PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Luis Matos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Shark Hykoppling (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Shark Hykoppling was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Matos
vs
Hykoppling

196 cm
23
265 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

210 cm
22
254 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

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 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Luis Matos!
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, Shark Hykoppling!
The judges for this bout are Aleksandr Martynov, Sergei Dronov and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
No joy there for Matos, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Matos fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Hykoppling avoids it really well and circles away.
Hykoppling swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Matos counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Matos advances position into side control!
Hykoppling parries the strikes from Matos easily there. Matos is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Hykoppling to escape.
Matos content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.

Matos decides to stand back up. Matos steps back and let's Hykoppling get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Matos has taken the fight to the clinch.

Hykoppling pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Matos darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Matos tries to pass the half guard into mount. Hykoppling knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Hykoppling moves into full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Matos stops Hykoppling from standing up.
Hykoppling has momentary wrist control but Matos slips an elbow through the middle.

Matos 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.
Hykoppling can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Matos controls the pace.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Matos throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Hykoppling works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Matos passes into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Hykoppling keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Hykoppling trying to keep hold of his opponent's head but Matos manages to pass to mount!
Matos has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Hykoppling's face.
Hykoppling looks gassed!
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Matos landing strikes, looking to finish!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Luis Matos dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Matos shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Matos sitting in guard here, content to control.
Hykoppling can't keep his opponent in guard - Matos advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Matos takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Hykoppling is breathing heavily.
Matos is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Hykoppling!
Matos tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee warns Hykoppling that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Matos lands with some strikes.
Matos scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Matos postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Hykoppling looks a forlorn figure.
Matos controlling the pace for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Hykoppling is flailing around, obviously not happy about being mounted. Matos locks hold of one of his arms and spins for an armbar. He's got it! Hykoppling is forced to tap!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:35 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Luis Matos!