PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Ivan Butko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Markov Geralt (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Butko kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Kasta-vokrug shum. The key to victory for Ivan Butko has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Butko
vs
Geralt

168 cm
25
134 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

200 cm
19
134 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ivan Butko!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Markov Geralt!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Aleksandr Martynov and Viktor Lagutenko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Butko lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Geralt backs up against the cage.
Geralt tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Butko throws a body punch but Geralt moves out of range.
Geralt tries to clinch there but Butko circles away.
Butko throws a left and a right that both miss
and Geralt counters with a right hand to the body.
Butko throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Geralt.
Geralt tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Geralt scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Geralt prevents Butko from improving his position.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Geralt not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Geralt wants to free his trapped foot but Butko is holding on for dear life with his legs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Butko tries to roll over but Geralt keeps him under control.
Geralt performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Butko wants to get back to full guard.
Butko is trying to control but Geralt passes into side control!
Butko is letting Geralt control him for a moment.
Butko can't do much from the bottom here.
Butko tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Geralt presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Geralt prevents Butko from getting the reversal.
Geralt takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

Geralt is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Butko to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Butko shrugs it off.
Geralt content just to control the position here.
My spies in Cozad MMA St Petersburg inform me that Geralt has been getting involved in the gym's BJJ sparring sessions. Let's see whether that pays dividends!
Butko tries to hold on but Geralt postures up.
Geralt controlling the pace for now.
Butko wants to hold on but Geralt pushes him away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Geralt controlling his opponent.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Butko tries to reverse the position but Geralt maintains control.
Geralt controlling the pace for now.
Butko is trying to escape the mount.
Butko wants to control but Geralt is having none of it.
The referee warns Butko that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Geralt controlling from the full mount.
Butko throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Butko wants to hold on but Geralt pushes him away.

Geralt looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Geralt landing strikes from the mount and Butko is in trouble!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Markov Geralt 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.

Butko tries to bum rush Geralt with a series of wild strikes but Geralt uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Geralt throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Geralt takes one to the side of the head.
Butko lands with a right hand.
Butko lands a lovely overhand right.
Butko cracks Geralt with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Butko lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Geralt circles away quickly and effectively.
Butko connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Geralt momentarily.
Butko swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Geralt tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Butko misses with a two punch combination.
Butko swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Butko misses with a jab, cross combination.
Butko throws a right and a left that Geralt avoids nicely.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Butko jabbing away but nothing is landing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Geralt defending well as Butko loads up on a big left hand.
Geralt scores with a one two! Butko had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Butko lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Geralt circles away quickly and effectively.
Butko looks to throw a body kick
and Geralt counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Butko is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Butko throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Geralt is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Butko swinging wildly here.
Butko avoids a punch combination nicely.

Geralt drives through with a takedown into Butko's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Butko can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Geralt controls the pace.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Butko manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Geralt manages to get himself to full guard.
Markov Geralt has got the better of the ground game so far.
Butko trying to control but Geralt is working from the bottom.
Butko's corner is telling him to maintain position.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Butko misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Butko lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Butko swats away the attempt to clinch by Geralt.
A head kick by Butko misses

and Geralt holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Butko tries to break the clinch but Geralt is controlling the position.
Butko is looking to break free of the clinch but Geralt has double underhooks.

Geralt has clasped his hands together around Butko's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Butko can't do much from the bottom here.
A lull in the action here as Geralt stalls from top position.

Geralt looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Butko is being controlled here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Butko is looking to get back to his feet here but Geralt is keeping cool and he's managed to take Butko's back.
Butko tries to roll but Geralt sticks to his back.
Butko looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.
Butko trying to control the hands but Geralt won't let him.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Geralt has both hooks in and is working for a choke. Butko is in real trouble here. Geralt gets an arm under the chin and tightens the submission attempt... is this the end? Yes, Butko is tapping out! Geralt wins by rear naked choke!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:58 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Markov Geralt!