PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Ivan Drago (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Beat Best (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Drago might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to The Siberian Express. The key to victory for Ivan Drago has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Drago
vs
Best

190 cm
20
185 lbs
2 - 0 - 1

179 cm
19
185 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Big right hand

Decent wrestler
Decent boxing
Heavy handed

Das Labor
SPARTAN FIGHTWARE

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 2 - 0 - 1, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ivan Drago!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Beat Best!
The judges for this bout are Fedor Mirinova, Valeri Chadov and Vladimir Khabensky.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Best tries to clinch there but Drago circles away.
Best fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Drago uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Best.
Drago throws a jab when Best was well out of range.
Drago leaves Best with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Drago takes a swing at Best's ribcage but misses.
Drago bobbing and weaving well here. And he's unloaded with a massive right hand that drops Best! He dives into his guard looking to finish!

Best is rocked!

It looks like Beat Best has been cut.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Best looking to control but Drago passes into half guard.
Best is still in real trouble! Can Drago finish him?
Best is looking for a sweep. Drago is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Best seems to have recovered his senses.
Best is positioning himself well to prevent Drago advancing to mount.
Drago is trying to control the action in half guard but Best is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Best can do anything to dispel that myth.
Best wants to improve his position but Drago is controlling well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Best misses with some strikes from the bottom.

Drago escapes and gets back to his feet.
A decent looking cross lands there for Best.
Good exchange - Drago coming out on top.
Jab, jab by Best - just one landing.

Best shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Best was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
The referee warns Drago that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Drago wants to control but Best is having none of it.
Best punching from mount but Drago doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Best thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Drago blocking the ground and pound.
Best throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Best throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Poor strikes thrown by Best there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Drago is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
Best throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Drago because Best loaded up on that one.
Best throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Best punishing his opponent with strikes.
Best looking to control and managing it successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Best scoring with strikes but Drago is staying in there.
Best controlling his opponent.
Best throws some wild stikes that Drago manages to avoid easily.

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.
Best throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Drago because Best loaded up on that one.
Drago tries to reverse the position but Best maintains control.
Best misses with a head shot.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Best looking to finish Drago with some ground and pound. This is bad for Drago!
Best misses with a head shot.
Best throws some wild stikes that Drago manages to avoid easily.
Drago is in a horrible position here. Best smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Best is landing with some decent strikes but Drago is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Best looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
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 Ivan Drago will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Beat Best's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Best moves out of range of the strikes.
Best tries to clinch up.
Drago throws a lazy right hand but Best sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Best fails with the takedown.
Drago throws a good cross that connects.
The fighters circling - Drago throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Drago throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Best on the side of the head.
Drago misses with a looping right.
Drago uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Best has time to react.
Best throws a shot from downtown. Drago moves away and avoids it.
Best fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Drago misses with a hook.
Drago fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Best looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Drago misses with a jab, cross combination.
Drago throws a jab but it's blocked by Best.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Drago throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Best tries to clinch but Drago is having none of it.
Decent striking displayed by Drago there.
Drago throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Best on the side of the head.
Drago connects with the punch.
Drago misses with a looping right.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Drago just misses with a punch to the body.

Best looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Best looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Drago working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Best.
Best is working Drago over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

Drago scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Ivan Drago is winning the standup battle so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Drago misses with a looping left.
Drago lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Best circles away quickly and effectively.
Drago is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Nice defenses there by Best.
Ivan Drago is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Drago swats away the attempt to clinch by Best.

Best gets a takedown into half guard.
Best passes to full mount!
Drago avoids a series of strikes thrown by Best.
Best content just to control the position here.
Best unloads with some shots from mount but Drago bucks and avoids them well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Best cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Best throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Best can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Drago is looking to escape.
Best controlling from the full mount.
Best unloading with bombs!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Best sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Best misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
The referee warns Drago that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Best cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Best tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ivan Drago dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Beat Best's cut.
That's time! Drago's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Best lands with a nice combination. Drago backs away looking to recover.
Drago misses with a wild combination.
Best uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Drago.
Drago misses with a hook.
Drago looks to score with a jab to the body but Best is just out of range.
Best jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Drago misses with a looping left.
Best is looking to clinch but Drago is avoiding it.
Drago thows a left - swing and a miss!
Drago takes a swing at Best's ribcage but misses.
Drago misses with a body shot.
Best takes one to the chin there.

Best pushes Drago up against the cage in a clinch.

Drago breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Best tries to clinch there but Drago circles away.
Best wants to clinch up but Drago keeps it at a distance.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Drago lands with a nice body punch.
Drago throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Best scores with a shot to the body.
Best scores with a jab. Drago acknowledges it with a nod of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Best is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Drago's half guard.
Best trying to pass the guard but Drago defending well.
Best content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Best wants to lay and pray for a moment but Drago keeps working.
Best looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Best passes to side control.
Best prevents Drago from escaping the position.
Drago being controlled for a moment.
Best wants to control but Drago is keeping him busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Best tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Best looks up at the clock and then as Drago takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Best smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Best throws a strike aimed at the side of Drago's head but Drago avoids it well.
Best remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Best throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Drago dodges the ground and pound from Best.
Best wants to control but Drago is keeping him busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Best throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Best throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Best misses with the ground and pound.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Drago throws a shot from downtown. Best moves away and avoids it.
Best scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Best tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Drago throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Best takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Best shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Drago sprawls well. Drago wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Best gets slowly back to his feet.
Drago swats away the attempt to clinch by Best.
Beat Best has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Ivan Drago is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Drago misses with a jab, cross combination.

And that's the end of the fight!
Beat Best comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Drago 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 Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 29:28
Judge Valeri Chadov scores the fight 29:28
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ivan Drago!