PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Alexander Orshankey (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lennox Karelin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for Alexander Orshankey has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Orshankey
vs
Karelin

191 cm
18
205 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

185 cm
23
205 lbs
2 - 7 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

Good wrestler
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Alexander Orshankey!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 7 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Lennox Karelin!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Viktor Lagutenko and Valeri Chadov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Karelin fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Orshankey, pushing him back against the cage.

Karelin works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Karelin looking to pass the guard.
Orshankey is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Karelin is controlling him.
Orshankey bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Karelin's guard.
Orshankey trying to control but Karelin is working from the bottom.
Karelin wants to sweep but no luck.
Orshankey stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Karelin swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Orshankey won't allow Karelin to sweep him here.
Orshankey slips nicely into half guard, despite the strikes coming from Karelin.
Karelin moves into full guard.
Karelin wants to sweep here but Orshankey controlling him for the moment.
Orshankey wants to stand but Karelin is controlling his posture from full guard.
Karelin wants to sweep but no luck.

That's two 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.
Orshankey thows a big elbow that misses.
Karelin trying to control the position here.
Karelin tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Orshankey wanted to stand there but Karelin had control of the position.
Orshankey tries to free his leg and advance position but Karelin is retaining full guard.

That's three minutes 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.
Orshankey closes the distance but Karelin moves to the side

and Karelin counters with a takedown into side control.
Orshankey is being controlled here.
Orshankey is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Karelin's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Orshankey is breathing heavily.
Orshankey is looking to control Karelin's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Orshankey avoid being mounted?
Karelin is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Orshankey is looking for a sweep. Karelin is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Karelin controlling the action here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lennox Karelin 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.

Orshankey misses with a takedown

and Karelin holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Orshankey has had enough of the clinch but Karelin keeps him there for the moment.

Karelin breaks from the clinch.
Orshankey fails with the takedown

and Karelin counters with a single leg into guard. Orshankey didn't expect that.
Orshankey keeping moving, preventing Karelin from controlling successfully.
Orshankey is looking to sweep but instead, Karelin has passed into half guard.
Karelin stalling.
Karelin uses his free foot to push down on Orshankey's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Orshankey.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Karelin controlling the position easily from mount.
Orshankey is in all sorts of trouble here.
Orshankey is working hard here to advance position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Karelin controlling from the full mount.
Karelin landing shots from mount.
Karelin looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Karelin tries to control but Orshankey wriggling away.
Karelin is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Orshankey working to try and regain half guard.
Karelin breaks from Orshankey's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Karelin with the ground and pound from mount.
Karelin postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Orshankey looks a forlorn figure.
Karelin tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Despite being in the dominant position, Lennox Karelin just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Orshankey drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Orshankey working away.
Orshankey throwing shots but missing, from side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lennox Karelin showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Orshankey tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Karelin counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Orshankey throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Karelin blocks it with crossed arms.

Orshankey is fighting off a takedown attempt but Karelin is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Orshankey to the mat. Orshankey regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Karelin must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Orshankey throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Karelin passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Orshankey is looking for a sweep.
Karelin is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Orshankey will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Karelin trying to control the action but Orshankey is working from the bottom.
Orshankey is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Karelin has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Orshankey taking a bit of punishment here - Karelin scoring with strikes.

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.
Orshankey is looking for a sweep.
Orshankey on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Orshankey is letting Karelin control him for a moment.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Karelin decides to stand back up.
Alexander Orshankey has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Karelin feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Karelin stopping the sweep attempt from Orshankey.
Karelin working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Orshankey's head.
Karelin slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Orshankey is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Orshankey is refusing to be controlled, as Karelin sits in half guard.
Orshankey moves into full guard.
Orshankey punching from the bottom.

Orshankey had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Karelin is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Orshankey Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Karelin's back instead.
Orshankey is punishing Karelin with strikes - can he finish him?!

And that's the end of the fight!
Lennox Karelin comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Karelin has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 27:30
Judge Valeri Chadov scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Lennox Karelin!