from side control.
Barksdale managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Yota.

Yota stands up.

Barksdale shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.

Barksdale decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Yota tries to clinch up but Barksdale circles away and keeps his distance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barksdale thuds a left hand into Yota's body.

Barksdale changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Yota looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Barksdale working the strikes but Yota uses the opportunity to regain half guard.

Barksdale stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
Yota doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Barksdale counters with a nice double leg into guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Edge Yota. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Barksdale scoring with punches to the head and body.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Barksdale won't allow Yota to sweep him here.
Barksdale stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Yota swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Yota trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Avon Barksdale showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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!

Yota closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Barksdale tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Yota stands up and beckons Barksdale to his feet.
Yota blocks a head kick by Barksdale.

Barksdale instigates a clinch.
A right handed body shot lands from Barksdale.
Still in the clinch, Barksdale scores with a nice short uppercut.

Barksdale escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Yota fails with an attempt to clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Barksdale tries to close the distance and clinch up but Yota swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Barksdale throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barksdale misses with the combination.
Yota misses with a hook. Barksdale ducked under it nicely.
Yota avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Barksdale throws a right and a left that both miss.
Yota shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Barksdale counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Yota!
Yota tries to hold on but Barksdale postures up.
Yota is in a bad position, trying to hold on for dear life but he is really struggling to maintain any sort of control.
Yota tries to reverse the position but Barksdale maintains control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yota tries to lock up and control but Barksdale gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Barksdale landing strikes from the mount and Yota is in trouble!
Yota keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Barksdale landing strikes, looking to finish!
Barksdale pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Barksdale controlling from mount.
Barksdale breaks from Yota's wrist control and lands an elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barksdale working Yota over with strikes here.
A nice elbow there by Barksdale.
Barksdale punishing his opponent with strikes.
Barksdale controlling from mount.
Yota keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

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.
Barksdale content just to control the position here.
Barksdale trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Yota is trying to escape the mount.
Edge Yota has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Barksdale with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.

And that's the end of the fight!
Avon Barksdale comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Barksdale has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 27:30
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 27:30
Judge Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Avon Barksdale!