PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Malik Moss (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jack Rayen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Jack Rayen acknowledges the crowd's support as he enters the cage.

Moss
vs
Rayen

194 cm
20
193 lbs
2 - 6 - 1

176 cm
25
190 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Determined

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 2 - 6 - 1, fighting out of St Petersburg, Malik Moss!
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, Jack Rayen!
The judges for this bout are Fedor Mirinova, Vladimir Khabensky and Ivan Kurochkin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rayen shoots and misses
and Moss counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Rayen tries for a takedown but Moss circles away easily
and Moss counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Rayen tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Moss defends well and Rayen ends up having to push Moss into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Malik Moss has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jack Rayen.

Rayen wants the takedown. Moss is fighting it off but Rayen persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Moss's guard against the cage.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Rayen stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Moss swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Moss seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Moss bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Rayen's guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Rayen is on top in guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Moss looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Moss manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Moss with the ground and pound from mount.
Rayen really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Rayen wants to hold on but Moss pushes him away.
Moss has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Rayen's face.

Moss looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Moss working Rayen over with strikes here.
Rayen in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Moss controlling from mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Moss looking to control but Rayen is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Rayen really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Rayen is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Rayen really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
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!

Moss looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
BOOM! Moss connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Rayen should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Moss lands with some strikes.
Rayen is wriggling around trying to escape.
Rayen wants to control but Moss is having none of it.
Rayen is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Moss is staying active.
Rayen gets back to half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rayen wants to control the action here but instead Moss manages to pass to full mount!
Moss connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Rayen is working to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Moss looking to finish Rayen with some ground and pound. This is bad for Rayen!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rayen is wriggling around trying to escape.
Moss lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

Moss working for a submission but Rayen is keeping him at bay.
Rayen sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Moss tries to stand but can't do so whilst Rayen controls his leg.
Rayen is trying to control but Moss passes into side control!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Malik Moss dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Moss looking to score a takedown here. Rayen is defending well but Moss drives through and ends up in Rayen's guard.
Moss makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Moss has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Rayen is proving hard to escape from.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Moss accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Rayen wants to sweep but no luck.
Malik Moss overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Rayen has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Rayen is trying to hold Moss in close to prevent damage but Moss has managed to pass into half guard.
Moss will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Moss tries to stand and escape but Rayen is controlling the position.
Rayen is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Moss scores with a couple of nice shots.
Rayen manages to get to full guard.
Rayen pulls Moss in to control the position.
Rayen is trying to hold Moss in close to prevent damage but Moss has managed to pass into half guard.
Moss not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Moss looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Rayen with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
The fighters are battling for position here. Rayen manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Moss is working Rayen over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Rayen trying to control the position.
Moss makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Moss tries to stand but Rayen is controlling from the bottom.
Moss throws a big elbow that misses.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rayen has his hands on Moss's head, controlling the position.
Moss lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rayen looking for a sweep. Not yet Rayen, not yet.
Rayen throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Rayen controls Moss momentarily but Moss frees himself.
Moss trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Rayen is trying to control the position but Moss postures up.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Rayen might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Moss haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.

Jack Rayen has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Rayen shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Moss cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Rayen shoots in but Moss avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Rayen is breathing heavily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rayen fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Malik Moss has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jack Rayen.

Moss gets caught napping as Rayen dives in and scores a takedown. Moss manages to retain guard.

Moss pushes Rayen off and gets back to his feet.
Moss shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rayen fails with a takedown attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Malik Moss will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Rayen looks to land a body kick but Moss moved away.

Rayen scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Moss is trying to control Rayen's posture but Rayen avoids it.
Moss is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Rayen has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Moss is looking to regain half guard here but Rayen keeps moving and retains side control.
Moss has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

Rayen working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rayen trying to control the action but Moss is working from the bottom.

Rayen tries for a kimura but Moss is defending well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Moss tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Rayen wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Moss wants to control but Rayen postures up.
Moss is looking to regain half guard here but Rayen keeps moving and retains side control.
Moss manages to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Moss looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rayen is thwarting Moss's attempts to control the position.
Rayen is keen to just control but Moss is a slippery customer.
Moss wants to get back to full guard but Rayen has mounted him!
Rayen avoids the attempt from Moss to control.
Rayen looking to control and managing it successfully.
Moss sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Moss is trying to control but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rayen is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Moss sees it coming and defends easily.
Rayen missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Rayen trying to control the action but Moss is working from the bottom.
Moss tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Rayen has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
Moss wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Rayen.
Rayen breaks from Moss's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Moss tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Rayen can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Moss is looking to escape.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rayen blocks Moss's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Rayen avoids the attempt from Moss to control.
Rayen can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Moss is looking to escape.
Moss is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Jack Rayen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Malik Moss is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Rayen looking to ground and pound but Moss is blocking nicely.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Jack Rayen.
I think Moss has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 29:28
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 29:28
Judge Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Malik Moss!