PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Reinaldo Davidson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tahe Abdullah (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.

Davidson
vs
Abdullah

183 cm
22
215 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

208 cm
23
202 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Reinaldo Davidson!
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, Tahe Abdullah!
The judges for this bout are Sergei Dronov, Aleksei Zolotukhin and Viktor Lagutenko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Abdullah clinches with his opponent.

Davidson pulls guard successfully.
Davidson is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Davidson throwing shots but Abdullah is blocking nicely.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Abdullah looking for submissions off his back.
Abdullah tries to get to full guard but Davidson has control of the leg.
Davidson tries to stand but can't do so whilst Abdullah controls his leg.
Abdullah is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Davidson wants to lay and pray for a moment but Abdullah keeps working.

Davidson is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Abdullah defends it well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Abdullah tries to get to full guard but Davidson has control of the leg.
Davidson is trying to control. Abdullah wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Davidson thows a huge punch but Abdullah dodges it nicely.
It looks like Davidson is going to stand back up.
Abdullah is pressing down on Davidson's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Davidson is looking to stand up but Abdullah won't let him.
Abdullah wants to sweep but no luck.
Davidson tries to stand but Abdullah is controlling from the bottom.
Abdullah is looking to sweep but instead, Davidson has passed into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Abdullah keeps control of the position for the meantime.
Abdullah has hold of Davidson's hands but Davidson slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Davidson seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Abdullah is trying to get back to full guard.
Davidson wants to stand up but Abdullah has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Abdullah is trying to maintain the position but Davidson is very close to passing his half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Davidson seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Abdullah does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Davidson tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Abdullah.
Abdullah has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Davidson is working away from the top position though.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Davidson moves in looking to clinch but Abdullah pushes him off.
Abdullah doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Davidson counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Abdullah throws a head kick that half lands.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Abdullah gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Davidson counters with a nice double leg into guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Abdullah trying to keep a closed guard but Davidson is proving a slippery customer.
Abdullah keeping moving, preventing Davidson from controlling successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Davidson won't allow Abdullah to get back to his feet.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Abdullah has a closed guard, preventing Davidson from standing up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Reinaldo Davidson.
Abdullah will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Reinaldo Davidson dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Davidson tries to clinch but Abdullah moves out of range.
Abdullah has a takedown stuffed.
A head kick misses from Abdullah.
Abdullah with a lazy takedown attempt

and Davidson counters with a shoot takedown. Abdullah fights it but they end up in guard.
Davidson trying to stand up but can't free himself from Abdullah's guard.
Davidson scoring with some ground and pound.
Davidson is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Davidson looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Davidson trying to stand up but can't free himself from Abdullah's guard.
Reinaldo Davidson overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Davidson with a nice head shot there.
Davidson controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Davidson is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

Davidson stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Tahe Abdullah seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Abdullah doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Davidson counters with a one-two to the body.
Reinaldo Davidson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tahe Abdullah.
Abdullah is breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Davidson pushes Abdullah up against the cage in a clinch.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Abdullah as Davidson tries to tie him up.
Davidson is trying to pull guard but Abdullah has him pressed against the cage.
Davidson misses with some punches.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Abdullah breaks from the clinch.
Abdullah tries to score a power double leg takedown but Davidson sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Abdullah somewhat.
Abdullah doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Davidson counters with a one-two to the body.
Davidson could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Davidson lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Abdullah circles away quickly and effectively.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Davidson gets tackled into the cage by Abdullah. Abdullah maintains the clinch.
Abdullah fails to pull guard.
Davidson has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Davidson tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Abdullah breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Abdullah throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Abdullah misses with a takedown attempt

and Davidson counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Abdullah breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Abdullah shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Davidson counters with a slapping leg kick.
Abdullah shoots in but Davidson avoids the takedown attempt easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Davidson tries to clinch there but Abdullah circles away.
Reinaldo Davidson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Davidson.
Davidson tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Abdullah swats away the attempt to clinch by Davidson.
Abdullah dives in for a single leg takedown but Davidson sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Abdullah wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Davidson effectively controlling the action here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Reinaldo Davidson dominated that second round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Abdullah dives in for a single leg takedown but Davidson sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Davidson wants to break the clinch but can't.
Davidson wants to take the fight to the mat but Abdullah manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Davidson stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Davidson prevents the takedown attempt.

Davidson decides to pull guard.
Davidson has a closed guard, preventing Abdullah from standing up.
Davidson lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Davidson would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Davidson trying to control but Abdullah is working from the bottom.
Abdullah is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Davidson would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Davidson sitting in guard here, content to control.
Davidson tries to stand but Abdullah is controlling from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Reinaldo Davidson.
Abdullah with a lazy takedown attempt

and Davidson counters by clinching up.
Reinaldo Davidson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tahe Abdullah.
Abdullah takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Davidson is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Abdullah is keeping busy.
Abdullah tries to pull guard but Davidson forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Abdullah trying to control the position but instead, Davidson has worked for underhooks and has pushed Abdullah into the cage.
Abdullah blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

Abdullah breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Abdullah has his takedown stuffed

and Davidson counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Abdullah throws a knee to the head but misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Davidson jumps guard but Abdullah turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Davidson is trying to break free.
Abdullah is trying to push Davidson away but Davidson has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Davidson tries to pull guard but Abdullah won't allow it.
Davidson is looking to control Abdullah's arms but Abdullah gets an underhook and turns him. Now Davidson has his back to the cage.
Davidson can't seem to implement his control oriented gameplan at the moment. That's no bad thing of course, for those of us who want to see a good fight.
Davidson is stalling here.

Abdullah breaks from the clinch.

Abdullah closes the distance and pushes Davidson back into the cage.

Abdullah breaks from the clinch.
Abdullah looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Davidson is fending him off so far but Abdullah persists. Nope, Davidson circles away and we're back to standing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Abdullah clinches with his opponent.
Davidson wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Abdullah has him pressed against the cage.
Davidson dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.

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

Abdullah rushes Davidson and presses him up against the cage.
Abdullah wants to stall.
Davidson is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Abdullah to keep the fight standing.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Abdullah goes for a takedown in the clinch but Davidson prevents it.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Davidson content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Tahe Abdullah has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Reinaldo Davidson is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Davidson tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Abdullah smiles and moves away.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Reinaldo Davidson.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Davidson, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Sergei Dronov scores the fight 30:27
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Reinaldo Davidson!