PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Alexander Shlemenko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ervin Jereb (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Alexander Shlemenko
vs
Jereb

181 cm
20
185 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

176 cm
20
195 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Alexander Shlemenko !
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ervin Jereb!
The judges for this bout are Fedor Mirinova, Dmitry Maklakov and Sergei Dronov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Jereb fails with a takedown attempt.
Jereb looks to land a combination. Shlemenko sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Jereb looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Shlemenko is fending him off so far but Jereb persists. Nope, Shlemenko circles away and we're back to standing.
Jereb scores with a nice strike.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Shlemenko .
Shlemenko throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Jereb struggling a bit here.
Shlemenko trying to control the position but Jereb is working away.

Shlemenko working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Jereb manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
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.
Shlemenko wants to get back to his feet.
Jereb thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Shlemenko 's head.
Shlemenko wants to control but Jereb is keeping busy and won't allow it.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Jereb gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Shlemenko counters with a two punch combo.
Alexander Shlemenko has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ervin Jereb.

Shlemenko drives through with a takedown into guard.
Shlemenko loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Shlemenko controls from within his opponent's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Jereb is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Shlemenko stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Jereb swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Shlemenko stopping the sweep attempt from Jereb.
Shlemenko controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jereb seems keen to control Shlemenko 's posture.
Jereb wants to sweep but no luck.
Jereb keeping moving, preventing Shlemenko from controlling successfully.
Shlemenko is breathing heavily.
Jereb not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Shlemenko looks for a takedown but Jereb sprawls well.
Jereb misses with a takedown

and Shlemenko moves into the clinch.

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.

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

Shlemenko clinches with his opponent.
Shlemenko is trying to stall.
Shlemenko is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Jereb tries to pull guard but Shlemenko won't allow it.
Jereb avoids a wild elbow strike from Shlemenko .
Jereb misses with a knee to the head.
Jereb leaning his opponent against the cage.
Jereb looking for a takedown.
Shlemenko lands a shoulder strike.
Jereb prevents a takedown attempt there.
Jereb tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Shlemenko avoids it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alexander Shlemenko dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Jereb gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Shlemenko counters with a single leg into guard. Jereb didn't expect that.
Shlemenko stopping the sweep attempt from Jereb.

Jereb working for submissions but it's allowed Shlemenko to get to half guard.
Shlemenko trying to control the action but Jereb is working from the bottom.
Shlemenko working over Jereb with some ground and pound. Jereb looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jereb is trying to get back to full guard.
Shlemenko trying to control the action but Jereb is working from the bottom.
Shlemenko controlling the action here.
Jereb has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Shlemenko is working away from the top position though.
Jereb is controlling Shlemenko 's trapped leg to prevent Shlemenko from advancing to side control.

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.
Shlemenko is trying to control the action in half guard but Jereb is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Jereb is looking for a sweep. Shlemenko is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Shlemenko wants to take a breather but Jereb is having none of it.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
No luck for Jereb with that takedown attempt.
Jereb shoots in looking for a takedown. Shlemenko tries to sprawl out of it but Jereb keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Shlemenko manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Alexander Shlemenko has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ervin Jereb.
Jereb defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Shlemenko .
Jereb tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Shlemenko paws at him with a jab and circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Jereb shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Shlemenko 's guard.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Jereb's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Jereb controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Shlemenko looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Jereb puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Shlemenko is trying to control but Jereb passes into side control!
Jereb in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Jereb is looking to take a break and control but Shlemenko is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Shlemenko can't do much from the bottom here.

Jereb decides to take the fight back to the feet.

Jereb darts in and clinches Shlemenko up against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Ervin Jereb will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're 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.

The fight stays on the outside here - Shlemenko looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Shlemenko tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Shlemenko closes the distance looking to clinch
and Jereb counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

Jereb fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Shlemenko , pushing him back against the cage.
Shlemenko blocks the elbow strike.
Shlemenko prevents a takedown attempt there.
Jereb fails to pull the fight into his guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Shlemenko fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Shlemenko breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Jereb pushes Shlemenko up against the cage in a clinch.
Jereb tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Shlemenko smiles and moves away.
Alexander Shlemenko has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ervin Jereb.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shlemenko avoids a punch combination nicely.
Jereb tries for a takedown but Shlemenko circles away easily

and Shlemenko counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Jereb is refusing to be controlled, as Shlemenko sits in half guard.
Shlemenko wants to pass the guard but Jereb is defending well.
Shlemenko wants to lay and pray for a moment but Jereb keeps working.
Jereb is pressing down on Shlemenko 's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jereb tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Jereb wants to get back to his feet but Shlemenko is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Jereb keeping full guard, as Shlemenko tries to pass.
Alexander Shlemenko overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Shlemenko tries to clinch

and Jereb moves into the clinch.
Shlemenko tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Jereb smiles and moves away.
Jereb fails with the takedown

and Shlemenko counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jereb is trying to keep Shlemenko in close.
Jereb manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Jereb blocks Shlemenko 's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Shlemenko is squirming around, avoiding Jereb's attempts to control the action.
Shlemenko tries to hold on but Jereb postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Jereb connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Jereb controlling from mount.
Shlemenko tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Jereb has hold of Shlemenko 's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Shlemenko manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.

Jereb jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Shlemenko manages to avoid the submission attempt.

And that's the end of the fight!
Alexander Shlemenko showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Shlemenko 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 Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 30:28
Judge Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 29:28
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Alexander Shlemenko !