RTFL-12 PBP Commentary

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Hi Ken (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Fabian Kabakov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Ken
vs
Kabakov

185 cm
25
184 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

213 cm
26
196 lbs
3 - 4 - 1

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

Voodoo Nutrition

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 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Hi Ken!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 4 - 1, fighting out of St Petersburg, Fabian Kabakov!
The judges for this bout are Illya Tyunina, Vladimir Khabensky and Fedor Mirinova.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ken wants to slow Kabakov down by chopping away at his legs.
Kabakov swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Kabakov throws a head kick that misses.
Ken misses with a body kick.
Kabakov throws a leg kick that misses.
Kabakov tries a head kick but it misses.
Ken staying out of range there.
Ken tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Ken throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Kabakov throws a body kick that misses.
Sloppy strikes from Ken. Those never looked like landing.
Ken throws a right and a left that both miss.
Ken misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Kabakov throws a sloppy head kick and Ken moves out of range easily.
An attempted straight right counter from Ken misses the target.
Kabakov is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Kabakov forces Ken back against the cage and clinches.
Nice body punch from Ken.
Ken misses with a body punch.
Ken looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Kabakov misses with a hook to the ribs.
Kabakov throws an elbow that misses.
Ken blocks the elbow strike.
Kabakov's coach down at Russian Fighting Community Gym was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Kabakov's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ken works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kabakov throws a punch but it's blocked by Ken.
Ken has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Ken lands a body shot in the clinch.
Kabakov looks winded!
Ken blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Ken doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

Ken pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Kabakov instigates a clinch.
Ken tries a body shot but Kabakov blocks it.
Ken blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Kabakov misses with a knee strike.
Kabakov misses with a knee to the head.
Ken wants to stall.
Kabakov tries to land a knee to the head but Ken blocks with his arms.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Ken tries to circle away but Kabakov has him pinned against the cage.
Nice body punch from Ken.
Ken lands a body shot.
Ken works on Kabakov's body with a couple of short punches.
Ken is looking to break free of the clinch but Kabakov has double underhooks.

Ken breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kabakov takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Ken throws a series of punches but Kabakov avoids them all with ease.
The fight stays on the outside here - Ken looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Ken throws a nice outside leg kick.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Ken changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Ken misses with a few strikes there.
A nice leg kick lands there from Ken.
Ken steps into range and unloads a brutal right left combo! Kabakov is out on his feet! Ken sets himself and nearly takes Kabakov's head off with a straight right, sending him crashing to the mat! Wow, that was nasty... but awesome! Wooo!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:36 of round 1, we have a winner by way of KO (Strikes). Hi Ken!

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
51%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Emil Jagerkokov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Connor Hart (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Jagerkokov
vs
Hart

169 cm
18
190 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

192 cm
26
188 lbs
2 - 5 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Emil Jagerkokov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 5 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Connor Hart!
The judges for this bout are Fedor Mirinova, Valeri Chadov and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Hart gets caught flat footed, as Jagerkokov shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.

Jagerkokov is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Jagerkokov wants to pass the guard but Hart is keeping the position.

Jagerkokov drops back looking for a leg! Hart is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Hart manages to kick Jagerkokov off! Jagerkokov jumps back into Hart's guard.
Jagerkokov definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.

Jagerkokov is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Hart is controlling Jagerkokov's posture.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Jagerkokov looking to pass the guard.

Jagerkokov drops back looking for a leg! Hart is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Hart manages to kick Jagerkokov off! Jagerkokov jumps back into Hart's guard.
Jagerkokov pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Hart is keeping the position for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hart has his hands on Jagerkokov's head, controlling the position.
Jagerkokov prevents Hart from getting back to his feet.

Jagerkokov drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Jagerkokov jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

Jagerkokov drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Jagerkokov jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Jagerkokov might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Jagerkokov drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Jagerkokov jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

Jagerkokov is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Jagerkokov drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Jagerkokov jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

Jagerkokov drops back, looking for a kneebar! Hart looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Hart looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Hart!
Jagerkokov is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Jagerkokov is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Hart off and has taken his back!

Jagerkokov has his hand under the chin of his opponent looking for the choke. He's nearly got it! This one could be all over! But no, Hart has freed his hand and lives to survive another… well, another couple of seconds at least!

Jagerkokov looking to break Hart's wrist control so he can sink in the choke. Hart remaining controlled and patient though - he really has to keep calm otherwise Jagerkokov will wrap this one up with the rear naked choke!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hart trying to control but he's just got himself in more trouble.

Jagerkokov is remaining active here, looking for the choke. The more discerning members of the crowd will appreciate his efforts.

Hart showing good submission defense here.
Hart wants to get back to his feet.

Jagerkokov patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?

Jagerkokov has his opponent's back and is working for the choke.

Jagerkokov working for a choke but Hart is defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Jagerkokov has managed to slip his arm under Hart's chin. This could be all over... yep, Hart is tapping out! Submission win for Jagerkokov.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:25 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Emil Jagerkokov!

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
34%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Guillermo Mendez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Borys Maniek (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for Guillermo Mendez has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Mendez
vs
Maniek

185 cm
18
185 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

180 cm
21
180 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Hates pizza

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Knockout power

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 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Guillermo Mendez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Borys Maniek!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Viktor Lagutenko and Illya Tyunina.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mendez with a lazy takedown attempt

and Maniek counters by clinching up.

Maniek drags the fight down to the ground.
Mendez trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Maniek manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!
Maniek really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Mendez. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Maniek controls from within his opponent's guard.
Maniek lands a couple of digs.

Mendez looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Maniek is posturing up here but Mendez has hold of an arm and he's gone for an armbar! Maniek tries to roll out but it's too tight and Maniek has to tap! Slick submission there by Mendez!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:56 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Guillermo Mendez!

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
66%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Tom Bean (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Piotr Hallman (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Piotr Hallman struggled to make weight for this fight. He only made it down to 186.6lbs at the first attempt and had to take the additional two hours to make the official bout weight. Let's see how much it's taken out of him. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Bean
vs
Hallman

190 cm
21
189 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

185 cm
21
194 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Knockout power

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 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Tom Bean!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Piotr Hallman!
The judges for this bout are Dmitry Maklakov, Vladimir Khabensky and Ivan Kurochkin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Bean.
Hallman wants to clinch.
Bean keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.

Hallman changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Bean looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Bean tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Bean on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Bean tries to get out of the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Hallman is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Bean is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Bean is trying to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bean has one of Hallman's arms on lockdown, trying to prevent him from doing any damage.
Bean tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Bean holds on tight, trying to prevent any damage.

Hallman thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

Bean wants to improve his position, back to half guard but Hallman has ideas of his own. He's got hold of Bean's far side arm and it looks like he's got an Americana. Ohh! Ohhhh! OOOOOOOOOH! A human being's arm is not meant to bend like that! Bean is tapping like a morse code operator on the Titanic! SOS SOS! He's out of here! Great win for Hallman!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:59 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Americana). Piotr Hallman!
Our winner, Piotr Hallman, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
39%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Yoel Romero (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gerald Hendo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Romero
vs
Hendo

190 cm
24
195 lbs
9 - 5 - 0

188 cm
21
187 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
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 9 - 5 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Yoel Romero!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Gerald Hendo!
The judges for this bout are Konstantin Menshow, Vladimir Khabensky and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Hendo fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Romero, pushing him back against the cage.

Hendo pulls guard.
Hendo is pulling down on Romero's head. It's preventing any offense from Romero, at least for the moment.
Hendo keeping moving, preventing Romero from controlling successfully.
Romero throws a big right hand that misses.
Romero throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Hendo works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Romero throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Hendo works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Hendo throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Romero postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Romero won't allow Hendo to get back to his feet.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Hendo bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Romero's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hendo controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
My spies in Bobby B's Gem inform me that Hendo has been getting involved in the gym's BJJ sparring sessions. Let's see whether that pays dividends!
Hendo has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Romero is proving hard to escape from.
Romero trying to control the position here.
Romero looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Romero manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Hendo manages to get himself to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Hendo wants to stand but Romero is controlling the position.
Romero stands up over Hendo, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Hendo keeping moving, preventing Romero from controlling successfully.
Romero throws an elbow that misses. Hendo uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Romero's guard. Nice move by Hendo!
Hendo trying to move into half guard but instead Romero has managed to sweep!
Romero trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Romero with a nice head shot there.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Hendo can do anything to dispel that myth.
Romero throwing strikes but missing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Romero looking to sit in guard and control but Hendo gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Romero looks to be in better condition than last time we saw him fight. Obviously he's been working hard on his cardio.
Hendo is looking to stand up but Romero won't let him.
Hendo is stalling in the full guard.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
The fight stays on the outside here - Hendo looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Hendo swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Hendo fails to land the takedown.
Hendo looks winded!
Hendo changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Romero tries to avoid it but Hendo manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Romero to the ground. Romero escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Hendo fails with a takedown attempt.
Yoel Romero has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gerald Hendo.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hendo finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Romero appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Romero shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Hendo has taken the fight to the clinch.
Hendo gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Romero.

Hendo manages to break the clinch.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Romero moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.

Romero gets tackled into the cage by Hendo. Hendo maintains the clinch.
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 Yoel Romero will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Romero shoots in but no luck this time.
Hendo throws a combination that misses
and Romero counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Hendo fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Hendo shoots for a double leg takedown but Romero sprawls well. He's pushed Hendo's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Hendo takes the fight into the clinch.
Romero changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Hendo fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Romero tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Hendo paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Hendo is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Romero shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Hendo but Hendo pushes him off and we're back to square one.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Yoel Romero. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Hendo instigates a clinch.
Hendo is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Romero changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Hendo fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Hendo tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Romero shoots in for a double leg but Hendo sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Romero circles away from the clinch attempt.
Hendo tries a low kick but Romero avoids it.
Romero attempts a counter takedown but Hendo avoids it well and moves away.
Hendo moves in looking to clinch but Romero pushes him off.

Hendo closes the distance and pushes Romero back into the cage.
Romero is looking for a takedown.

Hendo manages to pull guard.
Hendo has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Romero accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Hendo wants to stand but Romero is controlling the position.
Hendo is pulling down on Romero's head to control his posture.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Romero landing some decent shots from guard.
Romero postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Romero with a flurry of punches that miss.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hendo has momentary wrist control but Romero slips an elbow through the middle.
Romero missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Romero throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Hendo works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Romero prevents Hendo from getting back to his feet.
Romero postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Hendo is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Romero wants to control from the top but Hendo keeps moving.
Hendo wants to get back to his feet but Romero is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

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

Hendo gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Romero to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Hendo avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Hendo wants to stand up but Romero is controlling him.
Hendo trying to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Romero controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Romero wants to control from the top but Hendo keeps moving.
Romero tries to free his leg and advance position but Hendo is retaining full guard.
Romero scoring with some ground and pound.
Hendo wants to stand but Romero is controlling the position.
Hendo working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Romero.
Romero has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Hendo utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Hendo has a closed guard, preventing Romero from standing up.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Yoel Romero will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

The fight stays on the outside here - Hendo looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Hendo misses with a two punch combination.
Hendo is looking to clinch.
Hendo tries to grapple but his opponent circles
letting Romero counter with a right hand.
Yoel Romero is winning the standup battle so far.

Hendo gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Romero to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Romero stops Hendo from standing up.
Hendo takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hendo looking for a sweep. Not yet Hendo, not yet.
Romero with a nice head shot there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Romero loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Romero pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Hendo is keeping the position for now.
Romero in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Romero working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Hendo's head.
Romero postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Romero pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Hendo is keeping the position for now.
Yoel Romero overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Romero wants to control from the top but Hendo keeps moving.
Romero throws a strike but Hendo rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Hendo is looking to stand up but Romero won't let him.
Romero tries to land a sweep but no joy.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Hendo tries to stand but Romero is controlling from the bottom.

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

Romero shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Hendo wants to get back to his feet but Romero is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Romero postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Romero scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Romero is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Hendo preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Romero trying to control but Hendo is working from the bottom.
Hendo is looking to stand up but Romero isn't so interested in that idea.
Romero scoring with punches to the head and body.
Romero controls from within his opponent's guard.
Romero postures up and lands a big shot to Hendo's brow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Hendo wants to stand and escape but Romero is having none of it.
Hendo preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Romero works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Romero wants to control but Hendo is keeping him busy.
Romero working the head and body with strikes.
Hendo is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Romero scores with a couple of nice shots.
Romero looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Hendo with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Romero thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Hendo's head.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Hendo is trying to stand up here but Romero is controlling him well.
Romero lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Gerald Hendo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Yoel Romero is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Hendo looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Yoel Romero showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Romero, 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 Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 30:28
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 30:27
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Yoel Romero!

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
27%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Steven King (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bobby Bowen (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.

King
vs
Bowen

180 cm
25
190 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

178 cm
22
185 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Prefers standup

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter fighter
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 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Steven King!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Bobby Bowen!
The judges for this bout are Fedor Mirinova, Sergei Dronov and Dmitry Maklakov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

King has taken the fight to the clinch.
King can't break the clinch.
Bowen jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as King walks away with a smile on his face. Bowen gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Bowen doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
King wants to break the clinch but can't.
King is trying to force a seperation but Bowen has the dominant position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
King stops a takedown attempt from Bowen.
King prevents the takedown attempt.
Steven King has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bobby Bowen.
Bowen fails to pull the fight into his guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
King is trying to force a seperation but Bowen has the dominant position.
King tries to pull guard but Bowen forces him back to his feet, against the cage.

Bowen manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.

Bowen is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. King is aware though and is defending well.

Bowen had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. King defends it easily.

Bowen looking to try and escape his hips here, looking for a submission. It looks like he's going for a triangle but King is defending well. Bowen quickly switches to an armbar and extends the arm! King has no choice but to tap, to a very quick submission! Wow, that was lightning fast! Bowen celebrates on the cage, with the crowd.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:58 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Bobby Bowen!

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
39%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Buru Doragon (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tyson Boggs (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Boggs has chosen "Miami Vice Theme" by Jan Hammer as his entrance music. Tyson Boggs has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Doragon
vs
Boggs

170 cm
25
160 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

179 cm
28
160 lbs
5 - 12 - 1

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

Decent wrestler
Counter fighter
Granite chin

Big Bear Nutrition 160Q
Voodoo Nutrition

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 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Buru Doragon!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 12 - 1, fighting out of St Petersburg, Tyson Boggs!
The judges for this bout are Viktor Lagutenko, Dmitry Maklakov and Igor Prikhodko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Boggs tries to keep at a distance but Doragon has taken the fight into the clinch.

Boggs successfully pulls guard.
Doragon wants to control from the top but Boggs keeps moving.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Boggs can do anything to dispel that myth.
Boggs wants to sweep here but Doragon controlling him for the moment.
Doragon advances to half guard.
Doragon seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Boggs does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

Doragon is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Doragon seems to be working for a kimura but Boggs defends the submission attempt.

Doragon is trying to work for a kimura but Boggs is defending well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Doragon sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Boggs defending well though.
Boggs is trying to stand.
Doragon tries to stand but his arm is trapped.

Doragon is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Boggs has managed to free his arm - good work.
Doragon sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Boggs defending well though.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Doragon seems to be looking for submissions.

That's two 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.
Doragon is looking to take a break and control but Boggs is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Doragon missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Boggs avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Doragon.

Doragon is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

Doragon is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Boggs sees it coming and defends easily.
Doragon works his way into side control.
Boggs is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Doragon creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Boggs sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
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.
Doragon fails to land a wild elbow strike.

Doragon goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Boggs has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Doragon but great work by Boggs.
Boggs throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Boggs wants to stand but Doragon has his arm trapped.
Boggs landing a few strikes.
Boggs tries to stand but Doragon controls the position and pulls Boggs into his guard.
Doragon looking for a sweep. Not yet Doragon, not yet.

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.
Doragon wants to get back to his feet but Boggs is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Doragon looking for a sweep. Not yet Doragon, not yet.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Boggs landing with the ground and pound.
Doragon 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.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Doragon trying to keep a closed guard but Boggs is proving a slippery customer.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Buru Doragon dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Doragon lands a two punch combo.
Doragon is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Boggs can do to turn this around?
Doragon lands a jab.
Doragon shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Boggs as he avoids it easily.

Boggs instigates a clinch.
Boggs is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Boggs gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Doragon.
Doragon wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Boggs has him pressed against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Boggs has picked Doragon up - he's going for a ride! Boggs dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Doragon moves into full guard.
Boggs really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Doragon. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Doragon manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Boggs manages to get himself to full guard.

Doragon with a flurry of punches that miss.

Doragon drops back looking for a leg! Boggs is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Boggs manages to kick Doragon off! Doragon jumps back into Boggs's guard.

Doragon thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Doragon wants to control from the top but Boggs keeps moving.
Buru Doragon overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Doragon is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Boggs is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Doragon throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Doragon trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
We've been informed that Boggs has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
Boggs keeping moving, preventing Doragon from controlling successfully.
Doragon missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Doragon postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Doragon sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Boggs's guard.
Doragon 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.
Boggs pushes Doragon off looking to stand but Doragon dives back in and keeps control.

Doragon is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

Doragon is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Boggs sees it coming and defends easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Doragon wants to control but Boggs is keeping him busy.
Boggs wants to get back to his feet.

Doragon seems to be looking for submissions.

Doragon wants to work for an arm triangle but Boggs is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

Doragon is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Boggs has managed to free his arm - good work.
Doragon stops Boggs from getting back to his feet.

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.
Boggs is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Doragon is looking for a kimura here.

Doragon is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Boggs wants to get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Buru Doragon dominated that second round.
That's time! Doragon's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. And we move into the final round!

Doragon wants to clinch

and Boggs counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Doragon is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Doragon is pressing down on Boggs's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Doragon not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Boggs wants to stand and escape but instead Doragon has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Doragon advances to half guard.
Doragon wants to pass to mount but Boggs is defending the position.
Doragon prevents Boggs from standing back up.
Boggs is in trouble now - Doragon has advanced to mount!
Boggs wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Doragon.
Doragon trying to control but Boggs is having none of it.

Doragon is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Boggs to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Boggs shrugs it off.
Buru Doragon is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Doragon tries to control but Boggs wriggling away.
Boggs wants to hold on but Doragon pushes him away.
Boggs is squirming around, avoiding Doragon's attempts to control the action.
Doragon content just to control the position here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Boggs is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Doragon thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Doragon trying to control but Boggs is having none of it.

That's four 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.

Doragon looking to secure an arm triangle but Boggs defends it well.
Tyson Boggs has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Doragon can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Boggs is looking to escape.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

And that's the end of the fight!
Buru Doragon showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Doragon has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 30:27
Judge Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 30:27
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Buru Doragon!

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
24%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Sergei Garkov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Natty Light (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sergei Garkov has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Garkov
vs
Light

197 cm
34
210 lbs
10 - 21 - 0

185 cm
27
215 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

Decent wrestler
Excellent boxer
Big right hand

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 10 - 21 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Sergei Garkov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Natty Light!
The judges for this bout are Igor Prikhodko, Fedor Mirinova and Sergei Dronov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Garkov slaps away a takedown attempt from Light, before circling back to the center of the mat.

Garkov drops Light with a right and a left! Garkov comes rushing in but Light regains his composure and manages to keep Garkov in guard.

Light is rocked!
Garkov postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
We've been hearing that Garkov has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Garkov accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Garkov 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.
Garkov 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.
Light wants to stand and escape but Garkov is having none of it.
Garkov throws a big elbow that misses.
Garkov is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Garkov slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Garkov works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Garkov creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Light is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Garkov has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Sloppy strikes there by Garkov.
Garkov throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Light wants to control but Garkov postures up.
Garkov throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Garkov throws a strike aimed at the side of Light's head but Light avoids it well.
Garkov in side control, throwing shots but Light defends.

Garkov stands up.
Garkov shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Light eats them both and turns towards Garkov to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Light stuffs the takedown.

Garkov drops Light with a right and a left! Garkov comes rushing in but Light regains his composure and manages to keep Garkov in guard.
Light is still in real trouble! Can Garkov finish him?

It looks like Natty Light has been cut.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Garkov stands up over Light, holding on to his feet. Garkov throws the legs to one side and dives in with a huge shot that lands flush on the chin! Light is out cold! Garkov lands a couple more shots and the ref tackles him out of the way! What a brutal finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:55 of round 1, we have a winner by way of KO (Strikes). Sergei Garkov!

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
71%

Co-main event

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Haku Ryu (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Eduard Melkonyan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Melkonyan has chosen Boston – More Than A Feeling as his entrance music. Haku Ryu could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Eduard Melkonyan's chin.

Ryu
vs
Melkonyan

175 cm
25
180 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

175 cm
21
179 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Lethal high kicks
Good gas tank

Voodoo Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the welterweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Haku Ryu!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Eduard Melkonyan!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Dmitry Maklakov and Aleksandr Martynov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Melkonyan scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
A punch combination from Melkonyan misses.
Ryu swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Ryu takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Ryu takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.

Ryu is rocked!
A slow jab from Ryu misses its intended target.
Oh Ryu is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Ryu misses with an uppercut. Melkonyan saw that one coming.
Ryu seems to have got his legs back now.
Ryu misses with a looping right.
Ryu scores with a one two! Melkonyan had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Melkonyan throws a nice looking combination but Ryu bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Haku Ryu seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ryu throws a head kick but Melkonyan moves out of range.
Ryu rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Melkonyan counters with a three punch combo that has Ryu backing up. Ryu nods at Melkonyan to acknowledge the strikes.
Ryu lands with a kick to the ribs.
A telegraphed right hand from Ryu misses the target.
Melkonyan misses with a two punch combination.

Ryu takes the fight into the clinch.

Ryu breaks from the clinch.

Ryu closes the distance and clinches.

Ryu manages to break the clinch.
Melkonyan takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Melkonyan connects with a solid leg kick.
Melkonyan scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.

Ryu has taken the fight to the clinch.
Melkonyan tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Melkonyan managing to block the knees to the body from Ryu.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Ryu takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.

Ryu pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
A chopping leg kick lands by Melkonyan.
Some wild striking there from Ryu.
Melkonyan lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Melkonyan takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Ryu dodges the punch combination from Melkonyan.
Ryu misses with a double jab
and Melkonyan counters with a three punch combo that has Ryu backing up. Ryu nods at Melkonyan to acknowledge the strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ryu tries to bum rush Melkonyan with a series of wild strikes but Melkonyan uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Melkonyan misses with a series of wild punches.
As Melkonyan looks to move away, Ryu throws a big counter combo bu Melkonyan just gets out of the way.
Melkonyan's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Melkonyan duly obliges.
Melkonyan scores with a sloppy right hand. Ryu should have avoided that one.
Ryu swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Melkonyan misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Ryu throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Melkonyan sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Melkonyan lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.

Melkonyan lands a left and a right that sends Ryu crashing to the canvas! Melkonyan dives into mount looking to finish!

Ryu defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Melkonyan.
Ryu looks to be in better condition than last time we saw him fight. Obviously he's been working hard on his cardio.
Melkonyan seems to be looking to move to his opponent's back but Ryu is holding on tight.
Ryu on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Ryu tries to get out of the position.
Melkonyan tries to control but Ryu wriggling away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melkonyan prevents Ryu from getting the reversal.

Melkonyan looking to isolate an arm here. Ryu doesn't see it coming and as Melkonyan extends the arm, he's forced to tap out! Nice submission by Melkonyan!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:30 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Eduard Melkonyan!
Eduard Melkonyan is the new welterweight champion!
After the fight, Eduard Melkonyan was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
77%

Main event

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Emiliano Zapata (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rick Showtime (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Showtime has chosen Old Toms Hut as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Zapata
vs
Showtime

189 cm
22
190 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

170 cm
30
185 lbs
9 - 20 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Dangerous knees
Very quick

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Emiliano Zapata!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 20 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Rick Showtime!
The judges for this bout are Valeri Chadov, Illya Tyunina and Ivan Kurochkin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Zapata lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Showtime looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Zapata dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Showtime. That did some damage!

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Showtime has had enough of the clinch but Zapata keeps him there for the moment.
Zapata unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Zapata lands a nice knee to the body.
Zapata prevents Showtime from breaking the clinch.
Showtime is trying to pull guard but Zapata has him pressed against the cage.
Zapata slowing the pace effectively.
Zapata pressing his opponent against the cage.

Showtime drags the fight down to the ground.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Showtime working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Zapata.
Zapata wants to pass the guard but Showtime is keeping the position.
Zapata wants to control from the top but Showtime keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Showtime utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Zapata gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.

Zapata has managed to clinch.
Zapata connects with a knee to the head.
Showtime is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Zapata is defending well for now.
Showtime can't break the clinch.
Our sources have told us that Zapata has been working on his knees in the buildup to the fight.
Showtime takes a knee right on the jaw!
Zapata will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Showtime up against the cage.
Zapata prevents a body shot from Showtime.

Showtime's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Showtime gets a clinch.
Showtime changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Zapata fights it off and pushes away nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Showtime forces Zapata back against the cage and clinches.
Showtime takes a knee right on the jaw!
Showtime goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Zapata lands a hook to the side of the head.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Nice elbow from Zapata.

Zapata breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Zapata scores with a nice body kick.
An inside leg kick lands from Zapata.
Showtime shoots in for a takedown but Zapata shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Emiliano Zapata has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rick Showtime.
Showtime fails with the takedown
and Zapata counters with a straight right hand.
Showtime looks winded!

Zapata forces Showtime back against the cage and clinches.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Zapata.
Zapata lands an elbow inside that Showtime shrugs off.
Zapata works on Showtime's body with a couple of short punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zapata avoiding damage as Showtime throws knees to the body.
Zapata avoiding damage.
Zapata keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Showtime's efforts to push away.
Zapata unloads a knee to the mid-section.
A body shot lands from Zapata.
Zapata lands a nice elbow.
Showtime tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Zapata smiles and moves away.
Showtime throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Zapata's waist but Zapata gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Showtime off to one side.
Zapata appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.

Zapata clinches.
Zapata will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Showtime up against the cage.
Zapata stalling against the cage.
Zapata gets a warning from the ref for wasting time.
Showtime tries to circle away but Zapata has him pinned against the cage.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Zapata.

It looks like Rick Showtime has been cut.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zapata lands a good knee to the midsection. Showtime won't want to take too many of those.
Zapata lands a knee to the body.
Nice body punch from Zapata.
Zapata lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Showtime takes a knee to the side of the body.
Zapata displaying some good clinch control by pressing Showtime up against the cage.
Zapata lands a good knee to the midsection. Showtime won't want to take too many of those.
Zapata cracks Showtime with a nice body shot.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Zapata obliges.
Zapata connects with a nasty looking knee right to Showtime's face.
Zapata will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Showtime up against the cage.
Zapata lands an elbow inside that Showtime shrugs off.
Showtime is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Emiliano Zapata dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Rick Showtime's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Zapata moves into the clinch.

Showtime breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Showtime shoots in and drives through. Zapata sprawls well.
Showtime throws a wild body kick that Zapata sees coming a mile off.

Zapata gets a clinch.
Showtime swings wildly with an uppercut but Zapata uses good head movement to avoid it.
Zapata connects with a knee to the head.
Showtime misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Zapata.
Zapata lands an elbow inside.
Zapata lands an elbow that stopped Showtime in his tracks for a moment.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Zapata lands a damaging elbow.
Zapata lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Showtime wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Zapata effectively controlling the action here.
Zapata lands a knee to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zapata working Showtime over with knees to the body.
Showtime is breathing heavily.
Zapata is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.

Zapata manages to break the clinch.

Zapata drives through and clinches with Showtime against the cage.
Zapata lands an elbow inside.
Nice elbow from Zapata.
Showtime tries to circle away but Zapata has him pinned against the cage.
Zapata is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Showtime can do to turn this around?
Zapata unloads a knee to the mid-section.
A knee to the head by Zapata.
Zapata lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Zapata stalling.
Showtime is trying to break the clinch but Zapata has him pressed against the cage.
Showtime takes a knee right on the jaw!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
A knee to the head by Zapata.
Zapata with a knee to the head.
The referee is keeping an eye on Zapata - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Zapata landing some nice looking knees to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zapata lands an elbow inside.
Zapata lands an elbow that stopped Showtime in his tracks for a moment.

Zapata manages to break the clinch.

Zapata drives through and clinches with Showtime against the cage.
Zapata scores with a knee to the head.
Showtime takes a knee right on the jaw!

Showtime is rocked!
Zapata connects with a nasty looking knee right to Showtime's face.
Showtime is still on wobbly legs! Can Zapata finish him?
Zapata unloads with a big right hand that wobbles Showtime! He's leaning against the cage trying to keep his feet but Zapata is unloading with more strikes now! Showtime drops to his knees and the referee stops the fight for a TKO!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:37 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Emiliano Zapata!
Emiliano Zapata retains his middleweight title!
Our winner, Emiliano Zapata, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.