PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Arnaud Thiesa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Slava Vitruk (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Slava Vitruk told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Thiesa
vs
Vitruk

199 cm
19
285 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

192 cm
31
260 lbs
5 - 6 - 0

Good takedowns
Brawler
Very quick

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Good gas tank

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 St Petersburg, Arnaud Thiesa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 6 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Slava Vitruk!
The judges for this bout are Konstantin Menshow, Illya Tyunina and Sergei Dronov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Vitruk dives in and grabs Thiesa's left leg, looking for a takedown. Thiesa pushes down on Vitruk's head and hops out.
Vitruk avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Thiesa looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Vitruk is fending him off so far but Thiesa persists. Nope, Vitruk circles away and we're back to standing.
A low kick from Thiesa is predictable there
and Vitruk counters with a leg kick.
Vitruk misses with a takedown attempt

and Thiesa counters with a shoot takedown. Vitruk fights it but they end up in guard.
Thiesa trying to control the position from guard on top but Vitruk is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Thiesa looking to pass the guard.
Thiesa pushes down on Vitruk's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Thiesa seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Vitruk does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vitruk wants to get back to his feet.
Thiesa seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Vitruk really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Thiesa. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Thiesa trying to pass the guard but Vitruk defending well.
Thiesa is thwarting Vitruk's attempts to control the position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Vitruk shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Thiesa as he jumps to the side.
Arnaud Thiesa has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Slava Vitruk.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Thiesa rushes Vitruk and presses him up against the cage.
Vitruk is trying to pull guard but Thiesa has him pressed against the cage.

Thiesa lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Vitruk is staying active underneath Thiesa, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Thiesa is pressing down on Vitruk's thigh, looking to free his foot. Vitruk is holding on for now.
Thiesa is trying to control. Vitruk wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Vitruk is trying to stand up here but Thiesa is controlling him well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vitruk regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Thiesa.
Thiesa trying to control but Vitruk is working from the bottom.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Arnaud Thiesa just wasn't active enough.
Vitruk misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Thiesa tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Vitruk manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Vitruk tries to close the distance and clinch but Thiesa swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Thiesa scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Thiesa with the ground and pound but Vitruk regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Thiesa could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Thiesa is trying to control. Vitruk wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vitruk misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Vitruk tries to kick Thiesa off but Thiesa keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Thiesa is trying to control. Vitruk wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Arnaud Thiesa.

Thiesa drives through with a takedown into guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Thiesa slips nicely into half guard.
Vitruk regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Thiesa.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Arnaud Thiesa dominated that round.
That's time! Thiesa's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Thiesa doesn't manage to clinch there - Vitruk circles away.
Vitruk has his takedown stuffed

and Thiesa counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Thiesa is looking to stand up but Vitruk won't let him.
Thiesa passes Vitruk's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Vitruk pushes Thiesa off looking to stand but Thiesa dives back in and keeps control.
Vitruk works his way to full guard. Good work.

Thiesa avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thiesa wants to control from the top but Vitruk keeps moving.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Arnaud Thiesa wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Vitruk fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vitruk shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Thiesa but Thiesa pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Arnaud Thiesa has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Slava Vitruk.
Nice sprawl there from Thiesa as Vitruk shoots in.
Vitruk gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Thiesa moves into the clinch.
Thiesa is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Vitruk to keep the fight standing.
Thiesa tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Vitruk just stands there and leans against the cage.
Thiesa is trying to break the clinch but Vitruk has him pressed against the cage.
Vitruk tries to pull guard but Thiesa won't allow it.
Vitruk fails to pull guard.
Thiesa wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thiesa misses with a body punch.

Vitruk pulls guard effortlessly.
Thiesa sitting in guard here, content to control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Thiesa looking to sit in guard and control but Vitruk gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Vitruk looking to pass the guard.
Thiesa trying to control the position.
Vitruk trying to control the position from guard on top but Thiesa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Thiesa wants to sweep here but Vitruk controlling him for the moment.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

Vitruk gets to his feet - Thiesa follows without any prompting.

Thiesa forces Vitruk back against the cage and clinches.
Vitruk can't get the takedown.

Thiesa breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Vitruk shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Thiesa sprawls well. Thiesa wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Vitruk gets slowly back to his feet.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Vitruk misses with a takedown attempt - Thiesa sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Vitruk tries for a takedown but Thiesa sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Arnaud Thiesa dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Excellent takedown into side control there by Vitruk.
Thiesa is trying to control Vitruk's posture but Vitruk avoids it.
Thiesa is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Vitruk is controlling him well.

Vitruk looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Vitruk trying to control the action but Thiesa is working from the bottom.
Thiesa is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Vitruk asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Thiesa tries to buck Vitruk off but Vitruk is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Vitruk decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Thiesa tries for a takedown but Vitruk sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Thiesa shoots in for a takedown but Vitruk shows good takedown defense.
Thiesa shoots in for a takedown but Vitruk shows good takedown defense.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Arnaud Thiesa. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Vitruk misses with a takedown

and Thiesa counters with a takedown into side control.
Thiesa prevents Vitruk from escaping the position.
Thiesa working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Vitruk is pushing Thiesa's head away, looking to escape. Thiesa manages to hold on to the position though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Thiesa wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Vitruk, who protects the arm well.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Thiesa is looking to take a break and control but Vitruk is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Thiesa throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Vitruk is looking to reverse the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vitruk sneaks back into half guard.
Thiesa is controlling the pace.
Thiesa wants to lay and pray for a moment but Vitruk keeps working.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Arnaud Thiesa.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Vitruk.
Thiesa is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Vitruk asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Slava Vitruk has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Thiesa dodges the ground and pound from Vitruk.
You can see the frustration on Thiesa's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

Vitruk is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Thiesa knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Vitruk throwing shots but missing, from side control.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Slava Vitruk.
I think Thiesa has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 29:28
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 29:28
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Arnaud Thiesa!