PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Yuri Sorokov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rodrigo Machado (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Machado has chosen Arcade Fire - Power Out as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Sorokov
vs
Machado

178 cm
32
146 lbs
18 - 15 - 0

185 cm
31
145 lbs
15 - 11 - 1

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Olympic wrestler
World class MT
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 18 - 15 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Yuri Sorokov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 11 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Rodrigo Machado!
The judges for this bout are Sosuke Kotani, Yasuomi Hirokawa and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Machado tries to clinch but Sorokov moves out of range.
Sorokov misses the shot to the body.
Sorokov tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Machado was well out of range. Poor timing from Sorokov.
Machado tries to counter by closing the distance.
Yuri Sorokov seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sorokov connects with a crisp jab.
Sorokov lands with a right hand.
Sorokov uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Machado.
Sorokov takes a swing at Machado's ribcage but misses.
Sorokov slips a straight right by Machado.

Machado clinches with his opponent.
Sorokov lands a hook to the side of the head.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Machado.
Sorokov takes an elbow to the forehead.
Sorokov works on Machado's body with a couple of short punches.
Sorokov lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Sorokov is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Machado pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Machado throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Sorokov blocks an elbow strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Machado lands a damaging elbow.
Machado tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Sorokov wants a takedown.
Sorokov has a couple of punches blocked by Machado.
Sorokov tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Machado's elbow.

Sorokov gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Machado avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Sorokov.

Sorokov looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Sorokov thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Machado's head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Machado regains full guard. Nicely done.
Sorokov postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Sorokov looking to pass the guard.
Sorokov throwing strikes but missing.
Sorokov showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Sorokov passes into half guard.
Sorokov thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sorokov misses with a head shot. Machado uses the momentum to regain guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Sorokov accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Machado keeping moving, preventing Sorokov from controlling successfully.
Machado trying to control the position.
Sorokov is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Machado has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Sorokov not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Sorokov throwing strikes but missing.
Sorokov is looking to work some ground and pound but Machado has wrist control.
Sorokov scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Sorokov loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Sorokov 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.
Sorokov throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

Sorokov drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Sorokov jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Sorokov trying to control but Machado is working from the bottom.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sorokov throwing strikes from guard but Machado blocks nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yuri Sorokov dominated that round.
That's time! Sorokov's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Sorokov lands with a hook. Machado tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Sorokov swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Machado connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Machado slips a straight right by Sorokov.
Machado jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Sorokov throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Machado's waist but Machado gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Sorokov off to one side.

Sorokov pushes Machado up against the cage in a clinch.
Sorokov can't get the takedown.
Machado throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Machado pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.

Sorokov lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Sorokov sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Machado defending well though.
Sorokov is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Machado can do to turn this around?
Sorokov wants to control but Machado is keeping him busy.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sorokov sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Machado defending well though.
Sorokov sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Machado defending well though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sorokov is looking to stall here but Machado recovers full guard.
Machado is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Sorokov works over Machado with some ground and pound from guard.
Machado wants to sweep here but Sorokov controlling him for the moment.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Sorokov's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Sorokov throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Sorokov trying to control but Machado is working from the bottom.
Machado controls Sorokov momentarily but Sorokov frees himself.
Yuri Sorokov overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

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.
Sorokov is looking to advance position but Machado has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!

Sorokov looks out of his depth in this position - he's holding on tight.
Machado looking to control but Sorokov is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Sorokov 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.
Sorokov is trying to control but can't.
Sorokov moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Sorokov looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sorokov has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Machado has passed into side control.
Sorokov tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Sorokov is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Machado off and has taken his back!
Sorokov has his opponent trapped and is landing shots. Not a good position for Machado.

Sorokov is working hard for the rear naked choke here.
Sorokov throwing lazy shots from the back mount that aren't doing any damage.
Sorokov is looking to finish with some ground and pound!

Sorokov looking for the RNC.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sorokov scores with punches to the body.
Sorokov lands a shot to the head.
Sorokov missing with punches from the back.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Machado wants to escape the position.
Sorokov cracks Machado with a big shot to body and one to the head - really punishing Machado from the back mount here, looking to soften him up.
Sorokov is landing with strikes. Machado can't take much more of this.

Machado is rocked!
Sorokov is looking to control Machado but Machado is wriggling around and keeping busy.
Machado is still in real trouble! Can Sorokov finish him?
Sorokov scores with a nice shot to the head of his opponent. Machado is looking for a way out.
Machado covers up after taking a massive shot to the side of the head.

Sorokov has the rear naked choke here! This is very bad for Machado! Can he survive? No! He's out! Sorokov gets to his feet and celebrates with his cornermen. He looks absolutely delighted. In the post fight interviews he takes time to thank his parents and everyone who has believed in him from the start. How sweet.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:55 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Yuri Sorokov!