PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Tae Bo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dimitri Romanov (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.

Bo
vs
Romanov

225 cm
20
155 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

173 cm
20
165 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Tends to cut

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Tae Bo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Dimitri Romanov!
The judges for this bout are Viktor Lagutenko, Valeri Chadov and Dmitry Maklakov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A punch combination from Romanov misses.

Romanov pushes Bo up against the cage in a clinch.

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

Romanov closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Romanov lands in his opponent's guard.
Romanov postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Romanov accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Romanov wants to control from the top but Bo keeps moving.
Bo utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Bo really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Romanov looking to sit in guard and control but Bo gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Romanov wants to sweep here but Bo controlling him for the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bo tries to free his leg and advance position but Romanov is retaining full guard.
Bo has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Romanov working for a triangle but Bo defends it easily.
Bo wants to pass the guard but Romanov is keeping the position.
Romanov working a defensive guard but Bo manages to pass into side control anyway.
Bo just content to control the position.

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.
Bo trying to control the action but Romanov is working from the bottom.
Bo wants to stand but Romanov has his arm trapped.
Romanov is looking for a sweep.
Romanov struggling a bit here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Romanov shoots in but no luck this time.
A chopping leg kick lands by Bo.
Romanov looks gassed!
Bo scores to the head and body with a nice combination!

It looks like Dimitri Romanov has been cut.
Romanov has a takedown stuffed.
Bo lands a high kick!

Romanov shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Romanov showed some decent athleticism there.
Bo is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Bo moves into full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Romanov postures up.
Bo wants to stand but Romanov is controlling the position.
Romanov throwing strikes from guard but Bo blocks nicely.
Bo is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Romanov is controlling him.

Romanov drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Romanov jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
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 Tae Bo will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Dimitri Romanov's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Bo tries a head kick but it misses.

Romanov clinches.

Bo escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Romanov closes the distance and clinches up with Bo, looking for a takedown. Romanov pushes Bo against the cage but Bo circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Romanov closes the distance and clinches up with Bo, looking for a takedown. Romanov pushes Bo against the cage but Bo circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Nice takedown defense from Romanov. No joy for Bo on that attempt.
Bo blocks the body kick.
No joy there for Romanov, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Tae Bo is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Bo throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Romanov rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Bo moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Romanov will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Tae Bo has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dimitri Romanov.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Bo throws a nice head kick!
Bo misses with a double jab
and Romanov counters with a series of strikes. Bo will be more careful next time no doubt.
Romanov closes the distance and clinches up with Bo, looking for a takedown. Romanov pushes Bo against the cage but Bo circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bo fails to land with a series of punches.
Bo tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Romanov tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Bo paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Bo tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Romanov swivels and escapes.
Romanov closes the distance and clinches up with Bo, looking for a takedown. Romanov pushes Bo against the cage but Bo circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Bo rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Romanov moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Romanov fails with the takedown
and Bo counters with a low kick, right behind Romanov 's knee.
Bo tries a head kick but it misses.
Romanov slips a jab and a cross from Bo.

Romanov shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Romanov not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bo is staying active underneath Romanov, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Bo is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Bo pushes Romanov off looking to stand but Romanov dives back in and keeps control.

Romanov decides to stand up.
Bo pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Romanov tries to clinch but Bo is having none of it.
An inside leg kick lands from Bo.

Bo gets caught flat footed, as Romanov shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Romanov postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Bo manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Romanov throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Bo's waist but Bo gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Romanov off to one side.

Bo drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Bo trying to control but Romanov is working from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Bo won't allow Romanov to get back to his feet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Romanov is trying to keep Bo in close.
Bo stopping the sweep attempt from Romanov.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Romanov has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Bo has passed into side control.
Romanov manages to get back to half guard.
Bo prevents Romanov from improving his position.

Bo is working for a submission of some sort.
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 Tae Bo will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Dimitri Romanov's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Bo lands a front kick.
Bo throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Romanov avoids a punch combination nicely.
Romanov fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Romanov throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Bo's waist but Bo gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Romanov off to one side.
Bo misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Romanov.
Romanov throws a right hand that Bo ducks under and follows up with a left that Bo also avoids with ease.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Bo shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Romanov wants to improve his position but Bo is controlling well.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Romanov with the active half guard here but Bo passes nicely into side control.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Bo decides to stand back up. Bo steps back and let's Romanov get back to his feet.
Bo lands with a slapping head kick.
Bo throws out a leg kick but Romanov moves out of range and Bo only half commits.

Romanov has managed to clinch.
Bo gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Romanov.
Tae Bo has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dimitri Romanov.
Bo gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Romanov.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Romanov works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Romanov trying to control but Bo is working from the bottom.
Bo looking to control.
Romanov looking to pass the guard.
Romanov trying to control the position from guard on top but Bo is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bo controlling Romanov's posture.
Bo tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Romanov wants to pass the guard but Bo is keeping the position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Bo thows a left - swing and a miss!
Bo throws a sloppy head kick and Romanov moves out of range easily.
Bo pulls out of a head kick attempt.

That's four 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.

Bo shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Bo slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

Romanov working for a triangle but Bo defends it easily.
Romanov wants to sweep but no luck.
Dimitri Romanov has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Tae Bo is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Bo sitting in guard here, content to control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tae Bo showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Bo, 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 Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 29:28
Judge Valeri Chadov scores the fight 30:27
Judge Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tae Bo!