PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Tim Douglas (ranked 4536 p4p, 4719 weight class) and Russel Taric (ranked 407 p4p, 412 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.

Douglas
vs
Taric

176 cm
18
146
0 - 0 - 0

168 cm
19
148
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Tim Douglas!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Russel Taric!
The judges for this bout are Aleksandr Martynov, Fedor Mirinova and Illya Tyunina.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Douglas moves out of range as Taric strikes.
Douglas throws a head kick that misses.
Taric throws a counter combo.
Taric lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Sloppy strikes from Taric. Those never looked like landing.
Douglas lifts his leg as if looking to counter with a high kick.
Taric swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Taric scores with a one two! Douglas had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Douglas pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Taric misses with the combination.
Taric throws a series of punches but Douglas moves out of range.
Douglas throws a sloppy head kick and Taric moves out of range easily.
Taric misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Taric throws a hook but Douglas avoids it easily.
Douglas lands with a kick to the temple. Taric shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
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!
Douglas misses with a head kick.
Douglas misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Taric fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taric fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Douglas tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Taric rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Douglas moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Taric throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Taric throws a series of punches but Douglas avoids them all with ease.
Douglas leaves Taric with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Taric rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Douglas moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Taric takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Douglas tries a head kick but it misses.
No joy there for Taric, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Taric just manages to avoid a counter high kick fromDouglas.
Taric throws a right hand that Douglas ducks under and follows up with a left that Douglas also avoids with ease.
Douglas throws a nice head kick!
Douglas keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Douglas throws a counter high kick but Taric was just alert enough to avoid it.
Douglas plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!

Taric is rocked!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Douglas tries a head kick but it misses.
Taric fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Douglas throws a sloppy head kick and Taric moves out of range easily.
Taric throws a right and a left that Douglas avoids nicely.
Taric misses with a leg kick
and Douglas counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Taric is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Taric is still on wobbly legs! Can Douglas finish him?
Taric misses with a hook.
Taric seems to have recovered his senses.
Taric blocks a head kick by Douglas.
Douglas throws a sloppy head kick and Taric moves out of range easily.

Taric shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Taric wants to lay and pray for a moment but Douglas keeps working.
Taric trying to control the pace.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Taric is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Douglas doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Taric.
Taric slows the pace down in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Tim Douglas is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
The fight stays on the outside here - Taric looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Taric throws a one two combo.
Douglas scores with a head kick. Taric tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Douglas avoids a punch combination nicely.
Taric lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Taric.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Russel Taric dominated that round.
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.

Douglas misses with a head kick.
Douglas lands a head kick!
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Taric connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Taric tries to clinch but Douglas moves out of range.
A head kick misses from Taric.
Taric lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Russel Taric is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Taric avoids the head kick by Douglas.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Taric! But no joy.
Taric scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Douglas throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Taric throws a counter combo.
Douglas tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Taric misses with a few strikes there.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Taric forces Douglas back against the cage and clinches.
Taric changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Douglas fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Taric misses with a jab, cross combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Douglas lands with a kick to the temple. Taric shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Taric scores with a crisp jab that stopped Douglas in his tracks.
Taric avoids the head kick by Douglas.
Douglas tries a head kick but it misses.
Taric lands a body shot.
Taric connects with a solid leg kick.
Taric misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Taric throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Douglas is looking to counter with head kicks.

Taric clinches up with Douglas and pushes him back against the cage.

Douglas pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Douglas throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Douglas tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Taric misses with the combination.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taric throws a leg kick that misses.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Douglas lands with a kick to the temple. Taric shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Douglas drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
A head kick from Douglas lands but Taric takes it in his stride.
Taric scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Douglas misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Douglas slips a jab and a cross from Taric.
Taric falls off balance throwing a combination
and Douglas counters with a big head kick but Taric shrugs it off.
Taric is breathing heavily.
Douglas tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Taric throws a nice looking combination but Douglas bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
A punch combination from Taric misses.
Douglas throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Taric.
Taric throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Douglas sees it coming and avoids it easily.
A head kick misses from Douglas.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taric throws a combination. Douglas tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Douglas throws a head kick that misses.
Douglas pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Douglas throws a sloppy head kick and Taric moves out of range easily.
Douglas tries a head kick but it misses.
Taric takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Douglas pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Douglas checks a leg kick.
Taric lunges at Douglas with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Douglas's hand.
Douglas throws a head kick that misses.
Taric swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Douglas circles away from the clinch attempt.
Douglas throws a sloppy head kick
and Taric counters with a two punch combo.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Taric looks to land a combination but Douglas avoids it well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Douglas misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Some wild striking there from Taric.
Douglas tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Douglas throws a head kick but Taric moves out of range.
Douglas pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Douglas misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Taric lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Taric throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Douglas.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Douglas checks a leg kick.
Douglas pulls out of a head kick attempt.
A jab from Taric misses.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Douglas pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Taric lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Taric misses with the combination.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Russel Taric showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Douglas misses with a head kick.
Taric lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Douglas throws a sloppy head kick and Taric moves out of range easily.
Taric loads up on a big right hand but Douglas slips the punch.
Taric misses with a wild combination.
A right-left combo lands from Taric.
Taric will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Taric misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Taric avoids the head kick by Douglas.
Taric avoids the head kick by Douglas.
Taric unleashes a big counter combination but Douglas bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.

Taric gets a double leg takedown into Douglas's guard.
Taric is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Taric takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Taric advances to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Still in half guard, Taric seems content to control.
Douglas pushes Taric off looking to stand but Taric dives back in and keeps control.
Taric passes to full mount!
Taric content just to control the position here.

Taric working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Taric sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taric wants to control the pace but Douglas is squirming around nicely.
Taric sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taric tries to control but Douglas wriggling away.
Taric sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Russel Taric is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Taric has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's four 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.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

And that's the end of the fight!
Russel Taric comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Taric 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 Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 27:30
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 27:30
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Russel Taric!