PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Walker Diaz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Yaroslav Vasilyev (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Diaz
vs
Vasilyev

190 cm
20
185 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

170 cm
19
190 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Big heart

Decent wrestler
Basic striking
Solid chin

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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Walker Diaz!
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, Yaroslav Vasilyev!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Aleksandr Martynov and Sergei Dronov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Vasilyev shoots in but no luck this time.
Vasilyev gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Diaz lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Vasilyev at a distance.
Diaz swinging wildly here.

Diaz lands a left and a right that send Vasilyev crashing to the mat, dazed. Diaz thinks about following him to the mat but decides to wave him back up to his feet!

It looks like Yaroslav Vasilyev has been cut.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Vasilyev closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Diaz quickly recovers to half guard.

Vasilyev is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Diaz defends it well.
Vasilyev trying to control the action but Diaz is working from the bottom.
Vasilyev stops Diaz from getting back to his feet.

Vasilyev is trying to work for a kimura but Diaz is defending well.
Vasilyev should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.

Vasilyev is working for a kimura but Diaz is defending it quite comfortably.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Vasilyev is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Vasilyev is trying to control the action in half guard but Diaz is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Vasilyev is working for a submission of some sort.

Vasilyev looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Diaz wants to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Vasilyev is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

Vasilyev is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

Vasilyev is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

Vasilyev is looking for a kimura but Diaz is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Vasilyev to get the leverage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vasilyev is keen to just control but Diaz is a slippery customer.

Vasilyev is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Diaz flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Diaz trying to control from the bottom.
Vasilyev slows the pace down in half guard.
Diaz knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Vasilyev on the ground.

Vasilyev is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Diaz is just riding it out for now. Vasilyev eventually gives up the hold.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Diaz wants to control but Vasilyev is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Vasilyev is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Diaz has managed to free his arm - good work.
Diaz is trying to stand.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Diaz is defending against the submission attempts here by Vasilyev.

Vasilyev seems to be working for a kimura but Diaz defends the submission attempt.

Vasilyev is trying to work for a kimura but Diaz is defending well.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

Vasilyev maintaining the dominant position here and is working for a kimura. He's locked it up! Diaz could be in real trouble here! He's trying to wriggle out but Vasilyev has cracked it and Diaz is screaming in pain - he's tapped out! Great finish by Vasilyev!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:59 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Yaroslav Vasilyev!