PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Tran Do Di (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Fedor Martinsson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Martinsson has chosen Bleach - Fade to Black B13A as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Fedor Martinsson will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Do Di
vs
Martinsson

170 cm
25
163 lbs
7 - 2 - 0

200 cm
23
168 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Great elbows
Granite chin

Conviction

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Tran Do Di!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Fedor Martinsson!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Igor Prikhodko and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Martinsson waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Di.
Di gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Martinsson.
Di looks to land a right hand but Martinsson moved out of range.
Nice takedown defense from Martinsson. No joy for Di on that attempt.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Di.
Martinsson tries to bench press Di off him but Di keeps the position.
Martinsson is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Di thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Di working away.
Martinsson tries to improve position but can't.

Di is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Martinsson is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Martinsson is not content to let Di control the position.
Martinsson struggling a bit here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martinsson is looking to regain half guard here but Di keeps moving and retains side control.

Di is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Martinsson is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Martinsson wants to control but Di postures up.
Di works to advance to full mount. Martinsson defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.

Di looking to secure an arm triangle but Martinsson defends it well.

Di is working for a guillotine from mount but Martinsson frees his head quite easily.
Martinsson is in all sorts of trouble here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Martinsson wants to control but Di is having none of it.
Di wants to take his opponent's back but Martinsson doesn't allow it.
Martinsson controls the position.
Di looking to control but Martinsson is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Di is really struggling to control Martinsson but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Martinsson regains half guard.
Martinsson tries to get to full guard but Di has control of the leg.

Di is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Di tries to pass the half guard into mount. Martinsson knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Martinsson is looking to control Di's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Martinsson avoid being mounted?

Di is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Martinsson gets full guard.
Di trying to control the position from guard on top but Martinsson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Martinsson looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Martinsson trying to control the position.
Di stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Martinsson swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Martinsson wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Di wants to control from the top but Martinsson keeps moving.
Di pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Martinsson is keeping the position for now.
Di controlling from the top position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Di changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Martinsson tries to avoid it but Di manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Martinsson to the ground. Martinsson escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Di shoots in but no luck this time.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tran Do Di. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Martinsson throws a body kick that misses.
Martinsson moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Di shoots for a double leg takedown but Martinsson sprawls well. He's pushed Di's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Fedor Martinsson will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Martinsson throws a leg kick but Di sees it coming and moves out of range.
Martinsson tries a low kick but Di avoids it.
Di takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Nice takedown defense from Martinsson. No joy for Di on that attempt.
Martinsson thuds a left hand into Di's body.
Tran Do Di is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Di fails to land the takedown.
Martinsson slips a jab and a cross from Di.
Di stalks Martinsson and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Martinsson's face. Martinsson staggers backwards, shaken.
Martinsson cracks Di with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Martinsson scores with the left hand. Di knows he should have avoided that one.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Di misses with a series of wild punches.
Di fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Di lands with a nice body punch.
Martinsson displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Di throws out the jab.
Nice takedown defense from Martinsson. No joy for Di on that attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tran Do Di. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Di tries to score a power double leg takedown but Martinsson sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Di somewhat.
Di throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Martinsson.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Martinsson lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Fedor Martinsson is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Martinsson dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Di.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Martinsson is trying to control Di's posture but Di avoids it.
Di trying to control the action but Martinsson is working from the bottom.
Martinsson struggling a bit here.
Martinsson bucks up and tries to throw Di off but instead Di has got his back!
Di controlling well, preventing Martinsson from escaping the position.

Di tightening his grip on Martinsson, looking for the choke.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Martinsson controlling his opponent's hands, preventing the submission attempt.

Di is persistently looking for the submission but Martinsson is defending it well.
Martinsson breaks Di's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Di is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Martinsson is aware though and is defending well.
Martinsson slips nicely into half guard.
Martinsson trying to control from half guard but Di is working away.

Martinsson is working for a submission of some sort.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Martinsson prevents Di from improving his position.
Di manages to get to full guard.

Martinsson is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Di working for submissions but it's allowed Martinsson to get to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Fedor Martinsson showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Martinsson stuffs the takedown.
Martinsson stuffs the takedown attempt from Di. Di gets slowly back to his feet.
Martinsson swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Martinsson takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

Di shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Di trying to mount his opponent but Martinsson defends it.
Di is thwarting Martinsson's attempts to control the position.
Martinsson gets back to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martinsson has Di pulled in close to control his posture.

Di thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Martinsson trying to control the position.

Di is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Martinsson wants to sweep but no luck.

Di drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Martinsson dives on top into guard.
Martinsson trying to control but Di is working from the bottom.
Fedor Martinsson is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Di looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Martinsson advances position into side control!
Martinsson is looking to take a break and control but Di is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Di is trying to control Martinsson's posture but Martinsson avoids it.
Di is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Martinsson trying to control the position but Di is working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Di is looking to regain half guard here but Martinsson keeps moving and retains side control.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Martinsson has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Di!

Martinsson gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!
Fedor Martinsson seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Di closes the distance and clinches up with Martinsson, looking for a takedown. Di pushes Martinsson against the cage but Martinsson circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tran Do Di. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Martinsson lands a jab to Di's midsection.
Martinsson looks to land a right hand but Di moved out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Di tries to bum rush Martinsson with a series of wild strikes but Martinsson uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Di pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Di fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Di lands a jab.
Di steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Martinsson. That one must have hurt.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Martinsson, as that shot connected.
Di misses with a body shot
and Martinsson counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Tran Do Di has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Martinsson chopping away at his opponent's legs.

And that's the end of the fight!
Fedor Martinsson comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Martinsson winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 27:30
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 27:30
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Fedor Martinsson!