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WP 125 PBP Commentary |
This TWGC bout is 1 fifteen minute round in the super heavyweight division. Introducing today's competitors. In the red corner, competing out of New York, with a TWGC record of 86 wins and 63 losses; The Reverend Jim Ignatowski! And in the blue corner, fighting out of New York, with a TWGC record of 61 wins and 80 losses; Boris Balkan!
The judges for this bout are James Ackerman, Phil Schofield and Steven Brown.
The official calls the fighters to the middle and the contest is under way.
Balkan gets caught napping as Ignatowski dives in and scores a takedown. Balkan manages to retain guard. Score +2 for takedown into guard / half guard: Ignatowski (2) vs (0) Balkan
Ignatowski avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Balkan isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Ignatowski stacks Balkan on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Ignatowski! Score +3 for passing guard: Ignatowski (5) vs (0) Balkan
Ignatowski just content to control the position.
Balkan tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Ignatowski wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
We've been hearing good reports from Ignatowski's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ignatowski moves into full mount! Score +2 for reaching mount: Ignatowski (7) vs (0) Balkan
Ignatowski tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Balkan tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Balkan doing his best to control the position. Can he escape?
Ignatowski pushing the pace here, looking to move to his opponents back and work for a finish.
Ignatowski controlling from the full mount.
Balkan tries to hold on but Ignatowski postures up.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ignatowski wants to control but Balkan has made it back to half guard. Nice work.
Balkan trying to control here.
Balkan is looking for a sweep. Ignatowski is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Balkan has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Ignatowski is working away from the top position though.
Ignatowski is looking for the mount but instead finds himself back in full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Balkan is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Ignatowski might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balkan working a defensive guard but Ignatowski passes into half guard.
Balkan slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Balkan trying to control the position here.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Ignatowski wants to pass the guard but Balkan is keeping the position.
Ignatowski looking to sit in guard and control but Balkan gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top. Score +2 for sweep to guard / half guard: Ignatowski (7) vs (2) Balkan
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balkan stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Ignatowski swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Balkan is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Ignatowski can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Balkan controls the pace.
Ignatowski trying to keep a closed guard but Balkan is proving a slippery customer.
Balkan tries to free his leg and advance position but Ignatowski is retaining full guard.
My spies in Blacktalians MMA inform me that Balkan has been getting involved in the gym's BJJ sparring sessions. Let's see whether that pays dividends!
Ignatowski managing to control the position.
Balkan looking to pass the guard.
That's five minutes gone in the round.
Balkan is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Ignatowski bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Balkan's guard. Score +2 for sweep to guard / half guard: Ignatowski (9) vs (2) Balkan
Balkan trying to keep a closed guard but Ignatowski is proving a slippery customer.
Balkan trying to control the position here.
Balkan is continuing to stall.
That's six minutes gone in the round.
Balkan keeping moving, preventing Ignatowski from controlling successfully.
Ignatowski not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Balkan is on top in guard.
Score +2 for sweep to guard / half guard: Ignatowski (9) vs (4) Balkan
Balkan trying to control the position from guard on top but Ignatowski is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Balkan looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Ignatowski pulls Balkan in close to his closed guard and prevents Balkan from doing any damage or advancing position.
Balkan preventing the sweep.
Ignatowski not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Ignatowski pulls Balkan in close to prevent any damage.
Balkan trying to move into half guard but instead Ignatowski has managed to sweep! Score +2 for sweep to guard / half guard: Ignatowski (11) vs (4) Balkan
That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Balkan throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Balkan is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Ignatowski wants to control from the top but Balkan keeps moving.
Ignatowski controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Balkan pulls Ignatowski in close to his closed guard and prevents Ignatowski from doing any damage or advancing position.
Ignatowski wants to control from the top but Balkan keeps moving.
Balkan working a defensive guard but Ignatowski manages to pass into side control anyway.
Score +3 for passing guard: Ignatowski (14) vs (4) Balkan
Balkan gets back to half guard.
Balkan trying to control but Ignatowski postures up.
That's ten minutes gone in the round.
Balkan actively working from the bottom here.
Balkan wants to control the action here but instead Ignatowski manages to pass to full mount! Score +3 for passing guard: Ignatowski (17) vs (4) Balkan
Ignatowski can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Balkan is looking to escape.
Ignatowski controlling from the full mount.
Ignatowski is stalling here but it's allowed Balkan to get half guard.
That's eleven minutes gone in the round.
Balkan is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Ignatowski trying to control the action but Balkan is working from the bottom.
Balkan is looking to control Ignatowski's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Balkan avoid being mounted?
Ignatowski is just content to waste time from the top position. Balkan takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Ignatowski looking to pass the guard.
That's twelve minutes gone in the round.
Balkan keeping moving, preventing Ignatowski from controlling successfully.
Ignatowski stopping the sweep attempt from Balkan.
Ignatowski controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Ignatowski pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Balkan is keeping the position for now.
That's thirteen minutes gone in the round.
Ignatowski 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.
Balkan controlling the position.
Ignatowski avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Balkan keeping moving, preventing Ignatowski from controlling successfully.
Balkan looking for a sweep. Not yet Balkan, not yet.
That's fourteen minutes gone in the round.
Balkan is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Ignatowski wants to control from the top but Balkan keeps moving.
Balkan wants to sweep here but Ignatowski controlling him for the moment.
Balkan has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Ignatowski has passed into side control.
Score +3 for passing guard: Ignatowski (20) vs (4) Balkan
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Ignatowski is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Balkan will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Ignatowski tries to advance to mount but can't.
And that's the end of the fight!
Ignatowski takes the fight on points by 20 to 4.
The Reverend Jim Ignatowski seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website. |
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