PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between German Pearson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Diego Knees (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Pearson
vs
Knees

153 cm
18
214 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

183 cm
24
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, German Pearson!
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, Diego Knees!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Igor Prikhodko and Fedor Mirinova.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Knees shoots in for a double leg but Pearson sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Knees shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Pearson defends it nicely.
Knees shoots in for a takedown but Pearson shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
German Pearson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Diego Knees.

Knees forces Pearson back against the cage and clinches.
Pearson is trying to maintain a safe position but Knees gets an underhook and turns Pearson into the cage.
Knees is trying to break the clinch but Pearson is controlling him.
Pearson goes for a takedown in the clinch but Knees prevents it.

Pearson's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Knees tries for a takedown but Pearson sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Pearson shoots in but Knees avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Knees shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Pearson as he avoids it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Knees with a poor takedown

and Pearson counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Pearson controlling the action here.
Pearson missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Knees is doing well to control the position and prevent Pearson from advancing to side control.
Knees avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Pearson.
Knees wants to get back to full guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Knees manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Pearson could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pearson trying to control the position from guard on top but Knees is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Knees managing to control the position.
Pearson wanted to stand there but Knees had control of the position.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Pearson is fighting to break Knees's control of his arms but Knees is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Knees rushes Pearson and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Knees is pushing Pearson up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Knees tries for a takedown but Pearson manages to get underhooks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Pearson escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Knees shoots in and drives through. Pearson sprawls well.

Knees closes the distance and clinches.
Pearson wants to get back to striking at distance but Knees won't allow it.
Pearson taking a breather.
Pearson missing with knees to the body.
Knees fails to pull guard.
Pearson tries to circle away but Knees has him pinned against the cage.
Pearson missing with knees to the body.
Pearson is trying to push Knees away but Knees has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Knees fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Knees displaying some good clinch control by pressing Pearson up against the cage.

Pearson turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Pearson manages to end up in side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Knees can't do much from the bottom here.
Knees gets back to half guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Knees moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Pearson is looking to stand up but Knees won't let him.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Knees had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Pearson defends it easily.

Knees escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Pearson gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that German Pearson will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Knees will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Knees drives through and clinches with Pearson against the cage.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Pearson stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
A short uppercut from Knees.
Knees is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Pearson is defending well for now.
Pearson is looking to break free of the clinch but Knees has double underhooks.
Pearson misses with a short punch on the inside.
Pearson wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Knees has him pressed against the cage.
Knees scores with a hook to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Knees tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Knees lands a body shot in the clinch.
Pearson is trying to force a seperation but Knees has the dominant position.
Pearson is trying to push Knees away but Knees has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Knees breaks from the clinch.
Pearson slaps away a takedown attempt from Knees, before circling back to the center of the mat.

Knees instigates a clinch.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Pearson as Knees tries to tie him up.

Knees is fighting off a takedown attempt but Pearson is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Knees to the mat. Knees regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Knees wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

Knees working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Pearson doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Pearson manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Knees looking for a sweep. Not yet Knees, not yet.
Knees lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Pearson!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Knees punching from mount but Pearson doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Pearson avoids a series of strikes thrown by Knees.
Pearson wants to control but Knees is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Knees throwing strikes here but Pearson is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Poor strikes thrown by Knees there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Knees throws some wild stikes that Pearson manages to avoid easily.
Knees controlling the pace for now.
Let's hope that Knees has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Knees punching from mount but Pearson doing a good job of avoiding damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pearson holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Knees tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Knees tries to control but Pearson wriggling away.
Pearson holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Knees tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Knees controlling from the full mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Diego Knees showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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!

Knees misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Knees throws a sloppy head kick and Pearson moves out of range easily.
Knees shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pearson shoots for a double leg takedown but Knees sprawls well. He's pushed Pearson's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
A head kick misses from Knees.
Knees is trying hard to land a takedown here. Pearson sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
German Pearson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Diego Knees.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Knees has closed the distance and engaged Pearson in a clinch.
Pearson stops a takedown attempt from Knees.
Knees taking a breather.
Diego Knees seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Knees takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Knees prevents Pearson from breaking the clinch.
Pearson tries to break free but Knees pushes him back against the cage.
Pearson tries to pull guard but Knees won't allow it.

Knees jumps guard and drags Pearson to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Knees keeping moving, preventing Pearson from controlling successfully.
Knees wants to sweep here but Pearson controlling him for the moment.
Knees utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Pearson tries to stand but Knees is controlling from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pearson postures up.
Pearson controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

The ref stands the fighters back up. German Pearson wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Knees throws the kick towards the body but Pearson avoids it.

Knees fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Pearson, pushing him back against the cage.
Pearson looking to slow down the pace here.
Pearson wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Pearson is looking to take this one to the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pearson keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Knees's efforts to push away.
The referee is keeping an eye on Knees - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Pearson lands a knee to the body.

Knees pulls guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Pearson trying to control the position from guard on top but Knees is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Pearson throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Knees works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Knees has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

Pearson gets to his feet - Knees follows without any prompting.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Knees shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Pearson pinned against the cage. Pearson gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Knees closes this distance looking for a takedown but Pearson circles away.
Knees has his takedown stuffed
and Pearson counters with a nice leg kick.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Pearson will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Knees closes the distance and pushes Pearson back into the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Diego Knees.
Well Knees 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 Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 28:29
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 28:29
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Diego Knees!