LS 1: Heavyweight GP - Rd 1 PBP Commentary

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Grigoriy Skobolev (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Giro Grubaneiro (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Skobolev might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Chok Dee. 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.

Skobolev
vs
Grubaneiro

190 cm
25
243 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

190 cm
18
210 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Grigoriy Skobolev!
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, Giro Grubaneiro!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Illya Tyunina and Sergei Dronov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Skobolev throws a low kick, looking for Grubaneiro's leg but Grubaneiro calmly moves out of range.
Skobolev lands a front kick.
Skobolev throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Grubaneiro moves out of range of the body kick from Skobolev.
Crunch! Skobolev slams his shin into Grubaneiro's torso.
Grubaneiro fails to land the takedown.
Skobolev attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Skobolev avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Grubaneiro tries to score a power double leg takedown but Skobolev sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Grubaneiro somewhat.
Grubaneiro fails to land the takedown.
Grigoriy Skobolev has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Giro Grubaneiro.
Skobolev bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Grubaneiro looks winded!
Skobolev dips to his left and cracks Grubaneiro with an uppercut!

It looks like Giro Grubaneiro has been cut.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Skobolev misses with a straight right.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Skobolev lands a big head kick that sends Grubaneiro tumbling to the mat! Skobolev takes a step backwards and waves Grubaneiro back to his feet - he wants the finish!

Grubaneiro is rocked!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Skobolev scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Grubaneiro is still on wobbly legs! Can Skobolev finish him?
A solid leg kick lands there for Skobolev.
Grubaneiro seems to have recovered his senses.

Skobolev lands a big right hand that sends Grubaneiro crashing to the mat! Skobolev stays standing though and waves Grubaneiro back to his feet!
Skobolev throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Skobolev with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Skobolev changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Skobolev looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Grubaneiro takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
A solid body kick from Skobolev.
Good leg kick by Skobolev there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Nice body kick there by Skobolev.
Skobolev cracks the inside of Grubaneiro's front leg.
Skobolev thows a body kick. Grubaneiro tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Skobolev lands a brutal head kick. Grubaneiro looks out on his feet and Skobolev throws more strikes until the ref is forced to stop the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:05 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Kick and Punches). Grigoriy Skobolev!
Grigoriy Skobolev decided to hype himself up post fight. It was going well but he went on about it a bit too long and the crowd turned on him a little.

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
100%

Undercard bout

Co-main event

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Vasile Crudu (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Evgeny Tarasov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Crudu comes to the cage accompanied by Treceti batalioane romane Carpatii. Tarasov has chosen Kasta-Vokrug Shum as his entrance music. Evgeny Tarasov will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Crudu
vs
Tarasov

190 cm
20
265 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

185 cm
25
265 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Prefers standup

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 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Vasile Crudu!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Evgeny Tarasov!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Viktor Lagutenko and Vladimir Khabensky.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tarasov cracks Crudu with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Tarasov looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Tarasov jabs Crudu to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Vasile Crudu seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Crudu shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Tarasov pinned against the cage. Tarasov gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Tarasov lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Tarasov jabs Crudu to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Tarasov looks to land a combination. Crudu sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.

It looks like Vasile Crudu has been cut.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Tarasov throws a combination. Crudu tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Crudu fails to land the takedown.
Tarasov swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Tarasov punishes Crudu's body with a nice straight punch.

Crudu throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Tarasov tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Crudu is in Tarasov's guard.
Crudu postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Tarasov is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Evgeny Tarasov wasn't active enough on the ground.
Crudu fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Vasile Crudu. That's going to take a lot out of him.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Crudu.
Tarasov fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Crudu on the side of the head.
Tarasov lands with an uppercut that bounces Crudu off the cage and back into range.
Tarasov throws a combination. Crudu tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Tarasov scores with a hook to the body. Crudu takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Crudu takes a jab right on the kisser.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Crudu shoots in but no luck this time.
Evgeny Tarasov is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Crudu is breathing heavily.
Tarasov works over Crudu's head and body with a nice combination.
Crudu shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Tarasov as he avoids it easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tarasov slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Tarasov scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
A nice combination there by Tarasov.
Tarasov keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Tarasov throws a shot to the body.
Tarasov scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Crudu doesn't seem bothered though.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Crudu.
Tarasov moves into range and connects with a jab.
Tarasov tests Crudu's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Tarasov punishes Crudu's body with a nice straight punch.
Nice straight punches there by Tarasov. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Tarasov.
Crudu takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Tarasov cracks Crudu with an open hand slap.
Crudu doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tarasov lands a jab-cross combination.

Crudu is rocked!
Tarasov is working the combinations to good effect here.
Crudu on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Crudu with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Tarasov to score with a decent uppercut.
Oh Crudu is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Tarasov lands a big right hand and follows it up with an uppercut. Oh and another big punch and a knee - Crudu can't take much more of this! Another big shot to the jaw from Tarasov and Crudu drops to the floor. Beaten and bloodied - he had enough there. A vicious beatdown by Tarasov.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:17 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Evgeny Tarasov!
Evgeny Tarasov decided to go for the less than humble approach in his post fight interview, telling everyone how he is going to conquer the world. The crowd seemed to like it when really that sort of approach could have gone either way.
The defeated Vasile Crudu had this to say: 'Good Fight, guess i should train more'.

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
100%

Main event

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Sayan Sever (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Billy Aziz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Billy Aziz has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Sever
vs
Aziz

196 cm
25
286 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

185 cm
20
215 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Experienced

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Powerful

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 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Sayan Sever!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Billy Aziz!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Fedor Mirinova and Igor Prikhodko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Donk. Aziz catches Sever right on the button with a cross.

Aziz drops Sever with a beautiful combination! Sever stares up at his opponent, who ushers him back to his feet - Aziz is looking for the KO!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Aziz throws a series of punches but Sever avoids them all with ease.
Sayan Sever seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sever fails with a takedown attempt.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Sever is trying hard to land a takedown here. Aziz sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Aziz misses with a two punch combination.
Sever tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Aziz defends well and Sever ends up having to push Aziz into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Sayan Sever. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Aziz looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Aziz working hard to break the clinch.
Aziz is trying to break the clinch but Sever is controlling him.
Sever jumps guard but Aziz stands there with Sever around his waist. Sever gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Sever is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Aziz to keep the fight standing.
Aziz is trying to push Sever away but Sever has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Sever wants to stall.
Sever could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Aziz is trying to break the clinch but Sever has him pressed against the cage.
Sever keeps control of Aziz as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Aziz wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Sever has him pressed against the cage.
Sever tries to break the clinch but Aziz is controlling the position.
Sever fails to pull guard.
Aziz is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Sever prevents Aziz from breaking the clinch.
Sever tries to pull guard but Aziz forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Sever has had enough of the clinch but Aziz keeps him there for the moment.
Sever is looking to control Aziz's arms but Aziz gets an underhook and turns him. Now Sever has his back to the cage.
This is turning into a torrid day at the office for Sever. He's trying desperately to land a takedown but he's failing miserably and getting slapped silly on the feet to compound his misery.
Sever keeps control of Aziz as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sever misses with an elbow over the top.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Aziz is trying to break the clinch but Sever is controlling him.
Sever tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Sever struggles to land a body shot inside as Aziz controls his hands.
Sever jumps guard but Aziz turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Aziz tries to circle away but Sever has him pinned against the cage.
Aziz is trying to break the clinch but Sever has him pressed against the cage.
A frustrated look appears on Sever's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Sever tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Aziz just stands there and leans against the cage.
Sever jumps guard but Aziz stands there with Sever around his waist. Sever gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Sever wants to break free but Aziz has control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Aziz is trying to break free.
Sever has Aziz pressed against the cage, preventing Aziz from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Sever is trying to maintain a safe position but Aziz gets an underhook and turns Sever into the cage.
Sever is trying to pull guard but Aziz turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.

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

Sever shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

Sever seems to be looking for submissions.
Aziz is trying to stand back up but Sever is controlling him

Sever is working for a kimura but Aziz is defending it quite comfortably.
Sever will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

Sever is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Aziz is trying to stand.

Sever has hold of the far side arm. He's working for the Kimura, can Aziz defend it? Sever steps over the head and cranks it - Aziz is tapping out! That was textbook stuff right there - nice submission victory for Sever!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:22 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Sayan Sever!