PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Stephen Griffiths (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alexander Schelokov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Schelokov is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Sirens . Alexander Schelokov has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Stephen Griffiths's chin.

Griffiths
vs
Schelokov

170 cm
26
175 lbs
23 - 6 - 1

175 cm
26
185 lbs
15 - 10 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

FinnFighter Nutrition (Five 160Q supps!)
Grand Champion Apparel

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the welterweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 23 - 6 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Stephen Griffiths!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 10 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Alexander Schelokov!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Viktor Lagutenko and Aleksandr Martynov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Griffiths connects with a high kick.
Griffiths shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Schelokov pinned against the cage. Schelokov gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Good exchange - Schelokov coming out on top.
Griffiths avoids the body shot from Schelokov.
The fighters circle momentarily. Griffiths darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Schelokov misses with a body shot.
Schelokov lands a body shot.
Griffiths feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Schelokovs jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Schelokov cracks Griffiths with a right hand to the side of the head.
Schelokov swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.

Griffiths shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Griffiths seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Schelokov moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffiths postures up.

Griffiths drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Griffiths jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Griffiths throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Griffiths trying to control the position from guard on top but Schelokov is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Schelokov looking to hit a scissor sweep but Griffiths is one step ahead there.
Griffiths's corner is telling him to maintain position.

That's two 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.
Griffiths is working Schelokov over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Griffiths is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Schelokov is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Griffiths dives into side control.
Schelokov can't do much from the bottom here.
Griffiths working the head with strikes.
Schelokov struggling a bit here.

Griffiths goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Schelokov rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Griffiths's guard! Nice work there by Schelokov!
Griffiths 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.

The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Griffiths looking for subs off his back but Schelokov has passed one foot through into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffiths manages to get to full guard.

Griffiths is looking for a triangle but Schelokov pushes his legs off easily.
Griffiths controlling Schelokov's posture.

Griffiths working for a triangle but Schelokov defends it easily.
Griffiths working a defensive guard but Schelokov manages to pass into side control anyway.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Griffiths tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Schelokov wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Griffiths is working hard here to advance position.
Griffiths is working to avoid the ground and pound but Schelokov connects with a decent elbow.
Griffiths is trying to get back to half guard.
Griffiths looking for a sweep but Schelokov has passed into full mount! Oh no!
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Schelokov cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Schelokov looking to control but Griffiths is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Griffiths is wriggling around trying to escape.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Stephen Griffiths will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Griffiths misses with a kick to the body.
Griffiths is looking to slow Schelokov down with leg kicks.
Schelokov tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Griffiths.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Griffiths.
A little jabbing left from Schelokov on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Schelokov misses the shot to the body.
Griffiths takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Griffiths throws a leg kick that is checked
letting Schelokov counter with a right hand.
Griffiths scores with a sloppy right hand. Schelokov should have avoided that one.
Griffiths throws a hook but Schelokov blocks it.
Despite the aggression on Schelokov's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Griffiths throws a head kick but Schelokov moves out of range.
Schelokov misses with a two punch combination.
Schelokov connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Schelokov looks to land a combination but Griffiths avoids it well.
Schelokov lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Schelokov rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Griffiths moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Griffiths avoids the body shot from Schelokov.
Alexander Schelokov seems to be getting the better of the standup.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffiths goes for a double leg but Schelokov avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Schelokov continues to drive forward.
Griffiths shoots in for a takedown but Schelokov shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Stephen Griffiths. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Griffiths throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Griffiths shoots in and drives through. Schelokov sprawls well.
Griffiths connects with a leg kick. Schelokov looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Griffiths closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Schelokov lands with a good body shot.
Schelokov loads up on a big right hand but Griffiths slips the punch.
Schelokov takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Schelokov misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Griffiths.
Schelokov misses with a straight left.
Griffiths connects with a looping right hand.

Griffiths feints and as Schelokov raises his hands in defense, Griffiths changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Schelokov wants to stand and escape but Griffiths is having none of it.
Griffiths won't allow Schelokov to sweep him here.
Schelokov working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Griffiths.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Griffiths throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Griffiths wants to control from the top but Schelokov keeps moving.

Griffiths is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Schelokov working a defensive guard here.

Griffiths is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
It looks like Griffiths has been trying to sharpen up his punching technique, as it looks crisper than last time we saw him.
Good leg kick by Griffiths there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Schelokov has been working his punching technique in the buildup to the fight and it appears to be paying off.
Schelokov throws a series of punches but Griffiths moves out of range.
Alexander Schelokov is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Griffiths throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Schelokov uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Griffiths.
Griffiths misses with a left hand
letting Schelokov counter with a right hand.
Schelokov lands a jab.
Griffiths shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Schelokov as he avoids it easily.
Nice defenses there by Griffiths.
Schelokov jabs Griffiths right on the nose. Griffiths blinks but takes it well.
Griffiths fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Schelokov tries to bum rush Griffiths with a series of wild strikes but Griffiths uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Griffiths was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Griffiths moves out of range of the strikes.
Alexander Schelokov is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Griffiths fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Schelokov manages to avoid it.
Schelokov rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Griffiths moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Griffiths avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Schelokov leaves Griffiths with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Schelokov misses with a hook.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Griffiths lands a leg kick that knocks Schelokov off balance momentarily.
Left hook, right uppercut from Schelokov.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Griffiths uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Schelokov has time to react.
A leg kick checked by Schelokov.
Schelokov is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Griffiths with a body shot.
A big right from Schelokov misses.
Schelokov throws a hook to the side of Griffiths's head but Griffiths sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Schelokov lands a jab to the nose.
Schelokov lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Schelokov throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Griffiths was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Schelokov defending well as Griffiths loads up on a big left hand.
Schelokov let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
Schelokov swings widly with a right hand
and Griffiths counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Griffiths fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Griffiths shoots in for a takedown but Schelokov shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Schelokov connects with a right hand. Griffiths shakes it off.

Schelokov throws a left that rocks Griffiths and follows with a right that sends him tumbling to the canvas! Schelokov dives into side control, looking to finish! Can Griffiths regain composure!

Griffiths is rocked!
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Schelokov wants to lay and pray for a moment but Griffiths keeps working.
Oh Griffiths is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Schelokov in side control here. He's dropped a big elbow there and Griffiths looks hurt! Oh, he is hurt! Schelokov turns on the heat and pounds him out for a TKO victory! Good killer instinct there!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:55 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Alexander Schelokov!
Alexander Schelokov is the new welterweight champion!
Alexander Schelokov thanked the fans post fight for their support.