PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between James Steel (ranked 1565 p4p, 199 weight class) and Vlad Putin (ranked 1482 p4p, 185 weight class). Putin comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Rasputin Vladimir Putin Love The Way You Move kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Vlad Putin was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Steel
vs
Putin

183 cm
35
202 lbs
19 - 19 - 1

183 cm
34
175 lbs
22 - 21 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Dangerous knees
Good gas tank

Urban Fighter

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 19 - 19 - 1, fighting out of New York, James Steel!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 22 - 21 - 0, fighting out of New York, Vlad Putin!
The judges for this bout are Chris Saunders, Micheangelo Fripello and Jeff Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Steel blocks a jab.
A quick step to the side and Steel tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
Putin misses with a straight right.
Putin with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Putin lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Steel ducks under a wild hook from Putin.
Putin jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Steel punishes Putin's body with a nice straight punch.
Donk. Steel catches Putin right on the button with a cross.
Putin scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Putin blocks a jab.
Putin throws a body shot but no joy.
Steel lands with a cross.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Putin darts in and clinches Steel up against the cage.
I was talking to Steel's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Putin using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Steel has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Putin unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Steel can't find room to land a body shot as Putin controls the action.
Steel misses with a short punch on the inside.
Putin lands an elbow that stopped Steel in his tracks for a moment.

It looks like James Steel has been cut.
Putin throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Steel blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Putin tries to land a knee to the head but Steel blocks with his arms.
Knees to the body from Putin.
Steel changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Putin fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Putin bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Putin lands a jab.
A big left from Putin misses.
Steel misses with a low kick as Putin jumps back.
Putin takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Steel thows a left - swing and a miss!
Putin throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Steel's head.
Steel fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Putin manages to avoid it.
A head kick from Putin lands but Steel takes it in his stride.

Putin clinches.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A knee to the head by Putin.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Steel.
Putin with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Steel fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Steel misses with some punches.
Putin trying to land knees to the body.
Steel scores with a nice hook to the head.
Putin connects with a nasty looking knee right to Steel's face.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Steel.
Putin creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Steel's defenses.
Putin connects with a nasty looking knee right to Steel's face.

Steel breaks the clinch.
Steel avoids the head kick by Putin.
Steel throws a nice looking combination but Putin bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Putin throws a counter combo.
Putin slips under a jab.
Putin tries a low kick but Steel avoids it.
Steel misses with a right hand
and Steel takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Putin steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Steel.
Putin misses with a hook.
Steel lands a lovely overhand right.
Putin scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Steel shoots in but no luck this time.
Steel rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Putin counters with a nice body kick.
Vlad Putin is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Putin tries a head kick but it misses.
Putin throws a head kick but Steel moves out of range.
Steel lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Steel.
Putin fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
A little feinted left hand from Steel on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Putin lands a nice shot to the body.

Putin forces Steel back against the cage and clinches.
Putin missing with knees to the body.
Putin misses with an elbow strike.
Putin misses with some punches.
Steel lands a left hand that snaps the head of Putin backwards.
Putin lands an elbow inside that Steel shrugs off.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Steel has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Putin clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!

Steel is persistently looking for the submission but Putin is defending it well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Steel working for a choke but Putin is defending well.

Steel has managed to slip his arm under Putin's chin. This could be all over... yep, Putin is tapping out! Submission win for Steel.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:37 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). James Steel!
Post fight, an emotional James Steel said 'I want William Wallace. That's all I have to say'.