PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Makis Karatzas (ranked 5986 p4p, 0 weight class) and Scotty Taylor (ranked 5674 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.

Karatzas
vs
Taylor

190 cm
18
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

199 cm
18
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Self confident

Good takedowns
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight 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, Makis Karatzas !
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Scotty Taylor!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Illya Tyunina and Igor Prikhodko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Taylor looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Karatzas wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Taylor won't allow Karatzas to sweep him here.

Taylor drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Taylor jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Taylor tries to free his leg and advance position but Karatzas is retaining full guard.
Karatzas is pulling down on Taylor's head. It's preventing any offense from Taylor, at least for the moment.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Karatzas keeping moving, preventing Taylor from controlling successfully.
Taylor is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Karatzas has a closed guard, preventing Taylor from standing up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taylor wants to control from the top but Karatzas keeps moving.

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

Karatzas closes the distance and clinches.

Karatzas breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Karatzas instigates a clinch.

Karatzas lands a takedown into guard.
Taylor looking for a sweep. Not yet Taylor, not yet.
Karatzas controlling from the top position.
Taylor is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Karatzas is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

Taylor looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Karatzas stopping the sweep attempt from Taylor.
Taylor thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Taylor keeping moving, preventing Karatzas from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Karatzas manages to get himself to full guard.

The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Karatzas is adopting a defensive guard.
Karatzas is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Karatzas keeping moving, preventing Taylor from controlling successfully.
Taylor pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Karatzas is keeping the position for now.

That's four 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.
Taylor missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Taylor trying to control the position from guard on top but Karatzas is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Karatzas wants to hit a switch here but Taylor passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Karatzas there!
Taylor controlling the pace for now.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Let's hope that Taylor has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Scotty Taylor dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Taylor will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Taylor tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Karatzas manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Taylor tries to clinch but Karatzas moves out of range.

Karatzas shoots in and bounces Taylor off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Taylor is trying to control the position but Karatzas postures up.
Scotty Taylor has got the better of the ground game so far.
Taylor is controlling Karatzas 's posture.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Taylor is trying to control the position but Karatzas postures up.
Karatzas tries to stand but Taylor is controlling from the bottom.
Karatzas slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Taylor working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Karatzas doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Karatzas manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Karatzas stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Taylor swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Taylor is looking for a triangle but Karatzas pushes his legs off easily.
Taylor not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taylor is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Taylor tries to stand and escape but Karatzas is controlling the position.
Karatzas is staying active underneath Taylor, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Taylor is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Taylor passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Karatzas !

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor lands a heavy elbow.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Karatzas keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Taylor trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Taylor throwing strikes here but Karatzas is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Karatzas really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Taylor trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Taylor is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Karatzas has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Karatzas !
Taylor will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.

Taylor escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Karatzas gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Taylor wants to improve his position but instead Karatzas has moved into half guard.
Taylor has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Taylor tries to kick Karatzas off but Karatzas keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Scotty Taylor showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Taylor misses with a low kick.
Karatzas tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Taylor swivels and escapes.
Karatzas will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Karatzas closes the distance and clinches.
Taylor wants to break the clinch but can't.

Karatzas pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
A low kick from Karatzas misses

so Taylor counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

Karatzas manages to wriggle out and sneak his way back up to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched up against the cage.
Taylor looking to slow down the pace here.
Karatzas is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Taylor pulls him back up using the underhooks.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Makis Karatzas . That's going to take a lot out of him.
Taylor goes for a takedown attempt but Karatzas pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Karatzas keeps the fight on the outside.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Karatzas tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Taylor defends well and Karatzas ends up having to push Taylor into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Karatzas has closed the distance and engaged Taylor in a clinch.
Karatzas lands a right hand.
Taylor looking to stall.

Karatzas 's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Karatzas throws a shot to the body.
Nice takedown defense from Taylor. No joy for Karatzas on that attempt.
Taylor shapes to counter with a head kick.
Taylor shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Karatzas but Karatzas pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Makis Karatzas is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
A head kick misses from Karatzas .
Taylor drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Karatzas defends it well.
Taylor looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Karatzas is fending him off so far but Taylor persists. Nope, Karatzas circles away and we're back to standing.
Karatzas drops down looking for a counter takedown but Taylor sprawls and moves away.
Karatzas takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taylor tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Karatzas manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Karatzas tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Taylor tries to score a power double leg takedown but Karatzas sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Taylor somewhat.
Karatzas misses with a takedown attempt - Taylor sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Taylor tries a quick counter leg kick but Karatzas is wise to it.

Taylor closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Karatzas to the mat! Karatzas manages to get full guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Karatzas keeping moving, preventing Taylor from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Karatzas haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Taylor wants to pass the guard but Karatzas is keeping the position.
Taylor is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Taylor looking to pass the guard.

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Taylor shoots in but Karatzas avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Taylor fails to land the takedown.
Karatzas looks for a takedown but Taylor sprawls well.
Karatzas swats away the attempt to clinch by Taylor.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Taylor misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

And that's the end of the fight!
Makis Karatzas showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Taylor 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 Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight for Scotty Taylor!
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight for Scotty Taylor!
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight for Scotty Taylor!

Scotty Taylor wins by unanimous decision!