PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ivan Illianenko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Frank Mir (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Illianenko might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Only God Can Judge Me. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Illianenko
vs
Mir

195 cm
21
245 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

191 cm
18
240 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Very confident

Kingdom Klothing all tshirts and shorts $10

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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Ivan Illianenko!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Frank Mir!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Shimada, Shirou Masuda and Kenichi Hosakawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mir connects with a high kick.
Mir lands a high kick!
Mir takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Illianenko fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Mir is out of range.
Illianenko throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Mir tries for a takedown but Illianenko sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Illianenko wants to clinch up but Mir keeps it at a distance.
Mir shoots in for a double leg but Illianenko sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.

Illianenko has closed the distance and engaged Mir in a clinch.
Mir is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Mir avoiding damage as Illianenko throws knees to the body.

Illianenko breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Illianenko lands with a cross.
Good leg kick by Mir there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Mir looks to clinch

and Illianenko decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Mir's guard.
Illianenko loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Mir is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Illianenko throwing strikes from guard but Mir blocks nicely.
Mir is looking to stand up but Illianenko isn't so interested in that idea.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mir keeping full guard, as Illianenko tries to pass.

Illianenko has gone for a leg lock! Mir slips out almost immediately though and dives into Illianenko's guard.
Mir wants to get up but he can't break Illianenko's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

Illianenko escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Mir gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Mir wants to stand but Illianenko is controlling his posture from full guard.
Illianenko bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Mir's guard.
Mir keeping moving, preventing Illianenko from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Illianenko postures up.
Mir wants to stand but Illianenko is controlling the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mir looking to hit a scissor sweep but Illianenko is one step ahead there.
Illianenko trying to control the position from guard on top but Mir is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Illianenko controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Illianenko distracts Mir with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Illianenko trying to control but Mir is working from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Illianenko has managed to clinch.
Illianenko tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Mir avoids it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mir blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Illianenko prevents Mir from breaking the clinch.
Mir goes for a takedown in the clinch but Illianenko prevents it.
Ivan Illianenko has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Frank Mir.
Mir tries a knee to the head but Illianenko blocks it.
Mir wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Illianenko working Mir over with knees to the body.
Mir looks gassed!
Illianenko misses with a knee to the head.
Illianenko drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Illianenko pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Illianenko tries to clinch there but Mir circles away.
Mir misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Illianenko has managed to clinch.
Mir swings wildly with an uppercut but Illianenko uses good head movement to avoid it.
Mir scores with a knee to the head.

Illianenko gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Mir regains guard.
Illianenko is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

Illianenko gets to his feet. Mir looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Illianenko misses with a series of wild punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mir looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Illianenko misses with an attempted mid kick.
Mir tries to clinch but Illianenko moves out of range.
Illianenko doesn't manage to clinch there - Mir circles away.
Mir swats away the attempt to clinch by Illianenko.
Mir tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Illianenko avoids the head kick by Mir.

Illianenko moves into range and clinches up with Mir.
Mir working Illianenko over with knees to the body.
Illianenko drops down looking for an ankle pick but Mir pulls his leg out and moves away.
Mir throws a head kick that misses

and Illianenko counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Mir's guard now.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Illianenko throwing strikes but missing.
Illianenko pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Mir is keeping the position for now.
Illianenko thows a big elbow that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ivan Illianenko dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

No joy there for Illianenko, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Mir connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Illianenko's hands.
Illianenko tries to close the distance and clinch but Mir swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Illianenko throws a nice looking combination but Mir bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Mir misses with a head kick.
Mir misses with a wild combination.
Mir circles away from the clinch attempt.
Illianenko looks to land a combination. Mir sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Mir throws a head kick but Illianenko moves out of range.
Illianenko wants to clinch up but Mir keeps it at a distance.
Illianenko tries to clinch up.
Illianenko moves in looking to clinch but Mir pushes him off.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mir misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Mir misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Illianenko looks to land a combination but Mir avoids it well.
Illianenko tries to close the distance and clinch up but Mir swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Illianenko tries to close the distance and clinch up but Mir swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Mir tries to keep at a distance but Illianenko has taken the fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Illianenko is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Mir can't fight it off and eventually Illianenko manages to take the fight to the floor. Mir looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Mir is trying to keep Illianenko in close.
Illianenko keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Mir's head.
Illianenko postures up.
Illianenko prevents Mir from getting back to his feet.
Mir can't keep his opponent in guard - Illianenko advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Illianenko throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

Illianenko is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Illianenko is looking to advance position but Mir won't allow it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Illianenko not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Mir trying to hold on to Illianenko's head to control him but Illianenko postures up.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Illianenko looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Mir!
Mir tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Mir has given up his back.
Mir is breathing heavily.

Illianenko has his opponent's back and is working for the choke.
Illianenko lands with a nice looking elbow that stuns Mir.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Illianenko throwing lazy shots from the back mount that aren't doing any damage.

Illianenko looking to break Mir's wrist control so he can sink in the choke. Mir remaining controlled and patient though - he really has to keep calm otherwise Illianenko will wrap this one up with the rear naked choke!
Mir is really stuck here.
Illianenko misses with punches from the back.
Mir looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.

Illianenko is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Mir defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.

Illianenko is working hard for the rear naked choke here.
Illianenko doesn't have the hooks in and Mir manages to turn into his guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Illianenko had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Mir is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Illianenko Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Mir's back instead.
Illianenko doesn't have the hooks in and Mir manages to turn into his guard.
Mir wanted to stand there but Illianenko had control of the position.

Illianenko is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Mir is aware though and is defending well.
Illianenko tries to strike from the bottom.

Illianenko looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Mir gets to his feet - Illianenko follows without any prompting.
Mir moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ivan Illianenko dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Illianenko clinches.
Illianenko tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Mir smiles and moves away.
Illianenko tries to clinch up.
Illianenko tries to clinch but Mir moves out of range.

Illianenko shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Illianenko showed some decent athleticism there.
Mir manages to get to full guard.
Illianenko stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Mir swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Mir pushes Illianenko off and gets back to his feet.
Mir tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Illianenko counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Illianenko throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Mir managing to block the knees to the body from Illianenko.
Illianenko misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Mir.
Mir goes for a takedown attempt but Illianenko pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Mir takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Mir moves out of range as Illianenko throws a body kick.
Illianenko throws a right hand that Mir ducks under and follows up with a left that Mir also avoids with ease.
Mir tries a head kick but it misses.
Mir misses with a takedown attempt

so Illianenko counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Mir lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Illianenko!
Illianenko really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Mir is looking to stand but Mir has his arms wrapped tightly around him, looking to prevent the damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Illianenko is working to get back to half guard.
Illianenko is working hard here to advance position.
Frank Mir has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Ivan Illianenko overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Mir gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!
Mir keeps the fight on the outside.
Illianenko tries to close the distance and clinch but Mir swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Illianenko tries to clinch there but Mir circles away.
Mir will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
A head kick misses from Mir.
Mir falls off balance throwing a combination

and Illianenko decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Mir's guard.

Illianenko drops back looking for a leg! Mir is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Mir manages to kick Illianenko off! Illianenko jumps back into Mir's guard.
Illianenko stops Mir from standing up.
Illianenko has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Illianenko passes into half guard.
Illianenko wants to pass the guard but Mir is defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Illianenko is trying to control the action in half guard but Mir is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Illianenko frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Ivan Illianenko is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Illianenko scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Mir?
Mir is trying to escape the mount.
Illianenko tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Illianenko looking to finish with strikes here!
Illianenko breaks from Mir's wrist control and lands an elbow.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ivan Illianenko showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Illianenko has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 30:27
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 30:27
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ivan Illianenko!