PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Bugrahan Alparslan Karakas (ranked 4545 p4p, 4540 weight class) and Gabriel Lauzier (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Karakas
vs
Lauzier

185 cm
25
198
0 - 0 - 0

192 cm
18
198
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Big heart

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Bugrahan Alparslan Karakas!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Gabriel Lauzier!
The judges for this bout are Aleksandr Martynov, Sergei Dronov and Ivan Kurochkin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Karakas looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Lauzier!
You can see the frustration on Lauzier's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

Karakas looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Lauzier tries to get back to his feet but has found himself mounted instead. Damn, that's gotta suck.

Karakas working for a submission but Lauzier is keeping him at bay.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Karakas is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Lauzier can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lauzier reaches up to try and control the position but Karakas seems to have an arm triangle now! Uh oh! Lauzier rolls and tries to escape and now Karakas has his back!
Lauzier covering up well under a series of strikes from Karakas.
What can Lauzier do to escape this position? He's going to have to figure it out pretty quick if he wants to stay in the fight!
Lauzier trying to control the action but Karakas just sinks the hooks in.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Lauzier is very frustrated here, being controlled quite effectively by Karakas.

Karakas looking for the choke but no joy.
Lauzier trying to control the hands but Karakas won't let him.
Lauzier really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Karakas. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Karakas wants to control but Lauzier is keeping busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Karakas patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?
Karakas has good solid back control here.
Karakas misses with punches from the back.
Lauzier staying busy and making it hard for Karakas to control.
Lauzier trying to control but not successfully.

Karakas is looking for the choke from the back position but Lauzier is controlling his hands well.
Lauzier covering up well under a series of strikes from Karakas.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Karakas missing with strikes.

Lauzier preventing the rear naked choke attempt from Karakas.
Lauzier is trying to stand back up.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Lauzier covering up well and avoiding damage.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Bugrahan Alparslan Karakas dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Karakas shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Lauzier defends it nicely.
Karakas shoots in for a double leg but Lauzier sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Lauzier wants to clinch up but Karakas keeps it at a distance.
Lauzier tries to close the distance and clinch up but Karakas swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Lauzier has Karakas up against the cage in a clinch.
Lauzier goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Karakas jumps guard but Lauzier turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bugrahan Alparslan Karakas. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Lauzier has Karakas pushed against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Karakas letting Lauzier take a breather here.
Lauzier has Karakas pushed against the cage.
Lauzier displaying some good clinch control by pressing Karakas up against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A short left from Lauzier.
Lauzier lands a nice uppercut.
Lauzier lands a nice uppercut.
Lauzier lands with a right to the head.
Lauzier swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Lauzier lands a left hand.
Lauzier misses with a body punch.
Karakas is trying to pull guard but Lauzier has him pressed against the cage.
Lauzier lands a hook to the side of the head.
Karakas can't break the clinch.
Karakas blocks an uppercut.
Lauzier throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Karakass head.

Karakas is rocked!
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Oh Karakas is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Karakas can't get the takedown.
Karakas seems to have got his legs back now.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Lauzier pushes Karakas back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Lauzier misses with the head strike.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Karakas tries to break free but Lauzier pushes him back against the cage.
Lauzier fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Karakas has Lauzier pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Lauzier manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Lauzier lands a hook that snaps the head of Karakas backwards.
Lauzier slowing the pace effectively.
Lauzier misses with a hook from the clinch.
Lauzier gets through Karakas's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Lauzier throws a punch but it's blocked by Karakas.
A head punch on the inside from Lauzier fails to land.
Lauzier has a couple of punches blocked by Karakas.
Karakas blocking some punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Lauzier.
Karakas blocks an uppercut.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Lauzier digs a right hand underneath Karakas's ribcage. Karakas let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Lauzier misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Karakas tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Lauzier smiles and moves away.

Karakas moves into range and clinches up with Lauzier.
Lauzier is pushing Karakas up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Lauzier creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
A head punch on the inside from Lauzier fails to land.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lauzier lands a body punch.
Karakas misses with an elbow over the top.
Lauzier keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Karakas's efforts to push away.
Lauzier working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Lauzier throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Lauzier misses with a punch to the body.
Lauzier tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Karakas's elbow.
Lauzier holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Lauzier tries to throw a body punch but Karakas avoids it by throwing Lauzier back against the cage.
Lauzier misses with a punch on the inside.
Lauzier has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
A shot in the inside from Lauzier.
A hook to the body from Lauzier.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Lauzier swings wildly with an uppercut but Karakas uses good head movement to avoid it.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Karakas.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Gabriel Lauzier showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Lauzier closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Lauzier misses with a punch to the body.
Lauzier working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Lauzier tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Lauzier swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Lauzier lands a shoulder strike.
Karakas tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Lauzier lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Lauzier slows down the pace here.
Karakas blocks a punch to the side of the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lauzier lands with a light punch inside.
Lauzier stalling against the cage.
Stalling in the clinch from Lauzier.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lauzier stalling against the cage.
Lauzier continues to stall. The referee tells him to work or he's going to break them up.
Karakas is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Karakas tries for a takedown. No joy.
Lauzier is defending well against a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bugrahan Alparslan Karakas. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Lauzier working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Lauzier lands with a right to the head.
Lauzier tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Karakas's elbow.
Lauzier lands with a light punch inside.

Karakas escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Lauzier wants to clinch.
Lauzier tries to clinch there but Karakas circles away.
Karakas fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lauzier tries to close the distance and clinch up but Karakas swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Lauzier clinches.
Lauzier misses with a punch on the inside.
Karakas trying to control the position but instead, Lauzier has worked for underhooks and has pushed Karakas into the cage.
Karakas blocks an uppercut.
Lauzier avoiding damage as Karakas throws knees to the body.
Lauzier is struggling to control the position.
Karakas takes a shot to the head.
A short right from Lauzier on the inside.
This has been an exciting period of action!
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Lauzier.
Karakas has had enough of the clinch but Lauzier keeps him there for the moment.
Lauzier lands with a light punch inside.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lauzier gets through Karakas's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.

Lauzier drops Karakas onto one knee with a big uppercut from the clinch! Karakas is propped up by the cage and works his way back to his feet!
Lauzier swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Lauzier swings wildly with an uppercut but Karakas uses good head movement to avoid it.
Karakas stalling in the clinch but Lauzier improves position.
Karakas looking to stall.
Karakas blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Karakas tries to break free but Lauzier pushes him back against the cage.
Lauzier pushes Karakas back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Lauzier holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Lauzier stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Karakas wants to take the fight to the mat but Lauzier manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lauzier working aggressively here.
Lauzier lands a left hand.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Lauzier misses with a hook to the ribs.
Lauzier lands a hook to the side of the head.
Karakas is trying to pull guard but Lauzier turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Lauzier tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Karakas's elbow.
Lauzier lands with a short shot to the head.
Lauzier has a couple of punches blocked by Karakas.
Karakas is looking to break free of the clinch but Lauzier has double underhooks.
Karakas blocks a body shot from Lauzier.
Lauzier lands a hook that snaps the head of Karakas backwards.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
The referee is keeping an eye on Lauzier - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gabriel Lauzier comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Lauzier has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 26:29
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight 26:29
Judge Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 26:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gabriel Lauzier!