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SSG 331 Soderberg vs Hunt PBP Commentary |
This TWGC bout is 1 fifteen minute round in the middleweight division. Introducing today's competitors. In the red corner, competing out of Tokyo, with a TWGC record of 11 wins and 13 losses; Stix Itinya! And in the blue corner, fighting out of New York, with a TWGC record of 4 wins and 4 losses; Alexei Sykov! The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Alan Glass and Tiny Johnson.
The fighters connect hands in the middle of the mat and we are under way.
Sykov gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Sykov manages to pull guard.
Sykov escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Itinya gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance. The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sykov throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Sykov looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights. Sykov trying to keep a closed guard but Itinya is proving a slippery customer.
Sykov can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Itinya controls the pace. We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up. Itinya preventing the sweep. Sykov is trying to control the position from the bottom.
![](https://www.mmatycoon.com/images/fight/1.gif) That's one minute gone in the round.
Itinya avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Sykov has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Itinya has passed into side control.
Score +3 for passing guard: Itinya (3) vs (0) Sykov A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet. Itinya tries to move to mount but Sykov blocks the move with his legs. This fight is sponsored by Chainsaw 7. More blood and guts and stuff like that, in cinemas everywhere now! Sykov is looking to regain half guard here but Itinya keeps moving and retains side control.
![](https://www.mmatycoon.com/images/fight/2.gif) That's two minutes gone in the round. Sykov being controlled for a moment. Sykov tries to bench press Itinya off him but Itinya keeps the position. Itinya trying to control the position but Sykov is working away. Sykov struggling a bit here. A lull in the action here. Sykov tries to bench press Itinya off him but Itinya keeps the position.
![](https://www.mmatycoon.com/images/fight/3.gif) That's three minutes gone in the round. The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult. Sykov struggling a bit here. Sykov tries to improve position but can't. The referee tells the fighters to keep busy. Sykov is positioning himself to get back to half guard. Itinya advances to mount. Score +2 for reaching mount: Itinya (5) vs (0) Sykov
![](https://www.mmatycoon.com/images/fight/4.gif) That's four minutes gone in the round. Itinya can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Sykov is looking to escape. Sykov sneaks a leg under to get to half guard. Sykov wants to get back to full guard. We've been hearing good reports from Itinya'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. Itinya with a momentary lay and pray from half guard. The fighters are battling for position here. Sykov manages to regain full guard. Nice work. Itinya sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Sykov's guard.
![](https://www.mmatycoon.com/images/fight/5.gif) That's five minutes gone in the round. Sykov wants to get back to full guard. Itinya trying to pass the guard but Sykov defending well. The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing. Sykov is looking for a sweep. Itinya is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position. Itinya is pressing down on Sykov's thigh, looking to free his foot. Sykov is holding on for now. Sykov slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Sykov has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Itinya can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Sykov looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
![](https://www.mmatycoon.com/images/fight/6.gif) That's six minutes gone in the round. Itinya is pushing down on Sykov's leg trying to pass to half guard. Sykov is fighting to maintain full guard but Itinya has managed to sneak the leg through. Sykov trying to control from the bottom.
Itinya controlling the action here. Sykov is controlling Itinya's trapped leg to prevent Itinya from advancing to side control. Sykov is looking to control Itinya's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Sykov avoid being mounted? Itinya content to control rather than advance.
![](https://www.mmatycoon.com/images/fight/7.gif) That's seven minutes gone in the round. Itinya is thwarting Sykov's attempts to control the position. Sykov is not content to let Itinya control the position. Sykov has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Itinya is working away from the top position though.
Sykov looking for submissions off his back.
![](https://www.mmatycoon.com/images/fight/8.gif) That's eight minutes gone in the round. Itinya trying to control the pace.
Itinya is working for a submission of some sort.
Itinya prevents Sykov from improving his position. Itinya is thwarting Sykov's attempts to control the position.
![](https://www.mmatycoon.com/images/fight/9.gif) That's nine minutes gone in the round. Itinya seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense. Sykov has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Itinya is working away from the top position though.
Sykov is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Itinya pulls his head out easily. Sykov wants to improve his position but Itinya is controlling well.
Sykov is not content to let Itinya control the position.
![](https://www.mmatycoon.com/images/fight/10.gif) That's ten minutes gone in the round. Itinya looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding. Sykov is trying to get back to full guard. Sykov manages to get to full guard.
Sykov working for a triangle but Itinya defends it easily.
Itinya trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
![](https://www.mmatycoon.com/images/fight/11.gif) That's eleven minutes gone in the round. Sykov is trying to control the position but Itinya postures up. Itinya controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling. Itinya being controlled here momentarily. Sykov trying to control the position.
Itinya is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
![](https://www.mmatycoon.com/images/fight/12.gif) That's twelve minutes gone in the round. Sykov trying to control the position.
Sykov is looking for a triangle here but Itinya uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Score +3 for passing guard: Itinya (8) vs (0) Sykov Itinya advances to full mount. Score +2 for reaching mount: Itinya (10) vs (0) Sykov Sykov tries to hold on but Itinya postures up. Itinya controlling from the full mount. Itinya prevents Sykov from getting the reversal.
![](https://www.mmatycoon.com/images/fight/13.gif) That's thirteen minutes gone in the round. Sykov is squirming around, avoiding Itinya's attempts to control the action. Sykov can't escape the position.
![](https://www.mmatycoon.com/images/fight/14.gif) That's fourteen minutes gone in the round. Itinya avoids the attempt from Sykov to control. Sykov is looking to get to half guard. Itinya takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though. Itinya trying to control but Sykov is having none of it. Sykov tries to hold on but Itinya postures up. Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out! Sykov is looking to get to half guard.
And that's the end of the fight! Itinya takes the fight on points by 10 to 0. During a confident post fight interview, Stix Itinya thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him. Alexei Sykov was interviewed post fight and said 'Shit happens…eh '. |
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