PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Nikolai Kovalenko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Peter Petely (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Kovalenko
vs
Petely

205 cm
44
260 lbs
60 - 35 - 0

199 cm
23
245 lbs
7 - 6 - 0

Good wrestling
Lethal high kicks
KO power

Excellent grappler
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 60 - 35 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Nikolai Kovalenko!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Peter Petely!
The judges for this bout are Igor Prikhodko, Fedor Mirinova and Sergei Dronov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kovalenko rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Petely moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Kovalenko misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Petely ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Kovalenko moves away.
Petely fails with a takedown attempt.
Kovalenko lands with a nice combination. Petely backs away looking to recover.
Kovalenko tries to bum rush Petely with a series of wild strikes but Petely uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Petely shoots for a double leg takedown but Kovalenko sprawls well. He's pushed Petely's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Kovalenko circles away from the clinch attempt
and Kovalenko counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.

Petely pushes Kovalenko up against the cage in a clinch.
Petely drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Nikolai Kovalenko has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Peter Petely.
Petely tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kovalenko prevents the takedown attempt.
Petely is trying to pull guard but Kovalenko has him pressed against the cage.
Petely is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Kovalenko gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Petely wants a takedown.
Petely looking for a takedown.
Petely tries to pull guard but Kovalenko won't allow it.

Kovalenko breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Kovalenko throws a series of punches but Petely moves out of range.
Kovalenko looks to land a combination. Petely sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Kovalenko definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Petely misses with a right hand
and Kovalenko counters with a nice uppercut.
Petely misses with a takedown attempt
and Kovalenko counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Petely takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Kovalenko misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Petely tries for a takedown but Kovalenko sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Petely feints a jab promting Kovalenko to slip. Petely then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Kovalenko slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Petely blocks a head kick by Kovalenko.
Nikolai Kovalenko is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Kovalenko breaks from the clinch.

Petely changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Kovalenko looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
Petely working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Kovalenko is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Kovalenko wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Petely working the strikes but Kovalenko uses the opportunity to regain half guard.
Petely thows a huge punch but Kovalenko dodges it nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Petely missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Petely trying to mount his opponent but Kovalenko defends it.

Petely is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Petely has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Petely throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Petely throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Kovalenko because Petely loaded up on that one.
Petely scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Kovalenko?

Petely moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Kovalenko has worked his arm free - good work by Kovalenko!
Petely has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Petely scoring with punches from side control.
Petely working the ground and pound but Kovalenko is defending the strikes.

Petely tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
An elbow from Petely crashes against the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nikolai Kovalenko dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Petely jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Petely tries for a takedown but Kovalenko sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
It looked like Kovalenko wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Petely fails with the takedown.
Petely shoots in for a double leg but Kovalenko sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Kovalenko is looking for a counter combo.
Nikolai Kovalenko has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Peter Petely.
Petely tries to clinch but Kovalenko moves out of range.
Kovalenko stuffs the takedown.
An attempted straight right counter from Kovalenko misses the target.
Petely sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Kovalenko is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Petely can do to turn this around?
Petely getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Petely dives in and grabs Kovalenko's left leg, looking for a takedown. Kovalenko pushes down on Petely's head and hops out.
Petely fails to land the takedown.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Petely looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Petely takes one to the side of the head.
Kovalenko's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Kovalenko duly obliges.
Nikolai Kovalenko is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Kovalenko throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Nikolai Kovalenko is winning the standup battle so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Petely looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Petely missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

Petely is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Kovalenko is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Kovalenko has escaped and now he's on top!

Petely is actively looking for submissions from his back. He's worked himself a little space on the bottom and seems to be going for a triangle. No, he's switched into an armbar! That was slick! Kovalenko rolls with it to try and escape but Petely cranks on the arm and Kovalenko is forced to tap out! This one is aaaaaaaaall over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:41 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Peter Petely!