PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jensen Saint (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Viktor Mustavo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Saint
vs
Mustavo

182 cm
18
205 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

190 cm
18
207 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Prefers standup

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 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Jensen Saint!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Viktor Mustavo!
The judges for this bout are Igor Prikhodko, Vladimir Khabensky and Ivan Kurochkin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mustavo tries a head kick but it misses.
Saint moves into range and connects with a jab.

Saint darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Mustavo has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Saint is working away from the top position though.
Mustavo is trying to stand.
Saint sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Saint seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Mustavo for as long as he can get away with.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Saint is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Saint takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Mustavo trying to hold on to Saint's head to control him but Saint postures up.
Saint trying to control the action but Mustavo is working from the bottom.

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.
Mustavo tries to get to full guard but Saint has control of the leg.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Saint sitting and controlling from the half guard.

Saint is looking for a kimura but Mustavo is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Saint to get the leverage.
Mustavo avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Saint.
Saint throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Saint looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Saint throws a right and a left that Mustavo avoids nicely.
Saint on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mustavo falls off balance throwing a combination

and Saint counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Mustavo has had enough of the clinch but Saint keeps him there for the moment.
Saint working some nice short punches in the clinch.

Saint has picked Mustavo up - he's going for a ride! Saint dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Mustavo tries to kick Saint off but Saint keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Saint tries to pass the half guard into mount. Mustavo knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Saint is tying to control. Mustavo wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Saint stops Mustavo from getting back to his feet.
Mustavo looks gassed!
Mustavo trying to control here.
Saint moves into full mount! Mustavo won't be happy about that!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Saint is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Mustavo is surviving well by controlling Saint's body position as best he can.
Saint controlling from the full mount.
Saint tries to control but Mustavo wriggling away.
Mustavo wants to hold on but Saint pushes him away.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Mustavo defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Saint.
Mustavo sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Saint instigates a clinch.
Mustavo wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
A short right from Saint.
Saint drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
A nice left hand lands by Saint.
A short right from Saint on the inside.
With the fighters up against the cage, Mustavo throws an elbow but misses.
Saint scores with a shoulder strike.
Mustavo wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Saint has him pressed against the cage.

Saint pulls guard successfully.
Saint pulls Mustavo in close to his closed guard and prevents Mustavo from doing any damage or advancing position.
Saint looking to hit a scissor sweep but Mustavo is one step ahead there.
Mustavo trying to stand up but can't free himself from Saint's guard.
Mustavo is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Saint is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Saint tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Saint trying to control the position.
Saint is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Mustavo throws a lazy head kick

and Saint counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Saint.
Mustavo keeping moving, preventing Saint from controlling successfully.
Saint pushing down on Mustavo's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Saint wants to pass to mount but Mustavo is defending the position.
Mustavo is staying active underneath Saint, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Saint not doing much here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Saint throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Mustavo tries to get to full guard but Saint has control of the leg.
Saint keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Saint's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Jensen Saint just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Mustavo throws a left and a right that both miss

and Saint counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Mustavo's guard now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mustavo is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Saint is controlling him.
Saint passes into half guard.
Saint trying to control the action but Mustavo is working from the bottom.
Mustavo is looking to improve his position.
Mustavo manages to get to full guard.
Saint sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Mustavo's guard.
Mustavo is trying to get back to full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jensen Saint dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Saint has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Mustavo avoids a punch combination nicely.
Mustavo throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Saint counters with a shoot takedown. Mustavo fights it but they end up in guard.
Saint pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Mustavo is keeping the position for now.
Saint wants to control from the top but Mustavo keeps moving.
Saint is fighting to break Mustavo's control of his arms but Mustavo is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Saint trying to control but Mustavo is working from the bottom.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Saint is stalling in the full guard.
Saint won't allow Mustavo to get back to his feet.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Saint misses with a right hand
and Mustavo counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Saint on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Mustavo. Mustavo obviously looking to wear him down.
Saint gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.

Saint has closed the distance and engaged Mustavo in a clinch.

Mustavo breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mustavo connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Mustavo connects with a jab.
Jensen Saint is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Mustavo thows a body shot but no joy.

Saint fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Mustavo sprawls well initially but Saint persists and gets the takedown into half guard.

Saint seems to be working for a kimura but Mustavo defends the submission attempt.
Mustavo trying to control here.
Saint wants to take a breather but Mustavo is having none of it.
Saint is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Viktor Mustavo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mustavo is trying to stand up here but Saint is controlling him well.
Saint stalling.
Mustavo is refusing to be controlled, as Saint sits in half guard.
Still in half guard, Saint seems content to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Jensen Saint just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Mustavo lands a two punch combo.
Mustavo fails to land with a series of punches.
Mustavo throws a leg kick that is checked

and Saint counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Saint looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Mustavo has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Saint is working away from the top position though.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jensen Saint showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Saint, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 30:27
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jensen Saint!