PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Rick Sharpie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Viktors Kruklis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). 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.

Sharpie
vs
Kruklis

185 cm
25
185 lbs
1 - 6 - 0

187 cm
18
184 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
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 1 - 6 - 0, fighting out of London, Rick Sharpie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Viktors Kruklis!
The judges for this bout are James Glass, Richard Clark and Andrew Berry.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
No luck with that takedown attempt from Sharpie.
Sharpie is trying hard to land a takedown here. Kruklis sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Kruklis is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Kruklis throws a head kick but Sharpie moves out of range.

Sharpie clinches.
Kruklis tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Sharpie smiles and moves away.
Sharpie keeps the fight on the outside.
Sharpie avoids the head kick by Kruklis.
Sharpie avoids a punch combination nicely.
Kruklis fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kruklis ducks under a wild hook from Sharpie.
No luck for Kruklis with that takedown attempt.
Rick Sharpie has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Viktors Kruklis.
Sharpie shoots for a double leg takedown but Kruklis sprawls well. He's pushed Sharpie's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Sharpie is breathing heavily.

Sharpie clinches with his opponent.
Sharpie throws a knee to the head but misses.
Sharpie with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Kruklis jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Sharpie walks away with a smile on his face. Kruklis gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Kruklis tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Kruklis tries to close the distance and clinch but Sharpie swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Kruklis shoots in for a double leg but Sharpie sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kruklis fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Sharpie avoids it really well and circles away.
Nice sprawl there from Kruklis as Sharpie shoots in.
Kruklis wants to clinch.
Kruklis shoots in looking for a takedown. Sharpie tries to sprawl out of it but Kruklis keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Sharpie manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Sharpie keeps the fight on the outside.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A head kick misses from Kruklis.
Kruklis rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Sharpie moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Sharpie thuds his shin into the meat of Kruklis's side.
Sharpie looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Nice takedown defense from Kruklis. No joy for Sharpie on that attempt.
Kruklis comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Kruklis.

Sharpie looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Kruklis!

Sharpie decides to stand back up. Sharpie steps back and let's Kruklis get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Kruklis forces Sharpie back against the cage and clinches.
Kruklis working hard to break the clinch.
Sharpie misses with a knee strike.
Sharpie with an attempt at a knee that misses.
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!
Kruklis is leaning against Sharpie and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Kruklis jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Sharpie walks away with a smile on his face. Kruklis gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Nice sprawl there from Kruklis as Sharpie shoots in.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Donk. Kruklis catches Sharpie right on the button with a cross.
Sharpie defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Kruklis.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Rick Sharpie will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Kruklis shoots in and drives through. Sharpie sprawls well.

Kruklis clinches.
Kruklis goes for a takedown attempt but Sharpie pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Sharpie clinches up against the cage.
Kruklis avoiding damage.
Sharpie looking to throw knees to the head but Kruklis is blocking nicely.
Sharpie misses with a knee to the head.
Kruklis wants to break the clinch but can't.
Sharpie tries a knee to the head but Kruklis blocks it.
Kruklis is looking to break free of the clinch but Sharpie has double underhooks.
Sharpie throws a knee to the head but misses.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kruklis drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Sharpie gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Rick Sharpie has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Viktors Kruklis.
Kruklis jumps guard but Sharpie turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Kruklis tries to pull guard but Sharpie won't allow it.
Sharpie with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Kruklis tries to pull guard but Sharpie forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Sharpie misses with a knee strike.
Sharpie throws a knee to the head but misses.
Sharpie misses with a knee strike.
Kruklis is trying to pull guard but Sharpie has him pressed against the cage.
A knee to the head by Sharpie.
Sharpie misses with a knee strike.
Sharpie looking to throw knees to the head but Kruklis is blocking nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kruklis throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Sharpie blocks it with crossed arms.
Sharpie with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Kruklis tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Sharpie smiles and moves away.
Kruklis doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Sharpie stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Sharpie wants it to stay on the feet.
Sharpie throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Kruklis.
Sharpie ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Kruklis moves away.
Nice sprawl there from Sharpie as Kruklis shoots in.
Sharpie shoots for a takedown but Kruklis saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Sharpie avoids the head kick by Kruklis.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sharpie avoids a punch combination nicely.

Sharpie manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Kruklis on his heels. He'll look to pass Kruklis's guard now, I'm sure.
Kruklis is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Kruklis working for a triangle but Sharpie defends it easily.
Kruklis wants to sweep but no luck.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kruklis is looking to sweep but instead, Sharpie has passed into half guard.
Kruklis has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Sharpie is working away from the top position though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rick Sharpie dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Sharpie throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Kruklis's waist but Kruklis gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Sharpie off to one side.
Kruklis goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Sharpie swats away the attempt to clinch by Kruklis.
Kruklis throws a half hearted mid kick.
Kruklis displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Sharpie.
Kruklis throws a head kick but Sharpie moves out of range.
Kruklis misses with a jab, cross combination.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Sharpie shoots in but no luck this time.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rick Sharpie. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kruklis shoots in for a takedown but Sharpie shows good takedown defense.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kruklis dives in and grabs Sharpie's left leg, looking for a takedown. Sharpie pushes down on Kruklis's head and hops out.
Sharpie closes this distance looking for a takedown but Kruklis circles away.
Sharpie will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
A punch combination from Kruklis misses.
Kruklis shoots in looking for a takedown. Sharpie tries to sprawl out of it but Kruklis keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Sharpie manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Kruklis keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Kruklis has a takedown stuffed.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kruklis sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Viktors Kruklis seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Kruklis dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Kruklis connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.

Sharpie is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Kruklis's half guard.
Kruklis trying to keep hold of his opponent's head but Sharpie manages to pass to mount!
Kruklis is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sharpie prevents Kruklis from getting the reversal.
Kruklis is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Kruklis tries to lock up and control but Sharpie gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Kruklis is in all sorts of trouble here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kruklis wants to hold on but Sharpie pushes him away.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Viktors Kruklis was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Kruklis throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

Kruklis gets tackled into the cage by Sharpie. Sharpie maintains the clinch.
Kruklis is trying to pull guard but Sharpie turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Sharpie with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Kruklis is looking for a takedown.
A nice right hand lands inside from Kruklis.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Kruklis is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Sharpie is defending well.
Kruklis misses with a body punch.
Viktors Kruklis has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Rick Sharpie is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Sharpie tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Kruklis creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Viktors Kruklis.
I think Sharpie 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 James Glass scores the fight 29:28
Judge Richard Clark scores the fight 29:28
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rick Sharpie!