PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Birigiz Ignatiev (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jim Beckett (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Ignatiev
vs
Beckett

160 cm
37
145 lbs
32 - 17 - 1

168 cm
34
146 lbs
28 - 15 - 2

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class MT
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 32 - 17 - 1, fighting out of New York, Birigiz Ignatiev!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 28 - 15 - 2, fighting out of New York, Jim Beckett!
The judges for this bout are Steven Brown, James Glass and James Atkins.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Beckett misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Nice defenses there by Beckett.
Ignatiev ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Ignatiev looks to throw the jab but Beckett is out of range.
Beckett is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Beckett looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Ignatiev tries to clinch there but Beckett circles away.
Beckett lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Ignatiev lands with a slapping head kick.
Ignatiev displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Beckett throws out the jab.
Ignatiev moves into range and connects with a jab.
Beckett ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Beckett throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Beckett lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Beckett looks for a takedown but Ignatiev sprawls well.
It looked like Ignatiev wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Beckett scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
A head kick misses from Ignatiev.
Ignatiev takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Beckett connects with a leg kick. Ignatiev looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ignatiev doesn't manage to clinch there - Beckett circles away.
Birigiz Ignatiev is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Beckett keeps the fight on the outside.
Beckett lands a really nice looking cross but Ignatiev seems unphased.
Ignatiev is looking to clinch.
Ignatiev throws a sloppy head kick and Beckett moves out of range easily.
Ignatiev chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Beckett can pounce on him.
Beckett scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Beckett tries to land a leg kick but Ignatiev saw it coming and moves away.
Beckett misses with a low kick.
A looping hook to the body misses from Beckett. Ignatiev does a little dance to reset his feet.
Ignatiev slips a straight right by Beckett.
Beckett ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Ignatiev moves away.
Ignatiev throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Beckett tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Ignatiev tries a head kick but it misses.
Ignatiev throws a shot from downtown. Beckett moves away and avoids it.
Ignatiev throws a head kick that misses.
Beckett pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ignatiev pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Beckett rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Ignatiev counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Beckett is lucky that one didn't land flush.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ignatiev tries a head kick but it misses.
Beckett scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Ignatiev fails in his attempt to clinch.
Beckett with a hook.
Beckett lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Beckett connects with a leg kick. Ignatiev looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Beckett lands with a thumping leg kick.
Beckett shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Ignatiev swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Beckett misses with a low kick.
Ignatiev on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Jim Beckett seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Beckett avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Ignatiev moves out of range as Beckett strikes.
Beckett throws a low kick but it's checked well by Ignatiev.
It looked like Ignatiev was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Ignatiev lands with a cross.
Ignatiev is looking to clinch but Beckett is avoiding it.
Beckett shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
enabling Ignatiev to counter with a crisp jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ignatiev throws a head kick that misses.
Beckett fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Ignatiev manages to avoid it.
Beckett lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Beckett swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Beckett misses with a leg kick.
Beckett feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Ignatievs jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Beckett lands a nice leg kick that just misses Ignatiev's sensitive parts.
Beckett throws a body punch but Ignatiev moves out of range.
Ignatiev wants to clinch.
Beckett throws a leg kick but Ignatiev sees it coming and moves out of range.
A shot to the liver by Beckett. Beautiful body shot.
Beckett works the jab nicely.
Beckett takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Beckett scores with a jab to the head.
Beckett throws a shot to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Ignatiev moves in looking to clinch but Beckett pushes him off.
Beckett looks to score with a jab to the body but Ignatiev is just out of range.
Ignatiev works the jab nicely.
Ignatiev steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Beckett.
Ignatiev throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Ignatiev has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Beckett.
Beckett is looking to chop away at Ignatiev's legs.
Ignatiev avoids the body shot from Beckett.
A clash of legs there as Ignatiev blocks the low kick.
A left lands for Beckett.
The fight stays on the outside here - Ignatiev looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Ignatiev scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ignatiev lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
A head kick misses from Ignatiev.
Ignatiev misses with an uppercut.
Ignatiev connects with a single shot there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jim Beckett dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Beckett throws a low kick but Ignatiev avoids it.
Beckett scores with a sloppy right hand. Ignatiev should have avoided that one.
Ignatiev throws a hook but Beckett avoids it easily.
Ignatiev is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Ignatiev with a jab.
Beckett throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Beckett feints and then cracks Ignatiev's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Ignatiev down.
Ignatiev throws the kick towards the body but Beckett avoids it.
Beckett does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Beckett will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Jim Beckett seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Beckett throws out a loose jab but Ignatiev uses good head movement to avoid it.
Beckett takes one to the side of the head.
Beckett has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Ignatiev clinches with his opponent.
Beckett blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Beckett jumps guard but Ignatiev stands there with Beckett around his waist. Beckett gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Beckett fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Beckett is leaning against Ignatiev and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Ignatiev with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Ignatiev swings wildly with an uppercut but Beckett uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ignatiev blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Beckett misses with a short punch on the inside.
Ignatiev misses with a punch on the inside.
Beckett prevents a body shot from Ignatiev.
Beckett digs a right hand underneath Ignatiev's ribcage. Ignatiev let out a lung full of air as it connected.
A head punch on the inside from Ignatiev fails to land.
Ignatiev lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Ignatiev looking to throw knees to the head but Beckett is blocking nicely.
Beckett scores with a shot to the side of Ignatiev's head.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Ignatiev.
A body shot lands from Beckett.
Beckett blocks a body shot from Ignatiev.
Beckett blocking some punches.
Ignatiev misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Beckett.
Beckett goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Beckett lands a hook to the side of the head.
Beckett misses with a short punch on the inside.
Beckett throws a punch but it's blocked by Ignatiev.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ignatiev scores with a knee to the head.
Ignatiev misses with a hook to the ribs.
Beckett misses with a short punch on the inside.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Ignatiev lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Ignatiev blocks an uppercut.
Beckett has a couple of punches blocked by Ignatiev.
Ignatiev blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Beckett's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Beckett connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Beckett misses with a leg kick.
Ignatiev wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Ignatiev swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Ignatiev slips a straight right by Beckett.
Ignatiev has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Beckett.
Ignatiev clobbers Beckett with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Ignatiev misses with a head kick.
Ignatiev fails in his attempt to clinch.
Beckett takes a swing at Ignatiev's ribcage but misses.
Ignatiev throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Beckett tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Ignatiev is able to avoid easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Beckett connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Nice straight punches there by Beckett. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Beckett.
Beckett has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Ignatiev throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Ignatiev throws a sloppy head kick and Beckett moves out of range easily.
Beckett slips under a jab.
Ignatiev uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Beckett.
Beckett takes one to the side of the head.
Ignatiev staying out of range there.
Beckett scores with a hook to the body. Ignatiev takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Ignatiev tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Ignatiev keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Beckett throws a nice outside leg kick.
Ignatiev pulls out of a head kick attempt.
And Beckett tries to counter it with a takedown but Ignatiev pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Ignatiev misses the shot to the body.
Ignatiev takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Beckett will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Beckett swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Ignatiev tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Beckett manages to circle out of the way.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Beckett scores with a kick to the midsection.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Beckett tries to score with a low kick but Ignatiev moves his leg out of the way.
Ignatiev is looking to clinch.
Ignatiev doesn't manage to clinch there - Beckett circles away.
Beckett drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Ignatiev defends it well.
Beckett misses the shot to the body.
Nice defenses there by Beckett.
Ignatiev throws a head kick but Beckett moves out of range.
Beckett tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Beckett rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Ignatiev counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
Ignatiev gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Beckett jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Beckett avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Beckett takes a swing at Ignatiev's ribcage but misses.
Beckett uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Ignatiev.
Beckett blocks a head kick by Ignatiev.
Beckett lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Ignatiev wants to clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Jim Beckett will probably get the nod - 10:9.
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.

Beckett throws a quick inside leg kick.
Beckett lands with a thumping leg kick.

Ignatiev gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Beckett misses with a short punch on the inside.
Ignatiev lands a left hand that snaps the head of Beckett backwards.
A left hand lands to the body for Beckett.
Beckett throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Ignatiev fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Beckett throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Ignatiev tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Ignatiev tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A nice right hand lands inside from Beckett.
Ignatiev tries to land a knee to the head but Beckett blocks with his arms.
Ignatiev lands a hook that snaps the head of Beckett backwards.
Beckett lands with a right to the head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Ignatiev misses with a short punch on the inside.
Ignatiev lands with a short head shot on the inside.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ignatiev lands a right hand.
Beckett works on Ignatiev's body with a couple of short punches.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Ignatiev tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Beckett misses with some punches.
Beckett blocking some punches.
Ignatiev looking to stall.
Beckett on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Ignatiev tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Beckett lands a nice shot to the body.
Ignatiev misses with a body punch.
Ignatiev tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Beckett lands a shot to the body.
Ignatiev misses with some punches.

Beckett successfully pulls guard.
Ignatiev preventing the sweep.
Beckett is pulling down on Ignatiev's head to control his posture.
Ignatiev trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ignatiev wants to stand but Beckett is controlling his posture from full guard.
Ignatiev seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Beckett is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Beckett controlling the position.

Beckett looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Ignatiev passes into half guard.
Beckett controlling the position for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Beckett trying to control but Ignatiev postures up.
The fighters are battling for position here. Beckett manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Beckett pulls Ignatiev in close to his closed guard and prevents Ignatiev from doing any damage or advancing position.
Ignatiev trying to control the position from guard on top but Beckett is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Beckett is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Beckett keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Ignatiev.

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.
Beckett misses with a body kick.
Beckett turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Beckett moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Beckett walks into a jab.
Beckett swats away the attempt to clinch by Ignatiev.
Birigiz Ignatiev has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Ignatiev fails with an attempt to clinch.
Ignatiev fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Beckett throws a head kick that misses.
Ignatiev wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Beckett thows a left - swing and a miss!
A little feinted left hand from Ignatiev on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Beckett fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Ignatiev is out of range.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Beckett jumps guard.
Beckett utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Ignatiev content to stall in guard here.
Ignatiev with a flurry of punches that miss.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Birigiz Ignatiev.
I think Beckett has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Steven Brown scores the fight 28:30
Judge James Glass scores the fight 28:29
Judge James Atkins scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jim Beckett!
A very excited looking Jim Beckett made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.