PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Diego Aragon (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Arkady Balagan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Aragon
vs
Balagan

180 cm
24
195 lbs
11 - 6 - 1

182 cm
23
195 lbs
8 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Basic striking
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 11 - 6 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Diego Aragon!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Arkady Balagan!
The judges for this bout are , Frank Antenori and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Aragon misses with a body shot.

Balagan shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Aragon napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Balagan misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Aragon dodges the ground and pound from Balagan.
Balagan tries to score with some ground and pound. Aragon controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Balagan in side control, throwing shots but Aragon defends.
Aragon is looking for a sweep.
Balagan misses with the ground and pound.
Aragon gets back to half guard.
Aragon has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Balagan is working away from the top position though.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Balagan is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Balagan wants to control but Aragon is keeping him busy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balagan missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Aragon is looking for a sweep. Balagan is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Balagan misses with a head shot. Aragon uses the momentum to regain guard.
Balagan throwing strikes but missing.
Aragon utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Aragon wants to control but Balagan passes easily into half guard.

Balagan is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Aragon is just riding it out for now. Balagan eventually gives up the hold.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Balagan scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Aragon regains full guard. Nicely done.
Balagan throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Aragon is on top in guard.

Balagan avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Aragon trying to control but Balagan is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balagan looking to control.
Balagan bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Aragon's guard.

Aragon controlling Balagan's posture.

Balagan drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Aragon manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Balagan has Aragon in his guard.

Aragon pushing down on Balagan's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balagan trying to control but Aragon postures up.
Aragon controlling the pace.
Balagan wants to improve his position but Aragon is controlling well.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Aragon not landing any meaningful shots this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Arkady Balagan dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Balagan dives in for a single leg takedown but Aragon sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Aragon stalling against the cage.
Aragon lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
A left hand lands to the body for Aragon.
Aragon lands a body punch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Balagan letting Aragon take a breather here.
Aragon gets through Balagan's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Aragon is struggling to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Aragon scores with a hook to the body.
Balagan prevents a body shot from Aragon.
Aragon misses with a hook to the ribs.
Balagan takes a shot to the head.
Aragon trying to land knees to the body.
Aragon lands a left hand.
Aragon lands a right hand that snaps the head of Balagan backwards.
Aragon displaying some good clinch control by pressing Balagan up against the cage.
Aragon misses with a hook to the ribs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Aragon lands a hook to the side of the head.
Aragon lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Balagan.
Aragon softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Knees to the body from Aragon.
Balagan prevents a body shot from Aragon.
Aragon tries a body shot but Balagan blocks it.
A right hook to the body lands for Aragon.
Aragon lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Balagan.
Aragon struggles to land a body shot inside as Balagan controls his hands.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Aragon can't find room to land a body shot as Balagan controls the action.
Aragon is struggling to control the position.
Aragon missing with knees to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Aragon lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Balagan backwards.
Diego Aragon has scored more points in the clinch so far.
A knee to the head by Aragon.
Aragon tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Balagan's elbow.
Balagan being controlled against the cage.
Aragon is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Balagan can do to turn this around?
Aragon lands with a light punch inside.
Aragon lands a shoulder strike.
Aragon lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Balagan jumps guard but Aragon stands there with Balagan around his waist. Balagan gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Balagan tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Aragon smiles and moves away.
Diego Aragon has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Arkady Balagan.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Aragon slaps away a takedown attempt from Balagan, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Balagan misses with a takedown attempt - Aragon sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Diego Aragon is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Balagan avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Nice sprawl there from Aragon as Balagan shoots in.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Aragon fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
No luck for Balagan with that takedown attempt.
Aragon defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Balagan.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Diego Aragon dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Aragon throws a nice head kick!
Aragon lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Aragon connects with a solid leg kick.
Arkady Balagan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Balagan fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Aragon throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Good leg kick by Aragon there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Balagan closes the distance and clinches up with Aragon, looking for a takedown. Balagan pushes Aragon against the cage but Aragon circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Aragon throws an overhand right that lands on Balagan's shoulder, as Balagan tries to avoid the shot.
Aragon throws a leg kick but Balagan sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Aragon keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Diego Aragon has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Arkady Balagan.
Aragon tries to work over Balagan's front leg with a kick but Balagan checks it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balagan darts in looking for a takedown but Aragon gets double underhooks and turns Balagan into the cage.
Balagan is trying to pull guard but Aragon turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Balagan takes a shot to the head.
Aragon presses Balagan against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Balagan letting Aragon take a breather here.

Aragon's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Aragon throws a chopping leg kick but Balagan manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Aragon swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Balagan on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Aragon lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Balagan has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Balagan and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balagan shoots in for a takedown but Aragon shows good takedown defense.
Aragon slaps away a takedown attempt from Balagan, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Balagan tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Aragon swivels and escapes.
Balagan shoots for a takedown but Aragon saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Balagan gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Aragon counters with a thumping low kick.
Aragon's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Aragon duly obliges.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Balagan closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Aragon to the mat! Aragon manages to get full guard.
Aragon keeping moving, preventing Balagan from controlling successfully.
Aragon lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Aragon slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
We've been hearing that Aragon has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.
Balagan is trying to get back to half guard.
Aragon with the ground and pound but Balagan regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Balagan has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Aragon is looking to take a break and control but Balagan is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Aragon thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Aragon missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Arkady Balagan has got the better of the ground game so far.
Aragon not landing any meaningful shots this time.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Aragon wants to pass the guard but Balagan is defending well.
Aragon not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Aragon wants to lay and pray for a moment but Balagan keeps working.
Balagan regains full guard. Nicely done.

And that's the end of the fight!
Diego Aragon showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Aragon 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 Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 29:27
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 29:27
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 29:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Diego Aragon!
In his post fight interview, Diego Aragon gave a big smile as he said 'I knew this would be tough, I am glad to get the win, thanks to the fans who came here to see me.'.