PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Evgeniy Malkin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tiago Renato (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Malkin comes to the cage accompanied by The Heavy - How You Like Me Now?. Renato has chosen I Want My Tears Back as his entrance music. The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Malkin
vs
Renato

191 cm
31
210 lbs
29 - 10 - 5

184 cm
32
206 lbs
29 - 6 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

Bullet Proof System
Conviction

Perkele!
Reaper Combatwear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the light heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 29 - 10 - 5, fighting out of Amsterdam, Evgeniy Malkin!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 29 - 6 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Tiago Renato!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Bishop, James Atkins and Chris Edwards.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Renato lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Renato lands with a slapping head kick.
Malkin has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Renato finds it's way round the side to connect with Malkin's head.
Renato misses with a looping right.
Malkin feinted with a counter takedown.
Malkin throws a body shot but no joy.
Renato flicks out a counter leg kick but Malkin steps away.
Renato throws out a loose jab but Malkin uses good head movement to avoid it.
Malkin bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Renato's head backwards.
The fighters circling - Malkin throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
A big left from Renato misses.
Malkin has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Gym Beam in the buildup to the fight.
Renato keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Renato doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.

Malkin closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Renato to the mat! Renato manages to get full guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Renato is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Malkin is pushing down on Renato's leg trying to pass to half guard. Renato is fighting to maintain full guard but Malkin has managed to sneak the leg through.
Renato controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.

Malkin is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Renato has managed to free his arm - good work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Malkin is pressing down on Renato's thigh, looking to free his foot. Renato is holding on for now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Malkin is working for a submission of some sort.
Renato keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.

That's two 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.

Malkin is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Renato is looking to improve his position.

Malkin is looking for a kimura but Renato is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Malkin to get the leverage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Malkin is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Malkin wants to pass to mount but Renato is defending the position.
Renato felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Malkin on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Malkin buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Renato misses with a jab, cross combination.
Malkin misses with a head kick.
Renato avoids a kick to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Malkin fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Renato has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Renato throws a series of punches but Malkin moves out of range.
Malkin finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Renato feints a counter leg kick.
Tiago Renato is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Renato misses with an attempted mid kick.
A solid body kick from Malkin.
Renato checks a low kick from Malkin.
Renato misses with a straight right.
Renato moves out of range of the body kick from Malkin.
Renato replies with a solid counter kick to the body but Malkin blocks it well.
Renato feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Malkin's calf.
Malkin works the jab nicely.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Renato misses with an uppercut. Malkin saw that one coming.
Malkin misses with an uppercut. Renato saw that one coming.
Renato appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Renato misses the shot to the body.
Malkin displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Renato throws out the jab.
Malkin misses the shot to the body.
Renato throws a wild body kick that Malkin sees coming a mile off.

Malkin drives through with a takedown into guard.
Renato is wriggling around but Malkin manages to pass to half guard.
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 Evgeniy Malkin will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Renato connects with a right hand. Malkin shakes it off.
Renato doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Malkin misses with an uppercut. Renato saw that one coming.
Renato thinks about the counter body kick.
Renato throws the left hand but Malkin avoids the punch easily.
Malkin throws a nice outside leg kick.
Renato throws a nice outside leg kick.
Malkin misses with a kick to the body.
Renato appeared to try and counter that last move with a leg kick.
Malkin lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Malkin takes a swing at Renato's ribcage but misses.
No luck for Malkin with that takedown attempt.
Renato goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
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!
Renato misses with a kick to the body.
Malkin uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Renato.
Malkin half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.

Malkin shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Renato scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Malkin manages to mount him!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Renato regains half guard.
Renato is looking to improve his position.

Renato is defending against the submission attempts here by Malkin.
Malkin trying to mount his opponent but Renato defends it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Malkin is trying to work for a kimura but Renato is defending well.
Malkin is trying to control the action in half guard but Renato is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Malkin frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Malkin with some aggressive grappling here, looking for the finish.

Malkin is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Renato has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Renato!
Malkin wants to sweep but no luck.

Malkin is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Renato controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

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.
Malkin looking for a sweep. Not yet Malkin, not yet.
Malkin avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Renato showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Renato with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Evgeniy Malkin will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Malkin works Renato's body with a nice hook.
Malkin keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Renato misses with a leg kick.
Renato looks for the body kick but Malkin saw that one coming.
The fighters circling - Renato throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Renato tries to clinch but Malkin is having none of it.
Malkin lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
A looping hook to the body misses from Malkin. Renato does a little dance to reset his feet.
Malkin scores with a leg kick.
Malkin has a takedown stuffed.
Malkin throws a half hearted mid kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Malkin throws a sloppy head kick and Renato moves out of range easily.
Renato was about to counter that last move with a leg kick but changes his mind.
Renato takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
It seemed like Renato was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Malkin.
Renato keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Renato checks a low kick from Malkin.
Malkin pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
It seemed like Renato was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Malkin lands with an overhand left.
Renato avoids the body shot from Malkin.
Malkin blocks a jab.
Malkin tries to counter with a takedown but Renato is quick to defend against it.
Malkin is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Renato.
Malkin clobbers Renato with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Renato tries to score with a low kick but Malkin moves his leg out of the way.
Malkin fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Renato has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Renato scores with a hook to the body. Malkin takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Malkin ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Malkin throws a looping overhand right but Renato ducks down to avoid it.
Malkin fakes the leg kick and cracks Renato in the body.
Malkin throws a quick inside leg kick.
Malkin misses with an attempted mid kick.
Malkin stalks Renato and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Renato's face. Renato staggers backwards, shaken.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
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!
Renato throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Renato throws a front kick aimed at Malkin's knee but Malkin avoids it well.
The crowd cheers as Malkin lands an impressive looking overhand right. Renato doesn't seem phased though.
Nice cross by Renato.
Malkin throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Malkin is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Renato.
Evgeniy Malkin seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Malkin looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Malkin misses with a kick to the body.
Malkin throws a quick inside leg kick.
Renato cracks Malkin with a good jab.
Renato checks a leg kick.
A chopping leg kick lands by Malkin.
Renato dodges the punch combination from Malkin.

Malkin drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

Malkin thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Malkin working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

Malkin in side control, working for a kimura. He's got hold of an arm and he's torquing it... Renato is tapping! That's the end of the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:52 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Evgeniy Malkin!
Evgeniy Malkin is the new light heavyweight champion!
During a confident post fight interview, Evgeniy Malkin thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.