PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Boris Balkan (ranked 3417 p4p, 321 weight class) and Gumby Lane (ranked 3160 p4p, 304 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Balkan
vs
Lane

207 cm
18
252 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

194 cm
26
220 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Very strong

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

SynCity Fightwear

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Boris Balkan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Gumby Lane!
The judges for this bout are Ian Loll, Trevor Gratis and Steve Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Balkan takes a swing at Lane's ribcage but misses.
Lane looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Lane slips a straight right by Balkan.
Lane lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Lane uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Balkan.
Lane throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Balkan's jab looks to have found its range, popping Lane under the eye.
Balkan misses with an uppercut. Lane saw that one coming.
Boris Balkan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Balkan fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Balkan lands a nice hook to Lane's body. Lane takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.

Lane gets the takedown into side control.
Balkan avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Lane.
Lane looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Balkan can't do much from the bottom here.
Lane fails to land a wild elbow strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balkan manages to get back to half guard.
Balkan makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Balkan.
Lane is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Balkan throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Lane postures up.
Lane with a flurry of punches that miss.
Lane wants to control from the top but Balkan keeps moving.
Balkan avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two 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.
Balkan preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Lane trying to control but Balkan is working from the bottom.
Lane would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
A shot to the liver by Balkan. Beautiful body shot.
Boris Balkan is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Balkan misses with a hook
and Lane counters with a series of strikes. Balkan will be more careful next time no doubt.
Balkan swings for the body but Lane moves out of range.
Balkan smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Lane misses with a wild combination.
Balkan throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balkan throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Lane appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Balkan misses with a body shot.
Balkan misses with a looping left.
Lane unleashes a big counter combination but Balkan bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Lane misses with a left hand
enabling Balkan to counter with a crisp jab.
Balkan connects with a good right hand that stumbles Lane. Lane circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Balkan jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Balkan looks to throw the jab but Lane is out of range.
Balkan scores with a shot to the body.
Balkan ducks under a wild hook from Lane.

Balkan lands a big uppercut and Lane crumbles to the floor! The ref thinks about stopping the fight but Lane looks OK. Balkan waves Lane back to his feet!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Lane misses with a straight left.
Balkan is looking to counter the offense by Lane and move into the clinch.
Balkan avoids a punch combination nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balkan is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Lane.

Lane shoots in and bounces Balkan off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Lane throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Lane trying to control the position from guard on top but Balkan is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Balkan will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Lane throws an elbow that misses. Balkan uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Lane's guard. Nice move by Balkan!

Lane keeping moving, preventing Balkan from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Boris Balkan dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Balkan staying out of range there.

Lane shoots in and gets a takedown into Balkan's guard.
Balkan seems to have improved his submission grappling technique since last time we saw him. Let's see if he can pull off a submission.

Balkan escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Lane gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Balkan is trying to control the position but Lane postures up.
Lane looking to pass the guard.

Balkan throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Balkan is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Lane really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Balkan. 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.
Lane is trying to get back to full guard.
Lane wants to get back to his feet.
Balkan is trying to control. Lane wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Balkan prevents Lane from standing back up.

Balkan is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Lane tries to roll over but Balkan keeps him under control.
Balkan not doing much here.

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.
Lane wants to get back to his feet.
Lane avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Balkan.
Balkan is trying to control the action in half guard but Lane is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Lane is looking for a sweep. Balkan is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Lane looks like he's trying to stand up.
Lane is looking for a sweep. Balkan is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Balkan scores with a decent looking hook.
A swing and a miss from Balkan.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A combination from Balkan does no damage.
Lane lands a really nice looking cross but Balkan seems unphased.
Lane lands a right hook to the body.
A jab from Lane misses.
Lane throws a combination that misses
and Balkan counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Balkan lands a head shot.
Lane misses with a two punch combination.
Lane throws a right and a left that both miss.
Balkan throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Balkan is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Lane can do to turn this around?
Balkan cracks Lane with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.

Lane is rocked!
Balkan just misses with a punch to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lane defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Balkan.
Lane looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Lane takes one to the side of the head.
Lane is still on wobbly legs! Can Balkan finish him?

Lane closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Balkan quickly recovers to half guard.
Lane seems to have recovered his senses.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Balkan actively working from the bottom here.
Balkan works his way to full guard. Good work.
Balkan trying to keep a closed guard but Lane is proving a slippery customer.
Lane postures up in Balkan's guard and throws a big left but Balkan blocks it.
Lane working some strikes from top position.
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 Boris Balkan will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Lane drops his hands momentarily and Balkan takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Lane misses with a few strikes there.
Balkan scores with a shot to the body.
Balkan throws an overhand right that lands on Lane's shoulder, as Lane tries to avoid the shot.
The crowd cheers as Balkan lands an impressive looking overhand right. Lane doesn't seem phased though.
Balkan throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Lane scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Balkan jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Lane fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Balkan avoids a lazy jab quite easily.

Balkan sends Lane crashing to the mat with a devastating uppercut! Balkan is motioning to the referee to let Lane up. He wants to try and finish this one on the feet!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Lane shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Balkan is trying to defend but Lane finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Lane takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fighters are battling for position here. Balkan manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Balkan controls Lane momentarily but Lane frees himself.

Balkan pushes a forearm under Lane's chin to create some space. He's escaped his hips and pivoted quickly for an armbar! Can he extend the arm? Yes, Lane is tapping out! Damn, that was fast!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:57 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Boris Balkan!
Boris Balkan was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.