PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Eric Draven (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mamath Blah (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

Draven
vs
Blah

173 cm
29
143 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

183 cm
24
147 lbs
6 - 5 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Experienced

Decent wrestler
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Resistance

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 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Eric Draven!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 5 - 0, fighting out of London, Mamath Blah!
The judges for this bout are Igor Prikhodko, Konstantin Menshow and Aleksandr Martynov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A nice inside leg kick there by Draven. That's going to slow Blah down.
Draven misses with a jab to the body
and Blah counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Draven tries to clinch up but Blah circles away and keeps his distance.
Blah takes a kick to the side of the head.
Draven throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Nice defenses there by Blah.
Blah is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Draven tries to clinch up but Blah circles away and keeps his distance.
Draven doesn't manage to clinch there - Blah circles away.
Draven tries to close the distance and clinch up but Blah swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Blah fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Draven manages to avoid it.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Blah crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Draven - the referee stops the clock and Blah gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Draven. Blah manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Eric Draven seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Draven closes the distance looking to clinch
enabling Blah to counter with a crisp jab.
Blah throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Blah slips under a jab from Draven.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Draven moves into range and clinches up with Blah.
Blah wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Draven breaks from the clinch.
Decent striking displayed by Blah there.
Blah misses with a body shot.

Draven drives through and clinches with Blah against the cage.

Draven breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Draven pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Draven wants to clinch up but Blah keeps it at a distance.
Draven walks into a left hand.
Draven misses with a low kick.
Draven tries to close the distance and clinch but Blah swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Blah circles away from the clinch attempt.
Draven defending well as Blah loads up on a big left hand.
Draven tries to clinch up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Blah misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Draven.
Draven scores with a head kick. Blah tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Blah connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Blah scores with a jab to the body.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Blah misses with a wild body shot.
Blah is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Blah is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Draven.
Blah gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Blah takes a kick to the side of the head.
Blah defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Draven.

Draven clinches up against the cage.

Draven's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Draven avoids a lazy jab quite easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Draven looks to clinch
and Blah cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Blah has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Draven tries to close the distance and clinch up but Blah swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Blah looks to land a combination. Draven sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Draven pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Draven lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Draven.
Blah ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Blah scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Draven swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Draven shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Draven lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Draven cracks the inside of Blah's front leg.
Blah works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Blah moves into range and connects with a jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Draven fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Blah looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Blah doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Blah just misses with a punch to the body.
A head kick misses from Draven.
Good exchange - Blah coming out on top.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Draven, right into the meat.
Blah moves out of range of the strikes.
Blah just misses with a punch to the body.
Blah throws a right hand that misses
and Draven counters with a nice body kick.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Draven throws out a loose jab but Blah uses good head movement to avoid it.
Blah misses the shot to the body.
Draven throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Draven tries to clinch but Blah moves out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eric Draven dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Draven is looking to clinch.
Blah checks a low kick from Draven.
Draven lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Blah misses with a looping right.
A head kick misses from Draven.
Draven moves out of range as Blah strikes.
Draven fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Blah has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Blah dips to his left and cracks Draven with an uppercut!
Draven tries to clinch there but Blah circles away.
Draven pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Draven moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Blah scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Draven doesn't seem bothered though.
Blah keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Draven throws a head kick but Blah moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Blah thuds a left hand into Draven's body.
Draven pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Blah throws out a loose jab but Draven uses good head movement to avoid it.

Draven closes the distance and clinches.
Blah is looking to break free of the clinch but Draven has double underhooks.
Draven using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.

Draven breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Eric Draven is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Draven lands a nice looking body kick.
Draven tries to close the distance and clinch up but Blah swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Draven scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Blah waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Draven.
Blah moves out of range of the body kick from Draven.
Blah has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Draven.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Draven takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Blah throws a leg kick but Draven moved away.
Draven throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Blah takes a kick to the side of the head.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Draven throws a half hearted mid kick.
Blah has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Draven.
Blah throws a leg kick but Draven checks it.
Blah fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Draven misses with a double jab.
Draven throws a combination that misses
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Draven throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Draven lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Blah lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Blah.
Blah blocks a head kick by Draven.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Blah throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Blah throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Draven stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Draven scores with a head kick. Blah tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.

Draven moves into the clinch successfully.
Blah is trying to break free.
Draven is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Blah to keep the fight standing.
Draven prevents Blah from breaking the clinch.
Draven is trying to break the clinch but Blah is controlling him.
Blah has had enough of the clinch but Draven keeps him there for the moment.
Draven putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Blah in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Draven taking a breather.
Blah is trying to break free.
A frustrated look appears on Blah's face as he tries to break the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Blah is trying to force a seperation but Draven has the dominant position.
Draven is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.

Draven breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Blah throws out a powerful jab.
Blah punishes Draven's body with a nice straight punch.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Draven connects with an inside leg kick.
Draven tries a head kick but it misses.
Draven is looking to clinch but Blah is avoiding it.
Blah uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Draven has time to react.
Draven slips under a jab.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Draven lands a leg kick that knocks Blah off balance momentarily.
Eric Draven is winning the standup battle so far.
Blah takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Draven tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Blah counters with a straight right hand.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eric Draven dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Draven tries to move into range but Blah moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Blah's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Blah scores with a body shot.
Draven moves in looking to clinch but Blah pushes him off.
Blah throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Draven tries to clinch up.
The fight stays on the outside here - Draven looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Blah swats away the attempt to clinch by Draven.
Draven throws a nice outside leg kick.
Draven is looking to clinch.
Blah on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Blah jabs Draven to the body, keeping him at a distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Draven will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Blah lunges at Draven with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Draven's hand.
Blah has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Draven.
Draven misses with a wild body shot.
Draven throws a low kick but Blah avoids it.
Blah just misses with a punch to the body.
Draven fails in his attempt to clinch.
Blah fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Blah throws a series of strikes that have Draven backpedaling.
Blah connects with the punch.
Draven takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Draven uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Blah.
A shot to the liver by Draven. Beautiful body shot.
Blah takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Blah misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Draven.
Draven tries to close the distance and clinch up but Blah swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Draven tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Draven keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Draven wants to clinch up but Blah keeps it at a distance.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Blah keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Blah rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Draven counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Draven looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Blah takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Draven tries to clinch there but Blah circles away.
Draven moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Blah throws a low kick, looking for Draven's leg but Draven calmly moves out of range.
Blah throws an overhand right that lands on Draven's shoulder, as Draven tries to avoid the shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A solid leg kick lands there for Draven.
Blah keeps the fight on the outside.
Draven tries to clinch but Blah is having none of it.
Blah takes a kick to the side of the head.
Draven misses with a low kick.
Draven throws a shot from downtown. Blah moves away and avoids it.
Blah attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Draven goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Draven looks to clinch
and Blah counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Draven thinking.
Blah lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Draven keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Draven tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
A big right from Blah misses.
Draven is really struggling to find his range with his punches. Blah's reach advantage is clearly causing him problems.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Donk. Blah catches Draven right on the button with a cross.
Draven throws a right and a left that Blah avoids nicely.
Blah swats away the attempt to clinch by Draven.
Draven wants to clinch up but Blah keeps it at a distance.
Draven misses with a looping right.
Draven doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Draven blocks a jab.
Mamath Blah has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Draven tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Blah paws at him with a jab and circles away.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Draven. Blah shrugs it off though.
Draven tries to close the distance and clinch up but Blah swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Eric Draven is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
A head kick misses from Draven.

And that's the end of the fight!
Eric Draven showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Draven has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 30:27
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 30:27
Judge Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Eric Draven!