PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mamed Mousasi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alex Karelin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 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.

Mousasi
vs
Karelin

187 cm
22
265 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

205 cm
22
265 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Improved boxing
Big heart

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Granite 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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Mamed Mousasi!
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, Alex Karelin!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Fedor Mirinova and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mousasi fails to land with a series of punches.
Mousasi misses with a double jab.
Karelin changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Mousasi tries to avoid it but Karelin manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Mousasi to the ground. Mousasi escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.

Karelin scores with a takedown into Mousasi's guard.
Karelin stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Mousasi swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Karelin trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Mousasi manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!
Mousasi would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Karelin controls Mousasi momentarily but Mousasi frees himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Karelin wants to sweep here but Mousasi controlling him for the moment.
Mousasi trying to control the position from guard on top but Karelin is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Mousasi wants to stand but Karelin has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Karelin is looking to clinch.
Karelin dodges the punch combination from Mousasi.

That's two 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.

Karelin closes the distance and clinches.

Karelin breaks from the clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Karelin looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Karelin looks for a takedown but Mousasi sprawls well.
Karelin fails to land the takedown.
Mamed Mousasi has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Alex Karelin.
Karelin takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Mousasi swinging wilding here.

Karelin feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Karelin stops Mousasi from standing up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Karelin is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Mousasi wants to sweep but no luck.
Karelin trying to control the position from guard on top but Mousasi is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Mousasi wants to stand but Karelin is controlling the position.
Mousasi doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Horrible takedown by Karelin or perhaps it was just good defense by Mousasi which made him look bad.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Mousasi misses with a looping right.
Mousasi scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!

It looks like Alex Karelin has been cut.
Mousasi looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Mousasi is breathing heavily.
Karelin closes the distance and clinches up with Mousasi, looking for a takedown. Karelin pushes Mousasi against the cage but Mousasi circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Karelin slips a jab and a cross from Mousasi.
Karelin scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Karelin fails in his attempt to clinch.

Karelin looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Karelin sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Karelin must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Mousasi keeping moving, preventing Karelin from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alex Karelin dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Alex Karelin's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Mousasi is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Karelin.
Karelin tries to close the distance and clinch up but Mousasi swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Karelin shoots in but Mousasi avoids the takedown attempt easily.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Karelin.
Mamed Mousasi is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Karelin lands a with a good body shot.

Karelin closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Karelin lands in his opponent's guard.
Karelin prevents Mousasi from getting back to his feet.
Mousasi managing to control the position.
Karelin prevents Mousasi from getting back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Karelin controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

Mousasi is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
Karelin is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Mousasi pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Mamed Mousasi has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Alex Karelin.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Karelin prevents Mousasi from breaking the clinch.
Mousasi prevents the takedown attempt.
Karelin is breathing heavily.
Karelin is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Mousasi is keeping busy.

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.
Mousasi wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Karelin has him pressed against the cage.
Mousasi wants to break free but Karelin has control.
Karelin tries for a takedown. No joy.
Mousasi has had enough of the clinch but Karelin keeps him there for the moment.
Mousasi has had enough of the clinch but Karelin keeps him there for the moment.
Mousasi wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Mousasi wants to get back to striking at distance but Karelin won't allow it.
Mousasi is pressed up against the cage. Karelin has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Mousasi down to the mat. Mousasi avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Mousasi misses with a few strikes there.
Karelin tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Mousasi swivels and escapes.
Karelin is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Mousasi misses with a series of wild punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Karelin avoids a punch combination nicely.
Karelin closes the distance and clinches up with Mousasi, looking for a takedown. Karelin pushes Mousasi against the cage but Mousasi circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Mousasi fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Mousasi gets caught flat footed, as Karelin shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Mousasi wants to get back to his feet but Karelin is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Karelin is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Mousasi is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Mousasi seems keen to control Karelin's posture.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Karelin prevents Mousasi from getting back to his feet.
Mousasi managing to control the position.
Mousasi might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Mousasi is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Mousasi uses the cage to get back to his feet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Mousasi smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mamed Mousasi dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Alex Karelin's cut.
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. This is the final round!

Mousasi misses with a wild combination.
Mousasi stuffs the takedown.
Mousasi throws a jab when Karelin was well out of range.
Karelin misses with a takedown attempt - Mousasi sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Mousasi swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Karelin takes a jab right on the kisser.
Nice body punch from Mousasi.
Mousasi throws a right and a left that both miss.
Karelin throws a body punch but Mousasi moves out of range.
Mousasi throws a body punch but Karelin moves out of range.
Mousasi slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Good standup being displayed there by Mousasi as he connects with a hook.
Mousasi ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Karelin moves away.
Karelin on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Mousasi is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Karelin closes the distance and clinches up with Mousasi, looking for a takedown. Karelin pushes Mousasi against the cage but Mousasi circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Mamed Mousasi has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Alex Karelin.
Karelin takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Karelin changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Mousasi tries to avoid it but Karelin manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Mousasi to the ground. Mousasi escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Mousasi changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Karelin fails with the takedown.

Karelin darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Well, if Karelin is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mousasi wants to get back to his feet.
Karelin content to control rather than advance.
Mousasi wants to get back to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Karelin seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Karelin trying to control from half guard but Mousasi is working away.
Mousasi is holding on to half guard well.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Karelin in particular looking to stall.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mousasi has a hand on Karelin's thigh, trying to get back to full guard. Karelin takes advantage of the position though and mounts him!
Mousasi tries to lock up and control but Karelin gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Karelin controlling from the full mount.
Mousasi is looking to get to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Karelin trying to control but Mousasi is having none of it.

Despite being in the dominant position, Alex Karelin just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Mousasi throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Karelin.

Karelin decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Mousasi is doing well to control the position and prevent Karelin from advancing to side control.
Mousasi pushes Karelin off looking to stand but Karelin dives back in and keeps control.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Mamed Mousasi.
I think Mousasi has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 29:28
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 29:28
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mamed Mousasi!