PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Aki Berg (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Anton Toni (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Toni has chosen http://music.yandex.ru/#/track/1750072/album/173573 as his entrance music. Anton Toni will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Berg
vs
Toni

194 cm
23
277 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

219 cm
26
280 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Aki Berg!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Anton Toni!
The judges for this bout are Viktor Lagutenko, Illya Tyunina and Sergei Dronov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Berg doesn't manage to clinch there - Toni circles away.
Berg throws a series of punches but Toni avoids them all with ease.
Toni shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Berg will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Toni connects with an inside leg kick.
Toni steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Berg.

Toni clinches up with Berg and pushes him back against the cage.
Toni blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Toni can't get the takedown.
Toni avoiding damage.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Toni manages to break the clinch.

Berg takes the fight into the clinch.

Berg breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Toni shoots in for a takedown but Berg shows good takedown defense.
Toni is trying hard to land a takedown here. Berg sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Aki Berg has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Anton Toni.
Berg shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Toni as he jumps to the side.
Berg lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Toni circles away quickly and effectively.
Berg is breathing heavily.

Toni gets in close and instigates a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Toni manages to break the clinch.
Berg misses with a few strikes there.
Toni changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Berg tries to avoid it but Toni manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Berg to the ground. Berg escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Berg lands a jab.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Berg letting Toni take a breather here.

Toni pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Toni shoots in but Berg avoids the takedown attempt easily.

Toni fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Berg sprawls well initially but Toni persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Toni with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

Berg looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Berg wants to improve his position but Toni is controlling well.
Berg could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Toni is figuring out what he wants to do next.
It looks like Toni might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.
Berg moves into full guard.
Berg can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Toni controls the pace.

Berg looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Berg working a defensive guard here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Toni wants to pass the guard but Berg is keeping the position.

Berg working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Toni doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Toni manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

Berg is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Toni is aware though and is defending well.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Toni stays in close to Berg's body and controls the position.
Toni pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Berg is keeping the position for now.
Toni is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Berg is looking for a triangle but Toni pushes his legs off easily.
Toni looking to pass the guard.
Toni prevents Berg from getting back to his feet.
Toni stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Berg swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Toni won't allow Berg to sweep him here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Toni looking to pass the guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Toni sitting in guard here, content to control.
Berg is trying to control the position but Toni postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Toni shoots in looking for a takedown but Berg manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Toni's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.

Berg drops Toni with a left right combo! Berg follows him down to the ground into side control.

It looks like Anton Toni has been cut.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Berg working the ground and pound.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Toni can do anything to dispel that myth.
Both fighters take a look at the clock.
Toni is trying to control Berg's posture but Berg avoids it.
Anton Toni has got the better of the ground game so far.
Toni tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Berg decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Berg tries to clinch but Toni is having none of it.
Berg looks to land a combination but Toni avoids it well.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Toni shoots in for a takedown but Berg shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Berg is looking to clinch.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Berg enables Toni to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Berg manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Berg looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Toni's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Berg looking to control.
Toni really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Berg. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Berg tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Toni is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

Berg throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Toni showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Berg is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Toni defends well.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Toni content to stall in guard here.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Anton Toni hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Toni shoots in looking for a takedown but Berg manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Toni's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Aki Berg has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Anton Toni.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Toni misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Berg stuffs the takedown attempt from Toni. Toni gets slowly back to his feet.
Berg is trying hard to land a takedown here. Toni sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Berg walks forward, straight into a front kick from Toni.
Berg fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Toni looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Berg is pressing down on Toni's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Berg can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Toni controls the pace.
Berg is trying to control the position but Toni postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Toni slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Toni must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Berg looking to control.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Berg trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Toni stopping the sweep attempt from Berg.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Aki Berg.

Toni has managed to clinch.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Toni stalls.
Berg is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aki Berg dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Anton Toni's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Toni fails to land the takedown.
Berg blocks a leg kick.

Toni drives through and clinches with Berg against the cage.

Berg pulls guard successfully.
Berg looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Berg trying to control the position.
Berg tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Berg escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Toni gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Toni won't allow Berg to sweep him here.
Toni 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.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Toni got a little sloppy there for a moment and Berg has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Toni has managed to get both his arms back between Berg's legs - danger averted.
Toni sitting in guard, not really doing much.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Anton Toni wasn't active enough on the ground.
Berg takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Toni throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Berg.

It looks like Aki Berg has been cut.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Toni gets a clinch.
Toni has Berg pushed against the cage.

Toni pulls guard.
Toni is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Berg works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Berg prevents Toni from improving his position.
Toni is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Berg throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Berg wants to control but Toni is keeping him busy.
Toni tries to get to full guard but Berg has control of the leg.
Toni is controlling Berg's trapped leg to prevent Berg from advancing to side control.

Berg is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Berg thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Toni is refusing to be controlled, as Berg sits in half guard.
Toni wants to get back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Berg thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Toni's head.
Berg not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Berg tries to pass to full mount but Toni defends it.
Berg thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Toni holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
Berg prevents Toni from improving his position.
Toni trying to control here but he's found himself mounted! Oh no!
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Berg tries to control but Toni wriggling away.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Berg avoids the attempt from Toni to control.
Toni is trying to escape the mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Anton Toni comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Toni 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 Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 28:29
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 28:29
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Anton Toni!
After winning the bout, Anton Toni thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.