PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Roman Vondracek (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Maricue Russel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Maricue Russel has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Vondracek
vs
Russel

194 cm
25
198 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

190 cm
26
200 lbs
11 - 7 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Very quick

Olympic wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

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 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Roman Vondracek!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Maricue Russel!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Jack Bonds and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Vondracek darts in trying to clinch

and Russel counters with a shoot takedown. Vondracek fights it but they end up in guard.
Russel trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Vondracek wants to stand up but Russel is controlling him.
Russel told us pre-fight that he has been working on his escapes in training. Let's see if he can call on some of his new skills to get back to his feet.
Vondracek working a defensive guard here.
Vondracek knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Russel on the ground.
Russel loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Vondracek is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Vondracek preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Russel has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Russel working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vondracek wants to improve his position but instead Russel has moved into half guard.
Russel missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

Russel is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Vondracek defends it well.
Russel throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Russel missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Vondracek is trying to stand back up but Russel is controlling him
Vondracek has hold of Russel's hands but Russel slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Russel wants to pass the guard but Vondracek is defending well.
Vondracek blocking the ground and pound attempt from Russel.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vondracek blocking the ground and pound attempt from Russel.
Russel thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

Russel wants to work for an arm triangle but Vondracek is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Russel is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Vondracek defends it well.
Russel thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

Russel is trying to work for a kimura but Vondracek is defending well.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Russel is looking to advance position but Vondracek won't allow it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Russel throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Russel 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.
Russel sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Vondracek defending well though.
Russel misses with a head shot. Vondracek uses the momentum to regain guard.
Vondracek trying to control the position.
Vondracek keeping moving, preventing Russel from controlling successfully.
Russel throws a big elbow that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Russel thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Russel throwing strikes from guard but Vondracek blocks nicely.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Russel is looking to work some ground and pound but Vondracek has wrist control.
Russel working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Russel in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Russel throws a strike but Vondracek rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Russel is trying to keep Vondracek in close.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Maricue Russel dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Vondracek shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Russel sprawls well. Russel wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Vondracek gets slowly back to his feet.
Vondracek swats away the attempt to clinch by Russel.
Vondracek gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Russel counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Russel thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Vondracek's head.
Vondracek is trying to control but can't.
Vondracek pushes Russel off but Russel dives into side control.
Russel wants to lay and pray for a moment but Vondracek keeps working.
Vondracek is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Russel working the ground and pound.
Vondracek is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Russel throwing shots but missing, from side control.

Russel looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Vondracek on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Russel sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Vondracek is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.

Russel wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Vondracek, who protects the arm well.
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!
Russel postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sloppy strikes there by Russel.

Russel working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Vondracek on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Vondracek tries to get out of the position.
Russel scores with a couple of short elbows.
Vondracek is working to avoid the ground and pound but Russel connects with a decent elbow.
Vondracek regains half guard, as Russel was trying to land strikes.
Russel not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Russel throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Russel is looking to take a break and control but Vondracek is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Russel throwing shots but Vondracek is blocking nicely.
Vondracek is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Russel with the ground and pound but Vondracek uses the opportunity to regain guard.

Russel 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.
Russel loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Russel sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Vondracek's guard.
Russel winds up and cracks Vondracek with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Russel missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Russel tries to pass to full mount but Vondracek defends it.
Russel misses with a head shot. Vondracek uses the momentum to regain guard.
Vondracek 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.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Russel trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Maricue Russel showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Vondracek misses the shot to the body.
Vondracek throws a jab when Russel was well out of range.
Vondracek throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

Vondracek gets tackled into the cage by Russel. Russel maintains the clinch.
Vondracek fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

Vondracek successfully pulls guard.
Vondracek utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Russel is in close to Vondracek's body, working some short punches and elbows.
We've been hearing good reports from Vondracek's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.
Vondracek is looking to stand up but Russel isn't so interested in that idea.

Russel has gone for a leg lock! Vondracek slips out almost immediately though and dives into Russel's guard.
Russel wants to sweep here but Vondracek controlling him for the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Vondracek avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Russel preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Vondracek trying to control but Russel is working from the bottom.
Russel pulls Vondracek in close to prevent any damage.
Vondracek has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Vondracek advances to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Russel regains full guard. Nicely done.
Vondracek trying to control but Russel is working from the bottom.
Vondracek has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Russel is proving hard to escape from.

Russel throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Vondracek missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Russel keeping moving, preventing Vondracek from controlling successfully.
Maricue Russel is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Vondracek with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Russel wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Vondracek wanted to stand there but Russel had control of the position.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Russel holds on and takes a little breather.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Vondracek moves in looking to clinch but Russel pushes him off.

Russel looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Russel controlling the action here.
Let's hope that Russel has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Russel not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Russel working over Vondracek with some ground and pound. Vondracek looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Russel looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Russel is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Roman Vondracek has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

And that's the end of the fight!
Maricue Russel comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Russel winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Don Winkell scores the fight 27:30
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 27:30
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Maricue Russel!
During a confident post fight interview, Maricue Russel thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.