PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mikhail Ignatiev (ranked 5924 p4p, 0 weight class) and Zack Harlow (ranked 4503 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.

Ignatiev
vs
Harlow

205 cm
25
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

176 cm
25
198 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Enjoys gardening

Annihilation Apparel

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Mikhail Ignatiev!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Zack Harlow!
The judges for this bout are Nard Betker, Radbod Blank and Wagner Zegers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ignatiev fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Harlow looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!

Ignatiev moves into the clinch.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Ignatiev takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.

Ignatiev escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Harlow throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Ignatiev feinted with a counter takedown.
Harlow tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Ignatiev changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.

Ignatiev clinches up with Harlow and pushes him back against the cage.

Ignatiev's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Ignatiev shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Ignatiev really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Ignatiev moves into the clinch.
Ignatiev tries to pull guard but Harlow forces him back to his feet, against the cage.

Ignatiev breaks the clinch.

Ignatiev clinches up with Harlow and pushes him back against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ignatiev lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Ignatiev can't get the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mikhail Ignatiev. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ignatiev goes for a takedown attempt but Harlow pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Harlow gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Ignatiev counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Ignatiev.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Ignatiev gets underhooks to prevent Harlow's takedown attempt.
Harlow stops a takedown attempt from Ignatiev.
Ignatiev stalling.
Ignatiev wants to take the fight to the mat but Harlow manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.

Ignatiev pulls guard successfully.
Harlow is fighting to break Ignatiev's control of his arms but Ignatiev is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Ignatiev manages to wriggle out and sneak his way back up to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched up against the cage.
Ignatiev changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Harlow fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Harlow tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Ignatiev shoots in but Harlow avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Ignatiev fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Ignatiev stuffs the takedown attempt from Harlow. Harlow gets slowly back to his feet.
Ignatiev closes the distance and clinches up with Harlow, looking for a takedown. Ignatiev pushes Harlow against the cage but Harlow circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Harlow slaps away a takedown attempt from Ignatiev, before circling back to the center of the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ignatiev avoids the head kick by Harlow.
Ignatiev goes for a double leg but Harlow avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Harlow continues to drive forward.
Ignatiev stuffs the takedown.
Ignatiev fails with a takedown attempt.
Harlow shoots in for a takedown but Ignatiev shows good takedown defense.
Ignatiev shoots for a double leg takedown but Harlow sprawls well. He's pushed Ignatiev's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Ignatiev scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Ignatiev throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Despite the aggression on Harlow's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harlow displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Ignatiev.

Harlow has closed the distance and engaged Ignatiev in a clinch.
Ignatiev jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Harlow walks away with a smile on his face. Ignatiev gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Ignatiev shoots in and drives through. Harlow sprawls well.
Ignatiev throws a low kick but Harlow avoids it.
Ignatiev misses with a two punch combination.
Harlow shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Ignatiev defends it nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mikhail Ignatiev dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Ignatiev looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Harlow is fending him off so far but Ignatiev persists. Nope, Harlow circles away and we're back to standing.
Harlow tries to clinch up.
Ignatiev tries for a takedown but Harlow circles away easily

and Harlow counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Ignatiev!

Ignatiev explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
Mikhail Ignatiev is winning the standup battle so far.
Ignatiev shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Harlow feints the counter takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mikhail Ignatiev. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Ignatiev drives through and clinches with Harlow against the cage.
Ignatiev fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Harlow avoiding damage as Ignatiev throws knees to the body.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Harlow tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Ignatiev fails to pull guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Harlow tries to land a knee to the head but Ignatiev blocks with his arms.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee is keeping an eye on Harlow - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Harlow tries to pull guard but Ignatiev won't allow it.
Ignatiev goes for a takedown attempt but Harlow pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Ignatiev moves into the clinch.
Ignatiev is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Harlow can do to turn this around?

Ignatiev successfully pulls guard.
Mikhail Ignatiev overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Harlow preventing the sweep.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Harlow working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
Ignatiev looking to control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harlow trying to control but Ignatiev is working from the bottom.

Ignatiev has his foot on Harlow's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Harlow works his way back into a safe position though.
Ignatiev is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Harlow 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.
Ignatiev controls Harlow momentarily but Harlow frees himself.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Ignatiev fails with a takedown attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ignatiev will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Harlow circles away from the clinch attempt.
Harlow has a takedown stuffed.
Ignatiev shoots for a takedown but Harlow saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Ignatiev fails with a takedown attempt.

Harlow gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Ignatiev breaks the clinch.
Ignatiev wants to clinch up but Harlow keeps it at a distance.
Ignatiev tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Harlow throws out a counter right but Ignatiev avoids it with no problem.
Harlow dives in for a single leg takedown but Ignatiev sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Ignatiev.
Ignatiev wants to clinch up but Harlow keeps it at a distance.
Ignatiev circles away from the clinch attempt.
Ignatiev tries to counter by clinching up but Harlow breaks away and moves out of range.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Ignatiev shoots for a double leg takedown but Harlow sprawls well. He's pushed Ignatiev's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Ignatiev will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Ignatiev misses with a takedown

and Harlow counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Harlow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Zack Harlow will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Ignatiev tries to clinch up.
Ignatiev misses with a head kick.
Ignatiev closes the distance and clinches up with Harlow, looking for a takedown. Ignatiev pushes Harlow against the cage but Harlow circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Ignatiev tries to close the distance and clinch but Harlow swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Ignatiev fails in his attempt to clinch.
Ignatiev fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Harlow throws a head kick but Ignatiev moves out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Ignatiev moves into range and clinches up with Harlow.
Ignatiev using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Harlow has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Ignatiev just leaning against Harlow, taking a breather.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Ignatiev.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ignatiev lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Harlow backwards.
Ignatiev works on Harlow's body with a couple of short punches.
Harlow blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Ignatiev is trying to pull guard but Harlow turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mikhail Ignatiev. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ignatiev is looking to take this one to the mat.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.

Harlow manages to break the clinch.
Harlow moves in looking to clinch but Ignatiev pushes him off.
Harlow shoots in for a takedown but Ignatiev shows good takedown defense.
Ignatiev tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Harlow manages to circle out of the way.
Harlow slips a jab and a cross from Ignatiev.
Despite the aggression on Harlow's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harlow defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Ignatiev.
Mikhail Ignatiev is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Harlow throws a head kick but Ignatiev moves out of range.
Harlow is looking to clinch.
Ignatiev closes the distance and clinches up with Harlow, looking for a takedown. Ignatiev pushes Harlow against the cage but Harlow circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Harlow tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Ignatiev fails with a takedown attempt.
Harlow tries to counter with a clinch but Ignatiev shakes him off and moves away.
Ignatiev shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Harlow sprawls well. Harlow wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Ignatiev gets slowly back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harlow throws a head kick that misses.
Ignatiev is trying hard to land a takedown here. Harlow sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Ignatiev shoots in for a double leg but Harlow sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Ignatiev shoots in but Harlow avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Harlow shoots in looking for a takedown but Ignatiev manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Harlow's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Ignatiev tries a low kick but Harlow avoids it.
The fighters circling - Harlow throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Ignatiev attempts a counter takedown but Harlow avoids it well and moves away.
Harlow slaps away a takedown attempt from Ignatiev, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Nice takedown defense from Harlow. No joy for Ignatiev on that attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Horrible takedown attempt by Harlow or perhaps it was just good defense by Ignatiev, which made it look bad.
A counter left hand to the body from Ignatiev misses its target.
Ignatiev blocks a head kick by Harlow.

Harlow tries to keep at a distance but Ignatiev has taken the fight into the clinch.
Ignatiev misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Harlow.
Ignatiev stalling the fight.
Ignatiev is trying to drag Harlow to the mat but Harlow just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

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

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Zack Harlow.
I think Harlow 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 Nard Betker scores the fight 30:27
Judge Radbod Blank scores the fight 28:29
Judge Wagner Zegers scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Mikhail Ignatiev!