PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Alan Dzagoev (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Cain Riviera (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Dzagoev
vs
Riviera

185 cm
18
205 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

192 cm
19
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Alan Dzagoev!
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, Cain Riviera!
The judges for this bout are Konstantin Menshow, Aleksei Zolotukhin and Vladimir Khabensky.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Riviera goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Riviera looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Dzagoev wants to clinch up but Riviera keeps it at a distance.
Dzagoev doesn't manage to clinch there - Riviera circles away.

Dzagoev instigates a clinch.
Riviera fails to pull guard.
Riviera wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Dzagoev has him pressed against the cage.
Riviera wants to break free but Dzagoev has control.
Dzagoev with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

It looks like Cain Riviera has been cut.
A right hook to the body lands for Dzagoev.
Riviera has had enough of the clinch but Dzagoev keeps him there for the moment.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Riviera is looking to break free of the clinch but Dzagoev has double underhooks.

Riviera manages to break the clinch.
Riviera shoots in and drives through. Dzagoev sprawls well.
Riviera defending well as Dzagoev loads up on a big left hand.
Danga de danga de dang - Riviera scores with a four punch combination!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dzagoev has his takedown stuffed
and Riviera makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Alan Dzagoev seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
An inside leg kick lands from Riviera.

Riviera closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Riviera with the ground and pound but Dzagoev regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Dzagoev wants to get back to full guard.
Riviera is trying to control the action in half guard but Dzagoev is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Riviera decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.
The fight stays on the outside here - Dzagoev looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Dzagoev looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Riviera!
Dzagoev is breathing heavily.
Riviera wants to hold on but Dzagoev pushes him away.
Riviera is working to get back to half guard.
Riviera regains half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Riviera trying to hold on to Dzagoev's head to control him but Dzagoev postures up.
Riviera wants to get back to full guard but Dzagoev has passed into side control.
Dzagoev controlling his opponent.
Dzagoev with the ground and pound from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Dzagoev scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Riviera?
Riviera is desperately trying to improve his position but Dzagoev has a good base and remains in mount.
Dzagoev with a couple of short strikes.
Riviera tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Dzagoev content just to control the position here.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Dzagoev can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Riviera is looking to escape.
Riviera is trying to stand.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cain Riviera dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Cain Riviera's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Dzagoev shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Riviera counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Dzagoev gets back to full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Riviera passes Dzagoev's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Dzagoev wants to control but Riviera is keeping busy.

Dzagoev kicks off Riviera and gets to his feet.
Dzagoev dodges the punch combination from Riviera.

Dzagoev bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Riviera tries to buck Dzagoev off but Dzagoev is having none of it.
Dzagoev working away.
Riviera gets back to half guard.
Riviera wants to control but Dzagoev is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Dzagoev slows the pace down in half guard.
Riviera tries to kick Dzagoev off in order to stand up. Dzagoev Avoids the leg push though and dives into side control.

That's two 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.
Dzagoev trying to control the action but Riviera is working from the bottom.
Riviera wants to control but Dzagoev postures up.

Dzagoev stands up and beckons Riviera to his feet.
Dzagoev plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Dzagoev slips a straight right by Riviera.
Riviera on the wrong end of a nice jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Riviera throws a lazy head kick
and Dzagoev counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.

Dzagoev instigates a clinch.

Dzagoev escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Riviera dodges the punch combination from Dzagoev.
Riviera looks to score with a jab to the body but Dzagoev is just out of range.
Riviera misses with a takedown attempt
and Dzagoev counters with a leg kick.
Riviera will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Dzagoev tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Dzagoev tries to clinch but Riviera is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dzagoev lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Riviera tries a head kick but it misses.
A slow jab from Dzagoev misses its intended target.
Dzagoev throws a right and a left that Riviera avoids nicely.
Dzagoev stuffs the takedown.
Alan Dzagoev has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Cain Riviera.

Riviera darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Dzagoev wants to get back to full guard.
Riviera tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
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 Alan Dzagoev will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Cain Riviera's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Riviera looks to land a combination but Dzagoev avoids it well.
Riviera circles away from the clinch attempt

and Riviera counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Dzagoev!
Riviera throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Dzagoev because Riviera loaded up on that one.
Dzagoev trying desperately to get to his feet.
Riviera lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Riviera controlling his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Riviera wants to control the pace but Dzagoev is squirming around nicely.
Dzagoev can't escape the position.
Riviera controlling from the full mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Riviera is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Dzagoev has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Dzagoev!
Dzagoev won't allow Riviera to get back to his feet.
Dzagoev controls from within his opponent's guard.

Riviera is working an open guard so Dzagoev takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dzagoev tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Riviera paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Dzagoev shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Riviera counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Cain Riviera has got the better of the ground game so far.
Riviera stops Dzagoev from getting back to his feet.
Riviera trying to control the action but Dzagoev is working from the bottom.
Well, if Riviera 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 four minutes gone in the round.

Riviera decides to stand up.
Riviera looks to land a right hand but Dzagoev moved out of range.
Dzagoev throws a sloppy head kick
and Riviera counters with a left and a right that stings Dzagoev.

Dzagoev moves into the clinch successfully.
Riviera jumps guard but Dzagoev stands there with Riviera around his waist. Riviera gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

Dzagoev ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Dzagoev no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Cain Riviera comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Riviera 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 Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 28:29
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 28:29
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Cain Riviera!