PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Boris Kostov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Andrew Kopyto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Andrew Kopyto is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples.

Kostov
vs
Kopyto

187 cm
25
275 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

189 cm
25
220 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

Good takedowns
Brawler
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Boris Kostov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Andrew Kopyto!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Roosa Järviläinen and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Kopyto closes the distance and clinches.
Kopyto misses with a body punch.
Kopyto is trying to stall.

Kostov successfully pulls guard.
Kopyto looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.

Kostov has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Kopyto is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Kostov.
Kopyto tries to stand but Kostov is controlling his head.
Kopyto working away.
Kostov is trying to get back to his feet.
Kostov is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kopyto tries to stand but Kostov is controlling his head.
Kostov tries to improve position but can't.
Kopyto just content to control the position.
Kopyto trying to control the position but Kostov is working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kopyto landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Kostov tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Kopyto wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Kostov looking for a sweep but Kopyto has passed into full mount! Oh no!
Kopyto takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Kopyto with a couple of short strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kopyto lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Kopyto prevents Kostov from getting the reversal.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Kopyto tries to control but Kostov wriggling away.

Kopyto wants to finish this one by submission but Kostov is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Kopyto.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kostov working to try and regain half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Kopyto is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Kostov can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Kopyto takes the fight into the clinch.

It looks like Boris Kostov has been cut.
Kopyto stalling the fight.
Kostov dodges an elbow strike from Kopyto.
Kostov tries to score a body lock takedown but Kopyto shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Kopyto. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.
Kostov tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Kopyto smiles and moves away.

Kopyto darts in and clinches Kostov up against the cage.
Kostov wants to take the fight to the mat but Kopyto manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Boris Kostov. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kopyto pushes off an throws an elbow but Kostov leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Kostov wants a takedown.
Kopyto creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Kostov has Kopyto pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Kopyto manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Kopyto throws a head punch that misses.
Kopyto misses with an elbow over the top.
Kopyto swings wildly with an uppercut but Kostov uses good head movement to avoid it.
Kopyto is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kopyto is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Kostov is defending well for now.
Kostov has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Kopyto is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Kostov looking for a takedown.
Kostov is struggling to control the position.
Kopyto with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Kopyto goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Kopyto misses with a punch to the body.
Kostov drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Kopyto gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Kopyto stops a takedown attempt from Kostov.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Kopyto trying to land knees to the body.
Kopyto throws a head punch that misses.
Kostov goes for a takedown attempt but Kopyto pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Kopyto has Kostov up against the cage in a clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kostov wants to take the fight to the mat but Kopyto manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Kostov is working for takedown but Kopyto is calmly controlling the position for now.
Kostov can't get the takedown.
Kostov prevents a body shot from Kopyto.
Kopyto stops a takedown attempt from Kostov.
Kopyto tries to land knees in the clinch but Kostov avoids the damage to the body.
Kopyto throws a head punch that misses.
Kopyto pushes off an throws an elbow but Kostov leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Kostov is working for takedown but Kopyto is calmly controlling the position for now.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Kostov blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Kostov drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Kopyto gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Kopyto lands with a left to the head.
Kostov blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Kopyto throws a head punch that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kostov blocks a body shot from Kopyto.
Kostov tries to pull guard but Kopyto holds him up against the cage and eventually Kostov drops back down to his feet.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Kopyto.
Kopyto is looking to control Kostov's arms but Kostov gets an underhook and turns him. Now Kopyto has his back to the cage.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Kostov.
Andrew Kopyto seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Kopyto prevents a takedown attempt there.
Kopyto misses with a punch to the body.
Kopyto gets underhooks to prevent Kostov's takedown attempt.
Kopyto can't find room to land a body shot as Kostov controls the action.
Kopyto working aggressively here.
Kopyto swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Kopyto misses with some punches.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Kopyto.
Kopyto is pressed up against the cage. Kostov has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Kopyto down to the mat. Kopyto avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Kopyto instigates a clinch.
Kopyto tries to land knees in the clinch but Kostov avoids the damage to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kopyto is pressed up against the cage. Kostov has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Kopyto down to the mat. Kopyto avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Kopyto gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Kopyto lands a nice uppercut.
Kopyto lands with a right to the head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Kopyto misses with a body punch.
Kopyto lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Kopyto misses with a hook from the clinch.
Kostov is looking to take this one to the mat.
Kostov blocks an uppercut.
Kopyto throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Kopyto scores with a shot to the side of Kostov's head.
Kopyto misses with a knee to the head.
Kostov avoids the elbow strike from Kopyto, against the cage.
Kopyto makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Kopyto throws an elbow but it misses.
Kopyto throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Kopyto working aggressively here.
Kopyto misses with a hook to the ribs.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Andrew Kopyto showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Boris Kostov's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Kopyto closes the distance and pushes Kostov back into the cage.
Kopyto is trying to stall.

Kostov gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Kopyto regains guard.
Kostov with a flurry of punches that miss.
Kostov has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Kopyto pulls Kostov in close to prevent any damage.

Kostov has gone for a leg lock! Kopyto slips out almost immediately though and dives into Kostov's guard.

Kostov isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Kopyto stacks Kostov on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Kopyto!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Kostov stops Kopyto from passing to mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kostov is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
You can see the frustration on Kostov's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Andrew Kopyto has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Kopyto wants to control but Kostov is keeping him busy.
Kostov is trying to improve his position.
The strikes coming from Kopyto are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Kopyto decides to stand back up.

Kopyto has taken the fight to the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kostov is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Kopyto pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Kostov blocks the elbow strike.
Kopyto throws an elbow that misses.
Kopyto misses with a body punch.
Kopyto lands with a right to the head.
Kopyto tries a body shot but Kostov blocks it.

Kostov pulls guard.
Kopyto trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Kostov working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Kopyto doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Kopyto manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Kopyto trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Kopyto thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Kopyto wants to control from the top but Kostov keeps moving.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

And that's the end of the fight!
Andrew Kopyto comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Kopyto has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 27:30
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 27:30
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Andrew Kopyto!