PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Sergejs Denisovs (ranked 5859 p4p, 524 weight class) and Pasha Pedikov (ranked 5864 p4p, 526 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Denisovs
vs
Pedikov

178 cm
24
155 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

192 cm
25
169 lbs
2 - 4 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Sergejs Denisovs!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Pasha Pedikov!
The judges for this bout are Igor Prikhodko, Vladimir Khabensky and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Denisovs throws a leg kick
and Pedikov counters with a one-two to the body.
Denisovs looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Pedikov.
Pedikov tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Denisovs looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Pedikov is fending him off so far but Denisovs persists. Nope, Pedikov circles away and we're back to standing.

Denisovs closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Denisovs breaks the clinch.

Denisovs throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Pedikov was covering up waiting for the punch and Denisovs finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Pedikov tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Pedikov is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pedikov content to control rather than advance.
Denisovs is looking for a sweep. Pedikov is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Denisovs is working hard here to advance position.
It looks like Pedikov is going to stand back up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Pedikov working the head and body with strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Pedikov missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Pedikov working Denisovs over with strikes.
Denisovs pushes Pedikov off looking to stand but Pedikov dives back in and keeps control.
Pedikov with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Pedikov tries to pass the half guard into mount. Denisovs knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

Pedikov is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Denisovs trying to get back to full guard but Pedikov takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!
Denisovs is flailing around like a fish out of water, trying to land strikes.
Pedikov connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Denisovs is bucking up trying to escape but Pedikov cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Denisovs is working to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Denisovs tries to lock up and control but Pedikov gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Denisovs is squirming around, avoiding Pedikov's attempts to control the action.
Denisovs is bucking up trying to escape but Pedikov cracks him with another couple of good strikes.

Pedikov looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Pedikov looking to control but Denisovs is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Denisovs is trying to escape the mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Pedikov gets a clinch.
Denisovs tries to land knees in the clinch but Pedikov avoids the damage to the body.
Denisovs manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.

Pedikov successfully pulls guard.
Denisovs stopping the sweep attempt from Pedikov.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Denisovs advances to half guard.
Pasha Pedikov has got the better of the ground game so far.
Denisovs is stalling here. Pedikov is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Denisovs seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Pedikov has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Pedikov has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Pedikov controls the position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Denisovs dodges the ground and pound from Pedikov.
An elbow from Pedikov crashes against the mat.
Pedikov wants to control but Denisovs is keeping him busy.
Denisovs can't do much from the bottom here.
The referee asks Pedikov politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Pedikov prefers to stall for the moment though.
Denisovs is pushing Pedikov's head away, looking to escape. Pedikov manages to hold on to the position though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Denisovs is trying to improve his position.
Pedikov looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Denisovs wants to control but Pedikov postures up.
Pedikov lands a decent elbow from side control.
Denisovs can't do much from the bottom here.
Pedikov wants to control but Denisovs is keeping him busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pedikov controls the position.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

Pedikov closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Pedikov lands in his opponent's guard.
Pedikov is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Denisovs looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Denisovs keeping moving, preventing Pedikov from controlling successfully.
Pedikov postures up in Denisovs's guard and throws a big left but Denisovs blocks it.
Pedikov in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Denisovs tries to land a sweep but no joy.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

Denisovs has his foot on Pedikov's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Pedikov works his way back into a safe position though.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Pedikov tries to clinch but Denisovs is having none of it.
Denisovs tries to counter by clinching up but Pedikov breaks away and moves out of range.
Pedikov throws a front kick that sends Denisovs stumbling back into the cage.
Denisovs swinging wildly here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pasha Pedikov showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Pedikov fails in his attempt to clinch.
Denisovs tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Pedikov swivels and escapes.
Pedikov throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Denisovs's waist but Denisovs gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Pedikov off to one side.
Pedikov fails with a takedown attempt.
Pedikov is trying hard to land a takedown here. Denisovs sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Sergejs Denisovs has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Pasha Pedikov.

Denisovs drives through and clinches with Pedikov against the cage.
Pedikov tries to pull guard but Denisovs holds him up against the cage and eventually Pedikov drops back down to his feet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pedikov prevents a takedown attempt there.
Pedikov keeps control of Denisovs as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Denisovs is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Pedikov to keep the fight standing.
Pedikov jumps guard but Denisovs stands there with Pedikov around his waist. Pedikov gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Pedikov tries to pull guard but Denisovs forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Pedikov is trying to pull guard but Denisovs turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.

Denisovs pulls guard effortlessly.
Denisovs working a defensive guard here.
Denisovs keeping full guard, as Pedikov tries to pass.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Denisovs looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Denisovs is trying to control the position but Pedikov postures up.
Denisovs being controlled here, momentarily.

Denisovs working for submissions but it's allowed Pedikov to get to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pedikov seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Denisovs tries to roll over but Pedikov keeps him under control.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Pedikov scores with a three punch combo!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pedikov shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Denisovs as he avoids it easily.
As Pedikov looks to move away, Denisovs throws a big counter combo but Pedikov just gets out of the way.
Denisovs shoots in but Pedikov avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Horrible takedown attempt by Pedikov or perhaps it was just good defense by Denisovs, which made it look bad.

Denisovs has taken the fight to the clinch.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Pedikov tries for a takedown. No joy.

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

And that's the end of the fight!
Sergejs Denisovs showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Pedikov 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 Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 28:29
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 28:29
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Pasha Pedikov!