PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Leandro Borsato (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Iosif Koba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Borsato
vs
Koba

182 cm
20
220 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

202 cm
22
270 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Prefers ground

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Leandro Borsato!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Iosif Koba!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Fedor Mirinova and Dmitry Maklakov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Koba swinging wilding here.
Koba looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!

Borsato fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Koba sprawls well initially but Borsato persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Borsato is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Borsato wants to pass to mount but Koba is defending the position.
Borsato trying to control from half guard but Koba is working away.
Borsato throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Borsato could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Borsato is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Borsato is looking to advance position but Koba won't allow it.
Borsato trying to control from half guard but Koba is working away.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Borsato throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Borsato doesn't manage to clinch there - Koba circles away.

Borsato closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Koba to the mat! Koba manages to get full guard.
Borsato with a flurry of punches that miss.
Borsato trying to control the position from guard on top but Koba is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Borsato has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Borsato is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Borsato gets to his feet. Koba looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Borsato misses with a series of wild punches.
Borsato closes the distance and clinches up with Koba, looking for a takedown. Borsato pushes Koba against the cage but Koba circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

Borsato fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Koba sprawls well initially but Borsato persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Borsato wants to pass the guard but Koba is defending well.
Borsato stalling.
Koba is looking to control Borsato's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Koba avoid being mounted?

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Borsato is looking to advance position but Koba won't allow it.
Borsato trying to control the pace.
Koba wants to improve his position but Borsato is controlling well.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Borsato is trying to control. Koba wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Borsato scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Koba circles away from the clinch attempt.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Borsato.

Borsato gets a clinch.

Borsato escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Koba fails with the takedown
and Borsato counters with an inside leg kick.
Koba is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Borsato.
Borsato lands a head kick. Koba smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Borsato shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Koba is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Borsato is looking to advance position but Koba won't allow it.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Borsato here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
Borsato drops an elbow to the side of Koba's head.
Borsato stalling.
Koba is staying active underneath Borsato, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Koba is trying to maintain the position but Borsato is very close to passing his half guard.
Borsato is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Borsato is trying to control. Koba wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Koba is looking to improve his position.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Borsato tries to clinch up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Borsato drives through with a takedown into guard.
Koba is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Borsato wants to stand but Koba is controlling his posture from full guard.
Koba is trying to control the position from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Koba has Borsato pulled in close to control his posture.
Borsato wants to control from the top but Koba keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Borsato looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Borsato postures up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Koba gets caught flat footed, as Borsato shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Koba pulls Borsato in close to his closed guard and prevents Borsato from doing any damage or advancing position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Borsato loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Koba keeping moving, preventing Borsato from controlling successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Koba controlling Borsato's posture.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Borsato slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Leandro Borsato dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Koba with a poor takedown
and Borsato counters with a body kick that stops Koba in his tracks momentarily.
The fight stays on the outside here - Borsato looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Borsato moves in looking to clinch but Koba pushes him off.
Borsato fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Koba.

Borsato clinches up with Koba and pushes him back against the cage.
Borsato tries for a takedown but Koba manages to get underhooks.

Borsato breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Borsato throws a head kick but Koba moves out of range.
Nice body punch from Borsato.
Borsato tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Koba paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Borsato throws a right and a left that Koba avoids nicely.
Borsato fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Koba takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Borsato looks for a takedown but Koba sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Leandro Borsato. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Borsato.
Koba throws a body kick despite being completely out of range

and Borsato moves into the clinch.
Koba keeps control of Borsato as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Borsato stops a takedown attempt from Koba.

Koba's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Leandro Borsato seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Borsato swinging wilding here.
Borsato with a poor takedown

and Koba counters with a single leg into guard. Borsato didn't expect that.
Borsato on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Borsato tries to get out of the position.
Borsato wants to sweep but no luck.

Koba drops back looking for a leg! Borsato is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Borsato manages to kick Koba off! Koba jumps back into Borsato's guard.
Koba controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Borsato looking to hit a scissor sweep but Koba is one step ahead there.
Borsato looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Koba wants to control from the top but Borsato keeps moving.
Koba might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Borsato kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Leandro Borsato overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Koba pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Borsato is keeping the position for now.

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

Borsato clinches with his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Borsato trying to stall but Koba improves his position.

Borsato successfully pulls guard.
Koba postures up.

Borsato looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Koba trying to control but Borsato is working from the bottom.
Koba slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Borsato struggling a bit here.
Borsato is looking to reverse the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Iosif Koba.
Well Borsato 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 Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 29:28
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 29:28
Judge Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Leandro Borsato!