PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Ismail Saidov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Abel Speed (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Saidov comes to the cage accompanied by Shamhan Daldaev - Eto Kavkaz. Speed has chosen Limp Bizkit / Break Stuff as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Saidov
vs
Speed

188 cm
38
202 lbs
22 - 14 - 1

182 cm
41
196 lbs
28 - 14 - 1

Good wrestling
Brawler
Very strong

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Powerful

Spartan Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 22 - 14 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Ismail Saidov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 28 - 14 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Abel Speed!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Sano, Hirohito Nitta and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Speed throws a lazy body kick
and Saidov counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

Saidov gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Speed manages to break the clinch.
Saidov tries to clinch but Speed is having none of it.
Speed tries to counter by closing the distance.

Speed decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Speed frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Speed lands a heavy elbow.
Speed looking to control and managing it successfully.
Speed tries to control but Saidov wriggling away.
Speed lands with some strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Speed putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Speed scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Saidov?
Speed can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Saidov is looking to escape.
Saidov is trying to stand up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Speed tries to control but Saidov wriggling away.
Speed controlling the position easily from mount.
Saidov is trying to stand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Speed lands a couple of good shots and Saidov has given up his back, trying to escape the position!
Speed scores with strikes from the back.
Saidov trying to get back to his feet but Speed is in full control for now.

Speed looking for the RNC.
Speed lands with a hammerfist to the side of Saidov's head.
Speed throwing damaging strikes from the back! Saidov could be in trouble here!
This has been an exciting period of action!

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Saidov defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.
A lull in the action here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Saidov wants to get back to his feet.
Speed trying to control.
Good control from Speed.
Saidov looking very determined here, making life difficult for Speed.
Speed has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Speed looking for the RNC.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Saidov is trying to get back to his feet but Speed has full control of the position and if anything, Saidov has just worked his way into a worse spot.

Saidov manages to stand up with Speed still on his back. Eventually Speed drops to his feet and we're back in the standing position.
Saidov tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Saidov moves to clinch but Speed breaks away
and Speed counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Saidov fails with an attempt to clinch.
Speed throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Saidov swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Speed fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Speed looks for the body kick but Saidov saw that one coming.
Saidov is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Abel Speed dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Speed swats away the attempt to clinch by Saidov.
Saidov displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Speed.

Speed gets the takedown into side control.
Saidov is not content to let Speed control the position.
Saidov tries to escape but Speed is in control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Speed throws a strike aimed at the side of Saidov's head but Saidov avoids it well.
Speed controls the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Speed in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Saidov tries to escape but Speed is in control.
Speed wants to lay and pray for a moment but Saidov keeps working.

Speed looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

Speed has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.

Speed forces Saidov back against the cage and clinches.
Saidov has a couple of punches blocked by Speed.

Speed manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Saidov has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Speed is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Saidov would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Abel Speed has got the better of the ground game so far.
Speed looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Saidov is looking to stand up but Speed won't let him.

Saidov stands up and waves to Speed to follow him.
Saidov tries to clinch there but Speed circles away.
Speed keeps the fight on the outside.
It seemed like Speed was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.

Speed feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Speed has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Speed gets to his feet - Saidov follows without any prompting.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Speed tries to clinch there but Saidov circles away.
Saidov throwing a counter right hand but Speed manages to avoid it.
Speed shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Saidov pinned against the cage. Saidov gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Speed throws a leg kick but Saidov checks it.
Speed shoots in looking for a takedown. Saidov tries to sprawl out of it but Speed keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Saidov manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Ismail Saidov has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Abel Speed.
Saidov doesn't manage to clinch there - Speed circles away.
Speed is looking to clinch but Saidov is avoiding it.
Speed tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Saidov manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Saidov moves into range and clinches up with Speed.
Saidov dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Speed escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Speed tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Saidov paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Speed misses with a low kick as Saidov jumps back.
Saidov throwing a counter right hand but Speed manages to avoid it.
Speed shoots in and drives through. Saidov sprawls well.
Saidov throwing a counter right hand but Speed manages to avoid it.
Speed shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Saidov sprawls well. Saidov wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Speed gets slowly back to his feet.
Saidov wants to clinch
and Speed counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Saidov tries to close the distance and clinch but Speed swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Speed takes the fight into the clinch.
Speed fails to pull guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Abel Speed 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. And we move into the final round!

Saidov moves to clinch but Speed breaks away
and Speed counters with a nice body shot.
Saidov tries to close the distance and clinch up but Speed swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Speed misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Saidov tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Speed manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Speed avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Speed tries to counter by closing the distance.
Saidov tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Speed paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Speed clinches.
Saidov taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Speed as Saidov tries to tie him up.

Speed breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Speed closes this distance looking for a takedown but Saidov circles away.
Ismail Saidov seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Saidov tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Speed manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
The fight stays on the outside here - Saidov looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Saidov has Speed up against the cage in a clinch.
Saidov trying to stall but Speed improves his position.
Speed is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.

Speed gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Saidov is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Speed is controlling him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Speed engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Saidov wants to stand and escape but Speed is having none of it.
Ismail Saidov has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Speed stays in close to Saidov's body and controls the position.
Let's hope that Speed 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.
Speed trying to control the position from guard on top but Saidov is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

Saidov looking for a guillotine here but Speed defends easily.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Ismail Saidov is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Saidov tries to clinch but Speed moves out of range.
Speed tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Saidov defends well and Speed ends up having to push Saidov into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Ismail Saidov has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Abel Speed.

Speed drives through with a takedown into Saidov's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.

Speed stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Speed lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
A big left from Saidov misses.
Saidov tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Speed paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Speed swats away the attempt to clinch by Saidov.
Speed tries a head kick but it misses.
Speed circles away from the clinch attempt.
Saidov tries to close the distance and clinch but Speed swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Saidov takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.

Speed decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Speed prevents Saidov from standing back up.
Speed slows the pace down in half guard.

Saidov looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Speed throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Abel Speed comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Speed winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Shigeki Sano scores the fight 27:30
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 27:30
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Abel Speed!
Post fight, Abel Speed took to the microphone: 'Forbidden Violence wins again bitches!'.