PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Konstantin Balaev (ranked 5843 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nick Garcia (ranked 5848 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Balaev
vs
Garcia

172 cm
24
163 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

177 cm
24
165 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Solid boxing
Big right hand

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Konstantin Balaev!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Nick Garcia!
The judges for this bout are Jorge Garcia, John Kavanagh and Anthony Taglia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Garcia jabs at Balaev's body.
Balaev swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Balaev throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Balaev lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Garcia circles away quickly and effectively.
Balaev throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Balaev waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Garcia.
Balaev misses with a series of wild punches.
A countering left hand to the body from Garcia misses.
Balaev throws a poor cross that misses
and Garcia counters with a straight right hand.
Garcia moves out of range as Balaev strikes.
Garcia takes a swing at Balaev's ribcage but misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Balaev lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Garcia circles away quickly and effectively.
Garcia now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Balaev throws a poor cross that misses
and Garcia connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Balaev misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Garcia.
A jab lands there for Balaev.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balaev pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Danga de danga de dang - Balaev scores with a four punch combination!
Balaev steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Garcia.
Balaev cracks Garcia with a good jab.
Balaev misses the jab.
Balaev lands a jab to the head.
Balaev tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Garcia counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Nice cross by Garcia.
Garcia dodges the punch combination from Balaev.
Garcia lands a jab to the nose.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Balaev loads up on a big right hand but Garcia slips the punch.
It seemed like Garcia was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Balaev misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Garcia swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Donk. Balaev catches Garcia right on the button with a cross.
Garcia just misses with a punch to the body.
Garcia throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Balaev on the side of the head.
Balaev jabbing away but nothing is landing.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Garcia! But no joy.
Balaev scores with a nice right hand.
Garcia throws a body punch but Balaev moves out of range.
Balaev appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Garcia swings away with a body shot that misses
letting Balaev counter with a right hand.
Balaev takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Garcia blocks a jab.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Garcia! But no joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balaev takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Balaev misses with a wild body shot.
Garcia bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
A shot to the liver by Balaev. Beautiful body shot.
Garcia throws a looping overhand right but Balaev ducks down to avoid it.
Nice uppercut lands for Balaev. That snapped Garcia's head back.
Balaev misses with an uppercut
and Garcia counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Balaev misses with a hook.
Balaev misses with a wild body shot.
Garcia avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Garcia let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
Balaev on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Garcia moves away from the strike by Balaev.
Balaev throws a looping overhand right but Garcia ducks down to avoid it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Garcia throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Balaev lands a jab.
Balaev throws a looping overhand right but Garcia ducks down to avoid it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Garcia swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Balaev moves in looking to clinch but Garcia pushes him off.
Garcia avoids the body shot from Balaev.

Garcia closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Garcia lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Balaev trying to stall but Garcia improves his position.
Garcia slows down the pace here.
Garcia displaying some good clinch control by pressing Balaev up against the cage.
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 Konstantin Balaev will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Balaev keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Garcia.
Balaev swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Garcia misses with the combination.
Garcia loads up on a big right hand but Balaev slips the punch.
Garcia slips under a jab.
Garcia ducks under a wild hook from Balaev.
Balaev throws a predictable looking body shot
and Garcia counters with a left to the body.
Balaev lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Garcia circles away quickly and effectively.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Balaev lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Balaev lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Balaev lands with an uppercut that bounces Garcia off the cage and back into range.
Balaev throws a right and a left that both miss.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balaev throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Garcia sees it coming and avoids it easily.
A little jabbing left from Garcia on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Balaev connects with a good right hand that stumbles Garcia. Garcia circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Garcia scores with a jab.
Konstantin Balaev is winning the standup battle so far.
Garcia connects with a right hand. Balaev shakes it off.
Balaev misses with a straight left.
Garcia throws a shot to the body.
Garcia changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Garcia looks to score with a jab to the body but Balaev is just out of range.
Garcia takes one to the chin there.
Balaev thows a left - swing and a miss!
A little jabbing left from Garcia on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Balaev is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Garcia displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Balaev throws out the jab.
Balaev works Garcia's body with a nice hook.
Balaev misses with a right hand
and Garcia counters with a straight punch to the midsection.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Garcia walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Balaev has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Garcia finds it's way round the side to connect with Balaev's head.
Konstantin Balaev seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Garcia instigates a clinch.
Garcia swings wildly with an uppercut but Balaev uses good head movement to avoid it.
Balaev stalls.
Balaev is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Garcia is keeping busy.
Balaev taking a breather.
Maybe Balaev would be better served going for some more strikes rather than trying to control so much.
A short right from Garcia on the inside.
Garcia misses with the head strike.
Balaev blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Garcia lands an uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balaev throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Garcia lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Garcia stalling the fight.
Garcia has a couple of punches blocked by Balaev.
Balaev misses with a body punch.
Balaev throws an elbow but it misses.
Garcia lands a right hand.
Garcia dodges an elbow strike from Balaev.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Garcia.

Balaev pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Balaev misses with a straight right.
Garcia misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Balaev.
A quick step to the side and Balaev tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
Jab by Garcia.
Balaev falls off balance throwing a combination
and Garcia counters with a nice body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Garcia slips a jab and a cross from Balaev.
Balaev tries to close the distance and clinch but Garcia swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Balaev looks to score with a jab to the body but Garcia is just out of range.
Garcia misses with a hook. Balaev ducked under it nicely.
Garcia uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Balaev.
Balaev throws a sloppy body shot
and Garcia counters with a lovely shot to the body.
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!
Nice shot by Garcia.
Sloppy strikes from Balaev. Those never looked like landing.
Balaev misses with an uppercut.
Balaev throws an off balance right hand
and Garcia counters with a nice uppercut.
Balaev throws a hook but Garcia avoids it easily.
Garcia looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Garcia ducks under a wild hook from Balaev.
Garcia looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Nick Garcia will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Garcia misses with a hook.
Garcia slips under a jab.
A big right from Balaev misses.
Balaev misses with a two punch combination.
Balaev throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Garcia counters with a stiff right hand.
Balaev moves away from the strike by Garcia.
Balaev throws a body shot but no joy.
Garcia doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Balaev lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Garcia tests Balaev's chin there with a solid looking shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Balaev connects with a jab.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Balaev.
Garcia misses with a wild body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Garcia ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Garcia avoids a punch combination nicely.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Garcia! But no joy.
Balaev lands a jab to the nose.
Balaev misses with a looping right.
Garcia tries to clinch
and Balaev counters with a left to the body.
Balaev cracks Garcia with a right hand to the side of the head.
Balaev fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Garcia on the side of the head.
Garcia looks to score with a jab to the body but Balaev is just out of range.
Balaev jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Balaev lands a jab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Garcia lands with a good body shot.
No joy there for Balaev, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Garcia ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Balaev moves away.
Garcia tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Balaev was well out of range. Poor timing from Garcia.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Balaev throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Balaev rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Balaev takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Balaev slips under a jab from Garcia.
A swing and a miss from Balaev.
Garcia throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Balaev misses with a hook. Garcia ducked under it nicely.
Balaev misses with a few strikes there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balaev takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Balaev pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Garcia takes one to the side of the head.
Balaev throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Balaev scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Garcia scores with a jab to the jaw.
Balaev works over Garcia's head and body with a nice combination.
Balaev misses with a left hand
and Garcia counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Balaev lands the left hand.
Balaev walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Garcia throws out a loose jab but Balaev uses good head movement to avoid it.
Balaev lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Garcia at a distance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balaev throws a right hand that Garcia ducks under and follows up with a left that Garcia also avoids with ease.
Garcia fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Balaev keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Balaev lands a jab to Garcia's midsection.
Sloppy strikes from Balaev. Those never looked like landing.
Balaev misses with a two punch combination.

Garcia fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Balaev, pushing him back against the cage.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Garcia.
Nick Garcia has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Garcia content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Garcia struggles to land a body shot inside as Balaev controls his hands.

And that's the end of the fight!
Konstantin Balaev showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Balaev 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 Jorge Garcia scores the fight for Konstantin Balaev!
Judge John Kavanagh scores the fight for Konstantin Balaev!
Judge Anthony Taglia scores the fight for Konstantin Balaev!

Konstantin Balaev wins by unanimous decision!