PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Milan Noble (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sasha Arshavin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Noble
vs
Arshavin

177 cm
18
214 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

177 cm
18
207 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Milan Noble!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Sasha Arshavin!
The judges for this bout are Micheangelo Fripello, Colin Fray and Paul Gruel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Noble wants to clinch but Arshavin slips to the side

and Arshavin counters by moving into the clinch.

Arshavin turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Noble is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Arshavin has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Noble tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Arshavin wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Noble regains half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Noble manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Noble keeping moving, preventing Arshavin from controlling successfully.
Arshavin is looking to stand up but Noble won't let him.

Noble working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Arshavin doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Arshavin manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Arshavin stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Noble swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Arshavin wants to control from the top but Noble keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Noble controlling Arshavin's posture.
Noble throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Arshavin trying to stand up but can't free himself from Noble's guard.
Noble throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

Noble kicks Arshavin off and gets to his feet.
Arshavin fails with a takedown attempt.
Arshavin goes for a double leg but Noble avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Noble continues to drive forward.

Arshavin breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Arshavin gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Noble jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Arshavin walks away with a smile on his face. Noble gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Noble tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Arshavin paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Arshavin fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Noble sprawls well initially but Arshavin persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Noble wants to control but Arshavin is keeping busy.
Arshavin trying to control the action but Noble is working from the bottom.
Noble is looking to escape.
Arshavin thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Noble's head.
Arshavin wants to lay and pray for a moment but Noble keeps working.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Sasha Arshavin.
Horrible takedown by Arshavin or perhaps it was just good defense by Noble which made him look bad.
Milan Noble has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Sasha Arshavin.
Noble leaves Arshavin with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Arshavin looks winded!
Arshavin shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Noble pinned against the cage. Noble gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Arshavin has a takedown stuffed.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Arshavin shoots in looking for a takedown. Noble tries to sprawl out of it but Arshavin keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Noble manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Arshavin has closed the distance and engaged Noble in a clinch.

Arshavin pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Arshavin.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Noble tries to clinch up but Arshavin circles away and keeps his distance.

Arshavin bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Sasha Arshavin will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Arshavin throws a leg kick that is checked
and Noble counters with a big head kick but Arshavin shrugs it off.
Arshavin tries for a takedown but Noble sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

Arshavin moves into the clinch.
Arshavin stalling in the clinch.

Noble jumps guard.
Noble is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Noble working the head and body with strikes.
Arshavin on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Arshavin can do anything to dispel that myth.

Noble looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Noble missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Noble is trying to control. Arshavin wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Arshavin is trying to control but can't.
Noble looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Arshavin with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Noble is thwarting Arshavin's attempts to control the position.

Arshavin manages to escape and get back to his feet!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Arshavin shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Noble but Noble pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Noble stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Noble wants it to stay on the feet.
Milan Noble has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Sasha Arshavin.
Arshavin is breathing heavily.
Arshavin shoots in for a takedown but Noble shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Sasha Arshavin is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Arshavin tries a head kick but it misses.
Noble could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

Arshavin clinches up with Noble and pushes him back against the cage.
Noble tries to pull guard but Arshavin won't allow it.
Noble wants to take the fight to the mat but Arshavin manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.

Noble manages to pull guard.
Noble lands an upkick as Arshavin stands over him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Noble trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Noble striking off his back but it's not causing Arshavin any problems.
Noble looking for a sweep. Not yet Noble, not yet.
Arshavin looking to pass the guard.
Noble looking for a sweep. Not yet Noble, not yet.
Noble manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Arshavin manages to get himself to full guard.
Arshavin trying to control the position.
Noble slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Arshavin is trying to control the position from the bottom.

Sasha Arshavin has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Arshavin shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Noble pinned against the cage. Noble gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Arshavin thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Noble if he has to take too many more of those.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Milan Noble dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Arshavin tries for a takedown but Noble circles away easily

and Noble counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Noble lands a nice short elbow.
Noble drops an elbow to the side of Arshavin's head.
Arshavin looks like he's trying to stand up.
Arshavin tries to roll over but Noble keeps him under control.
Arshavin keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Milan Noble overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Noble is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Noble scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Arshavin has hold of Noble's hands but Noble slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.

Noble stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
Arshavin takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Noble tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Arshavin counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Noble pulls guard effortlessly.
Noble trying to keep a closed guard but Arshavin is proving a slippery customer.
Noble tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Noble throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Arshavin wants to control from the top but Noble keeps moving.

Arshavin avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Noble 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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Arshavin wants to stand but Noble is controlling his posture from full guard.
Noble trying to keep a closed guard but Arshavin is proving a slippery customer.
Noble keeping moving, preventing Arshavin from controlling successfully.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Sasha Arshavin was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Arshavin plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Arshavin misses with a looping right.
Arshavin shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Noble sprawls well. Noble wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Arshavin gets slowly back to his feet.

Arshavin pushes Noble up against the cage in a clinch.
Noble tries to pull guard but Arshavin holds him up against the cage and eventually Noble drops back down to his feet.

Arshavin gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Noble flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Arshavin wants to control but Noble is keeping him busy.
Noble is trying to stand.
Noble won't allow Arshavin to pass to mount.
Noble moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Arshavin looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Noble is on top in guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Arshavin wants to control the position but Noble says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Milan Noble showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Noble has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight 30:28
Judge Colin Fray scores the fight 29:28
Judge Paul Gruel scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Milan Noble!