PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Bertram Mooney (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nikita Balyasnikov (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.

Mooney
vs
Balyasnikov

152 cm
18
193 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

182 cm
18
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Likes comics

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Bertram Mooney!
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, Nikita Balyasnikov!
The judges for this bout are Fedor Mirinova, Illya Tyunina and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Balyasnikov clinches with his opponent.
Mooney really is a fat lump.

Balyasnikov breaks the clinch.

Balyasnikov gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Balyasnikov has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Mooney uses from the top position.
Mooney not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Balyasnikov looking to hit a scissor sweep but Mooney is one step ahead there.
Balyasnikov is looking to sweep but instead, Mooney has passed into half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mooney is controlling the pace.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balyasnikov holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mooney controlling the pace.
Balyasnikov wants to control but Mooney is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Balyasnikov is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Mooney is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Balyasnikov is pressing down on Mooney's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Balyasnikov trying to keep a closed guard but Mooney is proving a slippery customer.

Balyasnikov is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Mooney wants to stand but Balyasnikov has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

Balyasnikov forces Mooney back against the cage and clinches.
Mooney taking a break, stalling in the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mooney tries to pull guard but Balyasnikov forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Balyasnikov manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Balyasnikov fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Mooney has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Balyasnikov after a bit of a struggle.

Balyasnikov manages to pull guard.
Mooney passes into half guard under a barage of strikes.
Balyasnikov trying to control but Mooney postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balyasnikov is looking to escape.
Mooney throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Balyasnikov is trying to maintain the position but Mooney is very close to passing his half guard.
Balyasnikov gets back to full guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Balyasnikov is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Mooney is controlling him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nikita Balyasnikov dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Balyasnikov clinches up with Mooney and pushes him back against the cage.
Mooney is looking to take this one to the mat.
Mooney goes for a takedown in the clinch but Balyasnikov prevents it.
Mooney can't get the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bertram Mooney. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Balyasnikov throws an elbow but it's blocked.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Balyasnikov escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Balyasnikov throws a jab but it's blocked by Mooney.
Horrible takedown attempt by Balyasnikov or perhaps it was just good defense by Mooney, which made it look bad.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mooney takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.

Balyasnikov moves into the clinch successfully.
Mooney is pressed up against the cage. Balyasnikov has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Mooney down to the mat. Mooney avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Balyasnikov has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Balyasnikov clinches with his opponent.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Mooney takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.

Balyasnikov pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Balyasnikov misses with a low kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balyasnikov will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
An attempted straight right counter from Mooney misses the target.
Balyasnikov tries to land a front kick but Mooney steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Mooney went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Balyasnikov fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Mooney avoids it really well and circles away.
Balyasnikov shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Mooney sprawls well. Mooney wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Balyasnikov gets slowly back to his feet.
Balyasnikov just manages to avoid a counter high kick fromMooney.
Balyasnikov is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Balyasnikov gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Mooney tries to pull guard but Balyasnikov holds him up against the cage and eventually Mooney drops back down to his feet.
Balyasnikov wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Mooney has him pressed against the cage.
Balyasnikov taking a breather.

Balyasnikov breaks from the clinch.

Balyasnikov drives through and clinches with Mooney against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balyasnikov drops down looking for an ankle pick but Mooney pulls his leg out and moves away.
Balyasnikov shoots for a takedown but Mooney saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Balyasnikov misses with a takedown
and Mooney counters with a good, hard body kick but Balyasnikov shrugs it off.
Balyasnikov misses with a left hand
enabling Mooney to counter with a crisp jab.

Mooney shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Balyasnikov manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Balyasnikov is wriggling around but Mooney manages to pass to half guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
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!
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nikita Balyasnikov showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Balyasnikov throws a right hand that misses
and Mooney counters with a straight right hand.

Mooney looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Balyasnikov wants to stand back up but Mooney manages to pass into side control.
Mooney looks up at the clock and then as Balyasnikov takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Mooney smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Balyasnikov bucks up and tries to throw Mooney off but instead Mooney has got his back!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Balyasnikov just trying to survive but Mooney is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.
Mooney controls the action.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balyasnikov wants to control his opponent's hands but Mooney gets his hands free.
A bit of a pause in the action here. Mooney controlling the positon.
Mooney seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Balyasnikov for as long as he can get away with.
Mooney scores with a nice shot to the head of his opponent. Balyasnikov is looking for a way out.
Balyasnikov covering up well under a series of strikes from Mooney.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Mooney lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Mooney lands strikes to the head.
Balyasnikov is being controlled on the ground here - he must escape this position otherwise surely the end is near.
Mooney keeps control of the position as Balyasnikov tries to break free.

Balyasnikov is looking to stand back up. He's having to work hard to escape but eventually he manages it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mooney on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.

Balyasnikov has managed to clinch.

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

Balyasnikov takes the fight into the clinch.
Balyasnikov unloads a knee to the mid-section. Mooney lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Balyasnikov is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Mooney gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balyasnikov jumps guard but Mooney stands there with Balyasnikov around his waist. Balyasnikov gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Balyasnikov takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Balyasnikov gets underhooks to prevent Mooney's takedown attempt.
Mooney prevents the takedown attempt.
Bertram Mooney has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Nikita Balyasnikov.
Balyasnikov misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Balyasnikov can't find room to land a body shot as Mooney controls the action.
Balyasnikov fails to pull guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

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

Balyasnikov gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Bertram Mooney has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Nikita Balyasnikov is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Mooney missing with knees to the body.

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 Bertram Mooney.
I think Balyasnikov 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 Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 28:29
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 28:29
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nikita Balyasnikov!