PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ivan Dragov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Johny Gonzalez (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.

Dragov
vs
Gonzalez

200 cm
20
195 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

195 cm
24
250 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Good kicks
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ivan Dragov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Johny Gonzalez!
The judges for this bout are Frank Dennis, Gwen Towbar and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Dragov clinches.
Dragov fails to pull guard.
Dragov tries to break the clinch but Gonzalez is controlling the position.
Gonzalez is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Dragov is keeping busy.
Dragov has Gonzalez pressed against the cage, preventing Gonzalez from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Dragov is trying to break the clinch but Gonzalez is controlling him.
Dragov looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Gonzalez wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Dragov has him pressed against the cage.
A head punch on the inside from Gonzalez fails to land.
Gonzalez is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Gonzalez misses with a hook to the ribs.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gonzalez with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Gonzalez misses with some punches.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Dragov.
Dragov stalling.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Dragov.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gonzalez breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Dragov throws a right hand that Gonzalez ducks under and follows up with a left that Gonzalez also avoids with ease.

Dragov rushes Gonzalez and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

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

Dragov has Gonzalez up against the cage in a clinch.
Gonzalez working aggressively here.

Dragov gets control of Gonzalez's arms and successfully pulls guard. Dragov will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Dragov manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Gonzalez manages to get himself to full guard.

Gonzalez being controlled here, momentarily.
Dragov scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gonzalez is trying to keep Dragov in close.
Dragov not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Gonzalez wants to stand but Dragov is controlling the position.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Gonzalez is on top in guard.

Dragov looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Gonzalez has picked Dragov up and slammed him! Dragov can't keep hold of the triangle and Gonzalez manages to pass to side control!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Gonzalez stands up.

Dragov closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Gonzalez's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dragov seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Gonzalez wants to sweep here but Dragov controlling him for the moment.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Dragov won't allow Gonzalez to get back to his feet.
Dragov preventing the sweep.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Gonzalez is on top in guard.

Gonzalez stands and steps away. Dragov gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Gonzalez lands with a nice body kick.
Dragov is breathing heavily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gonzalez throws a head kick that misses.
A head kick misses from Dragov.
Dragov is looking to chop away at Gonzalez's legs.

Dragov gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Dragov tries to break free but Gonzalez pushes him back against the cage.
Gonzalez stops a takedown attempt from Dragov.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Dragov looking to slow down the pace here.
Gonzalez stalling against the cage.
Dragov is trying to pull guard but Gonzalez turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ivan Dragov. That's going to take a lot out of him.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Gonzalez is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Gonzalez is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
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 Ivan Dragov will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Dragov fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Gonzalez, pushing him back against the cage.
Gonzalez tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Gonzalez is trying to break free.
Gonzalez lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Dragov is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Gonzalez is keeping busy.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Gonzalez as Dragov tries to tie him up.
Dragov has Gonzalez pressed against the cage.
Gonzalez misses with the head strike.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gonzalez doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Dragov working hard to break the clinch.
Dragov blocks a punch to the side of the head.

Dragov breaks the clinch.

Dragov moves into the clinch.
Dragov really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dragov is stalling here.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Dragov fails to pull guard.
Dragov jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Gonzalez walks away with a smile on his face. Dragov gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Ivan Dragov is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Dragov is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Dragov blocks a body shot from Gonzalez.

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

Gonzalez moves into the clinch.
Still in the clinch, Gonzalez scores with a nice short uppercut.
Gonzalez taking a breather.
Dragov blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Gonzalez breaks the clinch.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Dragov crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Gonzalez - the referee stops the clock and Dragov gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Gonzalez. Dragov manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Gonzalez throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Gonzalez goes for a high kick. It partially lands.

It looks like Ivan Dragov has been cut.

Gonzalez gets in close and instigates a clinch.
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!
Gonzalez doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Gonzalez wants to break the clinch but can't.
Dragov doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Dragov blocking some punches.
Gonzalez misses with a hook from the clinch.
Gonzalez struggles to land a body shot inside as Dragov controls his hands.
Gonzalez tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Dragov's elbow.
Gonzalez misses with some punches.
The referee calls for Dragov to work.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Gonzalez.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dragov is trying to stall.
Gonzalez misses with a hook to the ribs.
Gonzalez misses with a punch to the body.
Gonzalez with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Gonzalez swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Dragov tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ivan Dragov. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gonzalez throws a punch but it's blocked by Dragov.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Gonzalez.
Gonzalez throws a punch but it's blocked by Dragov.
Gonzalez throws a punch but it's blocked by Dragov.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Dragov drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gonzalez is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Dragov is keeping busy.
Dragov wants to stall.
Gonzalez can't break the clinch.
Dragov stalling in the clinch but Gonzalez improves position.
Gonzalez is trying to maintain a safe position but Dragov gets an underhook and turns Gonzalez into the cage.
Dragov wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Gonzalez has him pressed against the cage.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Dragov tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Gonzalez just stands there and leans against the cage.
Dragov is trying to force a seperation but Gonzalez has the dominant position.
Dragov is trying to pull guard but Gonzalez turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.

Dragov breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Johny Gonzalez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Ivan Dragov's cut.
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. And we move into the final round!

Gonzalez closes the distance and clinches.
Dragov content to slow the pace in the clinch.

Gonzalez breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Dragov has Gonzalez up against the cage in a clinch.
Dragov blocking some punches.
Dragov tries to stall but Gonzalez uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Dragov has Gonzalez pressed against the cage.
Gonzalez tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Dragov tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gonzalez blocks an elbow strike from Dragov.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Dragov throws a punch but it's blocked by Gonzalez.
Dragov fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Dragov is looking to control Gonzalez's arms but Gonzalez gets an underhook and turns him. Now Dragov has his back to the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Dragov controlling the action here for a moment.
Gonzalez has a couple of punches blocked by Dragov.
Dragov is trying to break the clinch but Gonzalez has him pressed against the cage.
Dragov fails to pull the fight into his guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ivan Dragov. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Dragov blocks an elbow strike from Gonzalez.
Gonzalez has a couple of punches blocked by Dragov.
Gonzalez tries to work over Dragov's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Gonzalez stalling in the clinch but Dragov improves position.
Dragov stalling in the clinch.
Gonzalez misses with a short punch on the inside.
Gonzalez misses with the head strike.
Gonzalez wants to break the clinch but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gonzalez tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Gonzalez misses with a punch on the inside.
Dragov blocks a body shot from Gonzalez.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Gonzalez just misses with a elbow thrown towards Dragov's brow.
Dragov wants to get back to striking at distance but Gonzalez won't allow it.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Gonzalez.
Dragov blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Gonzalez misses with some punches.
Gonzalez has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Dragov is trying to push Gonzalez away but Gonzalez has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
A bit of stalling here from Gonzalez.
Johny Gonzalez seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Dragov takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Dragov lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Gonzalez throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dragov throws an elbow that misses.
Gonzalez looking to stall.
Dragov keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Gonzalez's efforts to push away.
Dragov manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Dragov stalling the fight.
Dragov is trying to maintain a safe position but Gonzalez gets an underhook and turns Dragov into the cage.
Dragov wants to break the clinch but can't.

Dragov manages to break the clinch.
Gonzalez throws a push kick but Dragov slaps the foot to one side.

Gonzalez moves into the clinch.
Dragov pressing his opponent against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dragov jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Gonzalez walks away with a smile on his face. Dragov gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Gonzalez clinches up with Dragov and pushes him back against the cage.
Gonzalez struggles to land a body shot inside as Dragov controls his hands.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Gonzalez.
Dragov wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Gonzalez has him pressed against the cage.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Dragov dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Dragov tries to pull guard but Gonzalez forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Ivan Dragov has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Gonzalez misses with a short punch on the inside.
Gonzalez is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Dragov is keeping busy.
The referee is keeping an eye on Dragov - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.

And that's the end of the fight!
Johny Gonzalez comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Gonzalez 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 Frank Dennis scores the fight for Johny Gonzalez!
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight for Johny Gonzalez!
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight for Johny Gonzalez!

Johny Gonzalez wins by unanimous decision!