PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Jonas Bell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Danila Babushkin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Danila Babushkin will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Bell
vs
Babushkin

162 cm
18
151 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

182 cm
18
145 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Inexperienced

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Solid chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Jonas Bell!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Danila Babushkin!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Aleksei Zolotukhin and Viktor Lagutenko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Babushkin throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Bell moves into the clinch.
Babushkin tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Bell smiles and moves away.

Babushkin gets caught flat footed, as Bell shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Bell looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Babushkin throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Babushkin controls Bell momentarily but Bell frees himself.
Babushkin is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Babushkin can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Bell controls the pace.

Bell drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Bell jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Bell controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Bell seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Babushkin for as long as he can get away with.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Babushkin gets caught napping as Bell dives in and scores a takedown. Babushkin manages to retain guard.
Babushkin looking to hit a scissor sweep but Bell is one step ahead there.
Bell's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Bell postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Bell sitting in guard here, content to control.

Babushkin is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bell 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.
Babushkin controls Bell momentarily but Bell frees himself.
Bell controls from within his opponent's guard.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Bell lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Bell slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Bell prevents Babushkin from getting back to his feet.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Danila Babushkin is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

Babushkin fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Bell, pushing him back against the cage.

Bell has picked Babushkin up - he's going for a ride! Bell dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Bell not doing much here.
Babushkin has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Bell is working away from the top position though.

Bell is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Bell content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Bell is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jonas Bell dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Babushkin throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Bell.

Babushkin has managed to clinch.

Bell pulls guard successfully.
Babushkin passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Bell is trying to buck Babushkin off.
Babushkin wants to control but Bell is keeping him busy.
Babushkin really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Bell. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Babushkin wants to take a breather but Bell manages to regain guard - a lesson learnt for Babushkin.
Bell could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Babushkin throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Bell works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Bell pushes Babushkin off and gets back to his feet.
Babushkin throws a head kick that misses.
Bell appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.

Bell closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Bell lands in his opponent's guard.
Babushkin is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Babushkin can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Bell controls the pace.
Babushkin avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Bell not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bell content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Babushkin looking to hit a scissor sweep but Bell is one step ahead there.
Bell stays in close to Babushkin's body and controls the position.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Babushkin throws a right and a left that both miss.
Bell is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Babushkin throws a head kick that misses.
Babushkin throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Babushkin lands with a straight right. Bell didn't see that one coming.
Jonas Bell is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Babushkin is breathing heavily.
Babushkin pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Bell swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Babushkin digs a good body shot into Bell's ribs.
Babushkin pulls out of a head kick attempt.
A little feinted left hand from Bell on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.

Babushkin rushes Bell and presses him up against the cage.
Bell lands with a right to the head.
Bell lands a right hand.
Babushkin is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Bell is defending well.

Bell's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
A low kick from Babushkin misses

and Bell counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Bell.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Bell stays in close to Babushkin's body and controls the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bell has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Bell makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

Bell drops back, looking for a kneebar! Babushkin looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Babushkin looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Babushkin!

Babushkin wants to lay and pray for a moment but Bell keeps working.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Jonas Bell will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Bell drops his hands momentarily and Babushkin takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Babushkin tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Babushkin has managed to clinch.
Babushkin is trying to pull guard but Bell turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Babushkin trying to stall but Bell improves his position.

Bell manages to pull guard.
Bell throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Bell has scooted to the edge of the canvas and used the cage to get back to his feet. Babushkin has stuck on his opponent and is forcing him back against the cage.

Bell decides to pull guard.
Jonas Bell overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Babushkin trying to control but Bell is working from the bottom.

Bell looking for a guillotine here but Babushkin defends easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bell is trying to keep Babushkin in close.
Babushkin looking to pass the guard.
Bell scores with a nice shot.
Babushkin prevents Bell from getting back to his feet.
Babushkin wants to control from the top but Bell keeps moving.
Bell throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Babushkin missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Bell throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Babushkin misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Bell.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Babushkin.
Bell avoids the body shot from Babushkin.
An attempted straight right counter from Bell misses the target.
Babushkin throws a head kick that misses.
It looked like Bell wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Babushkin takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Bell looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Babushkin!
Babushkin tries to buck Bell off but Bell is having none of it.
Bell is staying tight to Babushkin's torso, preventing him from escaping.
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.
Bell's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

Bell is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Babushkin has escaped the position, nice work there.
Bell is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.

Bell tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Danila Babushkin has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four 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.
Bell in side control, just content to control the action for now.

Bell working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Jonas Bell is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Babushkin is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Babushkin wings away with a couple of strikes but they don't land.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jonas Bell showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Bell, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 30:27
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jonas Bell!