PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Leonid Shcholkin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Andrew Benavidez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Shcholkin comes to the cage accompanied by King Ring. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Shcholkin
vs
Benavidez

184 cm
22
150 lbs
1 - 6 - 0

170 cm
26
151 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 6 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Leonid Shcholkin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Andrew Benavidez!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Aleksei Zolotukhin and Sergei Dronov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Shcholkin thows a body shot but no joy.
Shcholkin thows a left - swing and a miss!
Benavidez throws a leg kick that misses.
Nice uppercut there from Shcholkin.
Shcholkin throws a nice inside leg kick.
A nice inside leg kick there by Shcholkin. That's going to slow Benavidez down.
Shcholkin moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Shcholkin misses with a lunging right hand
and Benavidez counters with a low kick, right behind Shcholkin 's knee.
Benavidez tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Shcholkin counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
A telegraphed right hand from Shcholkin misses the target.
Shcholkin fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Benavidez manages to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shcholkin fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Benavidez manages to avoid it.
Shcholkin circles away from the clinch attempt
and Shcholkin counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Benavidez wants to clinch but Shcholkin slips to the side
and Benavidez takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Benavidez closes the distance looking to clinch
and Shcholkin cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Shcholkin circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shcholkin takes a swing at Benavidez's ribcage but misses.
Benavidez attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Benavidez tries to close the distance and clinch up but Shcholkin swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Benavidez checks a leg kick.
Shcholkin really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Benavidez wants to slow Shcholkin down by chopping away at his legs.
Benavidez tries to close the distance and clinch but Shcholkin swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Benavidez wants to clinch
and Shcholkin counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Shcholkin misses with an uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Benavidez slips a jab from Shcholkin.
Shcholkin lands a high kick!
Shcholkin swings for the body but Benavidez moves out of range.
A jab lands there for Shcholkin.
Shcholkin misses with a head kick.
Shcholkin is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Benavidez wants to clinch but Shcholkin slips to the side
and Shcholkin counters with a left to the body.
Shcholkin pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Shcholkin checks the leg kick nicely there.
Benavidez uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Shcholkin.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Shcholkin moves out of range of the leg kick from Benavidez.
Shcholkin misses with a double jab.
Shcholkin throws a left and a right that both miss

and Benavidez counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Benavidez.

Shcholkin pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Shcholkin looks to throw the jab but Benavidez is out of range.
Benavidez tries to clinch but Shcholkin moves out of range.
Shcholkin swings for the body but Benavidez moves out of range.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Benavidez wants to clinch.
Benavidez wants to clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Leonid Shcholkin dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Shcholkin keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Shcholkin throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Shcholkin fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Benavidez manages to avoid it.
Benavidez wants to clinch.
Leonid Shcholkin is winning the standup battle so far.
Benavidez is looking to chop away at Shcholkin's legs.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Shcholkin throws a solid leg kick but Benavidez takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Shcholkin.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shcholkin misses with a hook.
Shcholkin throws a lazy right hand but Benavidez sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Shcholkin ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Benavidez moves away.
Shcholkin scores with a crisp jab that stopped Benavidez in his tracks.
Shcholkin thows a body shot but no joy.
Andrew Benavidez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Benavidez is looking to chop away at Shcholkin's legs.
Shcholkin throws out a loose jab but Benavidez uses good head movement to avoid it.
Shcholkin throws a jab but it's blocked by Benavidez.
Shcholkin misses with a lunging right hand
and Benavidez counters with a thumping low kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shcholkin throws a leg kick but Benavidez sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Benavidez moves out of range of the strikes.
Shcholkin throws a jab but it's blocked by Benavidez.
Benavidez tries to clinch up.
A telegraphed right hand from Shcholkin misses the target.
Shcholkin misses with a double jab
and Benavidez counters with a thumping low kick.
Shcholkin throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Benavidez.
A clash of legs there as Shcholkin blocks the low kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Benavidez tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Shcholkin is able to avoid easily.
Benavidez blocks a jab.
Shcholkin misses with a shot to the body
and Benavidez counters with a low kick, right behind Shcholkin 's knee.
Benavidez throws a low kick, looking for Shcholkin's leg but Shcholkin calmly moves out of range.
Benavidez tries to close the distance and clinch up but Shcholkin swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Shcholkin misses with a head kick.
Leonid Shcholkin seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A big left from Shcholkin misses.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Benavidez looks to clinch
and Shcholkin counters with a slapping leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Benavidez walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Shcholkin checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Benavidez closes the distance but Shcholkin moves to the side
and Shcholkin counters with a three punch combo that has Benavidez backing up. Benavidez nods at Shcholkin to acknowledge the strikes.
Shcholkin tried to score with a low kick but Benavidez checks it.
Shcholkin swings for the body but Benavidez moves out of range.
Benavidez fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Shcholkin checks it well.
Benavidez is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Shcholkin swats away the attempt to clinch by Benavidez.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Leonid Shcholkin dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Benavidez misses with a low kick.
Shcholkin misses with a jab to the body
and Benavidez counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Benavidez moves out of range as Shcholkin strikes.
Benavidez avoids the body shot from Shcholkin.
Shcholkin lands a lovely overhand right.
Shcholkin misses with an uppercut
and Benavidez counters with an inside leg kick.
Benavidez throws a leg kick
and Shcholkin counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Shcholkin throws a poor cross that misses

and Benavidez counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Benavidez.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Benavidez wants a takedown but no success here.
Benavidez tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Shcholkin just stands there and leans against the cage.

Shcholkin breaks from the clinch.
Benavidez takes one on the button.
Shcholkin checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Benavidez avoids the head kick by Shcholkin.
Shcholkin rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Benavidez counters with a thumping low kick.
Benavidez tries to work over Shcholkin's front leg with a kick but Shcholkin checks it.
Shcholkin throws a lazy uppercut
and Benavidez counters with a nice low kick that buckles Shcholkin's knee momentarily.
A punch combination from Shcholkin misses.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Some bone on bone action there as Shcholkin checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Benavidez tries a low kick but Shcholkin avoids it.
Benavidez tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Shcholkin misses with a body shot.
Shcholkin lands a nice shot to the body.
A telegraphed right hand from Shcholkin misses the target.
Shcholkin misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Benavidez avoids the head kick by Shcholkin.
Shcholkin throws a sloppy body shot
and Benavidez counters with a good low kick that Shcholkin was not able to check.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Some bone on bone action there as Shcholkin checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Some bone on bone action there as Shcholkin checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Shcholkin circles away from the clinch attempt
and Shcholkin counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Shcholkin throws an overhand right that lands on Benavidez's shoulder, as Benavidez tries to avoid the shot.
Benavidez darts in trying to clinch
and Shcholkin counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Benavidez is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Benavidez tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Shcholkin paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Benavidez avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Benavidez misses with a low kick.
Benavidez ducks under a wild hook from Shcholkin.
Shcholkin shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Andrew Benavidez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Leonid Shcholkin is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Benavidez throws a leg kick but Shcholkin sees it coming and checks it nicely.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Leonid Shcholkin.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Shcholkin, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 30:27
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Leonid Shcholkin!