PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Kostas Karelis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sven Widling (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Karelis's entrance music is Sail - AwolNation. A fine choice. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Karelis
vs
Widling

182 cm
16
222 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
18
177 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Cardio machine

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Kostas Karelis!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Sven Widling!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Alan Glass and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Widling tries to keep at a distance but Karelis has taken the fight into the clinch.
Widling on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Widling blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Widling is trying to pull guard but Karelis has him pressed against the cage.
Widling blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Karelis goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Karelis struggles to land a body shot inside as Widling controls his hands.
Widling tries to break free but Karelis pushes him back against the cage.
Karelis tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Widling's elbow.
Karelis can't find room to land a body shot as Widling controls the action.
Widling blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Karelis throws a head punch that misses.
Karelis goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Widling wants a takedown but no success here.
Karelis prevents the takedown attempt.
Kostas Karelis has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Sven Widling.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Karelis.
Widling lands a left hand that snaps the head of Karelis backwards.
Karelis goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Widling avoids a wild elbow strike from Karelis.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Widling is looking for a takedown.
Widling blocks a body shot from Karelis.
Karelis tries to throw a body punch but Widling avoids it by throwing Karelis back against the cage.
Karelis misses with a body punch.
Karelis misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Widling lands an elbow that stopped Karelis in his tracks for a moment.
Widling on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Widling jumps guard but Karelis stands there with Widling around his waist. Widling gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Widling looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Karelis misses with a punch to the body.
Karelis misses with a shot to the kidneys.

Widling decides to pull guard.
Karelis trying to control but Widling is working from the bottom.
Karelis has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Karelis content to stall in guard here.
Karelis tries to free his leg and advance position but Widling is retaining full guard.
Karelis wants to control from the top but Widling keeps moving.
Karelis looking to pass the guard.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Karelis fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Widling, pushing him back against the cage.
Karelis could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Karelis tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Widling managing to block the knees to the body from Karelis.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Karelis missing with knees to the body.
Widling unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Widling drops down looking for an ankle pick but Karelis pulls his leg out and moves away.

Karelis fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Widling to the ground. Karelis is now in Widling's guard.
Karelis trying to control the position from guard on top but Widling is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Karelis throws a big right hand that misses.
Karelis prevents Widling from getting back to his feet.
Karelis wants to control from the top but Widling keeps moving.
Widling is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Karelis is controlling him.
Karelis wants to control from the top but Widling keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Karelis wants to stand but Widling has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Karelis misses with an uppercut.
Widling looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.

Karelis closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Karelis misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Widling.

Karelis jumps into guard, dragging Widling to the mat.
Karelis has a closed guard, preventing Widling from standing up.
Widling postures up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Widling is looking to stand up but Karelis won't let him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kostas Karelis dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Widling gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Karelis wants to control from the top but Widling keeps moving.
Widling wants to stand and escape but Karelis is having none of it.
Karelis wants to control from the top but Widling keeps moving.
Karelis is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Widling can do to turn this around?
Karelis is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Karelis trying to control but Widling is working from the bottom.
Widling is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Karelis is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Karelis gets a clinch.
Karelis can't find room to land a body shot as Widling controls the action.
Widling tries to score a body lock takedown but Karelis shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Widling working hard to break the clinch.
A battle for position here, against the cage.

Karelis manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Karelis 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.
Karelis is trying to control the position but Widling postures up.
Widling wanted to stand there but Karelis had control of the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Karelis looking to control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Karelis wants to sweep here but Widling controlling him for the moment.
Karelis not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Karelis looking for a sweep. Not yet Karelis, not yet.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Karelis shoots in and bounces Widling off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Karelis wants to control from the top but Widling keeps moving.
Karelis sitting in guard here, content to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Karelis trying to control the position from guard on top but Widling is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Karelis trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

Karelis bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Karelis wants to lay and pray for a moment but Widling keeps working.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Widling is letting Karelis control him for a moment.
Karelis seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Widling for as long as he can get away with.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Karelis looking to control but instead Widling has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.
Karelis prevents Widling from standing back up.
Karelis sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Widling defending well though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kostas Karelis dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Karelis feints and as Widling raises his hands in defense, Karelis changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Karelis stops Widling from standing up.
Karelis wants to control from the top but Widling keeps moving.
Karelis looking to sit in guard and control but Widling gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Karelis 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.
Widling would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Karelis trying to keep a closed guard but Widling is proving a slippery customer.
Karelis is looking to sweep but instead, Widling has passed into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Karelis tries to get to full guard but Widling has control of the leg.
Karelis wants to control but Widling is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Karelis is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Widling's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Widling's back!
Karelis controlling the position well here. Widling rolled but Karelis kept the hooks locked in and stayed in the dominant position.
Karelis wants to control but Widling is keeping busy.
Karelis is really struggling to control Widling but he's trying to hold on to the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Widling covering up well under a barage of strikes.
Karelis is looking cool and calm here, just waiting for a good opportunity to attack and finish the fight from this dominant position.
Karelis tries to keep control of the position but Widling is staying busy.
Karelis trying to secure his dominant position for a moment - making sure Widling doesn't escape.
Karelis is looking to control Widling but Widling is wriggling around and keeping busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Karelis is looking cool and calm here, just waiting for a good opportunity to attack and finish the fight from this dominant position.
Widling looking very determined here, making life difficult for Karelis.
Widling is trying to stand back up.
Karelis trying to control momentarily.

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.
What can Widling do to escape this position? He's going to have to figure it out pretty quick if he wants to stay in the fight!
Widling wants to get back to his feet.
Karelis is looking to control Widling but Widling is wriggling around and keeping busy.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Sven Widling has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Kostas Karelis is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kostas Karelis showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Karelis has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Wesley Smith scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 30:27
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kostas Karelis!