PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Branislav Symbiont (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Nick (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Symbiont comes to the cage accompanied by 'Lacrimosa (Choir)'. The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Symbiont
vs
Nick

185 cm
18
275 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

215 cm
18
230 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

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 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Branislav Symbiont!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Mike Nick!
The judges for this bout are Dmitry Maklakov, Igor Prikhodko and Viktor Lagutenko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Nick shoots in and bounces Symbiont off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Nick wanted to stand there but Symbiont had control of the position.
Symbiont looking to control.
Nick wants to control from the top but Symbiont keeps moving.
Nick slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Nick's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Nick would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Symbiont controls Nick momentarily but Nick frees himself.
Symbiont on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Symbiont tries to get out of the position.
Nick wants to get up but he can't break Symbiont's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
The fight stays on the outside here - Symbiont looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Nick dives in and grabs Symbiont's left leg, looking for a takedown. Symbiont pushes down on Nick's head and hops out.

Symbiont 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.
Symbiont throws and elbow that misses. Nick uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Symbiont's guard. Nice move by Nick!
Symbiont can't keep his opponent in guard - Nick advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Nick trying to control the action but Symbiont is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Symbiont looking for submissions off his back.
Nick wants to pass to mount but Symbiont is defending the position.
Nick is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Nick seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Symbiont does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Symbiont wants to control but Nick is keeping busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Symbiont misses with a series of wild punches.

Nick decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Symbiont pushes Nick off but Nick dives into side control.
Nick controls the position.
Nick looks gassed!
Symbiont struggling a bit here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nick cracks Symbiont with a big right hand but Symbiont just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Symbiont can't do much from the bottom here.
Symbiont takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Nick taking a break here but Symbiont is having none of it and regains half guard.
Nick misses with a head shot. Symbiont uses the momentum to regain guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Symbiont is looking to clinch.
Nick is looking to land body kicks.

Symbiont has closed the distance and engaged Nick in a clinch.
Symbiont tries for a takedown. No joy.
Symbiont wants to stall.

Nick pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Nick with a lazy takedown attempt

and Symbiont moves into the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Symbiont lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

It looks like Mike Nick has been cut.
Nick tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Symbiont avoids it.
Nick landing some nice looking knees to the body.

Nick manages to break the clinch.
Nick shoots and misses

and Symbiont counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Nick is breathing heavily.
Nick is not content to let Symbiont control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nick regains full guard. Nicely done.
Symbiont has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Symbiont loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Nick is on top in guard.
Nick wants to control from the top but Symbiont keeps moving.
Nick might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Symbiont kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Symbiont controlling Nick's posture.

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.
Nick looking to sit in guard and control but Symbiont gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Symbiont got a little sloppy there for a moment and Nick has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Symbiont has managed to get both his arms back between Nick's legs - danger averted.
Symbiont chips away with some ground and pound.

Nick is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Symbiont is aware though and is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nick keeping moving, preventing Symbiont from controlling successfully.
Symbiont with a flurry of punches that miss.
Symbiont knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Nick on the ground.
Symbiont is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Nick is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Symbiont might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Symbiont seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Nick will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.

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.
Nick being controlled here, momentarily.
Symbiont is looking to stand up but Nick won't let him.

Symbiont gets to his feet - Nick follows without any prompting.
Symbiont throws a series of punches but Nick avoids them all with ease.
Nick tries for a takedown but Symbiont circles away easily

and Symbiont counters with a nice double leg into side control. Nick won't be happy with that.
Branislav Symbiont has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mike Nick.
Symbiont trying to control the position but Nick is working away.
Nick is trying to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Branislav Symbiont dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Mike Nick's cut.
That's time! Symbiont's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. 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.

Symbiont shoots in and bounces Nick off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Symbiont won't allow Nick to sweep him here.
Nick trying to control the position.
Symbiont trying to control but Nick is working from the bottom.
Symbiont stopping the sweep attempt from Nick.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Symbiont trying to control the position from guard on top but Nick is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Symbiont is really struggling to control Nick but he's trying to hold on to the position.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Nick will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Nick is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Symbiont scores with a takedown into Nick's guard.
Nick wants to control but Symbiont passes easily into half guard.
Nick scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Symbiont manages to mount him!

Symbiont looking for a guillotine from mount but Nick is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Symbiont lands a big shot there that rocks Nick but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Nick tries to control the position but Symbiont now has his back.
Branislav Symbiont overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Symbiont trying to control momentarily.
Symbiont wants to control but Nick manages to buck him off and is now in Symbiont's guard! Nice work there by Nick!
Symbiont looking to control.

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.
Symbiont wants to get back to his feet but Nick is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Nick wanted to stand there but Symbiont had control of the position.
Symbiont wants to sweep but no luck.
Nick trying to control the position from guard on top but Symbiont is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

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

Symbiont shoots in and bounces Nick off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Symbiont trying to control but Nick is working from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Branislav Symbiont showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Symbiont 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 Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 29:28
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 29:28
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Branislav Symbiont!