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WP 23 PBP Commentary |
This TWGC bout is 1 fifteen minute round in the super heavyweight division. Introducing today's competitors. In the red corner, competing out of New York, with a TWGC record of 23 wins and 31 losses; Boris Balkan! And in the blue corner, fighting out of New York, with a TWGC record of 19 wins and 12 losses; Vasiliy Kulik!
The judges for this bout are Donald Grub, James Atkins and Steven Brown.
Let's get this grappling contest under way! Who will be victorious?
Balkan fails with the takedown.
Balkan feints and as Kulik raises his hands in defense, Balkan changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard. Score +2 for takedown into guard / half guard: Balkan (2) vs (0) Kulik
Kulik keeping moving, preventing Balkan from controlling successfully.
Kulik pulls Balkan in close to prevent any damage.
Kulik looking to hit a scissor sweep but Balkan is one step ahead there.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Balkan slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Balkan pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Kulik is keeping the position for now.
Kulik pulls Balkan in to control the position.
Kulik keeping moving, preventing Balkan from controlling successfully.
Balkan stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Kulik swivels though and keeps the full guard.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kulik looking to control.
Balkan looking to pass the guard.
Balkan trying to control but Kulik is working from the bottom.
Balkan stopping the sweep attempt from Kulik.
Kulik looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Balkan puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Balkan is looking for the mount but instead finds himself back in full guard.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balkan pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Kulik is keeping the position for now.
Balkan slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Kulik looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Balkan puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Kulik holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
We've been hearing good reports from Balkan's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balkan content to control rather than advance.
Kulik moves into full guard.
Balkan pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Kulik is keeping the position for now.
Balkan sitting in guard here, content to control.
Kulik has been taking part in the yoga sessions down at KFA. Presumably he's going to look for a slick submission... Or maybe he's looking to avoid one.
Kulik is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move. Score +2 for sweep to guard / half guard: Balkan (2) vs (2) Kulik
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
That's five minutes gone in the round.
Balkan wants to get back to full guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Balkan manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Kulik is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Kulik wants to control from the top but Balkan keeps moving.
Balkan controls Kulik momentarily but Kulik frees himself.
That's six minutes gone in the round.
Kulik trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Balkan looking to hit a scissor sweep but Kulik is one step ahead there.
Kulik stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Balkan swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Balkan has Kulik pulled in close to control his posture.
That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Balkan wants to sweep but no luck.
Balkan is working hard here to advance position.
Kulik trying to control but Balkan is working from the bottom.
Balkan bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Kulik's guard. Score +2 for sweep to guard / half guard: Balkan (4) vs (2) Kulik
Balkan trying to control the position from guard on top but Kulik is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Balkan trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Kulik has control of Balkan's left arm, preventing Balkan from doing any damage.
Balkan tries to free his leg and advance position but Kulik is retaining full guard.
Balkan stopping the sweep attempt from Kulik.
Balkan trying to control but Kulik is working from the bottom.
Kulik manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Balkan manages to get himself to full guard.
Score +2 for sweep to guard / half guard: Balkan (4) vs (4) Kulik
Balkan looking for a sweep. Not yet Balkan, not yet.
That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Balkan being controlled here, momentarily.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Balkan is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Balkan trying to control the position here.
Kulik wants to control from the top but Balkan keeps moving.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
That's ten minutes gone in the round.
Kulik controls from within his opponent's guard.
Kulik trying to control the position from guard on top but Balkan is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Balkan is on top in guard.
Score +2 for sweep to guard / half guard: Balkan (6) vs (4) Kulik
That's eleven minutes gone in the round.
Kulik tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Balkan wants to control from the top but Kulik keeps moving.
Balkan slips effortlessly into side control - very nice. Score +3 for passing guard: Balkan (9) vs (4) Kulik
Balkan trying to control the action but Kulik is working from the bottom.
That's twelve minutes gone in the round.
Balkan is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Kulik is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
That's thirteen minutes gone in the round.
Kulik is trying to get back to half guard.
Kulik is not content to let Balkan control the position.
That's fourteen minutes gone in the round.
Kulik is looking to regain half guard here but Balkan keeps moving and retains side control.
Kulik is not content to let Balkan control the position.
Balkan controls the position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Kulik is looking to reverse the position.
And that's the end of the fight!
Balkan takes the fight on points by 9 to 4.
A victorious Boris Balkan thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter. |
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