PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Erik Friedrichsen (ranked 941 p4p, 116 weight class) and Maxim Menshikov (ranked 861 p4p, 107 weight class). Erik Friedrichsen has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Friedrichsen
vs
Menshikov

200 cm
26
286 lbs
11 - 6 - 0

189 cm
31
275 lbs
15 - 10 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 11 - 6 - 0, fighting out of New York, Erik Friedrichsen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 10 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Maxim Menshikov!
The judges for this bout are Winston Howard, Ben Watson and John Mangel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Friedrichsen misses with a hook
and Friedrichsen takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

It looks like Erik Friedrichsen has been cut.

Menshikov rushes Friedrichsen and presses him up against the cage.
I was talking to Friedrichsen's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Menshikov tries a body shot but Friedrichsen blocks it.

Friedrichsen escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Friedrichsen jabs at Menshikov's body.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Friedrichsen lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Menshikov has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Menshikov and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Menshikov is looking to clinch.
Friedrichsen keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Menshikov.
Friedrichsen misses with a leg kick.
Menshikov tries to counter with a clinch but Friedrichsen shakes him off and moves away.
A looping hook to the body misses from Friedrichsen. Menshikov does a little dance to reset his feet.
That kick from Friedrichsen tenderised Menshikov's leg. Menshikov is trying to keep his angry face on.
Friedrichsen bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Friedrichsen rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Menshikov moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Menshikov lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Friedrichsen ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Menshikov moves away.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Menshikov misses with a lunging right hand
and Friedrichsen counters with a lovely straight right hand!

Menshikov rushes Friedrichsen and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Menshikov is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Friedrichsen is keeping busy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Friedrichsen lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Menshikov.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Friedrichsen.
Menshikov throws a head punch that misses.
Menshikov digs a right hand underneath Friedrichsen's ribcage. Friedrichsen let out a lung full of air as it connected.
A nice left hand lands by Friedrichsen.
Menshikov misses with a hook to the ribs.
Menshikov lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Still in the clinch, Friedrichsen scores with a nice short uppercut.
Stalling in the clinch from Friedrichsen.
Friedrichsen blocks an uppercut.
Menshikov tries to work over Friedrichsen's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Menshikov working aggressively here.

Friedrichsen breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Menshikov checks a leg kick.
A looping hook to the body misses from Friedrichsen. Menshikov does a little dance to reset his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Menshikov is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Friedrichsen.
Friedrichsen throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Menshikov.
Menshikov takes a swing at Friedrichsen's ribcage but misses.
Menshikov takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Friedrichsen lands with an overhand left.
Friedrichsen throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Menshikov missing with a left hand there. Friedrichsen was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Friedrichsen on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Friedrichsen connects with a nice looking jab.
A leg kick checked by Menshikov.
Friedrichsen misses with a low kick as Menshikov jumps back.
Menshikov swings widly with a right hand
and Friedrichsen counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Menshikov ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Friedrichsen steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Menshikov.
Friedrichsen throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
A looping hook to the body misses from Menshikov. Friedrichsen does a little dance to reset his feet.
Menshikov lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Friedrichsen at a distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Good leg kick by Friedrichsen there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
A swing and a miss from Friedrichsen.
Friedrichsen throws a big shot that misses.
Menshikov scores with a jab to the body.
Menshikov loads up on a big right hand but Friedrichsen slips the punch.
Friedrichsen lands a nice shot that snaps Menshikov's head back.
Menshikov moves away from the strike by Friedrichsen.
Friedrichsen misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Menshikov.
Friedrichsen with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Friedrichsen scores with a sloppy right hand. Menshikov should have avoided that one.
Menshikov has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Friedrichsen.
Menshikov tries to clinch there but Friedrichsen circles away.
Decent striking displayed by Friedrichsen there.
Menshikov lands with a good body shot.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Menshikov throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Friedrichsen.
A lazy left from Menshikov finds it's target.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Some wild striking there from Friedrichsen.
Menshikov fails to land with a series of punches.
Friedrichsen throws a lazy right hand but Menshikov sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Friedrichsen misses with a jab, cross combination.
Menshikov misses the jab.
Friedrichsen is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Left hook, right uppercut from Menshikov.
Menshikov avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Friedrichsen walks into a straight right hand from Menshikov.
Friedrichsen takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Friedrichsen throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Menshikov sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Friedrichsen throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A looping hook to the body misses from Friedrichsen. Menshikov does a little dance to reset his feet.
Friedrichsen uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Menshikov.
Menshikov will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Erik Friedrichsen dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Erik Friedrichsen's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Friedrichsen on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Menshikov misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Friedrichsen.
Erik Friedrichsen is winning the standup battle so far.
Friedrichsen tests Menshikov's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Menshikov is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Menshikov throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Menshikov is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Friedrichsen.
Friedrichsen throws a quick inside leg kick.
Friedrichsen misses with a wild body shot.
Friedrichsen throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Menshikov stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Menshikov scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Friedrichsen misses with a wild body shot.
Friedrichsen uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Menshikov.
Menshikov misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Friedrichsen.
A big left from Menshikov misses.
Menshikov just misses with a punch to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Friedrichsen dodges the punch combination from Menshikov.
Menshikov doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Menshikov misses the shot to the body.
Menshikov keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Friedrichsen.
The fighters circling - Menshikov throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Friedrichsen is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Menshikov moves into range and connects with a jab.

Erik Friedrichsen's cut is getting worse.
Friedrichsen tests Menshikov's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Friedrichsen lands a right hook to the body.
Menshikov throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Friedrichsen sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Menshikov looks to score with a jab to the body but Friedrichsen is just out of range.
Friedrichsen scores with a jab to the head.
A big left from Friedrichsen misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Friedrichsen fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Menshikov swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Menshikov lands with a good body shot.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Friedrichsen thumps Menshikov with a low kick.
Menshikov misses with a right hand
and Friedrichsen counters with a straight right hand.
Friedrichsen moves out of range as Menshikov strikes.
Menshikov fails with an attempt to clinch.
Good shot there by Friedrichsen.
Menshikov throws a left and a right that both miss
and Friedrichsen counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Menshikov misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Friedrichsen.

Friedrichsen feints and then winds up with a huge right hand that connects perfectly and sends Menshikov sprawling to the canvas! Menshikov rolls over backwards and springs off the cage and manages to regain his footing - how acrobatic! Oh, he's still wobbly - can Friedrichsen finish him?!
Menshikov slips under a jab.
Friedrichsen takes a swing at Menshikov's ribcage but misses.
Friedrichsen throws a leg kick but Menshikov checks it.
Friedrichsen just misses with a punch to the body.
A little jabbing left from Menshikov on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Friedrichsen looks up at the clock. Bad move! Menshikov lands a right hand from hell, dropping Friedrichsen. Menshikov pounces and finishes the fight with a flurry of punches and elbows.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:56 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Maxim Menshikov!
After winning the bout, Maxim Menshikov thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.
Erik Friedrichsen spoke after the fight, saying 'I am young. This is merely a slight delay'.