PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Trainius Reckus (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Wesley Malcovitch (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Malcovitch is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: BoomBox song. Wesley Malcovitch has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Reckus
vs
Malcovitch

180 cm
23
195 lbs
7 - 4 - 0

189 cm
20
190 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 7 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Trainius Reckus!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Wesley Malcovitch!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Anni Minnemäki and Arvi Lind.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Reckus shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Reckus was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!

Reckus is working for a guillotine from mount but Malcovitch frees his head quite easily.
Malcovitch is trying to escape the mount.
Malcovitch is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

Reckus working for a guillotine from mount but Malcovitch is in no mood to give up.
Reckus is in the full mount, landing strikes.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Reckus swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Malcovitch is now in Reckus's guard. A big mistake from Reckus there, giving up the dominant position!

Reckus working for a triangle but Malcovitch defends it easily.
Reckus looking to hit a scissor sweep but Malcovitch is one step ahead there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Malcovitch tries to free his leg and advance position but Reckus is retaining full guard.
Malcovitch cracks Reckus with a solid left hand.
Malcovitch postures up and lands a big shot to Reckus's brow.
Malcovitch working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Reckus's head.
Reckus working a defensive guard here.
Malcovitch looking to pass the guard.
Malcovitch is looking to work some ground and pound but Reckus has wrist control.
Reckus pulls Malcovitch in close to prevent any damage.
Malcovitch is looking to work some ground and pound but Reckus has wrist control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Malcovitch trying to control the position from guard on top but Reckus is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Reckus misses with a double jab.
Reckus keeps the fight on the outside.

Malcovitch clinches up with Reckus and pushes him back against the cage.
Reckus tries to pull guard but Malcovitch won't allow it.

Reckus is trying to trip Malcovitch. He has hold of a leg but Malcovitch is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Reckus persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Malcovitch can do anything to dispel that myth.
Malcovitch preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Reckus trying to control but Malcovitch is working from the bottom.
Reckus lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Malcovitch trying to control the position here.
Reckus throws a big right hand that misses.
Reckus tries to free his leg and advance position but Malcovitch is retaining full guard.
Malcovitch looking to hit a scissor sweep but Reckus is one step ahead there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Reckus shoots in but no luck this time.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Reckus tries to pull guard but Malcovitch holds him up against the cage and eventually Reckus drops back down to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Trainius Reckus. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Reckus is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Malcovitch gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Reckus is breathing heavily.
Reckus wants a takedown.

Reckus manages to pull guard.
Reckus is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Reckus missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Reckus sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Malcovitch defending well though.
Malcovitch is trying to control but can't.
The fighters are battling for position here. Malcovitch manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Reckus controls from within his opponent's guard.
Malcovitch wants to sweep here but Reckus controlling him for the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Malcovitch is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Malcovitch can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Reckus controls the pace.
Reckus trying to control the position from guard on top but Malcovitch is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Malcovitch lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Reckus!
Reckus slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Malcovitch throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Trainius Reckus dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Reckus shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Malcovitch's guard.
Reckus has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Reckus wants to control from the top but Malcovitch keeps moving.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Malcovitch is trying to control the position but Reckus postures up.
Malcovitch manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Reckus bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Reckus wants to pass the guard but Malcovitch is keeping the position.
Malcovitch preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

Reckus thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Malcovitch tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Reckus sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Malcovitch's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Malcovitch won't allow Reckus to pass to mount.
Reckus missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Reckus seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Malcovitch does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Reckus will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Malcovitch throws a series of punches but Reckus avoids them all with ease.
Malcovitch is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Reckus circles away from the clinch attempt.
Malcovitch scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Malcovitch throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Reckus.
Malcovitch misses with a jab, cross combination.

Reckus feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Reckus wants to control from the top but Malcovitch keeps moving.

Reckus thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Reckus works a leg free and moves into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Reckus prevents Malcovitch from improving his position.
Malcovitch has hold of Reckus's hands but Reckus slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Reckus working Malcovitch over with strikes.
Malcovitch is striking from the bottom but he's now found himself mounted! Oh dear - not enough focus on defense there.
Reckus controlling from mount.
Malcovitch flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Malcovitch manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Malcovitch is staying active underneath Reckus, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Malcovitch trying to control from the bottom.

Reckus is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Malcovitch defends it well.
Malcovitch really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Reckus. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Reckus prevents Malcovitch from improving his position.

Reckus is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Reckus trying to pass the guard but Malcovitch defending well.
Malcovitch blocking the ground and pound attempt from Reckus.
Malcovitch is looking to control Reckus's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Malcovitch avoid being mounted?

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Reckus frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Reckus trying to control but Malcovitch is having none of it.
Malcovitch keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Reckus fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Reckus wants to control the pace but Malcovitch is squirming around nicely.
Malcovitch is trying desperately to improve position.
Malcovitch has given up his back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Trainius Reckus dominated that second 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. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Malcovitch wants to clinch up but Reckus keeps it at a distance.

Reckus closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Reckus is putting a hurting on Malcovitch here, landing some big shots from side control.

Reckus looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Reckus tries to move into full mount but can't pass Malcovitch's legs.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Malcovitch takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Reckus misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Reckus sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Malcovitch is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Reckus working the ground and pound.
Reckus advances to mount.
BOOM! Reckus connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Malcovitch is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Reckus trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Malcovitch wants to control but Reckus is having none of it.

Reckus looking for a guillotine from mount but Malcovitch is having none of it.
Reckus wants to take his opponent's back but he's not managed it.
Malcovitch really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Malcovitch wants to control but Reckus is having none of it.
Malcovitch throwing hammer fists to the chest of Reckus. What's that going to do exactly?

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Reckus trying to control but Malcovitch is having none of it.
Reckus landing strikes from the mount.
Reckus forces the positional change into back control.
Malcovitch looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.

Reckus is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Malcovitch knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Malcovitch for a finish.

Reckus is looking for the choke from the back position but Malcovitch is controlling his hands well.
Malcovitch tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Malcovitch can't escape the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Reckus landing strikes from the mount and Malcovitch is in trouble!
Malcovitch tries to reverse the position but Reckus maintains control.

Reckus has hold of an arm here, looking to extend it. He's committed to the armbar attempt here! Will he get it?! Yes! Malcovitch is forced to tap!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:29 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Trainius Reckus!