PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Sergei Dragunov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Yoshi Manza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Dragunov comes to the cage accompanied by Black Veil Brides - Perfect Weapon. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Dragunov
vs
Manza

182 cm
18
156 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
25
159 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Big heart

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight 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, Sergei Dragunov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Yoshi Manza!
The judges for this bout are Aleksandr Martynov, Aleksei Zolotukhin and Igor Prikhodko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Manza tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Dragunov throws and low kick but Manza moves out of range easily.
Manza lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
A low kick from Dragunov misses
and Manza counters with a three punch combo that has Dragunov backing up. Dragunov nods at Manza to acknowledge the strikes.

Dragunov gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Manza to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Manza's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Manza sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Dragunov's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dragunov trying to control but Manza postures up.
Manza looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Dragunov trying to control but Manza postures up.
Manza keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Manza trying to control the action but Dragunov is working from the bottom.

That's two 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.
Manza content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

Despite being in the dominant position, Yoshi Manza just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Manza tries to clinch up but Dragunov circles away and keeps his distance.
Manza checks a leg kick nicely.
Manza is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Dragunov doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Manza counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Manza prevents the takedown attempt.

Manza escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Dragunov waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Manza.
Manza misses with a takedown attempt - Dragunov sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Manza tries to clinch up.
Dragunov shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Manza counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Sergei Dragunov. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Dragunov tries to break free but Manza pushes him back against the cage.
Manza slowing the pace effectively.

Manza breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Yoshi Manza seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Dragunov throws a combination that misses
and Manza counters with a good low kick that Dragunov was not able to check.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Manza closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Manza trying to mount his opponent but Dragunov defends it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The fighters are battling for position here. Dragunov manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Dragunov keeping full guard, as Manza tries to pass.
Dragunov wants to stand and escape but Manza is having none of it.
Dragunov is breathing heavily.
Manza looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Manza must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Manza wants to control from the top but Dragunov keeps moving.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yoshi Manza dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Manza drives through with a takedown into guard.
Manza controls from within his opponent's guard.
Manza's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Dragunov controls Manza momentarily but Manza frees himself.
Manza preventing the sweep.
Dragunov looking to control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Manza seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Manza throwing strikes from guard but Dragunov blocks nicely.
Manza 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.
Manza is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Manza postures up.
Dragunov keeping moving, preventing Manza from controlling successfully.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Dragunov throws a predictable looking body shot

and Manza moves into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Dragunov jumps guard but Manza stands there with Dragunov around his waist. Dragunov gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Dragunov tries to pull guard but Manza holds him up against the cage and eventually Dragunov drops back down to his feet.
Manza lands a damaging elbow.

Manza breaks the clinch.
Manza tries to clinch but Dragunov is having none of it.
Manza looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Dragunov is fending him off so far but Manza persists. Nope, Dragunov circles away and we're back to standing.
Manza shoots in but no luck this time.
Dragunov tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Manza counters with a nice leg kick.

Manza clinches up against the cage.
Dragunov fails to pull guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Sergei Dragunov. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dragunov being controlled against the cage.
Manza keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Dragunov's efforts to push away.

Manza jumps into guard, dragging Dragunov to the mat.
Dragunov trying to control but Manza is working from the bottom.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Manza manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

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.
Manza controlling the pace for now.

Manza wants to finish this one by submission but Dragunov is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Manza.
Manza can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Dragunov is looking to escape.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yoshi Manza showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Manza rushes Dragunov and presses him up against the cage.

Manza breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Dragunov tries to clinch but Manza is having none of it.
Manza tries to clinch there but Dragunov circles away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dragunov shoots in but no luck this time.

Manza closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Dragunov is looking to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Manza missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Manza is pressing down on Dragunov's thigh, looking to free his foot. Dragunov is holding on for now.
Dragunov wants to control but Manza is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Manza gets to his feet - back to striking we go!
Manza slaps away a takedown attempt from Dragunov, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Manza gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Dragunov counters with a nice double leg into guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dragunov trying to control the position from guard on top but Manza is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Manza manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

Manza jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Dragunov manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Dragunov is looking for a sweep.
Manza working the body and head with strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Manza content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.

Manza decides to stand back up.

Manza closes the distance and clinches.
Dragunov being controlled against the cage.

Manza successfully pulls guard.
Manza preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Dragunov throwing strikes but missing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dragunov trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Manza is on top in guard.

Dragunov looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Manza is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Manza slips nicely into half guard.
Sergei Dragunov has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Yoshi Manza is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

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

And that's the end of the fight!
Yoshi Manza comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Manza has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 27:30
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Yoshi Manza!