PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Tyler Allen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Scott Sopoaga (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Allen
vs
Sopoaga

175 cm
18
190 lbs
0 - 1 - 1

180 cm
18
178 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Very confident

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 - 1 - 1, fighting out of St Petersburg, Tyler Allen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Scott Sopoaga!
The judges for this bout are Viktor Lagutenko, Konstantin Menshow and Sergei Dronov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Allen looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Sopoaga preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Sopoaga holds on and takes a little breather.
Allen wants to control from the top but Sopoaga keeps moving.
Allen throwing strikes but missing.

Allen stands up from guard. Let's bang!
A lazy left from Sopoaga finds it's target.
Sopoaga misses with a double jab.
Allen shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Sopoaga pinned against the cage. Sopoaga gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

Sopoaga gets a takedown into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sopoaga missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Allen is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Sopoaga escapes and gets back to his feet.
Allen throws a body punch but Sopoaga moves out of range.

Allen pushes Sopoaga up against the cage in a clinch.
Allen is stalling here.
Sopoaga is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.

Sopoaga breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

That's two 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.
Allen throws a low kick, looking for Sopoaga's leg but Sopoaga calmly moves out of range.
Tyler Allen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Allen moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Allen is breathing heavily.

Allen darts in and clinches Sopoaga up against the cage.
Sopoaga stops a takedown attempt from Allen.
Sopoaga lands a shoulder strike.
Allen takes an elbow to the forehead.

Allen breaks from the clinch.
Allen looks to land a body kick but Sopoaga moved away.
Sopoaga with a jab.
Allen misses with a head kick.
Sopoaga lands a high kick!
Sopoaga throws a right hand that Allen ducks under and follows up with a left that Allen also avoids with ease.
A solid body kick from Sopoaga.
Sopoaga connects with a high kick.
Sopoaga lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Allen misses with the body kick
and Sopoaga counters with a three punch combo that has Allen backing up. Allen nods at Sopoaga to acknowledge the strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A jab from Sopoaga finds it's way through Allen's defenses.
Sopoaga lands a front kick.
Sopoaga fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Allen tries to clinch up
and Sopoaga counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Allen tries to clinch up
letting Sopoaga counter with a right hand.
Sopoaga tries to clinch up.
Allen clinches but Sopoaga breaks the clinch

and Sopoaga moves into the clinch.

Allen breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Allen moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sopoaga plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Sopoaga lands a really nice looking cross but Allen seems unphased.
Allen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Allen misses with a hook. Sopoaga ducked under it nicely.
Sopoaga throws a sloppy head kick and Allen moves out of range easily.
Sopoaga will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Sopoaga lands a glancing blow to the side of Allen's head.
Allen tries to land a body kick
and Sopoaga counters with a right hand to the body.

Allen decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Sopoaga won't allow Allen to pass to mount.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Allen stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Sopoaga to get to his feet.
Sopoaga connects with a single shot there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Allen tries to clinch but Sopoaga moves away
and Sopoaga counters with a big head kick but Allen shrugs it off.
Allen takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Allen misses with a takedown attempt - Sopoaga sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Scott Sopoaga is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Sopoaga is looking to clinch.
Nice body kick from Allen.
Allen fails with the takedown
and Sopoaga counters with a stiff right hand.
Allen lands a front kick.
Sopoaga takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Sopoaga throws a head kick that misses.
Sopoaga keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Allen throws a looping overhand right but Sopoaga ducks down to avoid it.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Sopoaga. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.
Allen takes a swing at Sopoaga's ribcage but misses.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Allen looks to throw the jab but Sopoaga is out of range.
Sopoaga throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Allen tries to clinch up but Sopoaga circles away and keeps his distance.
Sopoaga moves out of range of the body kick from Allen.
Sopoaga closes the distance and clinches up with Allen, looking for a takedown. Sopoaga pushes Allen against the cage but Allen circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Allen pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Allen throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Sopoaga counters by clinching up.

Sopoaga breaks from the clinch.

Allen changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Sopoaga looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Allen looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Sopoaga is avoiding damage well.
The ground and pound from Allen seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Allen misses with an attempted head punch from side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Allen landing a few strikes.
Sopoaga tries to control the position but he's not in luck - Allen easily slips into full mount!
Sopoaga wants to control but Allen is having none of it.
Sopoaga gets back to half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Allen is looking for a kimura but Sopoaga is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Allen to get the leverage.

Sopoaga makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Allen with a lazy takedown attempt
and Sopoaga connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tyler Allen. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sopoaga tries to clinch up but Allen circles away and keeps his distance.
Allen misses with a body punch
and Sopoaga counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Allen throws a lazy body kick
and Sopoaga connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
No luck for Allen with that takedown attempt.
Scott Sopoaga seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Sopoaga throws a sloppy head kick and Allen moves out of range easily.
Sopoaga stalks Allen and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Allen's face. Allen staggers backwards, shaken.
Allen looks to throw a body kick

and Sopoaga holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.

Allen breaks the clinch.
Allen looks to clinch
and Sopoaga counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
The fight stays on the outside here - Allen looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Sopoaga scores with a head kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Sopoaga shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Sopoaga showed some decent athleticism there.
Sopoaga is keen to just control but Allen is a slippery customer.
Allen is looking for a sweep. Sopoaga is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Sopoaga stands up out of the half guard.

Allen closes the distance and clinches.

Sopoaga turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Allen is looking for a sweep.
Allen bucks up and tries to throw Sopoaga off but instead Sopoaga has got his back!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Scott Sopoaga 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! This is the final round!

Allen tries to land a body kick
and Sopoaga counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Allen fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Sopoaga lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Sopoaga lands a head kick!
Allen darts in trying to clinch
and Sopoaga counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Sopoaga tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Allen paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Sopoaga tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Allen walks forward, straight into a front kick from Sopoaga.
Sopoaga lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Sopoaga throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Allen tries to land a body kick
and Sopoaga counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Allen fails with the takedown
and Sopoaga counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Sopoaga throws a series of punches but Allen avoids them all with ease.
Allen fails to land the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tyler Allen. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Allen looks to clinch

and Sopoaga counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Allen lands with a heel strike from the guard.

Sopoaga stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Allen throws a sloppy head kick
and Sopoaga counters with a three punch combo that has Allen backing up. Allen nods at Sopoaga to acknowledge the strikes.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Sopoaga.
Allen misses with a takedown
and Sopoaga counters with a big head kick but Allen shrugs it off.
Sopoaga throws a right and a left that both miss.
A combination from Sopoaga does no damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Allen tries to keep at a distance but Sopoaga has taken the fight into the clinch.
Sopoaga is working for takedown but Allen is calmly controlling the position for now.
Sopoaga tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Allen pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Allen tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Sopoaga counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Sopoaga.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sopoaga lands a couple of digs.

Sopoaga gets to his feet - Allen follows without any prompting.
Allen swats away the attempt to clinch by Sopoaga.
Sopoaga keeps the fight on the outside.
Sopoaga throws a shot to the body.
A lazy body kick from Allen
and Sopoaga counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Allen explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sopoaga looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Sopoaga getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Sopoaga misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Allen tries to close the distance and clinch up but Sopoaga swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Allen has taken the fight to the clinch.
Sopoaga is trying to maintain a safe position but Allen gets an underhook and turns Sopoaga into the cage.
Sopoaga misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Allen.
Allen stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.

Allen breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
The fight stays on the outside here - Sopoaga looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Allen on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Allen tries to clinch
and Sopoaga counters with a thumping low kick.
Sopoaga shoots in for a double leg but Allen sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.

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.
Allen misses with a takedown attempt - Sopoaga sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Scott Sopoaga is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Allen is looking to land body kicks.
Allen looks to land a left hand but Sopoaga moved out of range nicely.

Sopoaga moves into range and clinches up with Allen.

Sopoaga drags the fight down to the ground.
Allen looking to sit in guard and control but Sopoaga gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Allen throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Allen wants to stand and escape but Sopoaga is having none of it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Scott Sopoaga comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Sopoaga has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 27:30
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Scott Sopoaga!