PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Yaroslav Borkechev (ranked 5367 p4p, 4355 weight class) and Barty Karate (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Borkechev
vs
Karate

180 cm
23
155
0 - 1 - 0

225 cm
18
160
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Yaroslav Borkechev!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Barty Karate!
The judges for this bout are Fedor Mirinova, Aleksei Zolotukhin and Igor Prikhodko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Borkechev clinches up against the cage.
Borkechev tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Karate's elbow.

Borkechev jumps guard.
Borkechev pulls Karate in close to his closed guard and prevents Karate from doing any damage or advancing position.
Karate stopping the sweep attempt from Borkechev.
Karate must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Borkechev managing to control the position.
Karate is looking to stand up but Borkechev won't let him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Borkechev manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Karate manages to get himself to full guard.

Karate can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Borkechev controls the pace.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Karate is looking for a triangle but Borkechev pushes his legs off easily.
Karate is looking to stand up but Borkechev isn't so interested in that idea.
Karate controlling Borkechev's posture.
Borkechev postures up.
Borkechev might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Karate being controlled here, momentarily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Borkechev wants to stand and escape but instead Karate has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

Karate trying to control the position from guard on top but Borkechev is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Borkechev looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Karate wanted to stand there but Borkechev had control of the position.
Borkechev lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Borkechev trying to stand up but can't free himself from Karate's guard.
Borkechev seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Borkechev postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Borkechev content to stall in guard here.
Karate is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Karate prevents Borkechev from improving his position.
Borkechev makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Borkechev.
Karate stopping the sweep attempt from Borkechev.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Karate got a little sloppy there for a moment and Borkechev has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Karate has managed to get both his arms back between Borkechev's legs - danger averted.
Karate would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Borkechev throws a wild body kick that Karate sees coming a mile off.
Borkechev is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Karate can do to turn this around?
Borkechev stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Borkechev wants it to stay on the feet.
Borkechev is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Karate.
Karate is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Borkechev shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Karate's guard.
Karate is pulling down on Borkechev's head to control his posture.
Borkechev won't allow Karate to sweep him here.
Borkechev controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Karate utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Karate wants to sweep here but Borkechev controlling him for the moment.
Borkechev sitting in guard, not really doing much.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Karate wants to stand and escape but Borkechev is having none of it.

Borkechev gets to his feet. Karate looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Karate blocks a leg kick.

Borkechev fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Karate sprawls well initially but Borkechev persists and gets the takedown into half guard.

Borkechev escapes and gets back to his feet.

Borkechev shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Karate manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.

Karate has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Borkechev off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Karate is breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Borkechev changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Karate looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.

Borkechev wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Karate, who protects the arm well.
Karate is working to avoid the ground and pound but Borkechev connects with a decent elbow.
Karate gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Borkechev prevents Karate from improving his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Karate is trying to control but can't.
Borkechev tries to stand and escape but Karate is controlling the position.
Borkechev wants to pass to mount but Karate is defending the position.

Borkechev is trying to work for a kimura but Karate is defending well.
Borkechev prevents Karate from improving his position.
Borkechev is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.

That's four 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.
Borkechev looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Borkechev tries to stand but can't do so whilst Karate controls his leg.
Karate on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Karate is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Borkechev is controlling the pace.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Karate strikes from the bottom but Borkechev uses the opportunity to move to side control.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Yaroslav Borkechev dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Borkechev throws the left hand but Karate avoids the punch easily.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Borkechev crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Karate - the referee stops the clock and Borkechev gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Karate. Borkechev manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Borkechev.
Karate gets back to half guard.
Borkechev trying to mount his opponent but Karate defends it.

Borkechev is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Yaroslav Borkechev overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Karate wants to control but Borkechev is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Borkechev performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Borkechev is just content to waste time from the top position. Karate takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Borkechev tries to stand but Karate is controlling from the bottom.
Borkechev is stalling in the full guard.
Karate is trying to keep Borkechev in close.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Borkechev sitting in guard, not really doing much.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
A punch combination from Karate misses.

Borkechev rushes Karate and presses him up against the cage.
Karate tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Karate gets underhooks to prevent Borkechev's takedown attempt.

Borkechev breaks from the clinch.
Karate fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Karate looks for a takedown but Borkechev sprawls well.
Karate takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Karate has a takedown stuffed.
Yaroslav Borkechev has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Barty Karate.
Horrible takedown attempt by Karate or perhaps it was just good defense by Borkechev, which made it look bad.

Borkechev closes the distance and pushes Karate back into the cage.
Karate jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Borkechev walks away with a smile on his face. Karate gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Borkechev closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Karate to the mat! Karate manages to get full guard.
Karate is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Borkechev sitting in guard, not really doing much.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Borkechev decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Karate, up you get!

Borkechev decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

Borkechev escapes and gets back to his feet.
Borkechev throws a head kick that misses.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Karate takes the fight into the clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Borkechev slows down the pace here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Yaroslav Borkechev showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Borkechev 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 Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 30:27
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Yaroslav Borkechev!