PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Steve Mezza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Boris Xisco (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Mezza
vs
Xisco

180 cm
18
220 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

200 cm
22
240 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Heavy handed

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Steve Mezza!
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, Boris Xisco!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Sergei Dronov and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mezza will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Mezza throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Mezza could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Xisco showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Mezza.
Xisco keeps the fight on the outside.
Xisco tries to clinch but Mezza is having none of it.

Mezza closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Mezza lands in his opponent's guard.
Xisco looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Xisco keeping moving, preventing Mezza from controlling successfully.
Mezza stops Xisco from standing up.

Xisco wriggles free and stands up.
Mezza shoots in for a takedown but Xisco shows good takedown defense.

Mezza shoots in for a takedown and gets it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Xisco tries to kick Mezza off but Mezza keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Mezza lands with a punch from half guard.
Xisco is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Xisco looks gassed!

Mezza stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Xisco to get to his feet.
Xisco looks to clinch

and Mezza counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Mezza is thwarting Xisco's attempts to control the position.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Mezza connects with a nice short shot to Xisco's temple.
Mezza tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
Mezza is tying to control. Xisco wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Xisco is trying to control but can't.
Mezza is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.
Mezza trying to control the pace.
Mezza prevents Xisco from standing back up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Mezza cracks a nice hook into Xisco's ribs.
Xisco misses with a two punch combination.

Mezza feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Mezza 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.
Mezza postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.

Mezza decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Xisco, up you get!
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!

Mezza moves into the clinch successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mezza throws an elbow but it misses.

Xisco is trying to trip Mezza. He has hold of a leg but Mezza is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Xisco persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Mezza looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Xisco working some strikes from top position.
Xisco must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Xisco preventing the sweep.
Mezza wants to stand and escape but Xisco is having none of it.
Xisco trying to control but Mezza is working from the bottom.
Mezza might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Xisco trying to stand up but can't free himself from Mezza's guard.
Mezza looking to hit a scissor sweep but Xisco is one step ahead there.
Xisco scoring with some ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mezza controls Xisco momentarily but Xisco frees himself.
Xisco stopping the sweep attempt from Mezza.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Mezza scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Mezza shoots in but Xisco avoids the takedown attempt easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Steve Mezza. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Xisco tries to land a leg kick but Mezza saw it coming and moves away.

Mezza fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Xisco sprawls well initially but Mezza persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Mezza is looking to advance position but Xisco won't allow it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Xisco wants to get back to his feet.

Xisco kicks Mezza off and gets back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Steve Mezza dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Xisco takes the fight into the clinch.

Xisco manages to break the clinch.
Xisco tries to clinch up.
Nice takedown defense from Mezza. No joy for Xisco on that attempt.
Mezza looks for a takedown but Xisco sprawls well.
Good standup being displayed there by Mezza as he connects with a hook.
Mezza fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Steve Mezza is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Xisco tries to clinch up

and Mezza counters with a takedown into side control.
Mezza working the ground and pound from side control.
Mezza staying calm.
Mezza works to advance to full mount. Xisco defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Xisco is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mezza looking to control and managing it successfully.
Xisco is in a horrible position here. Mezza smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.

Mezza looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Xisco is squirming around, avoiding Mezza's attempts to control the action.
Xisco tries to hold on but Mezza postures up.
Xisco is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

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.

Mezza looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Xisco bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!

Mezza working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Xisco doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Xisco manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Xisco trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Xisco prevents Mezza from getting back to his feet.
Xisco looking to pass the guard.
Xisco working some strikes from top position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mezza working a defensive guard here.

Mezza had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Xisco is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Mezza Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Xisco's back instead.
Xisco looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.
Xisco trying to control the hands but Mezza breaks the grip.
Mezza lands strikes to the head.
Mezza scores with a nice shot to the head of his opponent. Xisco is looking for a way out.

Mezza has got his arm under Xisco's chin working for the choke… has he got it? It looks pretty tight! Oh! Xisco has spun round into Mezza's guard beautifully! Well done that man!
Xisco missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Mezza looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Xisco is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Mezza keeping moving, preventing Xisco from controlling successfully.

Xisco stands and steps away. Mezza gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Xisco misses with an uppercut.
Xisco tries to clinch up
and Mezza counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Mezza tries to clinch but Xisco moves away
and Xisco counters with a left to the body.
Mezza ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Xisco moves away.
Xisco wants to clinch.

Xisco has closed the distance and engaged Mezza in a clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Steve Mezza dominated that second round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Mezza scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Xisco throws a body kick that misses.
Mezza throws a right hand that Xisco ducks under and follows up with a left that Xisco also avoids with ease.

Mezza darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Mezza lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Mezza stalling away here and it's allowed Xisco to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Mezza throws a big right hand that misses.
Xisco throws a nice elbow from the bottom.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Mezza missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Mezza lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

Mezza stands up from Xisco's guard - Mezza perhaps looking for a knockout.
Mezza bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Xisco's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Xisco misses with a double jab.
Mezza tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Xisco counters with an outside leg kick.
Xisco shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Mezza makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Xisco tries to clinch but Mezza is having none of it.
Mezza circles away from the clinch attempt.
Mezza lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Xisco looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Mezza fails with the takedown.
An inside leg kick lands from Xisco.
Mezza fails to land with a series of punches.

Mezza shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Mezza 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.

Mezza decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Xisco, up you get!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mezza misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Mezza shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Xisco pinned against the cage. Xisco gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

Xisco forces Mezza back against the cage and clinches.
A short uppercut from Xisco.
Mezza is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Xisco gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Steve Mezza. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Xisco working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Mezza wants to break the clinch but can't.

Xisco manages to break the clinch.
Mezza loads up on a big right hand but Xisco slips the punch.
Xisco circles away from the clinch attempt.

Xisco closes the distance and clinches.
Xisco blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Xisco escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Mezza fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Xisco, pushing him back against the cage.
Mezza lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Xisco or not.
Xisco lands an elbow that stopped Mezza in his tracks for a moment.

Xisco breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Mezza.
Mezza is looking to wear down Xisco with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Xisco tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Mezza counters with a nice double leg into side control. Xisco won't be happy with that.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Xisco is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Xisco is looking for a sweep.
Xisco takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.

Mezza stands up and beckons Xisco to his feet.
Mezza circles away from the clinch attempt.
Xisco tries to clinch there but Mezza circles away.
Mezza looks frusrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Xisco throws a right hand that Mezza ducks under and follows up with a left that Mezza also avoids with ease.
Mezza misses with the combination.
The fight stays on the outside here - Xisco looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Mezza looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Xisco wants to get back to his feet.

Mezza is looking for a kimura but Xisco is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Mezza to get the leverage.
Xisco gets full guard.

Xisco has his feet on Mezza's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.

Mezza scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Mezza lands with a punch from half guard.
Xisco wants to get back to his feet.
Mezza is figuring out what he wants to do next.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Mezza is looking to advance position but Xisco won't allow it.
Boris Xisco has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Xisco can do anything to dispel that myth.
Mezza lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.

And that's the end of the fight!
Steve Mezza showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Mezza, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight 30:27
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Steve Mezza!