PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Steve Mezza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ruslan Tashinchev (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Mezza
vs
Tashinchev

180 cm
21
220 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

190 cm
24
205 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Steve Mezza!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Ruslan Tashinchev!
The judges for this bout are Alec Ball, Robert Douchet and William Peck.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tashinchev moves in looking to clinch but Mezza pushes him off.
Mezza takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Mezza circles away from the clinch attempt.
Mezza tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Tashinchev tries to clinch up.
Mezza staying out of range there.
Mezza jabs at Tashinchev's body.

Mezza gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Tashinchev wants to control from the top but Mezza keeps moving.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Tashinchev accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Tashinchev trying to control but Mezza is working from the bottom.
Tashinchev is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mezza wants to stand up but Tashinchev is controlling him.
Tashinchev content to stall in guard here.
Tashinchev wants to control from the top but Mezza keeps moving.

That's two 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.

Despite being in the dominant position, Ruslan Tashinchev just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Tashinchev is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Mezza.
Mezza avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Steve Mezza seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Tashinchev is looking to clinch.
Tashinchev tries to clinch up but Mezza circles away and keeps his distance.
Mezza lands a jab.
Mezza ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Tashinchev moves away.
Mezza takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.

Mezza drives through and clinches with Tashinchev against the cage.
Mezza is trying to stall.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Mezza lands a hook that snaps the head of Tashinchev backwards.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mezza tries to close the distance and clinch but Tashinchev swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Tashinchev circles away from the clinch attempt.
Mezza is looking to clinch.

Mezza pushes Tashinchev up against the cage in a clinch.

Mezza breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
A punch combination from Mezza misses.
Tashinchev pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Mezza misses with a two punch combination.
Tashinchev misses the body punch
and Mezza counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Tashinchev tries to close the distance and clinch but Mezza swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Tashinchev clinches but Mezza breaks the clinch
and Mezza counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Mezza tries to clinch up.

Mezza has taken the fight to the clinch.
Mezza is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.

Tashinchev pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tashinchev wants to clinch.
Tashinchev pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.

Tashinchev closes the distance and pushes Mezza back into the cage.
Mezza stalling in the clinch but Tashinchev improves position.
Tashinchev tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Mezza just stands there and leans against the cage.
Tashinchev pushes Mezza back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.

Tashinchev lands a takedown into guard.
Tashinchev wants to get up but he can't break Mezza's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Tashinchev working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Tashinchev lands a couple of elbows.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Tashinchev won't allow Mezza to sweep him here.
Tashinchev works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Tashinchev is figuring out what he wants to do next.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Ruslan Tashinchev will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Mezza tries to clinch there but Tashinchev circles away.
Mezza connects with a body shot.
A combination from Tashinchev does no damage.
Tashinchev moves in looking to clinch but Mezza pushes him off.
A nice combination there by Mezza.
Mezza avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Mezza tries to clinch there but Tashinchev circles away.
A decent looking cross lands there for Mezza.

Tashinchev looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Mezza trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Tashinchev postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Mezza manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

Tashinchev somehow manages to escape the mount and get back to his feet!
Tashinchev is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mezza lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Tashinchev at a distance.
Mezza is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Tashinchev fails in his attempt to clinch.
Mezza misses with a series of wild punches.
Tashinchev throws a head kick but Mezza moves out of range.
Tashinchev swats away the attempt to clinch by Mezza.
Mezza goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.

Tashinchev has closed the distance and engaged Mezza in a clinch.
Tashinchev is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mezza tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Tashinchev avoids it.

Tashinchev pulls Mezza into guard.
Tashinchev is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Mezza is controlling him.
Mezza preventing the sweep.
Mezza postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Mezza tries to stand but Tashinchev is controlling from the bottom.
Mezza sitting in guard, not really doing much.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mezza postures up in Tashinchev's guard and throws a big left but Tashinchev blocks it.
Tashinchev is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Mezza is controlling him.
Mezza trying to control the position from guard on top but Tashinchev is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Mezza tries to clinch but Tashinchev is having none of it.
Tashinchev tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Mezza wants to clinch.
Tashinchev wants to clinch.
Mezza is looking to wear down Tashinchev with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Tashinchev tries to score a power double leg takedown but Mezza sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Tashinchev somewhat.
Mezza tries to clinch up.
Tashinchev misses with a body kick.
Mezza darts in trying to clinch

and Tashinchev counters with a shoot takedown. Mezza fights it but they end up in guard.
Tashinchev throws a strike but Mezza rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Mezza gets to his feet. Tashinchev looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Ruslan Tashinchev will probably get the nod - 10:9.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Mezza scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Tashinchev fails with an attempt to clinch.
Mezza lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Tashinchev circles away quickly and effectively.
Tashinchev misses the shot to the body.
Tashinchev tries to close the distance and clinch but Mezza swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Tashinchev uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Mezza.
Mezza circles away from the clinch attempt.
Steve Mezza is winning the standup battle so far.

Tashinchev gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Tashinchev stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Tashinchev continues to stall. The referee tells him to work or he's going to break them up.
Mezza is trying to break the clinch but Tashinchev is controlling him.
Mezza tries to pull guard but Tashinchev won't allow it.
Mezza fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Tashinchev breaks from the clinch.
Tashinchev fails in his attempt to clinch.
Mezza thuds a left hand into Tashinchev's body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mezza throws a body punch but Tashinchev moves out of range.
Tashinchev shoots for a double leg takedown but Mezza sprawls well. He's pushed Tashinchev's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Tashinchev takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Mezza lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.

Tashinchev is rocked!
Mezza lands with a precision combination! Left, right, uppercut and Tashinchev falls flat on his face, eyes wide open but he's out!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:19 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Punches). Steve Mezza!