PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Andre Battle (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alex Karelin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Battle kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genuis that is Break Stuff. Both fighters really staring eachother down here, as Alex Karelin enters the ring!

Battle
vs
Karelin

213 cm
21
275 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

205 cm
22
265 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

Fighters. First.

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight 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, Andre Battle!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Alex Karelin!
The judges for this bout are Dmitry Maklakov, Illya Tyunina and Sergei Dronov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Karelin fails with the takedown.

Battle moves into range and clinches up with Karelin.
Battle looking for a takedown.
Battle goes for a takedown in the clinch but Karelin prevents it.
Battle jumps guard but Karelin stands there with Battle around his waist. Battle gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Andre Battle. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Karelin has clasped his hands together around Battle's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Battle can't do much from the bottom here.
Karelin is working Battle over with some ground and pound from side control.
Battle tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.
Karelin scores with punches from the back.
Karelin scores with punches and elbows.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Battle breaks Karelin's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Battle wants to control from the top but Karelin keeps moving.
Battle tries to free his leg and advance position but Karelin is retaining full guard.
Karelin trying to keep a closed guard but Battle is proving a slippery customer.

Battle stands up from Karelin's guard - Battle perhaps looking for a knockout.
Karelin misses with a wild body shot.
Battle misses with a takedown attempt - Karelin sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Alex Karelin seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Karelin gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Battle counters with a nice double leg into side control. Karelin won't be happy with that.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Karelin is looking to regain half guard here but Battle keeps moving and retains side control.
Battle scoring with punches and elbows.

Battle is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Karelin has escaped the position, nice work there.
Karelin struggling a bit here.
Battle trying to control the position but Karelin is working away.

Battle working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Karelin is looking to regain half guard here but Battle keeps moving and retains side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Battle trying to control the position but Karelin is working away.

Karelin throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!

Karelin gets a clinch.
Karelin blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Battle jumps guard but Karelin stands there with Battle around his waist. Battle gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

Karelin has hold of one of Battle's legs. Battle is fighting the takedown attempt but Karelin gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Karelin stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Battle swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Karelin is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Battle is pulling down on Karelin's head. It's preventing any offense from Karelin, at least for the moment.
Battle working a defensive guard here.
Battle wants to sweep here but Karelin controlling him for the moment.
Battle wants to hit a switch here but Karelin passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Battle there!
Battle working to try and regain half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Alex Karelin will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

The fight stays on the outside here - Karelin looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Battle doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Karelin counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Battle looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Karelin trying to stand up but can't free himself from Battle's guard.
Karelin prevents Battle from getting back to his feet.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Karelin works a leg free and moves into half guard.

Battle is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Karelin pulls his head out easily.
Battle trying to control from the bottom.

Battle looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Karelin working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Battle won't allow Karelin to pass to mount.
Battle slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Battle is trying to hold Karelin in close to prevent damage but Karelin has managed to pass into half guard.
Battle is trying to stand.
Battle tries to get to full guard but Karelin has control of the leg.
Battle moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Karelin wants to pass the guard but Battle is keeping the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Battle keeping moving, preventing Karelin from controlling successfully.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Karelin working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Battle's head.
Karelin is stalling in the full guard.
Karelin must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Battle wants to get back to his feet but Karelin is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Karelin gets to his feet - Battle follows without any prompting.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Battle misses with a body shot

and Karelin decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Battle's guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Battle is on top in guard.
Battle loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Karelin is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Karelin looking to hit a scissor sweep but Battle is one step ahead there.
Battle wants to stand but Karelin is controlling his posture from full guard.
Battle looking to pass the guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Battle won't allow Karelin to sweep him here.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Karelin can do anything to dispel that myth.
Battle advances to half guard.
Battle scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Karelin is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Battle's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Battle's back!
Battle turns into Karelin and is now in his guard.
Karelin is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Alex Karelin has got the better of the ground game so far.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Karelin is on top in guard.
Battle is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alex Karelin showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Battle shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Battle was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Karelin is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Battle takes his opponent's back. Perhaps a chance to lock up a rear naked choke here.

Battle is working hard for the rear naked choke here.
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Battle's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.

Karelin fending off the submission attempt from Battle.
Karelin breaks Battle's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Battle utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Battle utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Karelin stands up from guard. Let's bang!

Karelin drives through with a takedown into guard.
Battle is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Battle throws a nice elbow from the bottom.

Battle looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Karelin has picked Battle up and slammed him! Battle can't keep hold of the triangle and Karelin manages to pass to side control!
Karelin passes to full mount! That's big trouble for Battle!
Battle tries to hold on but Karelin postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Battle is looking to get to half guard.
Battle is working hard here to advance position.
Battle wants to hold on but Karelin pushes him away.
Battle keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Battle wants to hold on but Karelin pushes him away.
Karelin lands a big elbow.
Karelin prevents Battle from getting the reversal.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Karelin takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Karelin scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Battle?
Battle keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Karelin avoids the attempt from Battle to control.
Battle can't escape the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Karelin wants to control the pace but Battle is squirming around nicely.
Battle slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Karelin prevents Battle from improving his position.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Karelin lands a nice short elbow.
Karelin seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Battle does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

Battle looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Karelin drops an elbow to the side of Battle's head.
Battle trying to control here.
Andre Battle has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Battle is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Karelin pulls his head out easily.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Alex Karelin.
Well Karelin 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 Illya Tyunina scores the fight 27:30
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Alex Karelin!