PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Leigh Reilly (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Yuri Kalimov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for Leigh Reilly has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Reilly
vs
Kalimov

170 cm
19
278 lbs
1 - 6 - 0

200 cm
25
240 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
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 1 - 6 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Leigh Reilly!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Yuri Kalimov!
The judges for this bout are Viktor Lagutenko, Igor Prikhodko and Aleksandr Martynov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kalimov doesn't manage to clinch there - Reilly circles away.
Kalimov lands with an overhand left.
Kalimov feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Reilly's calf.
Kalimov tries to clinch up but Reilly circles away and keeps his distance.

Kalimov rushes Reilly and presses him up against the cage.

Kalimov breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Kalimov connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Reilly on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Kalimov misses with a two punch combination.
Reilly seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Reilly keeps the fight on the outside.
Kalimov throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Kalimov falls off balance throwing a combination
and Reilly counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kalimov scores with a nice right hand.

It looks like Leigh Reilly has been cut.

Kalimov drives through with a takedown into Reilly's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Kalimov tries to free his leg and advance position but Reilly is retaining full guard.
Reilly 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.
Reilly is working hard here to advance position.
Kalimov sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Let's hope that Kalimov has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Kalimov throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Kalimov sitting in guard here, content to control.
Reilly is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
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.
Reilly trying to control the position.
Reilly throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Kalimov pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Reilly back to the cage. Kalimov follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.

Kalimov closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Kalimov decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Kalimov swinging wildly here.

Kalimov throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Reilly tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Kalimov is in Reilly's guard.
Kalimov has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Reilly is proving hard to escape from.
Kalimov stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Reilly swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kalimov is still trying to improve position.
Reilly keeping moving, preventing Kalimov from controlling successfully.
Kalimov won't allow Reilly to sweep him here.
Kalimov sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Kalimov stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Reilly swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Kalimov passes easily into side control. Nice work.

Kalimov tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Kalimov has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Kalimov tries for a kimura but Reilly is defending well.
Reilly is trying to get back to half guard.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
Reilly tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Kalimov wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Reilly can't do much from the bottom here.

Kalimov thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

Kalimov is trying to get an arm triangle but Reilly is defending well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yuri Kalimov dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Leigh Reilly's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Reilly moves away from the strike by Kalimov.
Good leg kick by Kalimov there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Yuri Kalimov seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Kalimov leaves Reilly with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Kalimov is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Kalimov misses with a two punch combination.
Kalimov just misses with a punch to the body.
Reilly displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Kalimov.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Reilly looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Kalimov misses with a few strikes there.
Kalimov tries to close the distance and clinch up but Reilly swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Kalimov misses with a few strikes there.
As Kalimov looks to move away, Reilly throws a big counter combo bu Kalimov just gets out of the way.
Reilly really is a fat lump.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Reilly closes the distance and clinches up with Kalimov, looking for a takedown. Reilly pushes Kalimov against the cage but Kalimov circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Kalimov feints the counter takedown.
Kalimov has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Kalimov goes for a double leg but Reilly avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Reilly continues to drive forward.
Reilly fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Leigh Reilly. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kalimov doesn't manage to clinch there - Reilly circles away.
Reilly is looking to counter with a body kick.
Reilly keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Kalimov misses with a double jab
and Reilly counters with a left and a right that stings Kalimov.

Kalimov has taken the fight to the clinch.
Kalimov effectively controlling the action here.

Reilly's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Reilly tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Kalimov defends well and Reilly ends up having to push Kalimov into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Reilly shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Kalimov but Kalimov pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Reilly fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Kalimov doesn't manage to clinch there - Reilly circles away.
Reilly shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Kalimov clinches.

Kalimov has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Reilly regains guard immediately.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kalimov slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Reilly knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Kalimov on the ground.
Kalimov happy to just control the position for now.
Kalimov advances to mount.
Kalimov pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Reilly might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kalimov controlling the position easily from mount.
Kalimov fails to move to back control.
Reilly sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Kalimov not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Kalimov takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Kalimov trying to mount his opponent but Reilly defends it.
Reilly tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Kalimov has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Reilly is looking to get to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yuri Kalimov showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Leigh Reilly's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Kalimov throws a good cross that connects.
A head kick by Kalimov misses
and Reilly counters with a solid body kick.
Yuri Kalimov seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Kalimov has Reilly up against the cage in a clinch.
Kalimov is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

Kalimov breaks the clinch.
Kalimov has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Kalimov changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Reilly looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Reilly tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Kalimov wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Reilly is trying to buck Kalimov off.
Reilly is trying to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Reilly is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Kalimov is controlling him well.
Kalimov controlling the position from side mount.
Reilly prevents Kalimov from improving position.
Kalimov trying to control the position but Reilly is working away.

Kalimov looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
You can see the frustration on Reilly's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Yuri Kalimov has got the better of the ground game so far.

Kalimov tries for a kimura but Reilly is defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Kalimov working away.

Kalimov looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Kalimov controlling from side mount.
Reilly prevents Kalimov from improving position.

Kalimov is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Reilly knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Kalimov takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Reilly is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Kalimov trying to control the position but Reilly is working away.

Kalimov is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Reilly is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
You can see the frustration on Reilly's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Reilly tries to bench press Kalimov off him but Kalimov keeps the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Reilly manages to work his way to half guard, despite Kalimov's best efforts.
Reilly wants to control but Kalimov is keeping busy.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Kalimov in particular looking to stall.

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

And that's the end of the fight!
Yuri Kalimov comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Kalimov 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 Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 27:30
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 27:30
Judge Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Yuri Kalimov!