PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Johnnie Solomon (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mamed Khalidov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Mamed Khalidov acknowledges the crowd's support as he enters the cage.

Solomon
vs
Khalidov

219 cm
18
193 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

183 cm
18
185 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

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 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Johnnie Solomon!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Mamed Khalidov!
The judges for this bout are Viktor Lagutenko, Valeri Chadov and Vladimir Khabensky.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Khalidov looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Solomon connects with a leg kick. Khalidov looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.

Khalidov drives through with a takedown into guard.
Solomon wants to sweep but no luck.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Solomon seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

Khalidov gets to his feet. Solomon looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!

Khalidov shoots in and gets a takedown into Solomon's guard.
Khalidov trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Solomon controlling Khalidov's posture.
Khalidov slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Khalidov remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Solomon tries to bench press Khalidov off him but Khalidov keeps the position.
Khalidov wants to lay and pray for a moment but Solomon keeps working.
Khalidov working away.
Solomon looks to move to half guard but instead Khalidov has passed into mount! Damn!
Solomon wants to hold on but Khalidov pushes him away.
Khalidov unloads with some shots from mount but Solomon bucks and avoids them well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Solomon defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Khalidov.
Khalidov looks winded!
Solomon is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Solomon sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Solomon keeping control of the position.
Khalidov not doing much here.
Solomon gets full guard.
Solomon trying to control the position here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Khalidov trying to control the position from guard on top but Solomon is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Solomon looking to control.
Khalidov stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Solomon swivels though and keeps the full guard.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
A head kick misses from Khalidov.
Khalidov keeps the fight on the outside.
Solomon fails with an attempt to clinch.
Khalidov keeps the fight on the outside.
Solomon showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Khalidov.

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.
Solomon shoots in for a takedown but Khalidov shows good takedown defense.
Khalidov with the counter takedown but Solomon avoids it easily.

Solomon has managed to clinch.
Khalidov wants to break the clinch but can't.

Khalidov pulls guard effortlessly.
Solomon controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Solomon advances to half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Solomon is thwarting Khalidov's attempts to control the position.
Solomon controlling the action here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mamed Khalidov dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Solomon clinches up with Khalidov and pushes him back against the cage.

Khalidov drags the fight down to the ground.
Khalidov pulls Solomon in close to prevent any damage.
Solomon showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Solomon stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Khalidov is breathing heavily.
Solomon tries to close the distance and clinch up but Khalidov swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Khalidov wants to counter the offense by Solomon and move into the clinch position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A head kick misses from Khalidov.
Solomon is looking to counter with head kicks.

Solomon instigates a clinch.

Khalidov turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Solomon can't do much from the bottom here.
Khalidov trying to control the position but Solomon is working away.
Solomon can't do much from the bottom here.
Solomon isn't going anywhere.
You can see the frustration on Solomon's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

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

Khalidov swings around for an armbar but Solomon sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Khalidov's guard.

Solomon 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.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Solomon slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Solomon's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Solomon wants to control from the top but Khalidov keeps moving.
Solomon controlling from the top position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Solomon working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Solomon trying to control but Khalidov is working from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Khalidov rushes Solomon and presses him up against the cage.

Solomon breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Solomon rushes Khalidov and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Khalidov gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Solomon regains guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mamed Khalidov showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Solomon closes the distance and clinches.

Solomon breaks from the clinch.

Khalidov instigates a clinch.

Solomon has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Khalidov uses from the top position.
Solomon not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Solomon is pulling down on Khalidov's head. It's preventing any offense from Khalidov, at least for the moment.
Khalidov must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Solomon keeping moving, preventing Khalidov from controlling successfully.
Khalidov takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Solomon holds on and takes a little breather.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Solomon trying to control the position.
Khalidov sitting in guard, not really doing much.

Solomon escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Khalidov gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Solomon will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Solomon is pulling down on Khalidov's head to control his posture.

That's two 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.
Solomon tries to strike from the bottom.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Solomon really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Khalidov forces Solomon back against the cage and clinches.
Solomon wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Khalidov has him pressed against the cage.

Khalidov wants the takedown. Solomon is fighting it off but Khalidov persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Solomon's guard against the cage.
Solomon pulls Khalidov in to control the position.
Khalidov in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Solomon wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Khalidov postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Khalidov lands a couple of digs.
Khalidov trying to control but Solomon is working from the bottom.
Solomon has Khalidov pulled in close to control his posture.
Khalidov has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Khalidov passes into half guard.
Solomon keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
Khalidov is keen to just control but Solomon is a slippery customer.

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.
Solomon is trying is best to control the position here.

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

Khalidov has Solomon up against the cage in a clinch.

Khalidov has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Solomon is trying to keep an underhook but Khalidov manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Solomon is pressing down on Khalidov's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Khalidov would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Khalidov preventing the sweep.
Johnnie Solomon has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Mamed Khalidov is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

Khalidov got a little sloppy there for a moment and Solomon has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Khalidov has managed to get both his arms back between Solomon's legs - danger averted.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mamed Khalidov comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Khalidov winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Valeri Chadov scores the fight 27:30
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mamed Khalidov!