PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Thiago Alves (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Andrei Zharkov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Andrei Zharkov told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Alves
vs
Zharkov

175 cm
26
180 lbs
6 - 8 - 0

183 cm
26
182 lbs
11 - 6 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Great elbows
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Good gas tank

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 6 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Thiago Alves!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 6 - 1, fighting out of London, Andrei Zharkov!
The judges for this bout are Ben Zyskovitsi, Roosa Järviläinen and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Zharkov circles away from the clinch attempt.

Alves rushes Zharkov and presses him up against the cage.
Alves using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Zharkov jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Alves walks away with a smile on his face. Zharkov gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Alves slips under a jab from Zharkov.

Alves darts in and clinches Zharkov up against the cage.
Alves with a knee to the head.

It looks like Andrei Zharkov has been cut.
Alves is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Zharkov is looking for a takedown.
Alves lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Zharkov.

Zharkov jumps guard and drags Alves to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Alves trying to control but Zharkov is working from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Zharkov lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Zharkov chips away with some ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zharkov trying to control but Alves is working from the bottom.
Zharkov with a flurry of punches that miss.
Alves pulls Zharkov in to control the position.
Zharkov missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Alves is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Zharkov has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Alves working a defensive guard here.
Zharkov with a nice head shot there.
Zharkov is working Alves over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Zharkov's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Alves keeping moving, preventing Zharkov from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Alves not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Zharkov is pushing down on Alves's leg trying to pass to half guard. Alves is fighting to maintain full guard but Zharkov has managed to sneak the leg through.
Zharkov seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Alves is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Zharkov scores with a couple of nice shots.
Alves wants to improve his position but Zharkov is controlling well.
Alves is trying is best to control the position here.
Zharkov not doing much here.
Alves blocking the ground and pound attempt from Zharkov.
Alves won't allow Zharkov to pass to mount.

Zharkov is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Zharkov trying to mount his opponent but Alves defends it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zharkov slips a nice elbow through Alves's hands, connecting with Alves's forehead.
Alves controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
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. Zharkov connects with a nice short shot to Alves's temple.
Zharkov looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Zharkov is trying to control the action in half guard but Alves is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Zharkov with the ground and pound but Alves uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Zharkov slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Zharkov cracks Alves with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Check out the look on Zharkov's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Zharkov wants to control but Alves is keeping him busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Zharkov wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Alves, who protects the arm well.
Zharkov is putting a hurting on Alves here, landing some big shots from side control.

Zharkov thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Alves prevents Zharkov from improving position.
Zharkov advances to full mount.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Alves is looking to improve his position but Zharkov isn't that keen on the idea.
Zharkov working Alves over with strikes here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Andrei Zharkov dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Andrei Zharkov's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Zharkov misses with a looping right.
Alves tries to clinch up but Zharkov circles away and keeps his distance.
Zharkov changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Alves attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Zharkov scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.

Alves rushes Zharkov and presses him up against the cage.
Alves tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Zharkov jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Alves walks away with a smile on his face. Zharkov gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
A solid leg kick lands there for Alves.
Andrei Zharkov seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Zharkov is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Alves.
Zharkov changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Alves tries to land a front kick but Zharkov steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Zharkov rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Alves counters with a left and a right that stings Zharkov.
Alves uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Zharkov.
Zharkov shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Alves pinned against the cage. Alves gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zharkov misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Thiago Alves has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Andrei Zharkov.
Zharkov waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Alves.
Alves throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Alves tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Zharkov manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Zharkov circles away from the clinch attempt.
A nice side step and Zharkov releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.
Zharkov swats away the attempt to clinch by Alves.
Nice sprawl there from Alves as Zharkov shoots in.
Alves tries to close the distance and clinch but Zharkov swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
A low kick from Alves is predictable there

and Zharkov counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Zharkov throwing strikes but missing.
Andrei Zharkov has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Alves preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Zharkov scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Zharkov landing some decent shots from guard.
Alves preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Zharkov trying to control the position from guard on top but Alves is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Zharkov is working Alves over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Alves preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Zharkov is working Alves over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Zharkov trying to control the position from guard on top but Alves is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Zharkov has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Zharkov sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Alves's guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Zharkov landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Alves wants to control but Zharkov is keeping busy.
Alves knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Zharkov on the ground.
Zharkov passes the guard and advances to mount!
Zharkov connects with a couple of good shots from mount.

Zharkov looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Alves tries to hold on but Zharkov postures up.
Zharkov raining down hammerfists from mount.
Zharkov working away from the top, dropping strikes.

Alves is rocked!
Zharkov is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Oh Alves is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Whack. That's a big, big shot from Zharkov! Alves is out cold! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:55 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Strikes). Andrei Zharkov!