PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Martti Luther (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Andrei Yoghurtov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Yoghurtov comes into a darkened arena with his song building. One Step Closer by Linkin Park kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Yoghurtov has a niggling injury. He would have liked to come in 100% fit but that's not always possible. Andrei Yoghurtov acknowledges the crowd's support as he enters the cage.

Luther
vs
Yoghurtov

192 cm
22
190 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
18
185 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Tends to cut

Lightning Fight Gear

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Martti Luther!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Andrei Yoghurtov!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Viktor Lagutenko and Dmitry Maklakov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Luther fails with the takedown.

Yoghurtov shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Yoghurtov was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Yoghurtov trying to control but he's not successful this time.

Yoghurtov get's back to his feet.
Yoghurtov looks gassed!
Yoghurtov shoots in and drives through. Luther sprawls well.
Yoghurtov avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Luther with a lazy takedown attempt

and Yoghurtov counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Luther looking for a sweep. Not yet Luther, not yet.

Luther escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Yoghurtov gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Luther looking for a guillotine here but Yoghurtov defends easily.

Luther looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Yoghurtov stands up from guard. Let's bang!

Yoghurtov gets a takedown into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Yoghurtov escapes and gets back to his feet.

Yoghurtov closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Luther to the mat! Luther manages to get full guard.
Yoghurtov trying to stand up but can't free himself from Luther's guard.
Luther striking off his back but it's not causing Yoghurtov any problems.
Luther tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Luther is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Yoghurtov gets to his feet. Luther looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Luther shoots and misses

and Yoghurtov counters with a single leg into guard. Luther didn't expect that.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Martti Luther. That's going to take a lot out of him.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Yoghurtov avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Luther is looking for a triangle but Yoghurtov pushes his legs off easily.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Luther is on top in guard.

Yoghurtov pushes Luther off and gets back to his feet.
Luther doesn't succeed with the takedown

so Yoghurtov counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Yoghurtov avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Luther wants to get back to his feet but Yoghurtov is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Luther has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Yoghurtov can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Yoghurtov won't allow Luther to sweep him here.
Yoghurtov is looking to stand up but Luther won't let him.

Luther is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Luther bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Yoghurtov's guard.
Yoghurtov has a closed guard, preventing Luther from standing up.

Luther stands up and waves to Yoghurtov to follow him.
Luther sizes up Yoghurtov with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Luther tries to close the distance and clinch up but Yoghurtov swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Yoghurtov has his takedown stuffed
and Luther counters with a straight right hand.
Luther moves in looking to clinch but Yoghurtov pushes him off.
Yoghurtov tries for a takedown but Luther sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Yoghurtov keeps the fight on the outside.
Luther tries for a takedown but Yoghurtov circles away easily

so Yoghurtov counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

Luther looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Luther is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Luther manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Yoghurtov manages to get himself to full guard.
Luther pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Yoghurtov is keeping the position for now.
Luther with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Yoghurtov can't keep his opponent in guard - Luther advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

Yoghurtov is defending against the submission attempts here by Luther.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Luther lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.

Luther is trying to work for a kimura but Yoghurtov is defending well.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Yoghurtov wants to get back to his feet.
Yoghurtov is in trouble now - Luther has advanced to mount!
Yoghurtov wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
A nice elbow there by Luther.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Luther scores with a couple of good head shots there.

Yoghurtov bucks up and throws Luther to the side - he's got back to his feet. Great escape!
Luther fails with the takedown

and Yoghurtov counters with a takedown into side control.
Luther tries to improve position but can't.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Andrei Yoghurtov dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Andrei Yoghurtov's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Luther doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Yoghurtov counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Yoghurtov wants to stand up but Luther is controlling the position.
Luther is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Luther trying to hold on to Yoghurtov's head to control him but Yoghurtov postures up.
Luther works his way to full guard. Good work.
Luther lands a couple of decent looking body shots there.
Yoghurtov tries to stand but Luther is controlling from the bottom.
Yoghurtov is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
Luther has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Luther trying to keep a closed guard but Yoghurtov is proving a slippery customer.
Yoghurtov is breathing heavily.

Yoghurtov stands up and waves to Luther to follow him.
Yoghurtov has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Yoghurtov there as he acknowledges the shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Luther swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Luther closes this distance looking for a takedown but Yoghurtov circles away.
Luther moves in looking to clinch but Yoghurtov pushes him off.

Luther has taken the fight to the clinch.

Yoghurtov has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Luther regains guard immediately.

Luther is looking for a triangle but Yoghurtov pushes his legs off easily.

Luther working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Yoghurtov doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Yoghurtov manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Luther is trying to control the position but Yoghurtov postures up.

Luther is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Luther is looking for a triangle but Yoghurtov pushes his legs off easily.
Yoghurtov trying to stand up but can't free himself from Luther's guard.
Yoghurtov must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

Yoghurtov stands up from Luther's guard - Yoghurtov perhaps looking for a knockout.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Luther wants to clinch but Yoghurtov slips to the side

and Yoghurtov counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Yoghurtov.

Yoghurtov gets to his feet - Luther follows without any prompting.
Luther throws a lazy head kick

and Yoghurtov counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Luther manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Andrei Yoghurtov has got the better of the ground game so far.

Luther had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Yoghurtov is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Luther Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Yoghurtov's back instead.

Luther has the rear naked choke here! This is very bad for Yoghurtov! Can he survive? No! He's out! Luther gets to his feet and celebrates with his cornermen. He looks absolutely delighted. In the post fight interviews he takes time to thank his parents and everyone who has believed in him from the start. How sweet.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:38 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Martti Luther!