PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Marat Gafurov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Moe Lester (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gafurov comes to the cage accompanied by Queen – I Want To Break Free. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Gafurov
vs
Lester

175 cm
25
154 lbs
7 - 1 - 0

180 cm
19
165 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Granite chin

GREEN!160
Underworld Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the lightweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Marat Gafurov!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Moe Lester!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Anni Minnemäki and Arvi Lind.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gafurov stuns Lester with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Lester moves in looking to clinch but Gafurov pushes him off.
Lester tries to clinch up.
Lester tries to clinch there but Gafurov circles away.

Lester closes the distance and clinches.
Lester is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Lester scores with a shot to the side of Gafurov's head.
Gafurov misses with a punch on the inside.
Lester lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Gafurov tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Gafurov tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Lester smiles and moves away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Marat Gafurov. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Lester connects with a body shot that sends Gafurov's belly button to the back.
Gafurov cracks a nice hook into Lester's ribs.

Lester has closed the distance and engaged Gafurov in a clinch.
A nice right hand lands inside from Lester.

That's one minute gone in the round.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Gafurov.
I was talking to Gafurov's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Still in the clinch, Lester scores with a nice short uppercut.

Lester breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
The fight stays on the outside here - Lester looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Lester tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Gafurov circles away from the clinch attempt.
Lester tries to close the distance and clinch up but Gafurov swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Gafurov half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Moe Lester is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Gafurov avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Gafurov attempts a counter takedown but Lester avoids it well and moves away.
Lester moves in looking to clinch but Gafurov pushes him off.
Lester is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Moe Lester seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Lester has closed the distance and engaged Gafurov in a clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

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

Gafurov shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Lester's guard.
Gafurov trying to control but Lester is working from the bottom.
Gafurov wants to pass the guard but Lester is keeping the position.
Lester controls Gafurov momentarily but Gafurov frees himself.

Lester is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Gafurov passes into half guard.
Gafurov is trying to control the action in half guard but Lester is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gafurov in half guard on the top. He's looking for a kimura... He's got it locked and he's managed to free his trapped foot. Lester tries to escape but it's on too tight and he has to tap! Great BJJ skills there from Gafurov!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:19 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Marat Gafurov!
Marat Gafurov retains his lightweight title!
An intense looking Marat Gafurov took to the microphone post fight and gave a little speech: 'I deserve this win! '.