PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Vasily Zaytsev (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Emilio Izturis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Zaytsev comes into the arena with Katyusha blaring out of the sound system. Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Zaytsev
vs
Izturis

184 cm
22
190 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

190 cm
22
190 lbs
8 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

FinnFighter Nutrition (Five 160Q supps!)

FinnFighter Nutrition (Five 160Q supps!)
Meet the Future

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Vasily Zaytsev!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Emilio Izturis!
The judges for this bout are Chris Edwards, Colin Fotheringham and Donald Grub.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Zaytsev misses the shot to the body.
Izturis ducks under a wild hook from Zaytsev.
Zaytsev throws a hook to the side of Izturis's head but Izturis sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Izturis throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Zaytsev bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Izturis defending well as Zaytsev loads up on a big left hand.
Izturis thows a left - swing and a miss!
Izturis darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Izturis fails with a takedown attempt.
Zaytsev looks to throw the jab but Izturis is out of range.
Izturis misses with a straight right.
Zaytsev lands a slapping body shot.
Izturis connects with a body shot.

Zaytsev closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Zaytsev working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Izturis misses with a hook to the ribs.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Zaytsev escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Izturis loads up on a big right hand but Zaytsev slips the punch.
A punch lands to the side of Izturis 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Izturis shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Izturis uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Zaytsev.
Zaytsev cracks Izturis with an open hand slap.
Zaytsev keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Zaytsev connects with a high kick.
Zaytsev seems to be moving with more speed, compared to his last bout. He must have been working on that in the gym.
An inside leg kick from Zaytsev misses.
Izturis shoots in but no luck this time.
Zaytsev misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Izturis.
Zaytsev loads up on a big right hand but Izturis slips the punch.
A punch combination from Zaytsev misses.
Izturis bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
The fighters circling - Izturis throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Izturis throws a body punch but Zaytsev moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nice takedown defense from Zaytsev. No joy for Izturis on that attempt.
Vasily Zaytsev has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Emilio Izturis.
Zaytsev fails to land with a series of punches.
A jab from Zaytsev misses.
Vasily Zaytsev seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Zaytsev stuffs the takedown attempt from Izturis. Izturis gets slowly back to his feet.
Vasily Zaytsev is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Zaytsev throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Izturis sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Zaytsev misses the body punch

and Izturis counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Zaytsev's guard now.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Izturis trying to control the position from guard on top but Zaytsev is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Izturis being controlled here momentarily.
Izturis wants to control from the top but Zaytsev keeps moving.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Izturis's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Izturis sitting in guard here, content to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Izturis throwing strikes from guard but Zaytsev blocks nicely.
Izturis wants to control from the top but Zaytsev keeps moving.
Izturis loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Zaytsev is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Izturis is looking to work some ground and pound but Zaytsev has wrist control.
Zaytsev is trying to keep Izturis in close.
Zaytsev is controlling Izturis's posture.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Zaytsev jabs Izturis to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Zaytsev throws a looping overhand right but Izturis ducks down to avoid it.

Izturis drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Izturis tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Izturis wants to lay and pray for a moment but Zaytsev keeps working.
Izturis misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
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!
Zaytsev dodges the ground and pound from Izturis.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Zaytsev is looking to regain half guard here but Izturis keeps moving and retains side control.
Izturis misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Sloppy strikes there by Izturis.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Emilio Izturis will probably get the nod.
That's time! Zaytsev's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

A nice combination there by Zaytsev.
Vasily Zaytsev is winning the standup battle so far.
Izturis waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Zaytsev.
Izturis uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Zaytsev.

Izturis gets the takedown into side control.
Izturis moves into full mount!
Zaytsev is trying to escape the mount.
Izturis can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Zaytsev is looking to escape.
Zaytsev tries to reverse the position but Izturis maintains control.
Zaytsev takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Zaytsev on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Zaytsev tries to get out of the position.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Izturis controlling from the full mount.
Izturis lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Izturis lands a big shot there that rocks Zaytsev but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Zaytsev is working to get back to half guard.
Izturis avoids the attempt from Zaytsev to control.
Izturis lands a couple of good shots and Zaytsev has given up his back, trying to escape the position!
Zaytsev tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Izturis prevents Zaytsev from getting the reversal.
Izturis unloading with bombs!
Zaytsev is in a horrible position here. Izturis smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Zaytsev is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Zaytsev tries to lock up and control but Izturis gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Zaytsev keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zaytsev is in a horrible position here. Izturis smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Zaytsev regains half guard.
Izturis wants to lay and pray for a moment but Zaytsev keeps working.
Zaytsev is doing well to control the position and prevent Izturis from advancing to side control.
Izturis has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Zaytsev tries to get to full guard but Izturis has control of the leg.
Zaytsev is looking to control Izturis's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Zaytsev avoid being mounted?
Izturis takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Izturis thows a huge punch but Zaytsev dodges it nicely.
Zaytsev trying to control here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Izturis working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Izturis prevents Zaytsev from improving his position.
Izturis landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Izturis not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Zaytsev keeps control of the position for the meantime.
Zaytsev is looking to get back to full guard here but Izturis has managed to pass to side control instead.
Izturis wants to control but Zaytsev is keeping him busy.

Izturis thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Izturis scoring with punches from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Izturis has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Zaytsev!
Izturis lands a big elbow - Zaytsev is in trouble! More strikes from the mount and Zaytsev is forced to tap out!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:29 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Strikes). Emilio Izturis!
Emilio Izturis is the new middleweight champion!
Our winner, Emilio Izturis, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.