PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Bovver Meerten (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ivan Drago (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Meerten
vs
Drago

194 cm
20
220 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
22
265 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Determined

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Bovver Meerten!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Ivan Drago!
The judges for this bout are , Frank Antenori and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A looping hook to the body misses from Meerten. Drago does a little dance to reset his feet.
Drago misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Drago gets a clinch.
Meerten looking for a takedown.
Meerten stops a takedown attempt from Drago.

Meerten drags the fight down to the ground.
Drago trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Drago throws and elbow that misses. Meerten uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Drago's guard. Nice move by Meerten!

Drago looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Meerten passes into side control.
Drago looks gassed!

Meerten is trying to get an arm triangle but Drago is defending well.
Sloppy strikes there by Meerten.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Meerten wants to control but Drago is keeping him busy.
Meerten tries to score with some ground and pound. Drago controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Meerten misses with the ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Meerten is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Drago will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Drago is not content to let Meerten control the position.

Meerten thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

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.
Drago is not content to let Meerten control the position.

Meerten decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Meerten fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Bovver Meerten seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Meerten doesn't manage to clinch there - Drago circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nice body kick there by Meerten.
Meerten lands a nice looking kick to the body. Drago takes a step back to recover.
Meerten throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Drago's waist but Drago gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Meerten off to one side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bovver Meerten. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Meerten shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Drago as he jumps to the side.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Meerten.
Meerten looks to clinch

so Drago counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Meerten is trying to control the position but Drago postures up.
Meerten wants to sweep but no luck.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Drago wants to pass the guard but Meerten is keeping the position.
Meerten controls Drago momentarily but Drago frees himself.
Drago trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Meerten manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!

Meerten decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Drago, up you get!
Meerten thuds his right hand into Drago's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bovver Meerten dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Meerten with a lazy takedown attempt

and Drago counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Drago.
Meerten is trying to drag Drago to the mat but Drago just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Drago tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Meerten smiles and moves away.
Meerten goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Drago throws a sloppy head kick

and Meerten counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Meerten.
Meerten lands with a light punch inside.
The referee calls for Meerten to work.
Meerten tries for a takedown. No joy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bovver Meerten. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Meerten has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Drago is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Meerten escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Meerten wants to clinch.
Meerten shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Drago but Drago pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Meerten gets the takedown into side control.
Drago is not content to let Meerten control the position.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Drago can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Drago is trying to improve his position.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Meerten is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Drago is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Meerten blocks the strikes from Drago.
Meerten advances nicely into full mount.

That's four 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.
Meerten can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Drago is looking to escape.
Meerten throws some wild stikes that Drago manages to avoid easily.

Meerten is standing up out of mount! Strange tactic there - he must really want this one on the feet!
Meerten bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Meerten is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Meerten tries to close the distance and clinch but Drago swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Meerten shoots and misses

and Drago counters by clinching up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bovver Meerten dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! 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.

Meerten shoots in for a double leg but Drago sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Meerten throws a nice looking combination but Drago bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Drago misses with a hook. Meerten ducked under it nicely.
Meerten is trying hard to land a takedown here. Drago sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Drago displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Meerten.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bovver Meerten. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Meerten scoring well with a low kick there.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Drago throws a leg kick that is checked
and Meerten counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Drago is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Drago swats away the attempt to clinch by Meerten.
Meerten doesn't manage to clinch there - Drago circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Meerten misses with a takedown

and Drago moves into the clinch.
Meerten looking to stall.

Meerten jumps guard and drags Drago to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Drago looking to sit in guard and control but Meerten gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Drago wants to control the position but Meerten says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.
Meerten missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Drago is not content to let Meerten control the position.

Drago is looking to regain full guard. He's left an arm up in the air though and Meerten has latched onto it... Big trouble! Meerten pivots for an armbar - it's in tight and it Drago is tapping in no time flat! Great counter grappling there from Meerten!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:29 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Bovver Meerten!