PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Vaughn Rader (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Itof Meyachev (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rader kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is The Imperial March. Meyachev has chosen Pussy by Rammstein as his entrance music. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Rader
vs
Meyachev

183 cm
25
175 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

172 cm
28
174 lbs
8 - 5 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Good knees
KO power

Good wrestler
Good kicks
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Vaughn Rader!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Itof Meyachev!
The judges for this bout are Gregory Folan, William Peck and Yves DeLean.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rader tries to clinch but Meyachev moves out of range.
Rader tries to close the distance and clinch up but Meyachev swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Meyachev fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Rader, pushing him back against the cage.

Meyachev pulls guard successfully.
Rader preventing the sweep.
Rader loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Rader has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Rader tries to stand but Meyachev is controlling from the bottom.
Meyachev manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Meyachev misses with a head shot.
Meyachev thowing shots but they're missing.
Meyachev sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

Meyachev looking to secure an arm triangle but Rader defends it well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Meyachev sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Rader is controlling an arm, preventing Meyachev from taking his back. Although keeping him in mount is no better to be honest.
Rader is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Meyachev trying to control but he's not successful this time.

Meyachev looking for a guillotine from mount but Rader is having none of it.
Meyachev putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Meyachev trying to control but Rader is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rader tries to lock up and control but Meyachev gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Meyachev is in the full mount, landing strikes.

Meyachev is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Rader is surviving well by controlling Meyachev's body position as best he can.
Rader avoids a series of strikes thrown by Meyachev.
Rader knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Meyachev on the ground.
Meyachev controlling the pace for now.
Meyachev wants to control the pace but Rader is squirming around nicely.
Meyachev looking to control and managing it successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Meyachev landing strikes from the mount.
Meyachev wants to control the pace but Rader is squirming around nicely.

Meyachev looking to secure an arm triangle but Rader defends it well.
Rader avoids a series of strikes thrown by Meyachev.
Rader is wriggling around trying to escape.
Rader tries to lock up and control but Meyachev gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

Meyachev is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Rader has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Rader!
Meyachev has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Meyachev seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Meyachev looking to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rader wants to stand and escape but instead Meyachev has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Meyachev accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Meyachev wants to control from the top but Rader keeps moving.
Rader looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Meyachev not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Rader keeping moving, preventing Meyachev from controlling successfully.

Itof Meyachev has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Rader closes the distance but Meyachev moves to the side

and Meyachev counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Meyachev.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Itof Meyachev dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Some wild striking there from Rader.

Meyachev closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Rader did well to prevent Meyachev getting side control.

Meyachev is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Meyachev is trying to control the action in half guard but Rader is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Meyachev passes to full mount!
Meyachev controlling the pace for now.
Meyachev throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Rader is wriggling around trying to escape.
Meyachev controlling from mount.
Rader takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Meyachev wants to control the pace but Rader is squirming around nicely.
Rader prevents Meyachev from taking his back.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Meyachev is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Rader can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Meyachev content just to control the position here.
Rader tries to reverse the position but Meyachev maintains control.
Meyachev controlling from the full mount.

Meyachev is working for a guillotine from mount but Rader frees his head quite easily.

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.

Meyachev is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Rader can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Meyachev landing strikes from the mount.
Meyachev cracks Rader with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Meyachev content just to control the position here.
Meyachev in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.

Rader is rocked!
Rader sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Meyachev stops Rader from getting back to his feet.
Meyachev content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Meyachev wants to control but Rader is keeping him busy.
Rader wants to control but Meyachev is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Meyachev is taking a breather. Rader says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Itof Meyachev was stalling too much, according to the referee.

Rader tries to sprawl but Meyachev drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Rader looks like he's trying to stand up.
Rader wants to get back to full guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Meyachev moves nicely into side control.
The referee asks Meyachev politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Meyachev prefers to stall for the moment though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rader prevents Meyachev from improving position.

Meyachev has hold of Rader's arm here. He's working for an Americana. It looks like he might have it! Rader tries to escape but he's just digging himself in deeper - Meyachev cranks the arm and Rader screams in pain! The ref makes a decision and ends the fight before the tap - no complains from Rader, who is just happy to have his arm attached to his body.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:39 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Americana). Itof Meyachev!