PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Tom Odonnell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Salim Sadulaev (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for Tom Odonnell has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Odonnell
vs
Sadulaev

151 cm
18
193 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

188 cm
23
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

Good wrestler
Brawler
Inexperienced

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Tom Odonnell!
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, Salim Sadulaev!
The judges for this bout are Igor Prikhodko, Sergei Dronov and Illya Tyunina.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Odonnell misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Odonnell fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Sadulaev tries to counter with a clinch but Odonnell shakes him off and moves away.
Odonnell tries to close the distance and clinch but Sadulaev swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Sadulaev closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Sadulaev is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Odonnell's shoulder. That is not cool.

Sadulaev stands up and beckons Odonnell to his feet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Odonnell decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

Sadulaev manages to escape and get back to his feet!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Nice sprawl there from Sadulaev as Odonnell shoots in.
Sadulaev tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tom Odonnell. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sadulaev shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Odonnell's guard.
Sadulaev won't allow Odonnell to sweep him here.
Sadulaev throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Odonnell works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Odonnell is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Sadulaev postures up in Odonnell's guard and throws a big left but Odonnell blocks it.
Sadulaev is stalling in the full guard.
Let's hope that Sadulaev has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
It looks like Sadulaev might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.

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

Sadulaev scores with a takedown into Odonnell's guard.
Sadulaev sitting in guard, not really doing much.
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.
Odonnell wants to sweep but no luck.

Odonnell has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Sadulaev can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Sadulaev controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

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.
Sadulaev throwing strikes from guard but Odonnell blocks nicely.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Odonnell really is a fat lump.
Odonnell can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Sadulaev controls the pace.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sadulaev throws a sloppy head kick and Odonnell moves out of range easily.

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

Sadulaev stands up from guard. Let's bang!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Salim Sadulaev dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Odonnell throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Sadulaev was covering up waiting for the punch and Odonnell finishes the takedown easily into guard.

The fighters are working up against the cage. Sadulaev manages to wriggle his way back to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched against the cage.

Sadulaev decides to pull guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sadulaev throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Odonnell working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Sadulaev holds on and takes a little breather.
Odonnell has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Odonnell working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Odonnell might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sadulaev looking to hit a scissor sweep but Odonnell is one step ahead there.

Sadulaev looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Odonnell preventing the sweep.
Sadulaev is adopting a defensive guard.
Odonnell would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Sadulaev holds on and takes a little breather.
Odonnell trying to control but Sadulaev is working from the bottom.

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.
Sadulaev preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Sadulaev controlling the position.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Some wild striking there from Sadulaev.
Odonnell appears to be looking for a big counter.
Sadulaev wants to slow Odonnell down by chopping away at his legs.
Sadulaev slaps away a takedown attempt from Odonnell, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Sadulaev stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Sadulaev wants it to stay on the feet.

Sadulaev has managed to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sadulaev has clasped his hands together around Odonnell's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Odonnell bucks up and tries to throw Sadulaev off but instead Sadulaev has got his back!
Odonnell is covering up but some of the strikes from Sadulaev are getting through and doing damage.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sadulaev gets his hooks in and is throwing strikes.
Odonnell looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.

Sadulaev is looking for the choke from the back position but Odonnell is controlling his hands well.
Sadulaev is riding his opponent, not letting Odonnell buck him off.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sadulaev controlling well, preventing Odonnell from escaping the position.
Sadulaev throwing damaging strikes from the back! Odonnell could be in trouble here!
Sadulaev is punishing Odonnell with strikes - can he finish him?!
Sadulaev controlling well, preventing Odonnell from escaping the position.

Sadulaev looking for the choke but no joy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Salim Sadulaev showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Sadulaev tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Odonnell fakes the leg kick and cracks Sadulaev in the body.

Sadulaev fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Odonnell, pushing him back against the cage.
Sadulaev misses with a body punch.
Sadulaev blocking some punches.
Odonnell misses with a punch on the inside.

Sadulaev is trying to trip Odonnell. He has hold of a leg but Odonnell is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Sadulaev persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Sadulaev wants to stand but Odonnell is controlling his posture from full guard.
Sadulaev has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Sadulaev engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
We're seeing a lot of stalling here from Sadulaev.
Odonnell keeping moving, preventing Sadulaev from controlling successfully.
Sadulaev is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Sadulaev stands up over Odonnell, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

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.
Sadulaev working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Sadulaev stands up over Odonnell, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

Sadulaev stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Sadulaev misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Odonnell throwing a counter right hand but Sadulaev manages to avoid it.

Sadulaev moves into the clinch.
Odonnell tries to stall but Sadulaev uses the opportunity to gain a better position.

Sadulaev jumps guard.
Odonnell postures up.
Salim Sadulaev has got the better of the ground game so far.
Sadulaev controlling the position.
Sadulaev throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Odonnell wants to control from the top but Sadulaev keeps moving.
Odonnell wants to stand but Sadulaev is controlling his posture from full guard.
Odonnell working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Sadulaev kicks Odonnell off and gets to his feet.

Sadulaev decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Sadulaev not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Sadulaev looks to score some points with some ground and pound.

Sadulaev wants to work for an arm triangle but Odonnell is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Sadulaev decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
Odonnell moves out of range of the leg kick from Sadulaev.
Odonnell is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Sadulaev.
Odonnell moves out of range as Sadulaev strikes.
Odonnell moves out of range as Sadulaev throws a body kick.
Sadulaev defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Odonnell.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Sadulaev jumps guard and drags Odonnell to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Sadulaev tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Tom Odonnell has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Salim Sadulaev is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Sadulaev wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

And that's the end of the fight!
Salim Sadulaev comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Sadulaev 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 Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 27:30
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight 27:30
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Salim Sadulaev!