PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Zachary Kier (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Maksim Veremko (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.

Kier
vs
Veremko

189 cm
23
240 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

194 cm
25
237 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Dangerous knees
Very quick

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Very confident

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, Zachary Kier!
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, Maksim Veremko!
The judges for this bout are Dmitry Maklakov, Fedor Mirinova and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Veremko breaks the clinch.

Veremko closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Veremko content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Kier working aggressively here.
Veremko blocking some punches.
Kier misses with a short punch on the inside.

Veremko breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Veremko moves into the clinch successfully.
Kier takes a knee right on the jaw!

It looks like Zachary Kier has been cut.
Veremko with a knee to the head.
Veremko lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

Veremko jumps guard and drags Kier to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Veremko wants to stand up but Kier is controlling him.
Kier is working Veremko over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kier looking to pass the guard.

Veremko kicks Kier off and gets to his feet.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Kier motions for Veremko to come forward. Kier throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.

Veremko gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Veremko pressing his opponent against the cage.
Veremko prevents a takedown attempt there.
Veremko with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

Veremko is trying to trip Kier. He has hold of a leg but Kier is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Veremko persists though and gets the takedown into guard.

Veremko gets to his feet - Kier follows without any prompting.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Veremko feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Kiers jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Kier tries to clinch but Veremko moves away

and Veremko holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Veremko decides to pull guard.
Kier is stalling in the full guard.
Kier loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Kier accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Kier trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Veremko scrambles and gets back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A head kick misses from Kier.
Kier is breathing heavily.

Veremko gets a clinch.

Veremko breaks from the clinch.

Veremko moves into the clinch.
Veremko lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

Veremko manages to break the clinch.

Veremko gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Veremko connects with a nasty looking knee right to Kier's face.
A knee to the head by Veremko.
Veremko leaning his opponent against the cage.

Veremko manages to break the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kier shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Veremko as he avoids it easily.

Veremko has Kier up against the cage in a clinch.
Veremko is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Kier takes a knee right on the jaw!
A knee to the head by Veremko.
Kier takes a knee right on the jaw!
Veremko with a knee to the head.

Veremko breaks the clinch.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Kier is fighting off a takedown attempt but Veremko is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Kier to the mat. Kier regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.

Kier is working an open guard so Veremko takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Maksim Veremko dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Zachary Kier's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Veremko has closed the distance and engaged Kier in a clinch.
Kier drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Veremko gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Kier working aggressively here.

Veremko manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.

Veremko scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Kier misses with a takedown attempt - Veremko sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Kier lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Veremko backs up against the cage.
Nice takedown defense from Veremko. No joy for Kier on that attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Zachary Kier. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Veremko gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Veremko lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Kier backwards.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Veremko breaks from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Veremko lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Zachary Kier is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Veremko gets a clinch.

Veremko pulls guard successfully.

Veremko uses the cage to get back to his feet.

Veremko clinches with his opponent.
Veremko scores with a knee to the head.
A knee to the head by Veremko.
Veremko scores with a knee to the head.
Veremko scores with a knee to the head.
Veremko landing knees to the head.
Veremko stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Maksim Veremko seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Kier takes a knee right on the jaw!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Veremko using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Veremko connects with a knee to the head.
Kier takes a knee right on the jaw!
Veremko connects with a nasty looking knee right to Kier's face.
Veremko landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Veremko obliges.
Veremko leaning his opponent against the cage.
Veremko connects with a nasty looking knee right to Kier's face.

Veremko manages to pull guard.

Veremko scrambles and gets back to his feet.

Veremko drives through and clinches with Kier against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kier being controlled against the cage.
Veremko connects with a knee to the head.
Veremko connects with a knee to the head.
A knee to the head by Veremko.
A knee to the head by Veremko.
Veremko with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Veremko avoiding damage.

Veremko pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Veremko closes the distance and clinches.
Kier throws a knee to the head but misses.
Veremko using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Veremko has Kier pressed against the cage.

Veremko successfully pulls guard.
Kier would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Kier pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Veremko is keeping the position for now.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Veremko pushes Kier off and scrambles back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Maksim Veremko showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Zachary Kier's cut.
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!

Kier gets tackled into the cage by Veremko. Veremko maintains the clinch.
Veremko lands a knee to the body.
Kier with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Veremko stalls.
Knees to the body from Veremko.
Veremko lands a knee to the head.
Veremko lands with a short shot to the head.
Kier takes a knee right on the jaw!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Kier throws a knee to the head but misses.
Veremko lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

Veremko manages to pull guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Veremko has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Kier off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Veremko connects with an inside leg kick.
Veremko lands a jab-cross combination.

Veremko moves into the clinch.
Veremko with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Veremko stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Veremko unloads a knee to the mid-section. Kier lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Veremko dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Veremko scores with a knee to the head.

Veremko pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kier fails to land the takedown.

Veremko has Kier up against the cage in a clinch.
Veremko stalling.
Veremko scores with a knee to the head.

Zachary Kier's cut is getting worse.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Veremko throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Kiers head.
Veremko with a knee to the head.
Veremko lands a right hand that snaps the head of Kier backwards.
Kier being controlled against the cage.
Veremko landing knees to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kier takes a knee to the side of the body.
Veremko landing knees to the head.
Kier takes a knee right on the jaw!
Kier has had enough of the clinch but Veremko keeps him there for the moment.

Veremko jumps guard and drags Kier to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.

Veremko pushes Kier off and scrambles back to his feet.
Nice straight punches there by Kier. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Kier.

Veremko clinches with his opponent.
Veremko lands a knee to the head.
Veremko stalling against the cage.
Kier tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Veremko lands a left hand that snaps the head of Kier backwards.
Veremko landing knees to the head.
Veremko with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Veremko landing knees to the head.
Veremko tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Veremko tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Zachary Kier has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Kier misses with a short punch on the inside.

Veremko drags the fight down to the ground.
Maksim Veremko is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
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.
Kier lands a couple of elbows.
Veremko has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Veremko uses the cage to get back to his feet.

And that's the end of the fight!
Maksim Veremko comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Veremko has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 27:30
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 27:30
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Maksim Veremko!