PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Manvel Gamburyan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Muay Thai (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gamburyan comes to the cage accompanied by Gamburyan vs. Brown on April 24th. Thai has chosen Deadly Muay Thai Skills as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Gamburyan
vs
Thai

165 cm
42
244 lbs
14 - 26 - 0

225 cm
41
300 lbs
18 - 29 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 14 - 26 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Manvel Gamburyan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 18 - 29 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Muay Thai!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Viktor Lagutenko and Aleksandr Martynov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
No joy there for Gamburyan, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Thai connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Gamburyan swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Thai tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Gamburyan paws at him with a jab and circles away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Thai looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Thai tries to clinch up
and Gamburyan counters with a low kick, right behind Thai 's knee.
Thai has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Gamburyan.
Sloppy strikes from Gamburyan. Those never looked like landing.
Thai misses with a few strikes there.
Gamburyan swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Gamburyan has his takedown stuffed

and Thai moves into the clinch.
Thai tries a knee to the head but Gamburyan blocks it.
Gamburyan can't break the clinch.
Thai misses with a knee strike.
Thai tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Gamburyan is looking for a takedown.
Thai with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Thai escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gamburyan circles away from the clinch attempt.
Gamburyan looks for a takedown but Thai sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Manvel Gamburyan. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gamburyan misses with an attempted mid kick.

Gamburyan darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Gamburyan lands a nice short elbow.
Gamburyan 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.

Gamburyan is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Thai sees it coming and defends easily.

Thai is defending against the submission attempts here by Gamburyan.
Well, if Gamburyan is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gamburyan missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

Gamburyan stands up and beckons Thai to join him on the feet.
Thai tries to clinch there but Gamburyan circles away.
Thai tries to close the distance and clinch but Gamburyan swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Good leg kick by Thai there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Gamburyan misses with a jab, cross combination.
Thai blocks the body kick.
Muay Thai is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Thai tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thai tries to clinch up but Gamburyan circles away and keeps his distance.
Gamburyan misses with the combination.
Thai tries to close the distance and clinch up but Gamburyan swats him away and circles back towards the center.
The fight stays on the outside here - Thai looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Thai throws a one two combo.
Thai tries to clinch up

and Gamburyan counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Gamburyan prevents Thai from getting back to his feet.
Gamburyan showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Thai wants to stand up but Gamburyan is controlling him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gamburyan seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Gamburyan wants to control from the top but Thai keeps moving.
Thai is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Gamburyan keeps the fight on the outside.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Manvel Gamburyan dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Gamburyan shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Thai as he avoids it easily.
Gamburyan with a lazy takedown attempt
and Thai counters with a one-two to the body.
Thai tries to clinch up.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Gamburyan misses with a wild combination.
Gamburyan shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Thai as he jumps to the side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Manvel Gamburyan. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Thai misses with a combination
and Gamburyan counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.

Thai clinches.

Gamburyan's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Gamburyan avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Thai tries to clinch but Gamburyan moves out of range.
Thai tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Thai tries to clinch but Gamburyan moves out of range.
Gamburyan avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Thai darts in trying to clinch
and Gamburyan counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Thai tries to clinch but Gamburyan is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gamburyan misses with a two punch combination.

Thai rushes Gamburyan and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Gamburyan is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Thai can do to turn this around?
Gamburyan takes a knee right on the jaw!
Gamburyan working hard to break the clinch.

Gamburyan breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Gamburyan feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Gamburyan stops Thai from standing up.
Gamburyan's corner is telling him to maintain position.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Gamburyan accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Thai is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Gamburyan wants to control from the top but Thai keeps moving.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gamburyan prevents Thai from getting back to his feet.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Thai misses with a few strikes there.
Gamburyan tries for a takedown but Thai sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Thai moves in looking to clinch but Gamburyan pushes him off.
Thai tries to clinch but Gamburyan moves away
and Gamburyan counters with a two punch combo.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Thai keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Manvel Gamburyan is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Gamburyan throws a leg kick but Thai moved away.
Thai tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Gamburyan paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Gamburyan fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

Thai closes the distance and clinches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gamburyan jumps into guard, dragging Thai to the mat.
Manvel Gamburyan overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Thai tries to stand but Gamburyan is controlling from the bottom.
Thai is fighting to break Gamburyan's control of his arms but Gamburyan is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Thai tries to stand but Gamburyan is controlling from the bottom.

Thai gets to his feet - Gamburyan follows without any prompting.
Thai wants to clinch.
Gamburyan misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Manvel Gamburyan is winning the standup battle so far.
Gamburyan avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Thai fails in his attempt to clinch.
Gamburyan circles away from the clinch attempt.
Gamburyan fails with the takedown
and Thai counters with a three punch combo that has Gamburyan backing up. Gamburyan nods at Thai to acknowledge the strikes.
Gamburyan fails with a takedown attempt.
A solid leg kick lands there for Thai.
Gamburyan misses with a wild combination.
Sloppy strikes from Gamburyan. Those never looked like landing.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Thai tries to clinch but Gamburyan moves out of range.

Thai forces Gamburyan back against the cage and clinches.

Thai breaks the clinch.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Thai closes the distance and clinches.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Thai tries to land knees in the clinch but Gamburyan avoids the damage to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Muay Thai will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Gamburyan has a takedown stuffed.
Thai tries to clinch

so Gamburyan counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Gamburyan trying to control but Thai is working from the bottom.
Gamburyan looking to sit in guard and control but Thai gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Thai wants to get up but he can't break Gamburyan's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

Gamburyan looking for a guillotine here but Thai defends easily.
Gamburyan has a closed guard, preventing Thai from standing up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Thai got a little sloppy there for a moment and Gamburyan has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Thai has managed to get both his arms back between Gamburyan's legs - danger averted.
Thai has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Gamburyan is proving hard to escape from.
Gamburyan controlling the position.
Gamburyan is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Gamburyan has a closed guard, preventing Thai from standing up.

Thai decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

Thai instigates a clinch.
Thai has Gamburyan pressed against the cage, preventing Gamburyan from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Thai is struggling to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gamburyan blocks the elbow strike.

Thai's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Thai fails in his attempt to clinch.
Thai wants to clinch up but Gamburyan keeps it at a distance.
Gamburyan swats away the attempt to clinch by Thai.

Thai fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Gamburyan, pushing him back against the cage.
Gamburyan jumps guard but Thai turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Thai trying to control the position but instead, Gamburyan has worked for underhooks and has pushed Thai into the cage.
Thai with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Thai pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Gamburyan tries to bum rush Thai with a series of wild strikes but Thai uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Gamburyan is defended easily by Thai.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Manvel Gamburyan. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Thai gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thai pushes off an throws an elbow but Gamburyan leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Gamburyan goes for a takedown in the clinch but Thai prevents it.

Thai breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Thai tries to clinch but Gamburyan moves out of range.
Gamburyan shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Thai wants to clinch up but Gamburyan keeps it at a distance.
Thai throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Gamburyan.
Thai misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Thai tries to clinch but Gamburyan is having none of it.

Thai forces Gamburyan back against the cage and clinches.
Gamburyan wants to take the fight to the mat but Thai manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Gamburyan is trying to pull guard but Thai has him pressed against the cage.

Thai's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Thai wants to clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Thai looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Thai tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Gamburyan swats away the attempt to clinch by Thai.
Thai fails with an attempt to clinch.
Thai avoids a punch combination nicely.
Gamburyan throws a right and a left that both miss.
Thai tries to close the distance and clinch up but Gamburyan swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Gamburyan misses with the combination.
The fight stays on the outside here - Thai looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Thai fails in his attempt to clinch.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Thai gets in close and instigates a clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Muay Thai comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Thai has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 29:29
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 29:28
Judge Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 28:29

The fight is ruled a draw!