PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ivan Steel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Viacheslav Dacik (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ivan Steel has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Steel
vs
Dacik

190 cm
22
230 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

220 cm
18
250 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Intelligent

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite 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 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ivan Steel!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Viacheslav Dacik!
The judges for this bout are Dmitry Maklakov, Fedor Mirinova and Viktor Lagutenko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Dacik fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Steel, pushing him back against the cage.
Steel looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!

Steel breaks the clinch.
Viacheslav Dacik seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Dacik clinches up with Steel and pushes him back against the cage.
Dacik just leaning against Steel, taking a breather.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Viacheslav Dacik.

Dacik moves into the clinch.
Dacik leaning against his opponent.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Dacik takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Viacheslav Dacik.
Steel misses with an uppercut.
Dacik tries to close the distance and clinch but Steel swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Dacik defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Steel.
Steel tries for a takedown but Dacik sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dacik wants to clinch up but Steel keeps it at a distance.

Dacik moves into the clinch.
Dacik is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Steel is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Dacik effectively controlling the action here.
Dacik receives a warning from the referee for stalling.
Dacik continues to stall. The referee tells him to work or he's going to break them up.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Viacheslav Dacik.
Dacik tries to close the distance and clinch but Steel swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Dacik doesn't manage to clinch there - Steel circles away.
Dacik tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Steel paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Dacik fails with an attempt to clinch.
Dacik moves in looking to clinch but Steel pushes him off.
Dacik is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Dacik tries to clinch up but Steel circles away and keeps his distance.
Dacik is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Dacik darts in and clinches Steel up against the cage.
Dacik is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Dacik is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Viacheslav Dacik.
Steel circles away from the clinch attempt.
Dacik is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Dacik clinches up with Steel and pushes him back against the cage.
Dacik avoiding damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dacik stalling in the clinch but Steel improves position.
Dacik avoiding damage.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Viacheslav Dacik.

Steel looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Dacik wants to get back to his feet but Steel is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Steel controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Dacik wants to stand up but Steel is controlling him.
Steel is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Viacheslav Dacik dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Viacheslav Dacik's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Steel swats away the attempt to clinch by Dacik.
Dacik is looking to clinch.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Dacik wants to clinch.
Steel misses with a wild combination.
Dacik tries to clinch up.
Dacik tries to clinch up.
Dacik fails in his attempt to clinch.
Dacik tries to clinch but Steel is having none of it.
Dacik fails in his attempt to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Steel keeps the fight on the outside.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Dacik fails with an attempt to clinch.
Dacik is looking to clinch.
Steel avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Dacik pushes Steel up against the cage in a clinch.
Dacik is looking to control Steel's arms but Steel gets an underhook and turns him. Now Dacik has his back to the cage.
Dacik is persisting with his attempts to control the action in the clinch, rather than do any real damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dacik slows down the pace here.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Viacheslav Dacik.
Dacik tries to clinch but Steel is having none of it.
Steel avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Dacik is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Dacik fails with an attempt to clinch.

Dacik closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Dacik stalling in the clinch.
Dacik stalling in the clinch but Steel improves position.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.

That's two 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.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Viacheslav Dacik.
Dacik tries to close the distance and clinch up but Steel swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Steel shoots in but no luck this time.
Dacik tries to clinch there but Steel circles away.
Steel tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Dacik swivels and escapes.
Steel avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Steel moves into the clinch.
Dacik looking to stall.
Steel landing some nice looking knees to the body.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Viacheslav Dacik.

Steel shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Dacik napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Dacik pushes Steel away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Steel gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Dacik tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dacik looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.
Steel controls the action.
Dacik is trying to get back to his feet but Steel has full control of the position and if anything, Dacik has just worked his way into a worse spot.
Steel controls the action.

That's four 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.
Dacik trying to get back to his feet but Steel is in full control for now.
Steel biding his time, controlling Dacik.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Dacik wants to get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ivan Steel dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Viacheslav Dacik's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Dacik fails with an attempt to clinch.
Dacik tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Dacik tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Dacik tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Steel counters with a good, hard body kick but Dacik shrugs it off.
Dacik tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Steel paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Dacik moves in looking to clinch but Steel pushes him off.

Dacik has managed to clinch.
Dacik stalling in the clinch.
Dacik looking to stall.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Viacheslav Dacik.

Steel scores with a takedown into Dacik's guard.
Dacik wants to get back to his feet but Steel is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Steel might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
A head kick from Steel lands but Dacik takes it in his stride.

Dacik pushes Steel up against the cage in a clinch.
Steel working hard to break the clinch.
Steel wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Dacik has him pressed against the cage.
Dacik prevents the takedown attempt.
Steel wants a takedown.
Dacik wants to stall.
Dacik effectively controlling the action here.
Steel jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Dacik walks away with a smile on his face. Steel gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ivan Steel. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Dacik tries to close the distance and clinch up but Steel swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Viacheslav Dacik is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dacik defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Steel.
Steel's corner calls for a 1-2. Steel obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Steel works over Dacik's head and body with a nice combination.
Steel circles away from the clinch attempt
and Steel counters with a leg kick.

Dacik has Steel up against the cage in a clinch.
Steel drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Dacik gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Dacik is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Dacik looking to stall.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Viacheslav Dacik.
Dacik tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Steel looks for a takedown but Dacik sprawls well.
Dacik tries to clinch up but Steel circles away and keeps his distance.
Dacik doesn't manage to clinch there - Steel circles away.
Dacik is looking to clinch but Steel is avoiding it.
Steel circles away from the clinch attempt.
Steel misses with a series of wild punches.
Dacik tries to clinch but Steel moves out of range.
Steel circles away from the clinch attempt
and Steel counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Dacik tries to clinch but Steel is having none of it.
Dacik slips a jab and a cross from Steel.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Steel.
Dacik tries to clinch up.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Viacheslav Dacik.
I think Dacik has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 29:28
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 28:29
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 29:29

The fight is ruled a draw!