PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Elias Maxwell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Yuri Kuznecov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kuznecov has chosen Небо Славян as his entrance music. Elias Maxwell has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Maxwell
vs
Kuznecov

223 cm
18
140 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

177 cm
18
134 lbs
0 - 4 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Inexperienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight 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, Elias Maxwell!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Yuri Kuznecov!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Konstantin Menshow and Sergei Dronov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kuznecov throws a head kick that misses.

Maxwell moves into the clinch.
Kuznecov is trying to break the clinch but Maxwell is controlling him.
Kuznecov jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Maxwell walks away with a smile on his face. Kuznecov gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Maxwell stuffs the takedown.
Kuznecov fails to land the takedown.
Elias Maxwell has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Yuri Kuznecov.
Kuznecov slaps away a takedown attempt from Maxwell, before circling back to the center of the mat.

Kuznecov clinches with his opponent.

Maxwell escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Maxwell closes this distance looking for a takedown but Kuznecov circles away.
Kuznecov shoots in looking for a takedown but Maxwell manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Kuznecov's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Yuri Kuznecov seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Maxwell has taken the fight to the clinch.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

Maxwell pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Kuznecov misses with a takedown attempt
and Maxwell counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Kuznecov thinking.
Kuznecov looks winded!
Maxwell shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Kuznecov as he jumps to the side.
Kuznecov looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Maxwell is fending him off so far but Kuznecov persists. Nope, Maxwell circles away and we're back to standing.
Maxwell shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Kuznecov defends it nicely.
Kuznecov leaves Maxwell with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maxwell looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Kuznecov is fending him off so far but Maxwell persists. Nope, Kuznecov circles away and we're back to standing.

Kuznecov clinches up against the cage.
Kuznecov has Maxwell pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Maxwell manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Kuznecov.
Kuznecov is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Maxwell to keep the fight standing.

Maxwell's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Maxwell is defended easily by Kuznecov.
Kuznecov is trying hard to land a takedown here. Maxwell sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Horrible takedown by Maxwell or perhaps it was just good defense by Kuznecov which made him look bad.
Kuznecov fails with a takedown attempt.
Kuznecov looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Maxwell breaks the clinch.
Horrible takedown by Kuznecov or perhaps it was just good defense by Maxwell which made him look bad.
Maxwell tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Kuznecov paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Kuznecov clinches up with Maxwell and pushes him back against the cage.
Kuznecov wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Maxwell really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Kuznecov letting Maxwell take a breather here.
Kuznecov taking a breather.
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 Elias Maxwell will probably get the nod.
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.

Maxwell is looking to clinch.

Maxwell moves into the clinch.
Kuznecov tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Kuznecov jumps into guard, dragging Maxwell to the mat.
Kuznecov keeping moving, preventing Maxwell from controlling successfully.
Maxwell showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Maxwell wants to control from the top but Kuznecov keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maxwell postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Kuznecov can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Maxwell controls the pace.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Elias Maxwell wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Maxwell tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Kuznecov manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Maxwell wants to clinch.
Maxwell shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Kuznecov pinned against the cage. Kuznecov gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Kuznecov rushes Maxwell and presses him up against the cage.
Maxwell is pressed up against the cage. Kuznecov has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Maxwell down to the mat. Maxwell avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Maxwell shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Kuznecov defends it nicely.
Maxwell blocks a head kick by Kuznecov.
Maxwell moves out of range of the body kick from Kuznecov.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kuznecov closes the distance and clinches up with Maxwell, looking for a takedown. Kuznecov pushes Maxwell against the cage but Maxwell circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Elias Maxwell has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Yuri Kuznecov.
Kuznecov is breathing heavily.
Maxwell doesn't manage to clinch there - Kuznecov circles away.
Kuznecov shoots in looking for a takedown but Maxwell manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Kuznecov's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Maxwell tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Kuznecov paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Maxwell fails with a takedown attempt.
Kuznecov keeps the fight on the outside.
Maxwell ducks under a wild hook from Kuznecov.
Kuznecov gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Maxwell counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Maxwell's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Kuznecov cracks a nice hook into Maxwell's ribs.
Maxwell moves in looking to clinch but Kuznecov pushes him off.
Maxwell blocks a head kick by Kuznecov.

Maxwell shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Kuznecov manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Maxwell loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Kuznecov is looking to sweep but instead, Maxwell has passed into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Elias Maxwell dominated that second 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. This is the final round!

Maxwell shoots in and bounces Kuznecov off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Maxwell stays in close to Kuznecov's body and controls the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kuznecov keeping moving, preventing Maxwell from controlling successfully.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Elias Maxwell just wasn't active enough.

Kuznecov pushes Maxwell up against the cage in a clinch.

Maxwell breaks from the clinch.
Kuznecov shoots in looking for a takedown but Maxwell manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Kuznecov's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Elias Maxwell is winning the standup battle so far.
Kuznecov takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Maxwell shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Kuznecov manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.

Maxwell drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Kuznecov manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Maxwell has Kuznecov in his guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kuznecov wants to get up but he can't break Maxwell's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maxwell trying to control but Kuznecov is working from the bottom.
Maxwell prevents Kuznecov from getting back to his feet.
Maxwell not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Maxwell trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Elias Maxwell.
Kuznecov looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Kuznecov shoots for a double leg takedown but Maxwell sprawls well. He's pushed Kuznecov's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Maxwell is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Maxwell misses with a takedown attempt - Kuznecov sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Maxwell fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

And that's the end of the fight!
Elias Maxwell showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Maxwell has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 30:27
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Elias Maxwell!