PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Denis Nevmitulin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tomasz Szelep (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Denis Nevmitulin looks tired to me. Hopefully he has got enough gas left in the tank to put in a good performance.

Nevmitulin
vs
Szelep

190 cm
20
300 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

150 cm
25
300 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Cuts easily

Good wrestler
Brawler
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Denis Nevmitulin!
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, Tomasz Szelep!
The judges for this bout are Fedor Mirinova, Viktor Lagutenko and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Szelep looks to throw the jab but Nevmitulin is out of range.
Nevmitulin throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Szelep is looking to clinch but Nevmitulin is avoiding it.
Nevmitulin connects with a solid leg kick.
Szelep misses with an uppercut.
Szelep tries to clinch up but Nevmitulin circles away and keeps his distance.
Szelep falls off balance throwing a combination

and Nevmitulin counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Nevmitulin thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Szelep's head.
Szelep is staying active underneath Nevmitulin, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Szelep pushes Nevmitulin off looking to stand but Nevmitulin dives back in and keeps control.
Nevmitulin trying to control from half guard but Szelep is working away.

Nevmitulin stands up from half guard.
Nevmitulin circles away from the clinch attempt
and Nevmitulin counters with a left and a right that stings Szelep.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Nevmitulin.
Szelep fails with the takedown.
Nevmitulin fails with the takedown.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nevmitulin misses with the combination.
Nevmitulin fails to land with a series of punches.
Szelep throws a lazy right hand but Nevmitulin sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.

Szelep changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Nevmitulin looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Nevmitulin is breathing heavily.
Szelep controlling the position from side mount.
Nevmitulin is trying to control Szelep's posture but Szelep avoids it.
Szelep wants to control but Nevmitulin is keeping him busy.
Nevmitulin is trying to get back to half guard.
Nevmitulin manages to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Szelep seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Szelep is controlling the pace.
Nevmitulin really is a fat lump.
Nevmitulin wants to control but Szelep is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Szelep performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Szelep looks to land a strike but Nevmitulin avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Szelep showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nevmitulin is trying to keep Szelep in close.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Szelep with a flurry of punches that miss.
Szelep prevents Nevmitulin from getting back to his feet.
Szelep working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Nevmitulin's head.
Szelep throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Szelep pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Nevmitulin is keeping the position for now.
Szelep is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

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.
Szelep wants to control from the top but Nevmitulin keeps moving.
Nevmitulin being controlled here, momentarily.
Szelep landing some decent shots from guard.
Szelep looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Szelep content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Szelep postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Tomasz Szelep will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Szelep wants to clinch.
Nevmitulin throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Nevmitulin dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Denis Nevmitulin is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Horrible takedown by Szelep or perhaps it was just good defense by Nevmitulin which made him look bad.
Szelep fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Nevmitulin jabs away that one connects to the head of his opponent.
Szelep moves in looking to clinch but Nevmitulin pushes him off.
No luck for Nevmitulin with that takedown attempt.

Szelep shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Nevmitulin manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Szelep is working Nevmitulin over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Szelep's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Szelep with a flurry of punches that miss.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Szelep's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Szelep stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Nevmitulin swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Szelep is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Szelep 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.
Szelep wants to pass the guard but Nevmitulin is keeping the position.
Nevmitulin not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Szelep trying to control the position from guard on top but Nevmitulin is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Szelep sitting in guard, not really doing much.

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.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Szelep with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Szelep must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Szelep is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Tomasz Szelep has got the better of the ground game so far.
Nevmitulin not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Szelep sitting in guard, not really doing much.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Szelep tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Nevmitulin manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Szelep decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Szelep is figuring out what he wants to do next.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nevmitulin has hold of Szelep's hands but Szelep slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Szelep thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

Szelep is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Szelep slips a nice elbow through Nevmitulin's hands, connecting with Nevmitulin's forehead.
Szelep not doing much here.
Szelep really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Nevmitulin. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Nevmitulin is trying to maintain the position but Szelep is very close to passing his half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Nevmitulin regains full guard. Nicely done.
Szelep lands a couple of digs.
Szelep is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Szelep loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Nevmitulin utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Szelep content to stall in guard here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Nevmitulin throws some sloppy strikes off his back.

Nevmitulin is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tomasz Szelep showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Nevmitulin showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Szelep.
Tomasz Szelep seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nevmitulin keeps the fight on the outside.
Nevmitulin tries to clinch up.
Szelep shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Nevmitulin as he avoids it easily.

Nevmitulin shoots in and bounces Szelep off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Nevmitulin prevents Szelep from getting back to his feet.
Nevmitulin will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Nevmitulin trying to control but Szelep is working from the bottom.
Nevmitulin prevents Szelep from getting back to his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Nevmitulin pushes down on Szelep's leg and manages to get into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nevmitulin seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Szelep does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Szelep pushes Nevmitulin off looking to stand but Nevmitulin dives back in and keeps control.
Szelep is looking to get back to is feet but Nevmitulin passes into side control.
Szelep wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Nevmitulin is looking to take a break and control but Szelep is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

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.
Szelep is pushing Nevmitulin's head away, looking to escape. Nevmitulin manages to hold on to the position though.

Nevmitulin is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Szelep knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Szelep is pushing Nevmitulin's head away, looking to escape. Nevmitulin manages to hold on to the position though.
Szelep tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Nevmitulin working for the choke.
Szelep staying busy and making it hard for Nevmitulin to control.
Szelep looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.
Nevmitulin tries to get the hooks in deep but Szelep pushed the leg off.
Nevmitulin is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Szelep is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

That's four 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.

Nevmitulin working for a choke but Szelep is defending well.
Szelep prevents Nevmitulin from getting a body triangle.
Denis Nevmitulin has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Szelep holding both Nevmitulin 's hands and preventing any damage.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Szelep is staying cool under pressure, defending well against the rear naked choke attempt from his opponent.

And that's the end of the fight!
Denis Nevmitulin showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Szelep has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 28:29
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 28:29
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tomasz Szelep!