PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Roma Zentsov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Temitope Alabi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Zentsov
vs
Alabi

186 cm
25
231 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

195 cm
19
245 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Experienced

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Roma Zentsov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Temitope Alabi!
The judges for this bout are Aafke Stam, Albert Achterberg and Paulsen Ambrosius.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Alabi takes a kick to the side of the head.

Zentsov drives through and clinches with Alabi against the cage.
Alabi looking to throw knees to the head but Zentsov is blocking nicely.
Zentsov blocking some punches.
Zentsov throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Alabi blocks it with crossed arms.
Alabi lands an elbow that stopped Zentsov in his tracks for a moment.

It looks like Roma Zentsov has been cut.
Alabi misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Alabi is struggling to control the position.
Zentsov jumps guard but Alabi stands there with Zentsov around his waist. Zentsov gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Alabi scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Alabi has had enough of the clinch but Zentsov keeps him there for the moment.
Zentsov wants to stall.
Alabi lands a knee to the head.
Zentsov could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

Zentsov manages to break the clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Alabi is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Zentsov keeps the fight on the outside.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alabi avoids the head kick by Zentsov.
Alabi fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Zentsov fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Zentsov rushes Alabi and presses him up against the cage.
Alabi goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

Zentsov's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Alabi clinches.
Zentsov is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Alabi gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Alabi is trying to break the clinch but Zentsov has him pressed against the cage.
Zentsov tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Zentsov avoiding damage as Alabi throws knees to the body.
Alabi pushes off an throws an elbow but Zentsov leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Zentsov blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Alabi lands a left hand.
Alabi misses with a shot to the kidneys.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Alabi lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Zentsov backwards.
Zentsov fails to pull guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Roma Zentsov. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Alabi tries to land knees in the clinch but Zentsov avoids the damage to the body.
Alabi is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Zentsov prevents a body shot from Alabi.
Zentsov is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Alabi trying to land knees to the body.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Alabi escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Zentsov has managed to clinch.
Alabi misses with a hook to the ribs.
Zentsov fails to pull guard.
Alabi on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Alabi tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Zentsov avoids it.
Zentsov has had enough of the clinch but Alabi keeps him there for the moment.
Zentsov blocks the elbow strike.
Alabi doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Alabi doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Alabi connects with a nasty looking knee right to Zentsov's face.
Zentsov trying to stall but Alabi improves his position.
Zentsov can't get the takedown.

Zentsov breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Alabi takes a swing at Zentsov's ribcage but misses.

Zentsov clinches up against the cage.

Alabi escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Alabi moves in looking to clinch but Zentsov pushes him off.
Alabi tries to clinch but Zentsov moves away
and Zentsov counters with a nice leg kick.

Alabi gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Zentsov has had enough of the clinch but Alabi keeps him there for the moment.
Zentsov blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Alabi's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Alabi on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Alabi fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Alabi misses with a hook from the clinch.
Alabi lands an elbow that stopped Zentsov in his tracks for a moment.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Zentsov is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Zentsov is trying to force a seperation but Alabi has the dominant position.
Zentsov wants to stall.
Alabi has a couple of punches blocked by Zentsov.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Alabi is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Alabi receives a warning from the referee for stalling.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Temitope Alabi dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Roma Zentsov's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Alabi tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Zentsov was well out of range. Poor timing from Alabi.
Nice takedown defense from Alabi. No joy for Zentsov on that attempt.

Zentsov has taken the fight to the clinch.
Alabi lands an elbow that stopped Zentsov in his tracks for a moment.
Zentsov misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Alabi.
Zentsov jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Alabi walks away with a smile on his face. Zentsov gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Alabi tries to close the distance and clinch up but Zentsov swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Alabi stuffs the takedown attempt from Zentsov. Zentsov gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Roma Zentsov. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Alabi has managed to clinch.

Alabi pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Zentsov looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zentsov throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Alabi fails with an attempt to clinch.
Zentsov circles away from the clinch attempt.
A combination from Zentsov does no damage.
Alabi misses with a wild combination.

Zentsov has managed to clinch.
Zentsov tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Alabi smiles and moves away.
Zentsov pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.

Alabi has taken the fight to the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Alabi breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Alabi falls off balance throwing a combination
and Zentsov counters with a slapping leg kick.
Temitope Alabi is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
A right-left combo lands from Zentsov.
Zentsov closes this distance looking for a takedown but Alabi circles away.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Alabi blocks a head kick by Zentsov.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Zentsov goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Zentsov misses with a takedown attempt - Alabi sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Zentsov fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Alabi clinches with his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Alabi breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Zentsov gets tackled into the cage by Alabi. Alabi maintains the clinch.
Zentsov wants to break free but Alabi has control.
Zentsov is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Alabi is defending well for now.
Zentsov is trying to push Alabi away but Alabi has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Alabi lands a hook to the side of the head.
Zentsov being controlled against the cage.
Zentsov avoiding damage as Alabi throws knees to the body.
Zentsov can't get the takedown.
Alabi's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Alabi pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Zentsov tries to pull guard but Alabi holds him up against the cage and eventually Zentsov drops back down to his feet.
Alabi dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zentsov is trying to push Alabi away but Alabi has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Alabi in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
Alabi avoiding damage.
Zentsov avoiding damage as Alabi throws knees to the body.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Alabi.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Zentsov wants to break the clinch but can't.
Alabi stops a takedown attempt from Zentsov.
A frustrated look appears on Zentsov's face as he tries to break the clinch.
A short right from Alabi.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Zentsov wants to break free but Alabi has control.
Alabi misses with an elbow over the top.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Zentsov.
Alabi tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Zentsov's elbow.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Zentsov tries to circle away but Alabi has him pinned against the cage.
Zentsov has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Alabi is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Alabi works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Alabi unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Alabi lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.

Alabi's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Temitope Alabi will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Roma Zentsov's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Alabi rushes Zentsov and presses him up against the cage.
Zentsov tries to pull guard but Alabi holds him up against the cage and eventually Zentsov drops back down to his feet.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Zentsov tries a knee to the head but Alabi blocks it.
Zentsov has had enough of the clinch but Alabi keeps him there for the moment.
Knees in the clinch landing for Alabi.

Alabi escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Alabi drives through and clinches with Zentsov against the cage.
Alabi is pressed up against the cage. Zentsov has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Alabi down to the mat. Alabi avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Alabi moves into the clinch.
Alabi misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Alabi fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Temitope Alabi seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Zentsov blocks an elbow strike from Alabi.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Alabi misses with a hook to the ribs.
Alabi throws a knee to the head but misses.
Alabi creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zentsov tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Alabi avoids it.
Zentsov takes a knee to the side of the body.
Alabi tries a body shot but Zentsov blocks it.
Zentsov blocks a body shot from Alabi.
Zentsov takes an elbow to the forehead.

Zentsov breaks from the clinch.
Alabi tries to close the distance and clinch up but Zentsov swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Alabi takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Zentsov swats away the attempt to clinch by Alabi.
Sloppy strikes from Alabi. Those never looked like landing.
Some wild striking there from Alabi.

Zentsov tries to keep at a distance but Alabi has taken the fight into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Alabi just misses with a elbow thrown towards Zentsov's brow.
Alabi creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Alabi misses with a punch to the body.
Zentsov has Alabi pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Alabi manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Roma Zentsov. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Zentsov letting Alabi take a breather here.
Alabi throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Alabi has Zentsov pressed against the cage.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Zentsov drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Alabi tries to land a knee to the head but Zentsov blocks with his arms.
Alabi missing with knees to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Alabi misses with a punch to the body.
Nice body punch from Alabi - that landed with a thud.
Alabi throws a knee to the head but misses.
Alabi slows down the pace here.
Alabi tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Alabi stalls.
Alabi gets underhooks to prevent Zentsov's takedown attempt.
Zentsov is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Alabi pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Alabi goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Zentsov avoids the elbow strike from Alabi, against the cage.
Alabi tries to land a knee to the head but Zentsov blocks with his arms.
A nice right hand lands inside from Alabi.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Alabi takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Zentsov fails to pull the fight into his guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zentsov tries to break the clinch but Alabi is controlling the position.
Alabi looking to throw knees to the head but Zentsov is blocking nicely.
A frustrated look appears on Zentsov's face as he tries to break the clinch.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Zentsov wants a takedown.
Zentsov dodges an elbow strike from Alabi.
Alabi scores with a shot to the side of Zentsov's head.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Alabi.
Zentsov misses with a body punch.
Alabi keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Zentsov's efforts to push away.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Zentsov tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Alabi just stands there and leans against the cage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Alabi's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Sloppy strikes from Zentsov. Those never looked like landing.
Some wild striking there from Alabi.

And that's the end of the fight!
Temitope Alabi comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Alabi winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Aafke Stam scores the fight 27:30
Judge Albert Achterberg scores the fight 28:30
Judge Paulsen Ambrosius scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Temitope Alabi!