PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Luis Matos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Vladmir Volchenkov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Vladmir Volchenkov told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Matos
vs
Volchenkov

196 cm
23
265 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

196 cm
20
280 lbs
6 - 5 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Luis Matos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 5 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Vladmir Volchenkov!
The judges for this bout are Dmitry Maklakov, Konstantin Menshow and Vladimir Khabensky.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Matos thows a body shot but no joy.
Matos is looking to clinch.
Volchenkov looks to land a body kick but Matos moved away.
Volchenkov goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Matos shoots in for a double leg but Volchenkov sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Matos keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Volchenkov throws a leg kick that misses.

Matos instigates a clinch.
Volchenkov has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Volchenkov escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Volchenkov misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Matos tries a head kick but it misses.

Volchenkov shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Volchenkov tries to pass the half guard into mount. Matos knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Matos tries to get to full guard but Volchenkov has control of the leg.
Volchenkov looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Volchenkov thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Matos's head.
Volchenkov looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Volchenkov scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Matos is looking to improve his position.
Volchenkov lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Matos avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Volchenkov.
Volchenkov missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Volchenkov working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.

Volchenkov is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Matos sees it coming and defends easily.
Volchenkov with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Matos tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Volchenkov wants to lay and pray for a moment but Matos keeps working.
Matos flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Matos is looking to improve his position.
Volchenkov throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Matos avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Volchenkov.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Volchenkov fails with a takedown attempt.
Volchenkov is looking to score with low kicks.

Volchenkov shoots in and bounces Matos off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Matos keeping moving, preventing Volchenkov from controlling successfully.
Matos can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Volchenkov controls the pace.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Volchenkov wants to control from the top but Matos keeps moving.
Matos working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Volchenkov.
Volchenkov loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Volchenkov avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Volchenkov is looking to work some ground and pound but Matos has wrist control.
Volchenkov would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Volchenkov moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vladmir Volchenkov dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Matos swinging wilding here.

It looks like Luis Matos has been cut.
Volchenkov throws a leg kick but Matos moved away.
Volchenkov blocks the body kick.

Volchenkov closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Matos to the mat! Matos manages to get full guard.

Matos looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Volchenkov passes into half guard.
Matos wants to control but Volchenkov is keeping busy.
Matos is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Volchenkov is trying to control the action in half guard but Matos is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full 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.
Volchenkov trying to mount his opponent but Matos defends it.
Matos is not content to let Volchenkov control the position.
Matos is looking for a sweep. Volchenkov is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Volchenkov wants to stand but Matos has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Volchenkov shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Matos napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Matos tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Volchenkov wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Matos is being controlled here.
Matos is not content to let Volchenkov control the position.
Matos wants to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Matos taking a bit of punishment here - Volchenkov scoring with strikes.
Volchenkov wants to lay and pray for a moment but Matos keeps working.

Volchenkov working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Volchenkov trying to control the action but Matos is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Volchenkov working the ground and pound but Matos is defending the strikes.
Volchenkov throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Volchenkov working away.
Volchenkov is working Matos over with some ground and pound from side control.
Matos on the wrong end of some ground and pound.

Volchenkov is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Matos knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Matos controls the position for a moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Volchenkov trying to control the action but Matos is working from the bottom.
Matos is trying to improve his position.
Volchenkov wants to control but Matos is keeping him busy.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
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.
Volchenkov wants to control but Matos is keeping him busy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vladmir Volchenkov showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Luis Matos's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Matos misses with a takedown
and Matos takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Volchenkov misses with a series of wild punches.
Matos shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Volchenkov sprawls well. Volchenkov wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Matos gets slowly back to his feet.
Matos avoids the head kick by Volchenkov.
A lazy body kick from Volchenkov
and Matos counters with a lovely straight right hand!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Matos shoots in looking for a takedown. Volchenkov tries to sprawl out of it but Matos keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Volchenkov manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Luis Matos. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Volchenkov scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Matos is refusing to be controlled, as Volchenkov sits in half guard.
Matos gets full guard.
Matos is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Matos keeping moving, preventing Volchenkov from controlling successfully.
Matos controlling Volchenkov's posture.
Volchenkov postures up in Matos's guard and throws a big left but Matos blocks it.
Volchenkov controls from within his opponent's guard.

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.
Volchenkov trying to control the position from guard on top but Matos is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Volchenkov throws and elbow that misses. Matos uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Volchenkov's guard. Nice move by Matos!
Volchenkov looking to control.
Matos slips nicely into half guard.
Volchenkov tries to get to full guard but Matos has control of the leg.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Volchenkov is doing well to control the position and prevent Matos from advancing to side control.
Matos tries to pass the half guard into mount. Volchenkov knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Volchenkov is looking for a sweep. Matos is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Volchenkov regains full guard. Nicely done.
Volchenkov throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Matos is looking to stand up but Volchenkov won't let him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Volchenkov manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Matos is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Volchenkov breaks from Matos's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Volchenkov lands a heavy elbow.
Volchenkov content just to control the position here.
Matos is bucking up trying to escape but Volchenkov cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Vladmir Volchenkov is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Matos is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Luis Matos has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Volchenkov landing strikes from the mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Vladmir Volchenkov comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Volchenkov winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 27:30
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 27:30
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Vladmir Volchenkov!