PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Igor Smirnoff (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Foster Barkley (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Foster Barkley is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Smirnoff
vs
Barkley

200 cm
21
140 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

180 cm
20
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Dangerous knees
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Tends to cut

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Igor Smirnoff!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Foster Barkley!
The judges for this bout are Illya Tyunina, Dmitry Maklakov and Viktor Lagutenko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Smirnoff drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Smirnoff looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Barkley wants to sweep here but Smirnoff controlling him for the moment.
Smirnoff postures up.

Smirnoff avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Barkley wants to get back to his feet but Smirnoff is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Barkley wants to sweep but no luck.

Barkley wriggles free and stands up.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Barkley changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Smirnoff looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Smirnoff takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Barkley tries to stand but Smirnoff controls the position and pulls Barkley into his guard.
Barkley is in close to Smirnoff's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Barkley stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Smirnoff swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Barkley wants to stand and escape but instead Smirnoff has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barkley pulls Smirnoff in close to prevent any damage.
Barkley is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Barkley escapes and gets back to his feet.
Barkley throws a leg kick which misses Smirnoff's front leg but catches the back leg as Smirnoff tries to avoid it.

Barkley decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Barkley seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Smirnoff does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Smirnoff is pressing down on Barkley's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barkley lands a couple of digs.

Barkley gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Barkley throws a right hand that Smirnoff ducks under and follows up with a left that Smirnoff also avoids with ease.
Barkley throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

Smirnoff gets caught flat footed, as Barkley shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Barkley landing with the ground and pound.
Barkley is looking to stand up but Smirnoff won't let him.
Barkley trying to control the position from guard on top but Smirnoff is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Smirnoff keeping full guard, as Barkley tries to pass.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barkley has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Smirnoff is proving hard to escape from.
Barkley trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Barkley must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Barkley is looking to stand up but Smirnoff won't let him.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Smirnoff doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Barkley counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Barkley slips nicely into half guard.

Barkley gets to his feet - back to striking we go!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Foster Barkley dominated that round.
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.

Barkley tries for a takedown but Smirnoff circles away easily

and Smirnoff counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Barkley slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Barkley has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Smirnoff has passed into side control.
Barkley gets back to half guard.
Barkley trying to hold on to Smirnoff's head to control him but Smirnoff postures up.

Barkley actively working from the bottom here.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Barkley looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Barkley is looking to control Smirnoff's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Barkley avoid being mounted?

Barkley kicks Smirnoff off and gets back to his feet.

Barkley decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barkley wants to lay and pray for a moment but Smirnoff keeps working.
Barkley seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

Barkley decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.
Barkley lands with a thumping leg kick.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Barkley drags the fight down to the ground.
Barkley working a defensive guard but Smirnoff passes into half guard.
Barkley trying to control but Smirnoff postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smirnoff stops Barkley from getting back to his feet.
Barkley wants to get back to full guard.
Smirnoff will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Barkley is looking to control Smirnoff's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Barkley avoid being mounted?
Barkley makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Barkley.
Barkley looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Barkley is on top in guard.

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.
Barkley scoring with some ground and pound.
Barkley passes Smirnoff's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Barkley tries to stand but his arm is trapped.

Barkley is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Smirnoff really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Barkley works his way into side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Foster Barkley showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Barkley gets the takedown into side control.

Barkley stands up and beckons Smirnoff to his feet.

Smirnoff shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Smirnoff was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Barkley is working to get back to half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barkley is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Barkley tries to lock up and control but Smirnoff gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Barkley keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Barkley gets back to half guard.

Barkley kicks Smirnoff off and gets back to his feet.

Barkley looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Smirnoff!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smirnoff has given up his back - I don’t know if this is a deliberate ploy to try and escape or if he is just struggling down there.

Smirnoff defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.
Barkley scores with some strikes to the side of the head there. Good, points scoring shots.
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!
Barkley keeps control of the position easily here as Smirnoff tries to buck him off.
Barkley lands a couple of good shots to his opponent's body and a final shot to the head. Good little attack there by Barkley.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Barkley is remaining active here, looking for the choke. The more discerning members of the crowd will appreciate his efforts.
Barkley doesn't have the hooks in and Smirnoff manages to turn into his guard.

Barkley is looking to sinch up a triangle. Smirnoff throws the leg off to one side though and gets in tight to Barkley's body to avoid the submission. Barkley has instead reached around Smirnoff's neck and now has a guillotine! Oh, this is biiiig trouble! Barkley arches his back and squeezes and forces the tap from his hapless opponent.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:49 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Foster Barkley!