PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ronald Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Borris Khalidov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). I don't know about you partner, but I'm pumped for this one!

Gracie
vs
Khalidov

180 cm
22
200 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

190 cm
19
217 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Counter striker
Powerful

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 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ronald Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Borris Khalidov!
The judges for this bout are Konstantin Menshow, Valeri Chadov and Sergei Dronov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Khalidov bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Khalidov working away.
Khalidov is putting a hurting on Gracie here, landing some big shots from side control.
Khalidov lands an elbow.
Gracie is looking for a sweep.
Khalidov is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Gracie will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Khalidov wants to lay and pray for a moment but Gracie keeps working.
Khalidov scoring with punches from side control.
Khalidov is looking to take a break and control but Gracie is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Khalidov takes a little break here. Gracie wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Khalidov trying to control the position but Gracie is working away.
Gracie managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Khalidov.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie is not content to let Khalidov control the position.
Khalidov scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Gracie to see if he's OK.
Gracie is looking for a sweep.
Khalidov really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Gracie. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Khalidov lands an elbow.
Khalidov just content to control the position.

Khalidov is trying to get an arm triangle but Gracie is defending well.
Gracie takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Khalidov is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Gracie has escaped the position, nice work there.
Gracie tries to bench press Khalidov off him but Khalidov keeps the position.
Gracie is breathing heavily.
Khalidov connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Gracie some visible discomfort.
Gracie tries to improve position but can't.
Khalidov content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Gracie is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Khalidov taking a break here but Gracie is having none of it and regains half guard.
Khalidov is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Gracie!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Khalidov controlling his opponent.
Gracie is squirming around, avoiding Khalidov's attempts to control the action.

Despite being in the dominant position, Borris Khalidov just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Gracie shoots and misses

and Khalidov counters with a takedown into side control.
Khalidov connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Gracie some visible discomfort.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Khalidov creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Khalidov controls the position.
Khalidov trying to control the action but Gracie is working from the bottom.
Khalidov scores with a couple of short elbows.
Khalidov moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.

Khalidov decides to stand up, so the ref orders Gracie to his feet.

Khalidov closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Borris Khalidov 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.

Gracie avoids a punch combination nicely.

Khalidov shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Gracie napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Khalidov scores with a couple of short elbows.
Khalidov wants to lay and pray for a moment but Gracie keeps working.
Gracie takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Khalidov is looking to take a break and control but Gracie is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Gracie is working to avoid the ground and pound but Khalidov connects with a decent elbow.
Khalidov trying to control the action but Gracie is working from the bottom.
Gracie tries to improve position but can't.
Khalidov connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Gracie some visible discomfort.
Borris Khalidov has got the better of the ground game so far.
Khalidov staying calm.
Khalidov is looking to take a break and control but Gracie is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Khalidov controlling from side mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Khalidov working the head and body with strikes.
Khalidov working the head with strikes.
Khalidov is looking to take a break and control but Gracie is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Gracie takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Khalidov remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.

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

Gracie gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Khalidov to score an easy takedown into full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Khalidov working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Khalidov wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.
Khalidov looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

Khalidov stands and steps away. Gracie gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

Khalidov closes the distance and clinches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Khalidov misses with a hook to the ribs.

Khalidov wants the takedown. Gracie is fighting it off but Khalidov persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Gracie's guard against the cage.
Khalidov sitting in guard here, content to control.

Gracie had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Khalidov defends it easily.
Gracie keeping moving, preventing Khalidov from controlling successfully.
Gracie being controlled here, momentarily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Borris Khalidov showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Khalidov closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Khalidov lands in his opponent's guard.
Khalidov tries to free his leg and advance position but Gracie is retaining full guard.
Gracie is trying to control the position but Khalidov postures up.
Khalidov postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Khalidov would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Khalidov's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie keeping moving, preventing Khalidov from controlling successfully.
Khalidov wants to pass the guard but Gracie is keeping the position.
Khalidov trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.
Gracie is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

Gracie has his foot on Khalidov's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Khalidov works his way back into a safe position though.
Khalidov is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

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

Khalidov decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Khalidov jumps into side control!
Khalidov is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Gracie's shoulder. That is not cool.
Check out the look on Khalidov's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Khalidov content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Khalidov lands a nice forearm strike.

Khalidov decides to stand back up. Khalidov steps back and let's Gracie get back to his feet.

Gracie gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Khalidov trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.
Khalidov keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Gracie's head.
Khalidov passes Gracie's right leg, so he's now in half guard.

Khalidov seems to be looking for submissions.
Khalidov slips a nice elbow through Gracie's hands, connecting with Gracie's forehead.
Gracie is trying to control but can't.
Khalidov seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Gracie does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Gracie moves into full guard.

Khalidov got a little sloppy there for a moment and Gracie has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Khalidov has managed to get both his arms back between Gracie's legs - danger averted.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Gracie looking for a guillotine here but Khalidov defends easily.
Gracie keeping moving, preventing Khalidov from controlling successfully.
Ronald Gracie has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Borris Khalidov is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Khalidov slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Khalidov pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Gracie is keeping the position for now.

And that's the end of the fight!
Borris Khalidov comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Khalidov 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 Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 25:30
Judge Valeri Chadov scores the fight 25:30
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight 25:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Borris Khalidov!