PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Sakulk Sharipova (ranked 24520 p4p, 5172 weight class) and Donavan Knapp (ranked 362 p4p, 249 weight class). Donavan Knapp will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Sharipova
vs
Knapp

158 cm
19
155
0 - 4 - 0

175 cm
25
170
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 2 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Sakulk Sharipova!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Donavan Knapp!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Yuuki Gou and Hirohito Nitta.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Sharipova gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Knapp breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Nice body punch from Knapp.

Knapp takes the fight into the clinch.
Knapp has Sharipova pressed against the ropes, preventing Sharipova from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

Knapp breaks from the clinch.
Sharipova tries to close the distance and clinch but Knapp swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Knapp tries to score a power double leg takedown but Sharipova sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Knapp somewhat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sharipova doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Knapp counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Knapp throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Knapp throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Sharipova's waist but Sharipova gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Knapp off to one side.
Knapp looks for a takedown but Sharipova sprawls well.
Sakulk Sharipova has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Donavan Knapp.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Knapp goes for a double leg but Sharipova avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the ropes as Sharipova continues to drive forward.
Sharipova is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Knapp.
Knapp swats away the attempt to clinch by Sharipova.
Knapp shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Sharipova as he jumps to the side.
Sharipova is trying hard to land a takedown here. Knapp sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

Knapp closes the distance and clinches.
Knapp jumps guard but Sharipova turns him against the ropes and keeps the fight standing.
Sharipova wants to break free but Knapp has control.
Sharipova drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Knapp gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Knapp avoiding damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Knapp works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.

Knapp escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Knapp rushes Sharipova and pushes him back against the ropes in a clinch.
Knapp looking for a takedown.

Knapp manages to pull guard.
Knapp being controlled here, momentarily.
Sharipova postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sharipova won't allow Knapp to sweep him here.

Knapp had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Sharipova defends it easily.
Knapp really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Sharipova. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Sharipova won't allow Knapp to sweep him here.

Knapp working for submissions but it's allowed Sharipova to get to half guard.
Knapp tries to kick Sharipova off but Sharipova keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Sharipova wants to lay and pray for a moment but Knapp keeps working.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Knapp trying to control but Sharipova postures up.
Knapp is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Sharipova's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Sharipova's back!
Sharipova tries to escape the position.
Knapp avoiding Sharipova 's attempts to control his hands.
Sharipova is breathing heavily.

Knapp looking for the choke but no joy.
Knapp controlling the position well here. Sharipova rolled but Knapp kept the hooks locked in and stayed in the dominant position.

That's five minutes gone in the round.

Knapp is working hard for the rear naked choke here.

Sharipova defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Knapp's arms.
Sharipova breaks Knapp's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Knapp controls Sharipova momentarily but Sharipova frees himself.
Knapp utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Knapp has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Sharipova is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Knapp.
Sharipova tries to stand but Knapp is controlling his head.
Sharipova trying to control the position but Knapp is working away.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Knapp throwing some weak shots from the bottom that do no damage.
Knapp prevents Sharipova from improving position.
Sharipova misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Knapp regains half guard.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Knapp wants to get back to full guard but Sharipova has mounted him!
Knapp is looking to get to half guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Knapp can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Knapp tries to hold on but Sharipova pushes him away.
Knapp wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.
Sharipova avoiding Knapp 's attempts to control his hands.
Sharipova controlling well, preventing Knapp from escaping the position.
Sharipova not allowing Knapp to control his hands.

Knapp preventing the rear naked choke attempt from Sharipova.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Sharipova keeps control of the position as Knapp tries to break free.

Knapp is trying escape back to his feet. He turns into his opponent's guard and eventually finds his way back to his feet.
Knapp goes for a double leg but Sharipova avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the ropes as Sharipova continues to drive forward.
Sharipova stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Sharipova wants it to stay on the feet.
Knapp looks for a takedown but Sharipova sprawls well.
Sharipova appears to be looking for a big counter.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Knapp is trying hard to land a takedown here. Sharipova sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Sharipova stuffs the takedown.
Nice jab there from Knapp.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Donavan Knapp will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Knapp shoots for a double leg takedown but Sharipova sprawls well. He's pushed Knapp's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Knapp takes the fight into the clinch.
Knapp is looking for a takedown.
Sharipova fails to pull guard.
Knapp is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Sharipova is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Knapp pulls him back up using the underhooks.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Knapp manages to break the clinch.
Sloppy strikes from Sharipova. Those never looked like landing.
Sharipova doesn't manage to clinch there - Knapp circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sharipova takes a swing at Knapp's ribcage but misses.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Knapp misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Sharipova looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.

Knapp moves into the clinch.
Sharipova tries to break the clinch but Knapp is controlling the position.
Sharipova wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Knapp has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Sharipova is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Sakulk Sharipova has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Donavan Knapp.
Sharipova is looking for a takedown.
Sharipova tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Knapp just stands there and leans against the ropes.
Knapp tries to pull guard but Sharipova won't allow it.

Knapp successfully pulls guard.
Knapp tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Knapp is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Knapp trying to keep a closed guard but Sharipova is proving a slippery customer.
Knapp has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Knapp controls Sharipova momentarily but Sharipova frees himself.
Knapp wants to stand up but Sharipova is controlling him.
Donavan Knapp has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Knapp escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Sharipova gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Knapp lands a really nice looking cross but Sharipova seems unphased.

Knapp changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Sharipova looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Sharipova defending against the ground and pound.
Knapp tries to stand but Sharipova controls the position and pulls Knapp into his guard.
Knapp showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Knapp must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sharipova trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Knapp throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Knapp wants to pass the guard but Sharipova is keeping the position.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Sharipova avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Knapp throwing strikes from guard but Sharipova blocks nicely.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Knapp tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Sharipova swivels and escapes.
Nice takedown defense from Sharipova. No joy for Knapp on that attempt.
Donavan Knapp seems to be getting the better of the standup.

Knapp gets a takedown into half guard.
Sharipova wants to control but Knapp is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Knapp looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Knapp wants to stand up but Sharipova is controlling the position.
Sharipova might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Knapp is keen to just control but Sharipova is a slippery customer.
Knapp tries to stand and escape but Sharipova is controlling the position.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters, thinking about a standup.
Knapp sitting and controlling from the half guard.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.

Knapp rushes Sharipova and pushes him back against the ropes in a clinch.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
A short right from Knapp.
Knapp tries to pull guard but Sharipova won't allow it.

Knapp drags the fight down to the ground.
Knapp looking to hit a scissor sweep but Sharipova is one step ahead there.
Knapp keeping moving, preventing Sharipova from controlling successfully.
Knapp is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Knapp is continuing to stall.
Knapp tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Knapp has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Knapp keeping moving, preventing Sharipova from controlling successfully.

Knapp working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Sharipova doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Sharipova manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Sharipova stuffs the takedown.
Sharipova tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Knapp manages to circle out of the way.
Knapp misses with a leg kick.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Knapp lands with a straight right. Sharipova didn't see that one coming.
Knapp lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Knapp darts in looking for a takedown but Sharipova gets double underhooks and turns Knapp into the ropes.
Sakulk Sharipova is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Knapp forces Sharipova back against the ropes and clinches.
Sharipova prevents the takedown attempt.
Knapp scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Knapp works on Sharipova's body with a couple of short punches.

Knapp manages to break the clinch.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Knapp goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Sakulk Sharipova has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Donavan Knapp is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Knapp gets a clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Donavan Knapp comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Knapp has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.

Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight for Donavan Knapp!
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight for Donavan Knapp!
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight for Donavan Knapp!

Donavan Knapp wins by unanimous decision!