PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Alexei Karelin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kurt Blanks (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Karelin
vs
Blanks

189 cm
23
226 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

199 cm
22
274 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Crippler's Corner
MMA's Best Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Alexei Karelin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Kurt Blanks!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Tiny Johnson and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Karelin fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Blanks keeps the fight on the outside.
Blanks clinches but Karelin breaks the clinch

and Karelin counters by clinching up.
Blanks throws an elbow but it's blocked.

Karelin has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Blanks uses from the top position.
Karelin throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.

Karelin looking for a guillotine here but Blanks defends easily.
Karelin working a defensive guard but Blanks manages to pass into side control anyway.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Karelin manages to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Blanks tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Karelin.
Karelin is trying to get back to full guard.
Karelin punching from the bottom.

Karelin looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Karelin looking for submissions off his back.
Karelin manages to get to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Blanks has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Karelin is proving hard to escape from.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Karelin uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Karelin moves into the clinch.
Karelin tries to pull guard but Blanks won't allow it.
A head punch on the inside from Karelin fails to land.

Karelin is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Blanks can't fight it off and eventually Karelin manages to take the fight to the floor. Blanks looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.

Karelin postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Blanks is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Karelin, into his guard.
Blanks trying to stand up but can't free himself from Karelin's guard.

Karelin throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Blanks has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Karelin is proving hard to escape from.
Karelin striking off his back but it's not causing Blanks any problems.

Karelin looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Blanks is looking to stand up but Karelin won't let him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alexei Karelin dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Blanks looks to clinch

and Karelin counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Karelin not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Blanks is looking to get back to is feet but Karelin passes into side control.

Karelin tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Blanks regains half guard, as Karelin was trying to land strikes.
Karelin moves into full mount! Blanks won't be happy about that!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Karelin throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Blanks is trying to stand.
Blanks is in a horrible position here. Karelin smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.

Karelin is controlling this nicely and is looking to make no mistakes. Blanks is trying to wiggle out of this horrible position. Blanks flips to his side and attempts to get a leg in for half guard. Karelin anticipates the leg and manages to get behind Blanks and secures both hooks! This could be bad! Karelin slips an arm under Blanks chin and tries to position for a rear naked choke. Karelin has worked the choke in now and it looks tight. Karelin is squeezing on Blanks like an anaconda would it's prey. Blanks fails to tap and has fallen unconscious! We've got ourselves a winner by way of a rear naked choke!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:59 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Alexei Karelin!