PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Vadim Kharghai (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Santiago Martinez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kharghai comes to the cage accompanied by Metallica- Welcome home. Martinez has chosen Major Lazer - Pon De Floor as his entrance music. This should be fireworks!

Kharghai
vs
Martinez

182 cm
28
200 lbs
18 - 10 - 0

183 cm
30
195 lbs
17 - 6 - 0

Good wrestling
Lethal high kicks
Cardio machine

ADCC Champion
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

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 18 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Vadim Kharghai!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 17 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Santiago Martinez!
The judges for this bout are Ryoma Takatsuka, Chris Saunders and Micheangelo Fripello.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kharghai wants to clinch

and Martinez counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Kharghai!
Kharghai wants to control but Martinez is having none of it.
Kharghai tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Martinez avoids the attempt from Kharghai to control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martinez lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Kharghai slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Kharghai keeping control of the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Vadim Kharghai has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Martinez looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Martinez closes the distance and clinches up with Kharghai, looking for a takedown. Martinez pushes Kharghai against the cage but Kharghai circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

Kharghai drives through and clinches with Martinez against the cage.
Martinez is trying to maintain a safe position but Kharghai gets an underhook and turns Martinez into the cage.

Martinez has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Kharghai uses from the top position.
Kharghai trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Kharghai being controlled here momentarily.
Martinez looking for a sweep. Not yet Martinez, not yet.
Martinez preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Martinez looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Martinez looking for a guillotine here but Kharghai defends easily.

Martinez working for a triangle but Kharghai defends it easily.
Martinez keeping moving, preventing Kharghai from controlling successfully.
Kharghai lands a couple of digs.
Martinez bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Kharghai's guard.
Martinez landing with the ground and pound.
Martinez throwing strikes but missing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kharghai has Martinez pulled in close to control his posture.
Kharghai has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Kharghai lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Martinez!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Kharghai punishing his opponent with strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Vadim Kharghai will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Martinez misses with a head kick.
Kharghai takes a swing at Martinez's ribcage but misses.
Martinez stuffs the takedown attempt from Kharghai. Kharghai gets slowly back to his feet.
Kharghai is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Martinez misses the shot to the body.
A head kick from Martinez lands but Kharghai takes it in his stride.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kharghai looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Kharghai throws a head kick that misses

and Martinez counters with a nice double leg into side control. Kharghai won't be happy with that.
Kharghai is looking to regain half guard here but Martinez keeps moving and retains side control.
Kharghai is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Martinez is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
Kharghai manages to control the position for a moment.
Martinez avoids the attempt from Kharghai to control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kharghai gets back to half guard.
Kharghai works his way to full guard. Good work.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Kharghai is pulling down on Martinez's head to control his posture.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Kharghai looking to hit a scissor sweep but Martinez is one step ahead there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Martinez throws a strike but Kharghai rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Kharghai slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Kharghai wants to pass the guard but Martinez is keeping the position.
Kharghai trying to control but Martinez is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Martinez has momentary wrist control but Kharghai slips an elbow through the middle.

Martinez isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Kharghai stacks Martinez on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Kharghai!
Kharghai cracks Martinez with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Martinez is looking to reverse the position.
Kharghai scores with punches from side control.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Martinez is looking for a sweep.
Kharghai scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Martinez to see if he's OK.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Martinez on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Martinez is trying to improve his position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vadim Kharghai dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Kharghai shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Martinez as he jumps to the side.
Kharghai is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Vadim Kharghai seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kharghai misses with a two punch combination.
Kharghai checks a low kick from Martinez.
A jab from Kharghai finds it's way through Martinez's defenses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martinez slips under a jab from Kharghai.
Kharghai throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Kharghai ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Kharghai takes a swing at Martinez's ribcage but misses.

Kharghai looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Martinez!
Kharghai scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Martinez throwing hammer fists to the chest of Kharghai. What's that going to do exactly?
The referee warns Martinez that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Kharghai cracks Martinez with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Martinez is in all sorts of trouble here.
Martinez is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Kharghai trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Kharghai landing strikes from the mount and Martinez is in trouble!
Martinez throwing hammer fists to the chest of Kharghai. What's that going to do exactly?
Martinez regains half guard.
Martinez slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Martinez 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.
Kharghai lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kharghai throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Martinez works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Martinez wants to sweep here but Kharghai controlling him for the moment.
Kharghai advances position into side control!
Kharghai working the ground and pound.
Kharghai just content to control the position.
Vadim Kharghai is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Kharghai trying to control the position but Martinez is working away.
Kharghai connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Martinez some visible discomfort.
Kharghai trying to control the action but Martinez is working from the bottom.
Martinez struggling a bit here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Martinez tries to buck Kharghai off but Kharghai is having none of it.
Kharghai happy to just control the position for now.
Martinez is looking for a sweep.
Kharghai trying to control the position but Martinez is working away.
A lull in the action here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Martinez tries to buck Kharghai off but Kharghai is having none of it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Vadim Kharghai showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Kharghai 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 Ryoma Takatsuka scores the fight 30:27
Judge Chris Saunders scores the fight 30:27
Judge Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Vadim Kharghai!
A relieved looking Vadim Kharghai thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.