PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Chaka Mababa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Shawn Larkin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Mababa might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Street Fighting Man. Both fighters really staring eachother down here, as Shawn Larkin enters the cage!

Mababa
vs
Larkin

210 cm
22
218 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

182 cm
23
212 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
KO power

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Determined

Murder Inc.

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 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Chaka Mababa!
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, Shawn Larkin!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Konstantin Menshow and Sergei Dronov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Larkin misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Mababa.

Larkin darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Mababa wants to get back to his feet.
Larkin trying to control from half guard but Mababa is working away.
Larkin sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Mababa defending well though.
Mababa is staying active underneath Larkin, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Larkin not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Larkin has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Larkin not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Larkin is keen to just control but Mababa is a slippery customer.
Larkin moves nicely into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mababa is trying to get back to half guard.
Mababa really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Mababa tries to bum rush Larkin with a series of wild strikes but Larkin uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Mababa misses with a double jab.
Larkin misses the jab.
Mababa throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.

It looks like Shawn Larkin has been cut.

Larkin gets the takedown into side control.

Larkin thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Larkin working the ground and pound.
Mababa is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Larkin has just dragged him back down to the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Larkin is looking to take a break and control but Mababa is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Larkin is staying tight to Mababa's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Mababa stops Larkin from passing to mount.
Larkin misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Mababa tries to improve position but can't.
Larkin trying to control the position but Mababa is working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Larkin thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Mababa parries the strikes from Larkin easily there. Larkin is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Mababa to escape.
Larkin is looking to take a break and control but Mababa is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Larkin slows the pace down.
Larkin working the body and head with strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mababa wants to control but Larkin postures up.
Larkin trying to control the position but Mababa is working away.
Mababa wants to get back to his feet but Larkin drags him back down.
Mababa trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.
Mababa tries to buck Larkin off but Larkin is having none of it.
Mababa is breathing heavily.
Larkin just content to control the position.

Larkin working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shawn Larkin dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Shawn Larkin's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Larkin slips a jab and a cross from Mababa.

Larkin shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Larkin passes to side control.
Larkin has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Larkin can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Mababa is looking to escape.
Larkin pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Larkin is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Mababa trying desperately to get to his feet.
Larkin controlling the pace for now.
Larkin trying to control but Mababa is having none of it.
Mababa in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Mababa somehow manages to escape the mount and get back to his feet!
Mababa tries to bum rush Larkin with a series of wild strikes but Larkin uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Mababa throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Larkin blocks a head kick by Mababa.
Some wild striking there from Mababa.
Larkin swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Mababa looks to throw the jab but Larkin is out of range.

Larkin shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Larkin not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Larkin lands a nice short elbow.
Mababa wants to get back to his feet.
Larkin thows a huge punch but Mababa dodges it nicely.
Larkin is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Larkin controlling from mount.
Larkin has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Mababa's face.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Larkin tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Larkin lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Larkin working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Larkin sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Larkin lands a nice shot to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shawn Larkin showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Shawn Larkin's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Mababa bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Larkin misses the shot to the body.
The crowd cheers as Mababa lands an impressive looking overhand right. Larkin doesn't seem phased though.
Mababa misses with a straight left.

Larkin closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.

Larkin is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Mababa knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Mababa is not content to let Larkin control the position.

Larkin is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Mababa knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Larkin prevents Mababa from escaping the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Larkin lands a decent elbow from side control.
Mababa is trying to escape the position but Larkin is controlling the position.

Larkin is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Mababa knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mababa wants to get back to his feet.
Mababa avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Larkin.
Mababa is trying to get back to his feet.
Larkin scoring with punches and elbows.
Larkin trying to control the action but Mababa is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mababa is trying to escape the position but Larkin is controlling the position.
Larkin wants to lay and pray for a moment but Mababa keeps working.
Larkin works to advance to full mount. Mababa defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Larkin takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Larkin is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Mababa can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Mababa really wants to buck Larkin off and get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Larkin is giving the impression that he's looking to ground and pound but he switches suddenly into a beautiful far side armbar! Mababa is forced to tap! Great finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:21 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Shawn Larkin!