PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Phil Avent (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rico Swagger (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Avent
vs
Swagger

197 cm
21
235 lbs
6 - 1 - 0

195 cm
19
272 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Likes ground

ENDLESS 152

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Phil Avent!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Rico Swagger!
The judges for this bout are Viktor Lagutenko, Konstantin Menshow and Valeri Chadov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Avent closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Avent lands in his opponent's guard.
Avent works a leg free and moves into half guard.

Swagger looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Swagger misses with some strikes from the bottom.

Swagger is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Avent pulls his head out easily.
Avent wants to pass the guard but Swagger is defending well.
Avent wants to take a breather but Swagger is having none of it.

Swagger actively working from the bottom here.
Avent is looking to take a break and control but Swagger is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Avent shoots in looking for a takedown. Swagger tries to sprawl out of it but Avent keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Swagger manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Avent fails to land the takedown.
Swagger shoots and misses

and Avent counters with a nice double leg into side control. Swagger won't be happy with that.
Avent is looking to take a break and control but Swagger is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Swagger should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Avent has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Swagger!
Avent wants to control the pace but Swagger is squirming around nicely.
Swagger is trying to reverse the position but instead Avent has taken his back - oops!
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Avent's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.

Avent tightening his grip on Swagger, looking for the choke.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Avent wants to control but Swagger manages to buck him off and is now in Avent's guard! Nice work there by Swagger!
Swagger throws a big right hand that misses.
Swagger working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Avent looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Avent is breathing heavily.
Swagger looking to pass the guard.
Swagger trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Avent working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Swagger.
Swagger pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Avent is keeping the position for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Swagger with a lazy takedown attempt

and Avent counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Swagger keeping moving, preventing Avent from controlling successfully.
Swagger throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Avent wants to control from the top but Swagger keeps moving.

Swagger escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Avent gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Avent controlling from the top position.
Swagger trying to keep a closed guard but Avent is proving a slippery customer.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Swagger keeping moving, preventing Avent from controlling successfully.

Swagger working for a triangle but Avent defends it easily.
Avent is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Avent trying to control the position from guard on top but Swagger is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Swagger working for submissions but it's allowed Avent to get to half guard.

Avent is looking for a kimura but Swagger is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Avent to get the leverage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Phil Avent dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Swagger gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Avent counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Avent slips nicely into half guard.
Avent prevents Swagger from improving his position.

Avent is looking for a kimura but Swagger is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Avent to get the leverage.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Avent here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
Avent blocks the strikes from Swagger.

Avent is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Swagger wants to improve his position but Avent is controlling well.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Avent tries to pass to full mount but Swagger defends it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Swagger makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Swagger.

Swagger looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Swagger trying to keep a closed guard but Avent is proving a slippery customer.
Swagger trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Avent trying to control but Swagger is working from the bottom.
Avent trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Avent drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Avent jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Phil Avent overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Avent trying to control the position from guard on top but Swagger is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Swagger with a poor takedown

and Avent counters with a nice double leg into guard.

Swagger is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Swagger is trying to control the position but Avent postures up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

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

Swagger working for a triangle but Avent defends it easily.

Avent avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Avent stands and steps away. Swagger gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Phil Avent is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Avent tries to clinch but Swagger moves out of range.
Swagger keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Avent tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Swagger paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Swagger shoots in for a double leg but Avent sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Phil Avent has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rico Swagger.
Avent tries for a takedown but Swagger circles away easily

and Swagger counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Swagger.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Avent wants to stand and escape but Swagger is having none of it.
Avent 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.
Avent keeping moving, preventing Swagger from controlling successfully.
Avent working a defensive guard here.
Avent looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Avent is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Swagger throwing strikes from guard but Avent blocks nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Phil Avent dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Swagger gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Avent counters with a shoot takedown. Swagger fights it but they end up in guard.
Avent has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Avent passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Avent wants to lay and pray for a moment but Swagger keeps working.
Swagger stops Avent from passing to mount.
Swagger is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Swagger wants to control but Avent is keeping busy.
Avent tries to pass to full mount but Swagger defends it.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Swagger actively working from the bottom here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Swagger is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Avent throws a head kick that looked like it stung.

Avent looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.

Swagger looking for submissions off his back.

Avent is looking for a kimura here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Avent is looking for a kimura here.
Swagger makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Swagger.
Swagger throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Swagger looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Swagger can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Avent controls the pace.
Avent slips nicely into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Avent is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Swagger has managed to free his arm - good work.

Swagger looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Avent trying to control from half guard but Swagger is working away.
Swagger moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Avent trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Swagger wants to sweep here but Avent controlling him for the moment.
Avent sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Swagger's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Swagger looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Swagger gets full guard.

Swagger working for a triangle but Avent defends it easily.
Avent tries to free his leg and advance position but Swagger is retaining full guard.
Phil Avent is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Avent is working hard here to advance position.
Swagger trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Rico Swagger has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Avent wants to control from the top but Swagger keeps moving.

And that's the end of the fight!
Phil Avent showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Avent has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 30:27
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 30:27
Judge Valeri Chadov scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Phil Avent!