PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Nikolai Ignatiev (ranked 227 p4p, 114 weight class) and Radu Dracul (ranked 29 p4p, 15 weight class). Ignatiev comes into the arena with Beats That blaring out of the sound system. Radu Dracul struggled to make weight for this fight. He only made it down to 187.2lbs at the first attempt and had to take the additional two hours to make the official bout weight. Let's see how much it's taken out of him. There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Ignatiev
vs
Dracul

187 cm
29
192
11 - 6 - 0

190 cm
36
202
36 - 13 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Fast

30th Century Beer Store
Shadow Realm Apparel

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 11 - 6 - 0, fighting out of London, Nikolai Ignatiev!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 36 - 13 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Radu Dracul!
The judges for this bout are Andrew Berry, Richard Clark and Donald Grub.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ignatiev slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Ignatiev misses with a hook

and Dracul counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Ignatiev moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Ignatiev is controlling Dracul's posture.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Dracul working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
Dracul slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Ignatiev looking to hit a scissor sweep but Dracul is one step ahead there.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dracul looking to pass the guard.
Ignatiev is adopting a defensive guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dracul is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Dracul trying to control the position from guard on top but Ignatiev is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Dracul looking to pass the guard.
Ignatiev looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Ignatiev is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Nikolai Ignatiev seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ignatiev ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Dracul's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Ignatiev connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Dracul scrambles back to his feet.
Ignatiev lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Ignatiev is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Ignatiev throws a looping overhand right but Dracul ducks down to avoid it.
Dracul changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ignatiev thows a body kick. Dracul tries to catch it but that hurt him.
A shot to the body from Ignatiev misses

and Dracul counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Ignatiev is adopting a defensive guard.
Ignatiev manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Dracul manages to get himself to full guard.

Ignatiev sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Dracul pulls Ignatiev in close to prevent any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ignatiev wants to pass the guard but Dracul is keeping the position.

Dracul looking for a guillotine here but Ignatiev defends easily.
Ignatiev looking to sit in guard and control but Dracul gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Nikolai Ignatiev will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Ignatiev connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Ignatiev ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Dracul moves away.
Dracul moves out of range as Ignatiev strikes.
Dracul changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Dracul moves forwards but Ignatiev connects with a nice, crisp jab.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ignatiev uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Ignatiev throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Dracul is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Ignatiev is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Dracul can do to turn this around?

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dracul bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Dracul staying out of range there.
Ignatiev jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Ignatiev connects with a crisp jab.
Nikolai Ignatiev is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Ignatiev throws a low kick, looking for Dracul's leg but Dracul calmly moves out of range.
Dracul takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Ignatiev lands with a good body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ignatiev swings for the body but Dracul moves out of range.
And Dracul tries to counter it with a takedown but Ignatiev pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Ignatiev throws a left and a right that both miss

and Dracul counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Ignatiev!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Dracul moves into full mount!
Ignatiev on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Ignatiev tries to get out of the position.
Ignatiev wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Dracul.
Ignatiev gets back to half guard.
Dracul prevents Ignatiev from improving his position.
Dracul is trying to control the action in half guard but Ignatiev is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dracul looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Dracul slips a nice elbow through Ignatiev's hands, connecting with Ignatiev's forehead.

It looks like Nikolai Ignatiev has been cut.
Ignatiev trying to control here.
Ground and pound from Dracul.
Dracul moves nicely into side control.
You can see the frustration on Ignatiev's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Dracul is looking to take a break and control but Ignatiev is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Dracul postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dracul tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Dracul trying to control the action but Ignatiev is working from the bottom.
Ignatiev is looking to regain half guard here but Dracul keeps moving and retains side control.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Dracul is trying to get an arm triangle but Ignatiev is defending well.

Dracul tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Dracul has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Nikolai Ignatiev dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Nikolai Ignatiev's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Dracul takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Ignatiev loads up on a big right hand but Dracul slips the punch.
Dracul with the counter takedown but Ignatiev avoids it easily.
Ignatiev swings and misses with a hook to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dracul keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Ignatiev.
Dracul is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Ignatiev connects with a body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ignatiev connects with a body shot that sends Dracul's belly button to the back.
Ignatiev throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Dracul uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Ignatiev.
Dracul drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Ignatiev defends it well.
A big left from Ignatiev misses.
Dracul is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Ignatiev looks to score with a jab to the body but Dracul is just out of range.
Dracul feints the counter takedown.
Ignatiev waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Dracul.
Dracul tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Jab from Ignatiev.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ignatiev misses with a wild body shot.
Ignatiev comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Ignatiev throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
A big left from Ignatiev misses.
Dracul avoids the body shot from Ignatiev.
Dracul changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Ignatiev misses with a body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dracul keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Ignatiev.
Dracul drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Ignatiev defends it well.
Ignatiev misses with a left hand

so Dracul counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Dracul wants to pass the guard but Ignatiev is keeping the position.
Ignatiev pulls Dracul in close to his closed guard and prevents Dracul from doing any damage or advancing position.
Ignatiev knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Dracul on the ground.
Ignatiev keeping full guard, as Dracul tries to pass.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Dracul thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Dracul slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Ignatiev looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Nikolai Ignatiev is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Dracul postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Dracul sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Ignatiev's guard.
Ignatiev is trying to get back to full guard.
Radu Dracul has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Dracul scoring with strikes to the body and head.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nikolai Ignatiev showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Ignatiev, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Andrew Berry scores the fight 30:27
Judge Richard Clark scores the fight 30:27
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nikolai Ignatiev!
Nikolai Ignatiev thanked the fans post fight for their support.