PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Tony Mintolla (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Anzor Azhiev (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Anzor Azhiev has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Mintolla
vs
Azhiev

165 cm
18
146 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

150 cm
23
150 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Good in bed

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Tony Mintolla!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Anzor Azhiev!
The judges for this bout are James Atkins, James Ackerman and Richard Clark.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Azhiev tries to close the distance and clinch but Mintolla swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
We're hearing some news coming in from back stage. It's official - Azhiev has eaten all the pies!

Azhiev tries to sprawl but Mintolla drives through with a takedown into half guard.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Azhiev wants to get back to full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Azhiev is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Mintolla perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

Mintolla decides to stand up.
Azhiev misses with a takedown attempt

and Mintolla counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Azhiev is looking for a triangle but Mintolla pushes his legs off easily.
Mintolla would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

Mintolla decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Azhiev uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Mintolla.
Azhiev tries to clinch up.
Mintolla defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Azhiev.
Azhiev misses the shot to the body.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Mintolla.
Mintolla stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Mintolla wants it to stay on the feet.
Tony Mintolla has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Anzor Azhiev.

Mintolla gets tackled into the cage by Azhiev. Azhiev maintains the clinch.
Azhiev jumps guard but Mintolla stands there with Azhiev around his waist. Azhiev gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Azhiev looks gassed!
Mintolla has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Azhiev is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Mintolla is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Azhiev to keep the fight standing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Azhiev tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Mintolla smiles and moves away.
Mintolla stuffs the takedown attempt from Azhiev. Azhiev gets slowly back to his feet.
Mintolla blocks a low kick nicely.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Azhiev enables Mintolla to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Azhiev manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.

Mintolla decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Azhiev, up you get!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Mintolla misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Azhiev throws a series of punches but Mintolla moves out of range.

Mintolla feints and as Azhiev raises his hands in defense, Mintolla changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mintolla wants to pass the guard but Azhiev is keeping the position.
Mintolla postures up in Azhiev's guard and throws a big left but Azhiev blocks it.
Azhiev wants to stand but Mintolla is controlling the position.
Mintolla controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Azhiev avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Mintolla 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.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Tony Mintolla.
Azhiev fails with an attempt to clinch.
An inside leg kick lands from Azhiev.
Azhiev shoots in looking for a takedown. Mintolla tries to sprawl out of it but Azhiev keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Mintolla manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Mintolla shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Azhiev but Azhiev pushes him off and we're back to square one.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Azhiev throws a body punch but Mintolla moves out of range.
Azhiev misses with a head kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tony Mintolla dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Mintolla shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Azhiev closes the distance and clinches up with Mintolla, looking for a takedown. Azhiev pushes Mintolla against the cage but Mintolla circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Mintolla tries to clinch up but Azhiev circles away and keeps his distance.
Tony Mintolla is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Mintolla is trying hard to land a takedown here. Azhiev sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
A looping hook to the body misses from Mintolla. Azhiev does a little dance to reset his feet.
Mintolla throws a leg kick that is checked
and Azhiev counters with a low kick, right behind Mintolla 's knee.
Mintolla jabbing away but nothing is landing.

Azhiev instigates a clinch.
Mintolla tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tony Mintolla. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Azhiev tries to pull guard but Mintolla won't allow it.
Mintolla is trying to pull guard but Azhiev has him pressed against the cage.
Azhiev avoiding damage.
Mintolla is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mintolla can't get the takedown.
Azhiev tries to pull guard but Mintolla holds him up against the cage and eventually Azhiev drops back down to his feet.

Azhiev manages to break the clinch.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Mintolla.
Mintolla wants to clinch.
Azhiev keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Azhiev fails to land the takedown.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Azhiev defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Mintolla.
Mintolla shoots in but no luck this time.
Azhiev shoots for a double leg takedown but Mintolla sprawls well. He's pushed Azhiev's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Mintolla goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Azhiev throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Mintolla's waist but Mintolla gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Azhiev off to one side.
Azhiev is breathing heavily.
No luck for Azhiev with that takedown attempt.
Mintolla shoots in but no luck this time.
Mintolla throws a low kick but Azhiev avoids it.
Mintolla avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mintolla is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Azhiev.
Azhiev misses with a takedown attempt

and Mintolla counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Mintolla sitting in guard, not really doing much.

Mintolla stands up from Azhiev's guard - Mintolla perhaps looking for a knockout.

Mintolla shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Mintolla tries to pass the half guard into mount. Azhiev knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mintolla is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Mintolla will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Azhiev wants to get back to his feet.
Mintolla working Azhiev over with strikes.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Mintolla is working for a submission of some sort.
Mintolla trying to mount his opponent but Azhiev defends it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tony Mintolla dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Azhiev with a poor takedown

and Mintolla counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Azhiev!
Mintolla sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Azhiev is working to get back to half guard.
Azhiev is bucking up trying to escape but Mintolla cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Mintolla landing strikes from the mount.
Mintolla avoids the attempt from Azhiev to control.
Azhiev blocking the ground and pound.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Mintolla wants to control the pace but Azhiev is squirming around nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mintolla throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.

Mintolla moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Azhiev has worked his arm free - good work by Azhiev!

Mintolla has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Azhiev takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Mintolla misses with a takedown attempt - Azhiev sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Mintolla tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Azhiev swivels and escapes.
Azhiev tries to score a power double leg takedown but Mintolla sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Azhiev somewhat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mintolla throws a leg kick
and Azhiev makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Mintolla swings widly with a right hand

and Azhiev counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Azhiev.

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

Azhiev has closed the distance and engaged Mintolla in a clinch.
Mintolla tries to stall but Azhiev uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Azhiev wants a takedown but no success here.
Tony Mintolla has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Anzor Azhiev.
Mintolla is trying to break free.
Mintolla trying to control the position but instead, Azhiev has worked for underhooks and has pushed Mintolla into the cage.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Azhiev is defending well against a takedown attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mintolla is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Azhiev is defending well for now.
Azhiev trying to control the position but instead, Mintolla has worked for underhooks and has pushed Azhiev into the cage.
Mintolla is trying to break the clinch but Azhiev has him pressed against the cage.
Mintolla tries to pull guard but Azhiev holds him up against the cage and eventually Mintolla drops back down to his feet.
Mintolla is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Azhiev to keep the fight standing.

Azhiev pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Azhiev.
Azhiev tries to close the distance and clinch but Mintolla swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Azhiev misses with a kick to the body.
Mintolla tries to clinch up.
Mintolla is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Azhiev.
Azhiev fails with a takedown attempt.
A head kick misses from Mintolla.
Azhiev lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Azhiev avoids a punch combination nicely.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Azhiev blocks a head kick by Mintolla.
Anzor Azhiev has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Tony Mintolla is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Mintolla shoots in and bounces Azhiev off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tony Mintolla showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Mintolla, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 James Atkins scores the fight 30:27
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 30:27
Judge Richard Clark scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tony Mintolla!