PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Iosue Nicu (ranked 764 p4p, 116 weight class) and David Bugaev (ranked 1439 p4p, 206 weight class). Nicu's entrance music is It's Dark and Hell Is Hot. A fine choice. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Nicu
vs
Bugaev

190 cm
28
216 lbs
19 - 3 - 1

185 cm
30
215 lbs
13 - 9 - 0

Good wrestling
World class MT
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Fanatic Inc.
KAISER Nutrition - Q160

FORCEE

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 19 - 3 - 1, fighting out of St Petersburg, Iosue Nicu!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, David Bugaev!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Roosa Järviläinen and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bugaev ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Bugaev lands with a good body shot.

Bugaev has closed the distance and engaged Nicu in a clinch.
Bugaev drops down looking for an ankle pick but Nicu pulls his leg out and moves away.

Bugaev darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Bugaev prevents Nicu from standing back up.
Bugaev thows a huge punch but Nicu dodges it nicely.
Nicu holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
Nicu manages to get to full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Bugaev won't allow Nicu to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bugaev scoring with punches to the head and body.
Bugaev stops Nicu from standing up.

Bugaev is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Nicu utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Bugaev trying to control the position from guard on top but Nicu is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Bugaev scoring with some ground and pound.
Nicu seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Bugaev working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Bugaev throwing strikes but missing.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Bugaev's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Bugaev trying to control but Nicu is working from the bottom.
Bugaev is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Bugaev accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Bugaev trying to control the position from guard on top but Nicu is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Bugaev lands a couple of digs.
Bugaev working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Bugaev working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Nicu's head.
Bugaev wants to pass the guard but Nicu is keeping the position.
Bugaev distracts Nicu with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Bugaev trying to control the position from guard on top but Nicu is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Bugaev lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Bugaev has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Nicu wants to stand but Bugaev is controlling the position.
Bugaev trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Nicu has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Bugaev off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Nicu moves out of range of the strikes.
Nicu scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Iosue Nicu is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Nicu scores with a kick to the body.
Nicu swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Bugaev tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Nicu misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Nicu walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Bugaev checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Bugaev swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.

Bugaev rushes Nicu and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Bugaev prevents a body shot from Nicu.
Nicu blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Bugaev misses with a hook to the ribs.
Nicu throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Bugaev prevents a body shot from Nicu.
Bugaev misses with a body punch.
Nicu throws a punch but it's blocked by Bugaev.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bugaev misses with a body punch.
A body shot lands from Nicu.

Nicu manages to break the clinch.
Nicu looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Nicu throws a nice outside leg kick.
Nicu buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
A jab from Bugaev misses.
Bugaev checks a low kick from Nicu.
Bugaev looks to throw a body kick
letting Nicu counter with a right hand.
Nicu takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Bugaev throws a leg kick which misses Nicu's front leg but catches the back leg as Nicu tries to avoid it.
Nicu lets loose with a powerful body kick. Bugaev will feel that in the morning.
Nicu turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Jab by Nicu.
Bugaev misses with a hook
and Nicu counters with a body kick.
Bugaev throws a hook but Nicu avoids it easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but David Bugaev will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Bugaev lands a jab to the nose.

Bugaev rushes Nicu and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Nicu misses with a hook to the ribs.
Nicu lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Bugaev backwards.
Bugaev goes for a takedown attempt but Nicu pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Nicu throws a big shot that misses.
Bugaev tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Bugaev lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Nicu throws a nice head kick!
That kick from Bugaev tenderised Nicu's leg. Nicu is trying to keep his angry face on.
Nicu thows a body kick. Bugaev tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Bugaev tries a low kick but Nicu avoids it.
Bugaev lands a nice leg kick that just misses Nicu's sensitive parts.
Bugaev on the wrong end of a nice jab.
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!
Nicu throws a nice inside leg kick.
Bugaev moves out of range of the leg kick from Nicu.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bugaev checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Bugaev is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Nicu.
Nicu throwing a counter right hand but Bugaev manages to avoid it.
Nicu on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Bugaev. Bugaev obviously looking to wear him down.
Bugaev throws a body kick that misses.
Nicu just misses with a punch to the body.
Bugaev throws a leg kick but Nicu moved away.
Nicu with a hook.
David Bugaev seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nicu with a hook.
Nicu defending well as Bugaev loads up on a big left hand.
Bugaev throws a hook but Nicu avoids it easily.
Bugaev throws a poor cross that misses
and Nicu counters with a nice body shot.
Bugaev scores with a jab to the body.
Nicu dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nicu showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Bugaev.
Nicu dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Bugaev avoids a kick to the body.
The fighters circling - Bugaev throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Bugaev throws a hook but Nicu blocks it.
Nicu looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Nicu lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Nicu misses with a hook. Bugaev ducked under it nicely.
Bugaev takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Bugaev throws a jab but it's blocked by Nicu.
Nicu feinted there with a counter leg kick.
Nicu finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bugaev fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Nicu lands a big head kick that sends Bugaev tumbling to the mat! Nicu takes a step backwards and waves Bugaev back to his feet - he wants the finish!

Bugaev is rocked!
Nicu blocks a jab.
Bugaev is still on wobbly legs! Can Nicu finish him?
The crowd cheers as Bugaev lands an impressive looking overhand right. Nicu doesn't seem phased though.

It looks like Iosue Nicu has been cut.
Bugaev staying out of range there.
Nicu tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Bugaev throws a nice looking combination but Nicu bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Bugaev seems to have recovered his senses.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Nicu scores with a nice strike.
Bugaev tries to bum rush Nicu with a series of wild strikes but Nicu uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Nicu throws a quick counter head kick but Bugaev was just out of range.
Bugaev walks straight into a right hand from Nicu - that's dropped him! Nicu jumps into mount and starts pounding away - can he finish?! More strikes go undefended and the referee has to dive in to save Bugaev from any more punishment! Bugaev complains about the stoppage but falls over as he tries to stand back up, so it was clearly a good stoppage.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:45 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Iosue Nicu!
Iosue Nicu decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.