PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Rocky Kovalev (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Vetaliy Kleva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Kovalev
vs
Kleva

180 cm
25
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
22
188 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Good in bed

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Enjoys gardening

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, Rocky Kovalev!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Vetaliy Kleva!
The judges for this bout are Konstantin Menshow, Ivan Kurochkin and Igor Prikhodko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Kleva scores with a takedown into Kovalev's guard.
Kleva is fighting to break Kovalev's control of his arms but Kovalev is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Kleva loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Kleva drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Kovalev manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Kleva has Kovalev in his guard.
Kovalev content to stall in guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

We're going to have a standup here because Rocky Kovalev wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Kovalev shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

so Kleva counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Kovalev is controlling Kleva's posture.
Kleva must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

Kleva stands over his opponent and dives in with a flying punch! Kovalev throws up his legs and catches Kleva in a triangle! Oh this looks tight! Kleva tries to escape but he's forced to tap! Wow, fantastic work there by Kovalev! That came out of nowhere!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:37 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle Choke). Rocky Kovalev!