PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Maykol Yurk (ranked 4487 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mehdi Boukhidous (ranked 5038 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Yurk
vs
Boukhidous

177 cm
25
156 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

173 cm
25
156 lbs
2 - 3 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Maykol Yurk!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 1, fighting out of The Island, Mehdi Boukhidous!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Michael Johnstone and Santiago Holmes.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Yurk shoots in and drives through. Boukhidous sprawls well.
Boukhidous with a lazy takedown attempt
and Yurk counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

Boukhidous clinches with his opponent.
Yurk keeps control of Boukhidous as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Boukhidous is trying to pull guard but Yurk has him pressed against the cage.
Yurk is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Boukhidous is defending well.
Boukhidous lands with a right to the head.
Yurk wants to break the clinch but can't.
Boukhidous goes for a takedown attempt but Yurk pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Maykol Yurk has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mehdi Boukhidous.

Boukhidous pushes Yurk up against the cage in a clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Boukhidous jumps into guard, dragging Yurk to the mat.
Yurk controls from within his opponent's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Boukhidous is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Yurk is controlling him.
Yurk engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Boukhidous keeping full guard, as Yurk tries to pass.
Boukhidous controlling Yurk's posture.
Boukhidous can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Yurk controls the pace.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Yurk trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Boukhidous is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Yurk shoots in but no luck this time.
Yurk takes one on the button.
Yurk moves in looking to clinch but Boukhidous pushes him off.
Boukhidous flicks out a counter leg kick but Yurk steps away.

Boukhidous closes the distance and clinches.
Boukhidous tries to pull guard but Yurk forces him back to his feet, against the cage.

Yurk breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Yurk keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Boukhidous throws a head kick that misses.
Yurk tries to counter by clinching up but Boukhidous breaks away and moves out of range.
Boukhidous displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Yurk.
Boukhidous is trying hard to land a takedown here. Yurk sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Boukhidous tries for a takedown but Yurk sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Yurk looked to counter with a high kick but didn't commit.

Yurk scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Yurk prevents Boukhidous from improving his position.
Yurk is trying to control the action in half guard but Boukhidous is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Yurk is really struggling to control Boukhidous but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Boukhidous preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Boukhidous keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Yurk controlling the action here.
Boukhidous trying to control here.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Mehdi Boukhidous will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Yurk is looking to clinch.
A head kick misses from Yurk.
Boukhidous now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Yurk goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Boukhidous shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Yurk sprawls well. Yurk wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Boukhidous gets slowly back to his feet.
Yurk has his takedown stuffed
and Boukhidous counters with a good low kick that Yurk was not able to check.
Boukhidous swings for the body but Yurk moves out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
No luck for Yurk with that takedown attempt.
Boukhidous is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Nice takedown defense from Yurk. No joy for Boukhidous on that attempt.
Boukhidous keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Maykol Yurk. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A cross from Yurk lands.
Yurk throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Boukhidous takes the fight into the clinch.

Yurk breaks from the clinch.
Maykol Yurk is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Boukhidous closes the distance and pushes Yurk back into the cage.
Yurk is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Yurk has Boukhidous pressed against the cage.
Yurk prevents the takedown attempt.
Yurk is looking for a takedown.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Boukhidous's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Boukhidous has taken the fight to the clinch.
Boukhidous slows down the pace here.
Boukhidous tries to land a knee to the head but Yurk blocks with his arms.

Yurk pulls guard effortlessly.
Boukhidous preventing the sweep.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Yurk is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Yurk tries to stand but his arm is trapped.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yurk drops an elbow to the side of Boukhidous's head.
Boukhidous is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Boukhidous has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Yurk is working away from the top position though.
Boukhidous is looking to improve his position.
Boukhidous tries to kick Yurk off but Yurk keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Yurk thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Yurk tries to stand but can't do so whilst Boukhidous controls his leg.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Boukhidous trying to control from the bottom.
Boukhidous is trying to stand.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Boukhidous.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Boukhidous shoots in looking for a takedown. Yurk tries to sprawl out of it but Boukhidous keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Yurk manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Maykol Yurk dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Yurk fails to land the takedown.
Boukhidous throws a head kick that Yurk semi-blocks.

It looks like Maykol Yurk has been cut.
Boukhidous stuffs the takedown attempt from Yurk. Yurk gets slowly back to his feet.
Yurk fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Maykol Yurk. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Boukhidous stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Boukhidous wants it to stay on the feet.
Boukhidous misses with a two punch combination.
Yurk avoids a kick to the body.
Boukhidous wants to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Boukhidous is looking to clinch.
Yurk shoots in looking for a takedown. Boukhidous tries to sprawl out of it but Yurk keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Boukhidous manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Yurk goes for a double leg but Boukhidous avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Boukhidous continues to drive forward.

Boukhidous moves into the clinch successfully.
Boukhidous drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Boukhidous gets underhooks to prevent Yurk's takedown attempt.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Yurk gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Boukhidous tries to kick Yurk off but Yurk keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

Boukhidous actively working from the bottom here.
Boukhidous wants to control but Yurk is keeping busy.
Maykol Yurk overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Boukhidous is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Yurk's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Yurk's back!
Yurk covering up well under a series of strikes from Boukhidous.

Boukhidous working for a choke but Yurk is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Boukhidous has his hand under the chin of his opponent looking for the choke. He's nearly got it! This one could be all over! But no, Yurk has freed his hand and lives to survive another… well, another couple of seconds at least!
Yurk tries to break free.
Yurk trying to control but not successfully.
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Boukhidous's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Yurk tries to escape but Boukhidous has the hooks in and won't let him break free.

Boukhidous working for a RNC but it's not happening just yet.
Boukhidous throwing strikes and Yurk squirms under the pressure, ending up mounted.
Boukhidous sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Boukhidous trying to control but Yurk is having none of it.
Boukhidous looking to control and managing it successfully.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mehdi Boukhidous comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Boukhidous has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Daniel Franklin scores the fight 28:29
Judge Michael Johnstone scores the fight 28:29
Judge Santiago Holmes scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mehdi Boukhidous!