PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Chief Claw (ranked 2623 p4p, 2529 weight class) and Sven Ludwig (ranked 339 p4p, 322 weight class). Sven Ludwig told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Claw
vs
Ludwig

188 cm
29
200
8 - 3 - 0

185 cm
35
199
28 - 23 - 0

Good wrestling
Great elbows
Granite chin

Olympic wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

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 8 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Chief Claw!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 28 - 23 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Sven Ludwig!
The judges for this bout are Dmitry Maklakov, Fedor Mirinova and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Claw on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Claw jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Ludwig keeps the fight on the outside.
Chief Claw seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Claw misses with a few strikes there.
Ludwig wants to counter with a clinch but Claw pushes him away.
Ludwig bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Claw's head backwards.
Ludwig tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Claw paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Claw jabs Ludwig right on the nose. Ludwig blinks but takes it well.

It looks like Sven Ludwig has been cut.
Claw throws a sloppy head kick and Ludwig moves out of range easily.
Claw fails with a takedown attempt.
Ludwig blocks a head kick by Claw.
Ludwig scores with a nice strike.
Ludwig scores with a punch to the head.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Ludwig will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Claw throws a head kick but Ludwig moves out of range.
Ludwig fails with a takedown attempt.

Ludwig instigates a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ludwig effectively controlling the action here.
Ludwig unloads a knee to the mid-section. Claw lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Claw is looking for a takedown.
Ludwig lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Claw backwards.
Claw goes for a takedown attempt but Ludwig pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Chief Claw. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ludwig fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Claw.
Claw throws a right and a left that both miss.
Claw misses with a two punch combination.
We've been told by Claw's head coaches at Kalashnikov ELITE MMA Gym that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Ludwig works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Claw has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Ludwig.
Ludwig misses with a head kick.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Claw throws a sloppy head kick
and Ludwig counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Claw is lucky that one didn't land flush.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Ludwig closes the distance and clinches up with Claw, looking for a takedown. Ludwig pushes Claw against the cage but Claw circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Claw swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Claw jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Ludwig lands a glancing blow to the side of Claw's head.

Claw is rocked!

Ludwig takes the fight into the clinch.
Ludwig is trying to drag Claw to the mat but Claw just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Claw drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Ludwig prevents a takedown attempt there.
Ludwig landing knees to the head.
Ludwig tries for a takedown but Claw manages to get underhooks.
Claw has Ludwig pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Ludwig manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.

Claw wants the takedown. Ludwig is fighting it off but Claw persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Ludwig's guard against the cage.
Ludwig is controlling Claw's posture.
Ludwig keeping full guard, as Claw tries to pass.
Ludwig wants to get back to his feet but Claw is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Ludwig looking to hit a scissor sweep but Claw is one step ahead there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Claw thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Ludwig lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Claw is looking for a triangle but Ludwig pushes his legs off easily.

Claw escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Ludwig gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Ludwig is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

Claw looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Ludwig cracks Claw with a solid left hand.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Claw has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Ludwig can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ludwig trying to control the position from guard on top but Claw is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ludwig wants to pass the guard but Claw is keeping the position.
Ludwig is in close to Claw's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Claw keeping moving, preventing Ludwig from controlling successfully.

Claw is looking for a triangle but Ludwig pushes his legs off easily.

Claw has his foot on Ludwig's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Ludwig works his way back into a safe position though.
Ludwig makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Ludwig's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

Claw is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Ludwig has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Ludwig wants to stand but Claw has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

Claw looking for subs off his back but Ludwig has passed one foot through into half guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Sven Ludwig dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Sven Ludwig's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action.

Claw throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Ludwig displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Claw.

Ludwig drives through with a takedown into Claw's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Ludwig lands a couple of elbows.
Ludwig lands a couple of digs.
Sven Ludwig has got the better of the ground game so far.
Ludwig working some strikes from top position.
Ludwig scoring with punches to the head and body.
Ludwig landing with the ground and pound.

Claw escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Ludwig gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Ludwig got a little sloppy there for a moment and Claw has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Ludwig has managed to get both his arms back between Claw's legs - danger averted.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Claw has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Ludwig can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Ludwig with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Claw had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Ludwig defends it easily.
Ludwig distracts Claw with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Ludwig postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Ludwig scoring with some ground and pound.
Ludwig wants to control from the top but Claw keeps moving.
Ludwig is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
My spies in Catch Wrestling L.A. inform me that Ludwig has been getting involved in the gym's BJJ sparring sessions. Let's see whether that pays dividends!
Ludwig chips away with some ground and pound.

Claw working for a triangle but Ludwig defends it easily.

Claw escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Ludwig gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Ludwig scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ludwig lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Ludwig is in close to Claw's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Ludwig scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Ludwig landing with the ground and pound.
Oh Claw is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Ludwig landing some decent shots from guard.

Claw has his foot on Ludwig's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Ludwig works his way back into a safe position though.
Ludwig loads up on a big left hand. Claw felt that one! He's just covering up now, not defending himself intelligently - Ludwig looks towards the ref and unloads with 3 more big shots and the ref has no choice but to stop the fight! Claw can't hide his disappointment, as Ludwig celebrates the victory.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:43 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Sven Ludwig!
Sven Ludwig bigged himself up after the win. The crowd seemed to love it.