PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Mark Merel (ranked 389 p4p, 355 weight class) and Alexey Andreev (ranked 55 p4p, 50 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Merel
vs
Andreev

191 cm
35
190
17 - 8 - 1

175 cm
36
188
30 - 15 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Olympic wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Urban Fighter
Aspire Clothing

SynCity Fightwear
Altitude Clothing

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 17 - 8 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mark Merel!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 30 - 15 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Alexey Andreev!
The judges for this bout are Phil Schofield, Chris Edwards and Andrew Berry.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Andreev throws a shot from downtown. Merel moves away and avoids it.
Andreev throws a right and a left that both miss.
Merel throws the left hand but Andreev avoids the punch easily.
Merel scores with a nice right hand.
Andreev with a poor takedown
and Merel counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Jab, jab by Merel - just one landing.
Andreev scores with a nice strike.
Andreev throws a body punch but Merel moves out of range.
Andreev takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Andreev throws a body punch but Merel moves out of range.
Merel is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Merel tries to bum rush Andreev with a series of wild strikes but Andreev uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Andreev shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Merel throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Merel misses with an uppercut
and Andreev counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Nice uppercut there from Andreev.
Andreev just misses with a punch to the body.
Merel swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Andreev on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Andreev tests Merel's chin there with a solid looking shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Andreev pivots, looking for a leg kick but Merel is out of range and Andreev settles back down.
A counter left hand to the body from Merel misses its target.
Merel feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Andreevs jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Andreev tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Merel manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Merel lands with a shot to the body.
Andreev keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Merel.
Merel lands a really nice looking cross but Andreev seems unphased.
Merel throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Merel bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
A left lands for Merel.
Merel swats away the attempt to clinch by Andreev.
Merel throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Andreev lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
It looks like Merel has been trying to sharpen up his punching technique, as it looks crisper than last time we saw him.
Andreev misses with a hook.
Merel attempts a counter takedown but Andreev avoids it well and moves away.
Merel misses with a hook.
Andreev defending well as Merel loads up on a big left hand.
Andreev tries to clinch but Merel moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A looping hook to the body misses from Merel. Andreev does a little dance to reset his feet.
Andreev shoots in but no luck this time.
Merel throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Andreev throws a shot from downtown. Merel moves away and avoids it.
Andreev takes one on the button.

Merel shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Andreev's guard.
Merel throws an elbow that misses. Andreev uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Merel's guard. Nice move by Andreev!

Merel has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Andreev can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Merel working a defensive guard here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Merel controlling Andreev's posture.
Andreev lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Andreev got a little sloppy there for a moment and Merel has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Andreev has managed to get both his arms back between Merel's legs - danger averted.

Merel looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Merel escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Andreev gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Andreev throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Merel keeping moving, preventing Andreev from controlling successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Andreev is in close to Merel's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Andreev keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Merel's head.
Merel will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Andreev landing with the ground and pound.
Andreev trying to control but Merel is working from the bottom.
Andreev throwing strikes but missing.
Andreev has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Merel preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

Merel working for a triangle but Andreev defends it easily.
Merel looking for a sweep. Not yet Merel, not yet.
Andreev makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Mark Merel will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Merel scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Andreev connects with a good right hand that stumbles Merel. Merel circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Andreev throws the left hand but Merel avoids the punch easily.
Merel bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Andreev uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Merel.
Andreev is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Merel with a body shot.
Andreev scores with a nice head shot.
Andreev takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Andreev throws a shot from downtown. Merel moves away and avoids it.
Andreev throws a jab but it's blocked by Merel.
Merel avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Andreev throws a lazy uppercut
and Merel counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Merel misses with a wild body shot.
Andreev fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
A cross from Andreev lands.
Andreev avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Andreev! But no joy.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Merel clobbers Andreev with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Andreev throws a hook to the side of Merel's head but Merel sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Merel half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Andreev throws a jab when Merel was well out of range.
Merel slips a straight right by Andreev.
A little feinted left hand from Merel on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Merel moves away from the strike by Andreev.
Andreev with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Merel lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Andreev at a distance.
Merel is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Merel looks to score with a jab to the body but Andreev is just out of range.
Andreev is looking to clinch but Merel is avoiding it.
Merel throws a looping overhand right but Andreev ducks down to avoid it.
Merel takes one on the button.
Merel misses the shot to the body.
Merel on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Andreev moves in looking to clinch but Merel pushes him off.
Andreev walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Merel throws a body shot but no joy.
Andreev fails to land with a series of punches.
Merel fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Andreev manages to avoid it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Andreev uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Merel.
Merel ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Andreev throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

Merel shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Merel preventing the sweep.
Andreev is trying to control the position but Merel postures up.

Andreev throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Merel 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.
Andreev throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Merel sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Andreev's guard.
Merel is pressing down on Andreev's thigh, looking to free his foot. Andreev is holding on for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Merel is trying for a kimura here. Andreev looks like he's in a lot of pain... and he's tapping out! Merel wins by kimura!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:22 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Mark Merel!
A victorious Mark Merel thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.