PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Stanislav Strakapoud (ranked 1704 p4p, 1416 weight class) and Dmitry Boytsov (ranked 228 p4p, 193 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Strakapoud
vs
Boytsov

192 cm
22
212
6 - 5 - 0

178 cm
21
222
4 - 1 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Counter fighter
Very quick

Excellent grappler
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

New Standard
HELLBENT

Brooklyn Threads
New Standard

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Stanislav Strakapoud!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Dmitry Boytsov!
The judges for this bout are Reed Andrews, Jorge Garcia and Anthony Taglia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Strakapoud just misses with a punch to the body.
Strakapoud ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Boytsov moves away.
Strakapoud tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Boytsov defends well and Strakapoud ends up having to push Boytsov into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Boytsov swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Boytsov.
Boytsov misses with some punches.

Boytsov breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Stanislav Strakapoud seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Strakapoud shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
The fight stays on the outside here - Strakapoud looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Strakapoud tries to clinch but Boytsov is having none of it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Strakapoud is looking to clinch but Boytsov is avoiding it.
Boytsov stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Boytsov wants it to stay on the feet.
Boytsov throws out a counter right but Strakapoud avoids it with no problem.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Stanislav Strakapoud. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Boytsov misses with a looping right.
Boytsov throws a hook but Strakapoud avoids it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A jab from Boytsov misses.

Strakapoud moves into the clinch.
Strakapoud keeps control of Boytsov as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Strakapoud is trying to trip Boytsov. He has hold of a leg but Boytsov is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Strakapoud persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Strakapoud stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Boytsov swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Boytsov escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Strakapoud gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Strakapoud is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

Boytsov had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Strakapoud defends it easily.

Strakapoud avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Strakapoud tries to free his leg and advance position but Boytsov is retaining full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Strakapoud avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Strakapoud tries to free his leg and advance position but Boytsov is retaining full guard.

Strakapoud avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Strakapoud avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Strakapoud trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Boytsov looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Strakapoud tries to free his leg and advance position but Boytsov is retaining full guard.
Strakapoud advances position into side control!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Strakapoud is trying to get an arm triangle but Boytsov is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Boytsov is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Boytsov felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.
Strakapoud working away.

Strakapoud tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Strakapoud thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
You can see the frustration on Boytsov's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

Strakapoud thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Strakapoud working away.

Strakapoud is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Boytsov has escaped the position, nice work there.

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.

Strakapoud tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Strakapoud tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Strakapoud has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Boytsov is trying to get back to half guard.

Strakapoud is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Boytsov knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Boytsov struggling a bit here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Strakapoud is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Boytsov has escaped the position, nice work there.

Strakapoud is trying to get an arm triangle but Boytsov is defending well.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Stanislav Strakapoud 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.

Strakapoud changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Boytsov looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Strakapoud is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Boytsov can do to turn this around?

Strakapoud wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Boytsov, who protects the arm well.
Boytsov struggling a bit here.

Strakapoud is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Boytsov is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

Strakapoud wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Boytsov, who protects the arm well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Boytsov sneaks back into half guard.

Boytsov looking for submissions off his back.

Strakapoud is working for a submission of some sort.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Boytsov is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Strakapoud pulls his head out easily.
Boytsov tries to get to full guard but Strakapoud has control of the leg.
Boytsov won't allow Strakapoud to pass to mount.
Strakapoud prevents Boytsov from improving his position.

Strakapoud is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Boytsov defends it well.
Boytsov is trying to control but can't.
Strakapoud wants to free his trapped foot but Boytsov is holding on for dear life with his legs.

Boytsov looking for submissions off his back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Boytsov trying to control here.

Boytsov looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Strakapoud is working for a kimura but Boytsov is defending it quite comfortably.
Strakapoud wants to pass to mount but Boytsov is defending the position.
Strakapoud will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

Strakapoud looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

Strakapoud is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Strakapoud is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Boytsov regains full guard. Nicely done.

Boytsov throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Boytsov keeping full guard, as Strakapoud tries to pass.
Strakapoud advances position into side control!

Strakapoud thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Strakapoud is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Boytsov has escaped the position, nice work there.
Stanislav Strakapoud overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

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

Strakapoud tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Strakapoud is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Boytsov has escaped the position, nice work there.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Strakapoud is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Boytsov has escaped the position, nice work there.
Boytsov is trying to control Strakapoud's posture but Strakapoud avoids it.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Stanislav Strakapoud 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!

Strakapoud slips under a jab from Boytsov.
Strakapoud tries to clinch there but Boytsov circles away.
Boytsov uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Strakapoud has time to react.

Strakapoud closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.

Strakapoud is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Boytsov wants to get back to full guard.
Boytsov is looking to control Strakapoud's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Boytsov avoid being mounted?

Strakapoud is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Boytsov doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Strakapoud.
Boytsov is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Boytsov actively working from the bottom here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Strakapoud trying to pass the guard but Boytsov defending well.

Strakapoud is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

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

Strakapoud seems to be working for a kimura but Boytsov defends the submission attempt.
Strakapoud tries to pass the half guard into mount. Boytsov knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

Boytsov is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Strakapoud pulls his head out easily.
Strakapoud is pressing down on Boytsov's thigh, looking to free his foot. Boytsov is holding on for now.
Strakapoud is working hard here to advance position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Boytsov is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Strakapoud pulls his head out easily.
Boytsov controlling the position well.

Strakapoud wants to work for an arm triangle but Boytsov is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Boytsov wants to get back to full guard.
Strakapoud uses his free foot to push down on Boytsov's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Boytsov.

Strakapoud has isolated one of Boytsov's arms. Boytsov looking to fight him off but Strakapoud twists into an armbar. It's tight... Will he tap?? YES, he's tapped! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:52 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Stanislav Strakapoud!