PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Alexandar Assoli (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Duka Begovic (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Begovic has chosen Gigolo Americana as his entrance music. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Assoli
vs
Begovic

187 cm
20
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
18
187 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Plays chess

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight 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, Alexandar Assoli!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Duka Begovic!
The judges for this bout are Sergei Dronov, Dmitry Maklakov and Viktor Lagutenko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Assoli scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Begovic is not content to let Assoli control the position.

Assoli looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Begovic is trying to control Assoli's posture but Assoli avoids it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Begovic is trying to buck Assoli off.
Assoli wants to lay and pray for a moment but Begovic keeps working.
Begovic keeps Assoli under control for a moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Begovic is not content to let Assoli control the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Crunch! Assoli slams his shin into Begovic's torso.
Assoli wants to clinch up but Begovic keeps it at a distance.
Begovic stuffs the takedown attempt from Assoli. Assoli gets slowly back to his feet.
Alexandar Assoli seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Begovic connects with a body shot.
Assoli wants to clinch.
Begovic throws a head kick but Assoli moves out of range.
Assoli stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Begovic.
Assoli misses with a leg kick
and Begovic counters with a series of strikes. Assoli will be more careful next time no doubt.

Assoli gets the takedown into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Begovic is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Assoli cracks Begovic with a big right hand but Begovic just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Begovic is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Assoli asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Assoli has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Begovic looks gassed!
Begovic wants to hold on but Assoli pushes him away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Begovic really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Assoli cracks Begovic with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Assoli can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Begovic is looking to escape.
Begovic tries to hold on but Assoli pushes him away.
Assoli controlling his opponent.
Assoli lands with some strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Assoli looking to control but Begovic is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Begovic is in a horrible position here. Assoli smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Assoli lands with some strikes.
Assoli scoring with strikes but Begovic is staying in there.
Assoli connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Assoli is in the full mount, landing strikes.

Begovic is rocked!
Assoli controlling the position easily from mount.
Begovic is still in real trouble! Can Assoli finish him?
Begovic is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.

Assoli looking to secure an arm triangle but Begovic defends it well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alexandar Assoli dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Begovic tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Begovic seems to have recovered his senses.
Alexandar Assoli is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Donk. Begovic catches Assoli right on the button with a cross.

Begovic gets a clinch.
Assoli can't break the clinch.
Assoli wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

Begovic breaks the clinch.
Assoli looks to clinch
and Begovic counters with a series of strikes. Assoli will be more careful next time no doubt.
Begovic throws a head kick that looked like it stung.

Begovic closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Begovic controlling from side mount.
Assoli tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Begovic wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Begovic working away.

Begovic decides to stand back up.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Assoli darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Begovic blocking the ground and pound attempt from Assoli.
The fighters are battling for position here. Begovic manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Begovic 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.
Begovic wants to stand up but Assoli is controlling him.

Assoli is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Begovic is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Begovic has escaped and now he's on top!
Assoli is looking to stand up but Begovic isn't so interested in that idea.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

Assoli pushes Begovic off and scrambles back to his feet.
Assoli lands a big right hand and follows it up with an uppercut. Oh and another big punch and a knee - Begovic can't take much more of this! Another big shot to the jaw from Assoli and Begovic drops to the floor. Beaten and bloodied - he had enough there. A vicious beatdown by Assoli.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:20 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Alexandar Assoli!