PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Aristides Abel (ranked 311 p4p, 41 weight class) and Alexey Andreev (ranked 486 p4p, 67 weight class). Abel comes into the arena with Express Yourself blaring out of the sound system. 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?

Abel
vs
Andreev

190 cm
31
201 lbs
18 - 11 - 0

175 cm
33
188 lbs
25 - 11 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

BJJ Red Belt
World class MT
Good gas tank

Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing
BuriedAlive// Fight Gear

Altitude Clothing
KOMBAT KLOTHING

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 18 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Aristides Abel!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 25 - 11 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Alexey Andreev!
The judges for this bout are Shirou Masuda, Yuuki Gou and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Andreev misses with a looping left.
Andreev feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Abels jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Abel fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Abel rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Andreev moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Abel tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Andreev was well out of range. Poor timing from Abel.
Andreev misses with a series of wild punches.
Andreev throws a poor cross that misses
and Abel counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

It looks like Alexey Andreev has been cut.
Andreev throws a nice looking combination but Abel bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Andreev lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Abel circles away quickly and effectively.
Andreev throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Andreev avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Abel misses with a body shot.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Andreev! But no joy.
Abel misses with a low kick.
Abel scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Andreev doesn't seem bothered though.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Andreev misses with a lunging right hand
and Abel counters with a nice low kick that buckles Andreev's knee momentarily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Andreev looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
A punch lands to the side of Abel 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Abel definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Abel throws a series of punches but Andreev moves out of range.
Abel lands a head shot.
Andreev misses with a looping right.
Andreev cracks Abel with a good jab.
Andreev fails with the takedown
and Abel connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Andreev tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Andreev rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Abel counters with a nice body kick.
Andreev dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Abel uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Andreev.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A jab lands there for Andreev.
Abel throws a sloppy head kick and Andreev moves out of range easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Andreev blocks a head kick by Abel.
Alexey Andreev seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nice sprawl there from Abel as Andreev shoots in.
Andreev bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Abel keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Andreev.
Andreev might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Abel keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Abel was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Andreev moves out of range as Abel strikes.
A little jabbing left from Andreev on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Abel bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.

Andreev manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Abel on his heels. He'll look to pass Abel's guard now, I'm sure.

Abel manages to wriggle out and sneak his way back up to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched up against the cage.

Abel pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Andreev uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Andreev with a jab.
A jab lands there for Andreev.
Abel lets loose with a powerful body kick. Andreev will feel that in the morning.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Abel stuns Andreev with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Andreev fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Abel manages to avoid it.
Abel went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
A punch combination from Andreev misses.
An attempted straight right counter from Abel misses the target.
Andreev rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Abel counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Abel lands with a kick to the ribs.
Andreev gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Andreev throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Andreev does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Abel defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Andreev.
Aristides Abel has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Alexey Andreev.
Abel throws a head kick that misses.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Abel tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Abel throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Abel throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Andreev uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Abel.
Abel tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Andreev was well out of range. Poor timing from Abel.
Abel throws a big shot that misses.
Abel leaves Andreev with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.

Andreev feints and as Abel raises his hands in defense, Andreev changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Andreev lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Both fighters have adopted an aggressive gameplan on the ground!
Abel wants to sweep here but Andreev controlling him for the moment.
Andreev postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Andreev wants to control from the top but Abel keeps moving.

Abel uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Abel connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Andreev's hands.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aristides Abel dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Alexey Andreev's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Abel misses the jab.
Abel pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Abel closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.

Andreev shoots in for a takedown and gets it.

Abel has managed to escape just enough to sneak back to his feet but Andreev is on him like a limpet, forcing Abel back against the cage.
Andreev struggles to land a body shot inside as Abel controls his hands.

Andreev turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Andreev cracks Abel with a big elbow.
Abel is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Andreev asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Abel bucks up and tries to throw Andreev off but instead Andreev has got his back!
Abel trying to get back to his feet but Andreev is in full control for now.
Andreev has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Andreev cracks Abel with a big shot to body and one to the head - really punishing Abel from the back mount here, looking to soften him up.
Andreev struggling to land strikes to the head as Abel covers up.
Abel wants to escape the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Abel showing good submission defense here.
Abel trying to get back to his feet but Andreev is in full control for now.
Abel trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.
Andreev gets his hooks in and is throwing strikes.
Our spies down at at St Petersburg MMA Gym inform us that Andreev has really been working on his submissions in the buildup to this fight. Will it pay off?
Andreev is looking to finish with some ground and pound!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Andreev scores with punches to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Andreev landing with strikes.
Abel is trying to stand back up.
Andreev is punishing Abel with strikes - can he finish him?!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Watch the back of the head! Comes the shout from the referee towards Andreev.
Andreev lands with a big left hand that may well have hurt his opponent. Can Abel hold on?!
The referee is taking a good look at Abel as he is on the wrong end of some big shots from Andreev!
Abel is trying to get back to his feet but Andreev has full control of the position and if anything, Abel has just worked his way into a worse spot.
Alexey Andreev has got the better of the ground game so far.

Abel defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Andreev's arms.
Abel is trying to stand back up.
Abel is covering up but some of the strikes from Andreev are getting through and doing damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Andreev trying to control momentarily.
Abel covering up well under a barage of strikes.

Abel manages to get to his feet, escaping the difficult position.
Andreev throws a hook to the side of Abel's head but Abel sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Andreev cracks Abel with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Abel throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Aristides Abel is winning the standup battle so far.
Abel misses with a lunging right hand
and Abel takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Andreev jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Abel misses with a few strikes there.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Andreev! But no joy.
Abel throws a low kick but it's checked well by Andreev.
A slow jab from Abel misses its intended target.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Andreev! But no joy.
Abel misses with a hook.
Andreev lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Aristides Abel is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Andreev fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Andreev shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Abel sprawls well. Abel wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Andreev gets slowly back to his feet.
Abel misses with an uppercut. Andreev saw that one coming.
Andreev displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Andreev throws a hook but Abel avoids it easily.
Abel misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
It seemed like Andreev was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Andreev scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Andreev cracks Abel with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Abel throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Abel throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
A telegraphed right hand from Andreev misses the target.
A combination from Andreev does no damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alexey Andreev showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Alexey Andreev's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Andreev lands a lovely overhand right.
Andreev's jab looks to have found its range, popping Abel under the eye.
Andreev uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Abel.
Abel scoring well with a low kick there.
Andreev has his takedown stuffed
and Abel counters with a nice uppercut.
Abel's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Andreev connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Abel scrambles back to his feet.
Andreev avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Andreev throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Abel stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Andreev misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Abel is looking for a counter combo.
Andreev throws a lazy right hand but Abel sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
The fighters circling - Abel throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Abel moves into range and lands a nice body kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Abel avoids the body shot from Andreev.
It looked like Abel was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Abel turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Andreev shoots in and drives through. Abel sprawls well.
Aristides Abel has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Alexey Andreev.
Abel throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Andreev misses with a body punch
and Abel cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Andreev throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Abel.
Andreev misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Abel.
Andreev showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Abel.
Andreev misses with a hook to the body
and Abel counters with a slapping leg kick.
Abel looks to land a body kick but Andreev moved away.
Abel misses with a hook. Andreev ducked under it nicely.
Andreev jabbing away but nothing is landing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Abel tries to score with a low kick but Andreev moves his leg out of the way.
A looping hook to the body misses from Andreev. Abel does a little dance to reset his feet.
Abel looks to throw the jab but Andreev is out of range.
Abel connects with a leg kick. Andreev looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Andreev lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Abel circles away quickly and effectively.
An attempted straight right counter from Abel misses the target.
Abel lands a slapping body shot.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Abel uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Andreev.
Abel misses with a body kick.
Abel thows a left - swing and a miss!

Andreev shoots in and bounces Abel off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Abel wants to stand but Andreev is controlling the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Andreev with a flurry of punches that miss.
Abel pulls Andreev in close to his closed guard and prevents Andreev from doing any damage or advancing position.
Andreev wants to control from the top but Abel keeps moving.
Andreev landing some decent shots from guard.
Abel wants to get back to his feet but Andreev is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Abel is scooting his butt against the cage and has managed to get back to his feet. Andreev presses him back against the cage, presumably looking to take the fight back to the mat.
Andreev drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Abel gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Andreev drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Abel's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Andreev missing with a left hand there. Abel was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Andreev looks to land a left hand but Abel moved out of range nicely.
Abel misses with a head kick.
Andreev thuds a left hand into Abel's body.
Andreev shoots in but no luck this time.
Abel appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Abel looks to throw the jab but Andreev is out of range.
Andreev swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Abel misses the jab.
Andreev lands a body shot.
Andreev thuds a left hand into Abel's body.
Andreev throws a lazy right hand but Abel sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Jab from Abel.

And that's the end of the fight!
Aristides Abel showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Abel has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Shirou Masuda scores the fight 29:28
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 29:28
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Aristides Abel!
Aristides Abel decided to go for the less than humble approach in his post fight interview, telling everyone how he is going to conquer the world. The crowd seemed to like it when really that sort of approach could have gone either way.