PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Harti Kraus (ranked 1059 p4p, 1865 weight class) and Denis Denisov (ranked 67 p4p, 111 weight class). Kraus comes to the cage accompanied by New World Symphony 4th Movement. Harti Kraus could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Denis Denisov's chin.

Kraus
vs
Denisov

164 cm
22
137
9 - 4 - 0

167 cm
25
140
8 - 11 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Brooklyn Threads
Brooklyn Apothecary

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, Harti Kraus!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Denis Denisov!
The judges for this bout are Sosuke Kotani, Yukihiro Shimada and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
No joy there for Kraus, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
It seemed like Denisov was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Kraus fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Denisov on the side of the head.
Denisov avoids a punch combination nicely.
Denisov shoots and misses

and Kraus counters with a takedown into side control.
Kraus wants to take a breather but Denisov manages to regain guard - a lesson learnt for Kraus.
Denisov throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Denisov throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Kraus postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Denisov is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Denisov throws a couple of heel strikes.
Denisov throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Kraus wants to control from the top but Denisov keeps moving.
Denisov trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Denisov looking for a sweep. Not yet Denisov, not yet.
Kraus landing with the ground and pound.
Denisov throwing strikes off his back to little effect.

Denisov manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Denisov slips a jab and a cross from Kraus.
Kraus tries to land a body kick
enabling Denisov to counter with a crisp jab.
Kraus throws out a loose jab but Denisov uses good head movement to avoid it.
A looping hook to the body misses from Kraus. Denisov does a little dance to reset his feet.
Denisov is looking for the big counter here.
Denisov fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Kraus showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Denisov.

Kraus pushes Denisov up against the cage in a clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kraus prevents the takedown attempt.
Denisov is trying to pull guard but Kraus has him pressed against the cage.
Harti Kraus has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Denis Denisov.
Kraus misses with a knee strike.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kraus misses with a punch to the body.
Kraus missing with knees to the body.
Kraus misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Denisov.
Kraus tries a knee to the head but Denisov blocks it.
Kraus creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.

Denisov has hold of one of Kraus's legs. Kraus is fighting the takedown attempt but Denisov gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Kraus is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Kraus wants to control but Denisov passes easily into half guard.
Kraus is looking for a sweep. Denisov is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Kraus gets back to full guard.
Denisov cracks Kraus with a solid left hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Denisov content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Denisov preventing the sweep.
Denisov distracts Kraus with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Denisov distracts Kraus with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Denisov works over Kraus with some ground and pound from guard.
Kraus looking for a sweep. Not yet Kraus, not yet.
Denisov lands a couple of elbows.

Kraus is rocked!
Kraus being controlled here, momentarily.
Denisov postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Oh Kraus is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Kraus is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Kraus seems to have got his legs back now.
Denisov distracts Kraus with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Denisov works over Kraus with some ground and pound from guard.
Denisov scoring with punches to the head and body.
Kraus tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Kraus keeping moving, preventing Denisov from controlling successfully.
Kraus working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Denisov.
Denisov working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Kraus's head.

Denisov got a little sloppy there for a moment and Kraus has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Denisov has managed to get both his arms back between Kraus's legs - danger averted.
Denisov missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Denisov's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Denis Denisov will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Denisov shoots in looking for a takedown. Kraus tries to sprawl out of it but Denisov keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Kraus manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Denisov shoots for a takedown but Kraus saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

Denisov tries to keep at a distance but Kraus has taken the fight into the clinch.
Denisov is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Kraus pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Harti Kraus has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Denis Denisov.
Denisov tries to pull guard but Kraus won't allow it.

Denisov jumps guard.
Kraus throwing strikes from guard but Denisov blocks nicely.
Kraus with a nice head shot there.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kraus trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Denisov wants to stand and escape but Kraus is having none of it.
Denisov trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Kraus passes easily into side control. Nice work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kraus cracks Denisov with a big right hand but Denisov just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Denisov is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Kraus's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Denisov slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Kraus scoring with some ground and pound.
Denisov tries to strike from the bottom.
Kraus wants to control from the top but Denisov keeps moving.
Denisov trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Kraus wants to control from the top but Denisov keeps moving.
Kraus in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Kraus engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kraus wants to control from the top but Denisov keeps moving.
Denisov striking off his back but it's not causing Kraus any problems.
Kraus throws a big elbow that misses.
Kraus throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Denisov works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Kraus working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Denisov is trying to control the position but Kraus postures up.
Kraus is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Kraus is in close to Denisov's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Kraus's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Denisov manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Kraus manages to get himself to full guard.

Denis Denisov has got the better of the ground game so far.
Kraus trying to keep a closed guard but Denisov is proving a slippery customer.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kraus trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.

Kraus looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Denisov scoring with some ground and pound.
Denisov postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Kraus is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Denisov keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Kraus's head.

Kraus looking for a guillotine here but Denisov defends easily.
Kraus has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Denisov preventing the sweep.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Denisov working his ground and pound in the gym. So far it seems to be working well.

Kraus is looking for a triangle but Denisov pushes his legs off easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Kraus isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Denisov stacks Kraus on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Denisov!
Denisov is putting a hurting on Kraus here, landing some big shots from side control.
Kraus takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Kraus is looking to regain half guard here but Denisov keeps moving and retains side control.
Kraus is in a tricky position but he's been working on his transitions down at Shut Up & Train! {$1000}, so we'll see if he gets out of it.
Denisov scores with punches from side control.
Kraus is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Harti Kraus will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Kraus misses with a series of wild punches.
Denisov throws out a counter right but Kraus avoids it with no problem.
Kraus just misses with a punch to the body.

Denisov moves into range and clinches up with Kraus.
Denisov is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Denisov blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Kraus swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Denisov tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Kraus just stands there and leans against the cage.
Denisov wants a takedown but no success here.
Harti Kraus has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Denis Denisov.
Kraus lands a shoulder strike.
Denisov goes for a takedown in the clinch but Kraus prevents it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kraus misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Denisov.
Denisov jumps guard but Kraus turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Denisov tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Kraus smiles and moves away.
Kraus throws a head kick but Denisov moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kraus misses with a double jab
and Denisov counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Denisov lands with an overhand left.
Kraus connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Harti Kraus is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Kraus goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Denisov ducks under a wild hook from Kraus.
Kraus throws a hook but Denisov avoids it easily.
Denisov throws out a counter right but Kraus avoids it with no problem.
Kraus stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Kraus wants it to stay on the feet.
Kraus tries a head kick but it misses.
Kraus throws a combination that misses
and Denisov counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
A punch lands to the side of Kraus 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Kraus falls off balance throwing a combination
enabling Denisov to counter with a crisp jab.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Denisov fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Kraus pushes Denisov up against the cage in a clinch.
Denisov blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Kraus stops a takedown attempt from Denisov.
Denisov drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Denisov tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Kraus is trying to force a seperation but Denisov has the dominant position.

Denisov jumps into guard, dragging Kraus to the mat.
Kraus throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Denisov trying to keep a closed guard but Kraus is proving a slippery customer.
Denisov keeping full guard, as Kraus tries to pass.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kraus with a nice head shot there.
Kraus scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Kraus with a flurry of punches that miss.
Denisov is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Kraus trying to control the position from guard on top but Denisov is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Denisov doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Kraus not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Denisov looking to control.
Denisov lands a decent punch to the body there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Denisov utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Kraus keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Denisov's head.
Kraus scoring with some ground and pound.
Denisov throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Denisov working a defensive guard here.
Denisov looking for a sweep. Not yet Denisov, not yet.
Kraus postures up and lands a big shot to Denisov's brow.
Denisov looking to control.
Kraus tries to free his leg and advance position but Denisov is retaining full guard.
Denisov avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Kraus is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Kraus pushes down on Denisov's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Denisov trying to hold on to Kraus's head to control him but Kraus postures up.

And that's the end of the fight!
Harti Kraus showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Kraus 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 Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 29:28
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Harti Kraus!
In his post fight interview, Harti Kraus gave a big smile as he said 'For those who thought I was done, this was your answer. I'll let that little fish and the math teacher solve what they have later tonight, but know that me and the title aren't done. Take a seat, grab some popcorn, violence is imminent.'.