PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Michael Matthews (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Pavel Burov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Matthews
vs
Burov

175 cm
20
140 lbs
6 - 1 - 0

171 cm
20
145 lbs
5 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Very strong

BJJ Brown Belt
Decent boxing
Powerful

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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Michael Matthews!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Pavel Burov!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A left lands for Matthews.

It looks like Pavel Burov has been cut.
Burov avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Matthews misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Burov is looking to clinch.
Burov avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Matthews throws a series of punches but Burov avoids them all with ease.
Matthews jabs Burov right on the nose. Burov blinks but takes it well.
Burov uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Matthews.
Matthews looks to land a left hand but Burov moved out of range nicely.
Burov looks to land a left hand but Matthews moved out of range nicely.
Matthews misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

Matthews tries to keep at a distance but Burov has taken the fight into the clinch.
Matthews is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Matthews misses with some punches.
Burov can't find room to land a body shot as Matthews controls the action.
Burov misses with the head strike.
Matthews wants to break the clinch but can't.

Burov pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Matthews misses with a wild body shot.
Michael Matthews seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Matthews misses with a few strikes there.
Matthews goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.

Burov feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Burov throwing strikes from guard but Matthews blocks nicely.
Burov tries to free his leg and advance position but Matthews is retaining full guard.

Burov is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Matthews is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Matthews has escaped and now he's on top!
Matthews in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Matthews stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Burov swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Matthews is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Matthews looking to pass the guard.
Matthews throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Burov looking for a guillotine here but Matthews defends easily.
Matthews passes easily into side control. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Matthews wants to lay and pray for a moment but Burov keeps working.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Matthews connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Burov some visible discomfort.
Burov avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Matthews.
Burov manages to work his way to half guard, despite Matthews's best efforts.
Burov works his way to full guard. Good work.
Matthews trying to control the position from guard on top but Burov is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Matthews wants to pass the guard but Burov is keeping the position.
Matthews is working hard here to advance position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Matthews throwing strikes but missing.
Matthews forces his way into half guard.
Burov trying to control here.
Matthews not doing much here.
Matthews thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Michael Matthews dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Pavel Burov's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

A combination from Matthews does no damage.
Michael Matthews is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Matthews throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
A big right from Burov misses.
Burov avoids a punch combination nicely.
Matthews throws a nice looking combination but Burov bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Matthews lands a jab-cross combination.
Matthews throws a right hand that Burov ducks under and follows up with a left that Burov also avoids with ease.
Matthews throws a right hand that Burov ducks under and follows up with a left that Burov also avoids with ease.
Burov looks to throw the jab but Matthews is out of range.
Matthews takes one to the chin there.
Matthews misses with a double jab.
Burov moves away from the strike by Matthews.
Matthews throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Matthews cracks Burov with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Matthews will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Matthews tries to bum rush Burov with a series of wild strikes but Burov uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Matthews thows a body shot but no joy.
A big right from Matthews misses.
Burov slips a straight right by Matthews.
Burov defending well as Matthews loads up on a big left hand.
Burov fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Matthews manages to avoid it.

Burov clinches up against the cage.
Burov misses with a hook to the ribs.
Burov misses with a hook to the ribs.

Burov's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Matthews misses the shot to the body.
Matthews misses with a straight left.

Burov rushes Matthews and presses him up against the cage.
Burov avoiding damage.
Burov working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.

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.
Burov tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Matthews blocks a body shot from Burov.
Burov has Matthews pressed against the cage, preventing Matthews from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Burov tries to throw a body punch but Matthews avoids it by throwing Burov back against the cage.
Matthews blocks a body shot from Burov.
Burov stalling the fight.

Burov pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Burov staying out of range there.
Matthews swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Burov ducks under a wild hook from Matthews.
Matthews will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Burov shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Matthews as he jumps to the side.

Burov shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Matthews napping and manages to drive through into side control!

Burov tries for a kimura but Matthews is defending well.
Burov is breathing heavily.

Burov tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Matthews manages to get back to half guard.
Matthews has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Burov is working away from the top position though.
Burov sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Matthews defending well though.
Burov moves nicely into side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

Burov is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Matthews has escaped the position, nice work there.
Matthews regains half guard.
Matthews preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.

Burov is looking for a kimura. It's pretty deep but Matthews still has the half guard so he's probably OK. Oh, Matthews has exploded into a beautiful escape there and after a quick scramble, he's ended up in side control on top! Nice work!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Matthews grinds an elbow into Burov's temple.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Pavel Burov will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Pavel Burov's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Burov takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Burov shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Matthews pinned against the cage. Matthews gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Burov takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Burov showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Matthews.
Burov slips a jab and a cross from Matthews.
Burov misses the jab.
Burov slips a jab from Matthews.
Matthews changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Matthews misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
A punch combination from Matthews misses.
Matthews lands a lovely overhand right.
Matthews fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Burov manages to avoid it.
Matthews throws out a token jab with nothing on it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Matthews lands a glancing blow to the side of Burov's head.
Matthews throws the left hand but Burov avoids the punch easily.
Matthews missing with a left hand there. Burov was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Matthews swinging wildly here.
Burov takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Matthews misses with a looping right.
Matthews looks to score with a jab to the body but Burov is just out of range.

Burov clinches.
Burov keeps control of Matthews as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Matthews wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Burov lands a left hand.
Matthews is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
The referee calls for Burov to work.
Matthews looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Matthews is pressed up against the cage. Burov has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Matthews down to the mat. Matthews avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Matthews misses with a few strikes there.
A swing and a miss from Matthews.
Matthews stuffs the takedown attempt from Burov. Burov gets slowly back to his feet.
Michael Matthews has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Pavel Burov.
Burov takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Burov is looking to clinch.
Matthews lands with a good body shot.
Burov tries to close the distance and clinch up but Matthews swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Burov slips under a jab.
Burov keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Matthews.
Burov walks into a jab.
Burov closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Matthews throws a lazy right hand but Burov sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Burov moves out of range of the body kick from Matthews.
Burov displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Matthews throws out the jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Matthews throws an overhand right that lands on Burov's shoulder, as Burov tries to avoid the shot.
Burov misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Matthews throws the left hand but Burov avoids the punch easily.
Burov misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Matthews.
A lazy left from Matthews finds it's target.
Matthews misses with a wild combination.
Burov misses with a double jab
and Matthews counters with a straight right hand.
Matthews throws a right and a left that both miss.
Matthews misses with a two punch combination.
Burov on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Matthews lands a nice shot that snaps Burov's head back.
Burov is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Matthews.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Matthews misses with a combination

and Burov counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Matthews's guard now.
Burov trying to control the position from guard on top but Matthews is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Burov has gone for a leg lock! Matthews slips out almost immediately though and dives into Burov's guard.
Matthews throwing strikes but missing.
Matthews works a leg free and moves into half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Matthews trying to mount his opponent but Burov defends it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Michael Matthews showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Matthews has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 29:28
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 29:28
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Michael Matthews!