PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Rustam Shakhbulatov (ranked 2430 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jonthan Henry (ranked 2479 p4p, 0 weight class). Shakhbulatov kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Sabina Saidova - Dagestan. Henry has chosen hit em up as his entrance music. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Shakhbulatov
vs
Henry

178 cm
30
170 lbs
13 - 7 - 0

185 cm
37
180 lbs
13 - 8 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Very quick

Good wrestler
Dangerous knees
Granite chin

BuriedAlive// Fight Gear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 13 - 7 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Rustam Shakhbulatov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 8 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Jonthan Henry !
The judges for this bout are Viktor Lagutenko, Illya Tyunina and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Shakhbulatov stalks Henry and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Henry 's face. Henry staggers backwards, shaken.

Henry gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Henry told us before the fight that he's been working on his elbows. An under utilised technique these days - let's see if it can sway the outcome of the fight.

Shakhbulatov has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Henry uses from the top position.

Shakhbulatov is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Henry 's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Shakhbulatov has Henry pulled in close to control his posture.
Henry sitting in guard here, content to control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Henry avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Henry pushing down on Shakhbulatov's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

Shakhbulatov looking for submissions off his back.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henry trying to mount his opponent but Shakhbulatov defends it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Henry wants to stand up but Shakhbulatov is controlling the position.

Shakhbulatov actively working from the bottom here.
Shakhbulatov controlling the position well.
Henry wants to pass to mount but Shakhbulatov is defending the position.
Henry is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Shakhbulatov is trying to maintain the position but Henry is very close to passing his half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Henry trying to control the pace.
Henry tries to pass the half guard into mount. Shakhbulatov knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

Shakhbulatov is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Henry pulls his head out easily.
Shakhbulatov wants to get back to full guard.

Shakhbulatov actively working from the bottom here.
Shakhbulatov is in a tricky position. We've heard reports from his gym mates at St Petersburg MMA Gym that he's been drilling escapes, so let's see if he can get back to his feet.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Henry performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Shakhbulatov tries to get to full guard but Henry has control of the leg.
Shakhbulatov trying to control here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Shakhbulatov looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Henry is controlling the pace.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Henry tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Shakhbulatov takes a swing at Henry 's ribcage but misses.

Henry has closed the distance and engaged Shakhbulatov in a clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Henry lands a good knee to the midsection. Shakhbulatov won't want to take too many of those.
Shakhbulatov tries to pull guard but Henry won't allow it.
Shakhbulatov has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Henry avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Henry doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Shakhbulatov tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rustam Shakhbulatov. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Shakhbulatov fails to pull guard.
Shakhbulatov is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Henry scores with a hook to the body.
A right handed body shot lands from Shakhbulatov.
Henry lands a body punch.
Henry lands a body shot.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Henry utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Shakhbulatov is breathing heavily.
Shakhbulatov is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Henry to keep the fight standing.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Henry misses with a hook to the ribs.
Shakhbulatov takes an elbow to the forehead.

It looks like Rustam Shakhbulatov has been cut.
Knees in the clinch landing for Henry .
Henry lands a left hand that snaps the head of Shakhbulatov backwards.
Henry digs a right hand underneath Shakhbulatov's ribcage. Shakhbulatov let out a lung full of air as it connected.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jonthan Henry dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Rustam Shakhbulatov's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Henry has closed the distance and engaged Shakhbulatov in a clinch.
Henry scores with a hook to the body.
Henry lands a nice knee to the body.
Shakhbulatov drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Henry lands a right hand.
Jonthan Henry seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Knees in the clinch landing for Henry .
Henry connects with a knee to the head.
Henry lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Shakhbulatov tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Shakhbulatov is working for takedown but Henry is calmly controlling the position for now.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rustam Shakhbulatov. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Shakhbulatov prevents the takedown attempt.
Henry lands a left hand.
Shakhbulatov throws a head punch that misses.
Henry presses Shakhbulatov against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Henry is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Henry lands an elbow just above Shakhbulatov 's eye.
Henry looking for a takedown.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shakhbulatov tries for a takedown but Henry manages to get underhooks.
Shakhbulatov takes an elbow to the forehead.
Henry scores with a hook to the body.
Henry gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

Rustam Shakhbulatov's cut is getting worse.
Henry lands a right hand that snaps the head of Shakhbulatov backwards.
Shakhbulatov takes an elbow to the forehead.
Nice body punch from Henry .
Henry lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Henry lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Henry lands a nice shot to the body.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Henry creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Shakhbulatov is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Henry pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Henry using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Shakhbulatov has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Shakhbulatov stops a takedown attempt from Henry .
Shakhbulatov holding his opponent close, against the cage.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Henry scores with a knee to the head.
Henry is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Shakhbulatov is defending well.
Henry unloads a knee to the mid-section.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Henry lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Shakhbulatov backwards.
Shakhbulatov is trying to pull guard but Henry turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Shakhbulatov jumps guard but Henry stands there with Shakhbulatov around his waist. Shakhbulatov gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Henry tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Shakhbulatov is looking to break free of the clinch but Henry has double underhooks.
Henry has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Henry is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Shakhbulatov gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Henry tries for a takedown but Shakhbulatov manages to get underhooks.
Shakhbulatov is trying to drag Henry to the mat but Henry just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Shakhbulatov tries to pull guard but Henry won't allow it.
Henry misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Shakhbulatov.
Henry misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Shakhbulatov.
Shakhbulatov jumps guard but Henry stands there with Shakhbulatov around his waist. Shakhbulatov gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Henry .

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shakhbulatov lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Henry utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Henry lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Henry scores with a shot to the side of Shakhbulatov's head.
Henry lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.

Shakhbulatov pulls guard successfully.
Henry stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Shakhbulatov swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Henry trying to stand up but can't free himself from Shakhbulatov's guard.
Shakhbulatov looking to hit a scissor sweep but Henry is one step ahead there.
Henry trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Henry won't allow Shakhbulatov to sweep him here.

Shakhbulatov has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Henry can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Henry slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

Shakhbulatov had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Henry defends it easily.
Henry showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Henry would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Henry trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jonthan Henry showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Rustam Shakhbulatov's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Henry moves into the clinch.
Shakhbulatov lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Shakhbulatov takes a knee to the side of the body.
Henry working Shakhbulatov over with knees to the body.
Henry drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Shakhbulatov doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Henry utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Henry working Shakhbulatov over with knees to the body.
Shakhbulatov prevents a takedown attempt there.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Henry lands a nice shot to the body.
Shakhbulatov is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Henry is keeping busy.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Henry obliges.
Henry lands a knee to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shakhbulatov takes a knee right on the jaw!
Henry gets underhooks to prevent Shakhbulatov's takedown attempt.
Henry utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Henry cracks Shakhbulatov with a nice body shot.
Henry lands a nice knee to the body.
Henry doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Shakhbulatov takes a knee to the side of the body.
Henry throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Henry crunches a lovely knee into Shakhbulatov's ribcage.
Henry scores with a knee to the head.
Henry scores with a shoulder strike.

Shakhbulatov jumps guard and drags Henry to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Henry got a little sloppy there for a moment and Shakhbulatov has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Henry has managed to get both his arms back between Shakhbulatov's legs - danger averted.
Shakhbulatov trying to keep a closed guard but Henry is proving a slippery customer.
Henry trying to stand up but can't free himself from Shakhbulatov's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Henry controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Henry passes easily into side control. Nice work.
A bit of a lull in the action here.
Henry tries to stand but Shakhbulatov is controlling his head.
Henry controls the position.
Henry works to advance to full mount. Shakhbulatov defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Shakhbulatov is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

Henry get's back to his feet.
Henry ducks under a wild hook from Shakhbulatov.
Henry tries to close the distance and clinch up but Shakhbulatov swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Henry fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Shakhbulatov, pushing him back against the cage.
Henry is looking for a takedown.
Rustam Shakhbulatov has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jonthan Henry .

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shakhbulatov jumps guard but Henry turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Shakhbulatov jumps guard but Henry stands there with Shakhbulatov around his waist. Shakhbulatov gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

Shakhbulatov is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Henry can't fight it off and eventually Shakhbulatov manages to take the fight to the floor. Henry looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Henry has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Henry is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Henry decides to return to a standing position.

Henry darts in and clinches Shakhbulatov up against the cage.
Henry wants a takedown but no success here.
Shakhbulatov lands a left hand that snaps the head of Henry backwards.
Shakhbulatov tries for a takedown but Henry manages to get underhooks.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Shakhbulatov blocks an uppercut.
A nice right hand lands inside from Henry .
Shakhbulatov tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Henry just stands there and leans against the cage.
A nice right hand lands inside from Shakhbulatov.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Shakhbulatov has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Henry clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!

Henry is looking to stand back up. He's having to work hard to escape but eventually he manages it.
Henry tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Jonthan Henry seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Shakhbulatov tries to keep at a distance but Henry has taken the fight into the clinch.
Henry misses with an elbow strike.
Henry is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Rustam Shakhbulatov has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Henry lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Henry throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Shakhbulatovs head.
Shakhbulatov is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Henry to keep the fight standing.
Shakhbulatov misses with a short punch on the inside.
Shakhbulatov tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Henry 's elbow.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jonthan Henry comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Henry winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 27:30
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 27:30
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jonthan Henry !
Jonthan Henry bigged himself up after the win. The crowd seemed to love it.