PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Herb Tarlic (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Roman Powertseski (ranked 0 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.

Tarlic
vs
Powertseski

200 cm
22
245 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

198 cm
21
260 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Herb Tarlic!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Roman Powertseski!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Matti Vanhoillinen and Arvi Lind.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A kick lands to the mid section there for Powertseski.
Powertseski closes this distance looking for a takedown but Tarlic circles away.
Powertseski tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Tarlic is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Powertseski.
Powertseski shoots in but Tarlic avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Powertseski moves in looking to clinch but Tarlic pushes him off.
Tarlic shoots and misses

and Powertseski holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Powertseski slowing the pace effectively.
Powertseski receives a warning from the referee for stalling.
Powertseski with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Powertseski breaks from the clinch.
Tarlic misses the jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Powertseski with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Tarlic to score with a decent uppercut.

It looks like Roman Powertseski has been cut.
Tarlic closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Powertseski throws a head kick but Tarlic moves out of range.
Tarlic tries to clinch but Powertseski is having none of it.
Tarlic avoids a punch combination nicely.
Roman Powertseski seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Powertseski throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Powertseski tries to clinch there but Tarlic circles away.
Powertseski wants to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Powertseski wants to clinch
and Tarlic counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Powertseski thinking.
Tarlic misses with a hook. Powertseski ducked under it nicely.
Powertseski wants to clinch but Tarlic slips to the side

and Tarlic counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Tarlic looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Tarlic is keen to just control but Powertseski is a slippery customer.
Tarlic is nestled in close to Powertseski, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Tarlic is nestled in close to Powertseski, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Tarlic is pressing down on Powertseski's thigh, looking to free his foot. Powertseski is holding on for now.
Tarlic is looking to stall here but Powertseski recovers full guard.
Tarlic stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Powertseski swivels though and keeps the full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Powertseski wants to stand up but Tarlic is controlling him.
Powertseski controls Tarlic momentarily but Tarlic frees himself.
Tarlic postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Powertseski wants to sweep here but Tarlic controlling him for the moment.

Tarlic gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Powertseski looks gassed!
Powertseski tries to clinch but Tarlic is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Tarlic blocks a jab.
Tarlic is looking to clinch.
Powertseski moves out of range of the strikes.
The fighters circling - Tarlic throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Tarlic tries for a takedown but Powertseski circles away easily

and Powertseski counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Tarlic's guard now.
Tarlic 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.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Tarlic looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Powertseski puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Tarlic wants to improve his position but Powertseski is controlling well.
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 Herb Tarlic will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Roman Powertseski's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Tarlic circles away from the clinch attempt
and Tarlic counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Roman Powertseski is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Powertseski doesn't manage to clinch there - Tarlic circles away.
Powertseski is looking to clinch but Tarlic is avoiding it.
Powertseski uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Tarlic.
Tarlic throws a nice looking combination but Powertseski bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tarlic cracks Powertseski with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Tarlic fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Powertseski manages to avoid it.
Powertseski circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Powertseski throws a right and a left that Tarlic avoids nicely.
Powertseski is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Powertseski is looking to clinch but Tarlic is avoiding it.
The fight stays on the outside here - Powertseski looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Tarlic circles away from the clinch attempt.
Powertseski tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Tarlic swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Powertseski cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Powertseski tries to clinch up.
Tarlic misses with an uppercut. Powertseski saw that one coming.
Tarlic circles away from the clinch attempt
and Tarlic counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Powertseski clinches but Tarlic breaks the clinch

and Tarlic decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Powertseski's guard.
Tarlic pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Powertseski is keeping the position for now.
Tarlic sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Powertseski's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tarlic tries to stand and escape but Powertseski is controlling the position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Tarlic takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Tarlic is thwarting Powertseski's attempts to control the position.
Powertseski wants to get back to his feet.
Powertseski wants to control but Tarlic is keeping busy.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Powertseski can do anything to dispel that myth.
Tarlic tries to pass to full mount but Powertseski defends it.

Powertseski is defending against the submission attempts here by Tarlic.
Powertseski is holding on to half guard well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Tarlic not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Tarlic is thwarting Powertseski's attempts to control the position.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Powertseski misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Powertseski doesn't manage to clinch there - Tarlic circles away.
Powertseski tries to clinch up but Tarlic circles away and keeps his distance.
Powertseski tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Herb Tarlic dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Roman Powertseski'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 get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Tarlic shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Powertseski pinned against the cage. Powertseski gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Powertseski shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Tarlic counters with a nice uppercut.
Powertseski doesn't manage to clinch there - Tarlic circles away.
Tarlic circles away from the clinch attempt
and Tarlic counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Tarlic misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Powertseski.
Powertseski tries to clinch up.
Powertseski tries to clinch
and Tarlic cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Powertseski lands with a slapping head kick.
Powertseski tries a head kick but it misses.
Powertseski connects with a body shot.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Powertseski pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Powertseski loads up on a big right hand but Tarlic slips the punch.
Powertseski slips under a jab from Tarlic.
Powertseski closes the distance looking to clinch

and Tarlic counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Roman Powertseski has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Powertseski blocking the ground and pound attempt from Tarlic.
Powertseski is looking to improve his position.
Powertseski keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Powertseski wants to improve his position but Tarlic is controlling well.

Tarlic is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Powertseski is just riding it out for now. Tarlic eventually gives up the hold.

Tarlic is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Herb Tarlic is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tarlic is looking to pass Powertseski's guard but actually Powertseski recovers to full guard.
Powertseski pulls Tarlic in close to prevent any damage.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Powertseski darts in trying to clinch

and Tarlic counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Tarlic wants to pass the guard but Powertseski is defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Powertseski is refusing to be controlled, as Tarlic sits in half guard.
Tarlic has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Tarlic is looking to stall here but Powertseski recovers full guard.
Tarlic trying to control but Powertseski is working from the bottom.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Powertseski throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Tarlic wants to control from the top but Powertseski keeps moving.

And that's the end of the fight!
Herb Tarlic showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Tarlic, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 29:28
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Herb Tarlic!