PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Paul Dravinski (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gary Mead (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Dravinski
vs
Mead

180 cm
25
170 lbs
10 - 4 - 0

181 cm
22
182 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Dangerous knees
Powerful

TROJ[A]N (sponsorships avaliable)
Elite Canadian Threads

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Paul Dravinski!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Gary Mead!
The judges for this bout are Russell Pearce, Columbo Gatti and Eddie Farnsworth.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mead goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Mead tries to clinch up
and Dravinski counters with a straight right hand.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Dravinski.

Mead moves into the clinch.
Dravinski is looking to control Mead's arms but Mead gets an underhook and turns him. Now Dravinski has his back to the cage.
Dravinski blocks an elbow strike.
Mead throws an elbow that misses.
I was talking to Dravinski's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Dravinski is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Mead is keeping busy.
Dravinski blocks an elbow strike.

Dravinski jumps into guard, dragging Mead to the mat.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Mead wants to stand but Dravinski is controlling his posture from full guard.
Mead really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Dravinski. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dravinski pulls Mead in close to prevent any damage.
Mead wanted to stand there but Dravinski had control of the position.
Mead is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
Dravinski controls Mead momentarily but Mead frees himself.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Mead throws a head kick that misses.
Mead tries to clinch up but Dravinski circles away and keeps his distance.
Mead wants to clinch
and Dravinski finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
Gary Mead seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Dravinski swats away the attempt to clinch by Mead.
Mead tries to clinch up
and Dravinski counters with a nice uppercut.

Mead has closed the distance and engaged Dravinski in a clinch.
Mead throws an elbow that misses.
Dravinski blocks an elbow strike from Mead.
Mead misses with an elbow strike.
Dravinski managing to block the knees to the body from Mead.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mead comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Mead lands a damaging elbow.
Mead throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Mead keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Dravinski's efforts to push away.
Mead with an attempt at a knee that misses.
With the fighters up against the cage, Mead throws an elbow but misses.
Mead unloads a knee to the mid-section.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Mead just misses with a elbow thrown towards Dravinski's brow.
Dravinski is trying to force a seperation but Mead has the dominant position.
Dravinski jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Mead walks away with a smile on his face. Dravinski gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Mead closes the distance looking to clinch
and Dravinski counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Mead lands a lovely overhand right.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mead tries to clinch but Dravinski moves out of range.
Dravinski avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Mead moves out of range of the leg kick from Dravinski.

Mead instigates a clinch.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Dravinski is trying to stall.
Dravinski blocks an elbow strike.
Mead creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Dravinski wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Mead throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Dravinski blocks it with crossed arms.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Dravinski is trying to pull guard but Mead has him pressed against the cage.
With the fighters up against the cage, Mead throws an elbow but misses.
Mead misses with an elbow over the top.
Mead creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gary Mead dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Mead tries to clinch there but Dravinski circles away.
Mead is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Mead moves in looking to clinch but Dravinski pushes him off.
Mead moves in looking to clinch but Dravinski pushes him off.
Mead is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Mead tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Dravinski manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Mead tries to clinch but Dravinski moves away
and Dravinski counters with a three punch combo that has Mead backing up. Mead nods at Dravinski to acknowledge the strikes.
Mead doesn't manage to clinch there - Dravinski circles away.
Dravinski looks for the body kick but Mead saw that one coming.
Mead tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Dravinski takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Mead moves in looking to clinch but Dravinski pushes him off.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mead tries to clinch but Dravinski moves out of range.
Gary Mead seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Mead tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Dravinski paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Mead misses with a looping right.
Dravinski blocks a head kick by Mead.
Dravinski keeps the fight on the outside.
Mead keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Dravinski.
Dravinski keeps the fight on the outside.
Mead is looking to clinch.
Mead tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Dravinski paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Dravinski throws a sloppy head kick and Mead moves out of range easily.
Paul Dravinski is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Mead wants to clinch but Dravinski slips to the side
and Dravinski counters with a slapping leg kick.
Dravinski circles away from the clinch attempt.

Mead rushes Dravinski and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mead comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Mead looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Mead tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Mead lands an elbow inside that Dravinski shrugs off.
Mead trying to land knees to the body.
Dravinski tries to pull guard but Mead holds him up against the cage and eventually Dravinski drops back down to his feet.
Mead with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Mead misses with an elbow over the top.
Nice elbow from Mead.
Mead creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Mead lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Mead misses with an elbow strike.
Mead tries to land knees in the clinch but Dravinski avoids the damage to the body.

Dravinski jumps guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mead has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Dravinski is proving hard to escape from.
Mead postures up.
Mead wanted to stand there but Dravinski had control of the position.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Mead working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.

Dravinski had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Mead defends it easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mead would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Dravinski trying to control the position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Dravinski has a closed guard, preventing Mead from standing up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gary Mead showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Mead misses with a jab to the body
and Dravinski counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Mead wants to clinch
and Dravinski counters with a body kick that stops Mead in his tracks momentarily.
Mead throws a head kick but Dravinski moves out of range.
Dravinski keeps the fight on the outside.
Mead tries to clinch up
and Dravinski counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Mead closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Mead is looking to clinch but Dravinski is avoiding it.
Mead moves in looking to clinch but Dravinski pushes him off.

Mead moves into the clinch successfully.
Mead pushes off an throws an elbow but Dravinski leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
With the fighters up against the cage, Mead throws an elbow but misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dravinski takes an elbow to the forehead.
Mead misses with a knee to the head.
Dravinski tries to pull guard but Mead forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Mead working Dravinski over with knees to the body.
Mead pushes off an throws an elbow but Dravinski leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Mead throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Dravinski blocks it with crossed arms.
Dravinski avoids a wild elbow strike from Mead.
Dravinski dodges an elbow strike from Mead.
Dravinski wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Dravinski on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Mead unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Dravinski is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Mead to keep the fight standing.
Mead misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Dravinski.
Dravinski blocks an elbow strike from Mead.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mead tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Mead lands an elbow just above Dravinski 's eye.
Dravinski jumps guard but Mead turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Paul Dravinski. That's going to take a lot out of him.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Dravinski on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Nice elbow from Mead.
Dravinski wants to get back to striking at distance but Mead won't allow it.

Dravinski jumps into guard, dragging Mead to the mat.
Dravinski has Mead pulled in close to control his posture.
Mead must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Mead trying to stand up but can't free himself from Dravinski's guard.
Dravinski is trying to keep Mead in close.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mead wants to get up but he can't break Dravinski's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Dravinski is trying to control the position from the bottom.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Dravinski tries to keep at a distance but Mead has taken the fight into the clinch.
Mead throws an elbow that misses.
With the fighters up against the cage, Mead throws an elbow but misses.
Mead is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Dravinski is defending well for now.
Mead using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Dravinski has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mead misses with an elbow over the top.
Dravinski managing to block the knees to the body from Mead.
Mead landing knees to the body.

Dravinski pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
The fight stays on the outside here - Mead looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Mead tries to close the distance and clinch but Dravinski swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Mead tries to close the distance and clinch up but Dravinski swats him away and circles back towards the center.
A left and a right from Dravinski both land. Nice combination.
Gary Mead is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

It looks like Gary Mead has been cut.
Dravinski throws a combination. Mead tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
This has been an exciting period of action!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Mead tries to close the distance and clinch up but Dravinski swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Dravinski avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Paul Dravinski has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

The fight moves into the clinch position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gary Mead comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Mead 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 Russell Pearce scores the fight 27:30
Judge Columbo Gatti scores the fight 27:30
Judge Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gary Mead!
A victorious Gary Mead thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.