PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Rafael Almeida (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mohammad Al Nasser (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Mohammad Al Nasser is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Almeida
vs
Al Nasser

191 cm
26
195 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

178 cm
27
190 lbs
8 - 5 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

Good takedowns
Brawler
Knockout power

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Rafael Almeida!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 5 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Mohammad Al Nasser!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Viktor Lagutenko and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Al Nasser instigates a clinch.
A frustrated look appears on Al Nasser's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Al Nasser has had enough of the clinch but Almeida keeps him there for the moment.

Al Nasser lands a takedown into guard.
Al Nasser wants to get up but he can't break Almeida's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

Almeida escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Al Nasser gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Almeida is trying to keep Al Nasser in close.
Al Nasser tries to stand but Almeida is controlling from the bottom.
Al Nasser stopping the sweep attempt from Almeida.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Almeida escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Al Nasser gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Almeida working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Al Nasser doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Al Nasser manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

Almeida looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Al Nasser passes into side control.
Almeida is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Almeida wants to get back to his feet but Al Nasser drags him back down.
Almeida tries to bench press Al Nasser off him but Al Nasser keeps the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
You can see the frustration on Almeida's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Almeida gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Al Nasser wants to stand but Almeida has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Almeida throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Almeida misses with some strikes from the bottom.
It looks like Al Nasser is going to stand back up.
Almeida tries to get to full guard but Al Nasser has control of the leg.
Almeida is trying to stand.

Almeida looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Almeida trying to control from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Al Nasser seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Almeida has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Al Nasser is working away from the top position though.
Al Nasser prevents Almeida from standing back up.
Al Nasser is thwarting Almeida's attempts to control the position.
Almeida wants to sweep but Al Nasser has passed to side control!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Al Nasser wants to stand but Almeida has his arm trapped.

Al Nasser decides to stand back up. Al Nasser steps back and let's Almeida get back to his feet.
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 Rafael Almeida will probably get the nod.
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.

Al Nasser pushes Almeida up against the cage in a clinch.
Almeida prevents Al Nasser from breaking the clinch.
Al Nasser has had enough of the clinch but Almeida keeps him there for the moment.
Almeida drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Al Nasser gets the underhooks and prevents it.

Al Nasser tightens his grip and picks Almeida up, before dumping him to the ground. Almeida manages to land in guard.
Almeida 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.
Almeida has a closed guard, preventing Al Nasser from standing up.

Almeida is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Al Nasser would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Almeida looking to control.
Almeida wants to improve his position but instead Al Nasser has moved into half guard.
Almeida wants to get back to his feet.
Almeida misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Rafael Almeida overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Almeida wants to get back to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Al Nasser decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.

Al Nasser moves into the clinch successfully.

Al Nasser breaks the clinch.
Almeida fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Al Nasser stuffs the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rafael Almeida. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Al Nasser rushes Almeida and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Al Nasser escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Al Nasser tries to clinch but Almeida moves out of range.
Al Nasser tries to clinch but Almeida is having none of it.
Rafael Almeida is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Almeida shoots in but no luck this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Almeida looks for the body kick but Al Nasser saw that one coming.
Al Nasser tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Almeida paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Al Nasser clinches.
Al Nasser is trying to break the clinch but Almeida is controlling him.
Almeida is trying to break free.
Al Nasser prevents a takedown attempt there.
Almeida tries to pull guard but Al Nasser won't allow it.
Almeida tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Al Nasser smiles and moves away.
Almeida will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Al Nasser closes the distance and pushes Almeida back into the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Al Nasser escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Al Nasser clinches up against the cage.
Almeida looking for a takedown.

Al Nasser escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Al Nasser clinches up against the cage.

Al Nasser lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
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!
Almeida is trying to get back to full guard.
Al Nasser wants to stand but Almeida has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Al Nasser is thwarting Almeida's attempts to control the position.
Al Nasser wants to get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mohammad Al Nasser showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Almeida has his takedown stuffed
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Almeida closes the distance and clinches up with Al Nasser, looking for a takedown. Almeida pushes Al Nasser against the cage but Al Nasser circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Almeida keeps the fight on the outside.
Almeida blocks a leg kick.
Almeida blocks a head kick by Al Nasser.
Almeida fails to land with a series of punches.
Al Nasser fails in his attempt to clinch.
Al Nasser moves in looking to clinch but Almeida pushes him off.
Almeida fails to land the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rafael Almeida. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Al Nasser takes the fight into the clinch.
Almeida wants a takedown.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Al Nasser wants to break free but Almeida has control.
Almeida keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Al Nasser's efforts to push away.
Almeida keeps control of Al Nasser as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Almeida goes for a takedown attempt but Al Nasser pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Al Nasser tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Almeida paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Al Nasser moves into the clinch successfully.
Almeida jumps guard but Al Nasser turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Almeida wants a takedown but no success here.

Al Nasser pulls guard effortlessly.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Almeida wanted to stand there but Al Nasser had control of the position.
Almeida will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Almeida stops Al Nasser from standing up.
Almeida wants to pass the guard but Al Nasser is keeping the position.
Almeida wanted to stand there but Al Nasser had control of the position.
Almeida throws an elbow that misses. Al Nasser uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Almeida's guard. Nice move by Al Nasser!
Al Nasser would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Almeida looking for a guillotine here but Al Nasser defends easily.
Al Nasser has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Almeida is proving hard to escape from.

Almeida is working an open guard so Al Nasser takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Al Nasser stuffs the takedown attempt from Almeida. Almeida gets slowly back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A head kick misses from Al Nasser.
Al Nasser is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Al Nasser doesn't manage to clinch there - Almeida circles away.
Al Nasser tries to close the distance and clinch up but Almeida swats him away and circles back towards the center.
A low kick from Al Nasser misses
and Almeida counters with a three punch combo that has Al Nasser backing up. Al Nasser nods at Almeida to acknowledge the strikes.
No joy there for Almeida, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Al Nasser tries to clinch up.
Al Nasser looks for the body kick but Almeida saw that one coming.
Almeida shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Al Nasser sprawls well. Al Nasser wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Almeida gets slowly back to his feet.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mohammad Al Nasser comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Al Nasser has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 28:29
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mohammad Al Nasser!