PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Max Bear (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nicolai Demikovic (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Demikovic's choice of entrance music: Russian National Anthem. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Bear
vs
Demikovic

199 cm
51
255 lbs
36 - 37 - 0

191 cm
50
250 lbs
30 - 34 - 2

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
KO power

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 36 - 37 - 0, fighting out of London, Max Bear!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 30 - 34 - 2, fighting out of London, Nicolai Demikovic!
The judges for this bout are Sam Margolis, James Glass and Daniel Bishop.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bear with a lazy takedown attempt
and Demikovic counters with a nice uppercut.
Bear fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Demikovic manages to avoid it.

Bear darts in and clinches Demikovic up against the cage.

Bear breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Demikovic scores with a jab to the body.

Demikovic instigates a clinch.

Demikovic drags the fight down to the ground.
Bear makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Bear chips away with some ground and pound.
Bear stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Demikovic swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Demikovic trying to control the position.

Demikovic escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Bear gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Demikovic avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Bear makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Bear trying to control the position from guard on top but Demikovic is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Bear stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Demikovic swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Bear sitting in guard here, content to control.

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.

Bear stands up from Demikovic's guard - Bear perhaps looking for a knockout.
Demikovic swings for the body but Bear moves out of range.

Bear fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Demikovic sprawls well initially but Bear persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Bear working the head and body with strikes.

Bear stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
Bear has a takedown stuffed.

Demikovic moves into the clinch successfully.
Bear is pressed up against the cage. Demikovic has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Bear down to the mat. Bear avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Demikovic has managed to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Demikovic wants the takedown. Bear is fighting it off but Demikovic persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Bear's guard against the cage.
Demikovic missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Bear wants to stand and escape but Demikovic is having none of it.
Demikovic trying to control but Bear is working from the bottom.
Demikovic postures up.
Bear is pulling down on Demikovic's head to control his posture.
Demikovic trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Demikovic with a flurry of punches that miss.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

Bear working for a triangle but Demikovic defends it easily.
Bear utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bear looking to hit a scissor sweep but Demikovic is one step ahead there.
Demikovic forces his way into half guard.
Demikovic not landing any meaningful shots this time.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Bear regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Demikovic.
Demikovic wants to control from the top but Bear keeps moving.
Demikovic working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Max Bear will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Bear shoots in looking for a takedown. Demikovic tries to sprawl out of it but Bear keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Demikovic manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Demikovic wants to clinch.

Bear has taken the fight to the clinch.
We've been informed that Demikovic has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bear has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Demikovic avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.

Demikovic escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Bear looks to be in better condition than last time we saw him fight. Obviously he's been working hard on his cardio.
Bear shoots and misses

and Demikovic counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Max Bear. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Demikovic is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Demikovic is looking for a takedown.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bear looking for a takedown.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Bear.
Bear stalling.
Demikovic prevents a takedown attempt there.
Bear tries to score a body lock takedown but Demikovic shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Bear is looking to take this one to the mat.
Demikovic is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Bear drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Bear is trying to pull guard but Demikovic has him pressed against the cage.
Bear gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Demikovic.
Bear can't get the takedown.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Demikovic managing to block the knees to the body from Bear.

Bear turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!

Demikovic explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
This has been an exciting period of action!
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Bear.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Demikovic fails with an attempt to clinch.
A little feinted left hand from Bear on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.

Bear gets tackled into the cage by Demikovic. Demikovic maintains the clinch.
Bear jumps guard but Demikovic turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Demikovic has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Bear is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.

Demikovic jumps guard and drags Bear to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Bear's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

Demikovic has his foot on Bear's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Bear works his way back into a safe position though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bear with a nice head shot there.

Bear stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Bear swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Demikovic counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Demikovic misses with a body punch.
Demikovic is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Bear is keeping busy.
Demikovic tries for a takedown. No joy.
Bear stops a takedown attempt from Demikovic.

Demikovic has picked Bear up - he's going for a ride! Demikovic dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Demikovic thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

Bear looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Bear regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Demikovic.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bear is trying to control the position but Demikovic postures up.
Bear looking for a sweep. Not yet Bear, not yet.
Demikovic must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Bear is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Bear wants to stand but Demikovic is controlling the position.
Bear trying to keep a closed guard but Demikovic is proving a slippery customer.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nicolai Demikovic showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Bear shoots in but Demikovic avoids the takedown attempt easily.

Demikovic changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Bear looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Demikovic with the ground and pound but Bear regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Bear works his way to full guard. Good work.

Demikovic got a little sloppy there for a moment and Bear has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Demikovic has managed to get both his arms back between Bear's legs - danger averted.
Demikovic is pushing down on Bear's leg trying to pass to half guard. Bear is fighting to maintain full guard but Demikovic has managed to sneak the leg through.
Bear is pressing down on Demikovic's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Demikovic tries to free his leg and advance position but Bear is retaining full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Demikovic is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Bear is trying to keep Demikovic in close.
Bear looking for a sweep. Not yet Bear, not yet.
Bear wants to get back to his feet but Demikovic is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Max Bear overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Demikovic trying to control but Bear is working from the bottom.
Bear is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Demikovic works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Bear wants to get back to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Bear is trying to control but can't.
Demikovic throws a strike but Bear avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Demikovic lands a couple of decent looking shots.

Demikovic avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Demikovic trying to control the position from guard on top but Bear is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Demikovic missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Bear bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Demikovic's guard.

Demikovic working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Bear.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Demikovic has momentary wrist control but Bear slips an elbow through the middle.
Bear content to stall in guard here.
Demikovic seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

Demikovic has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Bear is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Demikovic.
Demikovic is trying to control Bear's posture but Bear avoids it.

That's four 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.

Bear is trying to get an arm triangle but Demikovic is defending well.
Demikovic is looking for a sweep.
The referee asks Bear politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Bear prefers to stall for the moment though.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Demikovic tries to buck Bear off but Bear is having none of it.
Bear working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.

Bear is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Demikovic is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

And that's the end of the fight!
Max Bear showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Bear has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Sam Margolis scores the fight 28:29
Judge James Glass scores the fight 29:29
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight 29:29

The fight is ruled a majority draw!