PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Frankie Craft (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ivan Ivanic (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.

Craft
vs
Ivanic

182 cm
18
177 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
18
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Frankie Craft!
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, Ivan Ivanic!
The judges for this bout are Konstantin Menshow, Aleksandr Martynov and Fedor Mirinova.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Craft misses with a straight left.

Ivanic gets the takedown into side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Craft is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Ivanic is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
Craft is squirming around, avoiding Ivanic's attempts to control the action.
Craft bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Craft showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

Ivanic pushes Craft off and gets back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Craft looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Ivanic scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Well, if Ivanic 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.
Craft keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Craft moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Craft is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ivanic controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Ivanic must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Craft trying to strike off his back.
Ivanic trying to control the position from guard on top but Craft is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Ivan Ivanic wasn't active enough on the ground.
Craft misses with a low kick.

Ivanic clinches up with Craft and pushes him back against the cage.

Ivanic escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Ivanic bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Craft is trying to get back to half guard.
Craft misses with an elbow from the bottom.
Craft is not content to let Ivanic control the position.
Craft sneaks back into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ivanic slows the pace down in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Ivanic sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Craft defending well though.
Ivanic perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Ivan Ivanic.
Ivanic tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Craft counters with a lovely straight right hand!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Craft waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Ivanic.
Ivanic lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Craft at a distance.
Craft will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ivan Ivanic dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Craft throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Craft misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Ivanic shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Craft is trying to defend but Ivanic finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Ivanic looks to land a strike but Craft avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Ivanic trying to control but Craft is working from the bottom.
Craft being controlled here, momentarily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Ivan Ivanic.
Craft is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Ivanic moves in looking to clinch but Craft pushes him off.

Ivanic moves into range and clinches up with Craft.

Craft manages to pull guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ivanic tries to stand but Craft is controlling from the bottom.
Craft is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Ivanic is controlling him.
Ivanic showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

Ivan Ivanic has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Ivanic tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Craft counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Craft tries to close the distance and clinch up but Ivanic swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Frankie Craft is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Craft will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Craft pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Ivanic scores with a head kick.

It looks like Frankie Craft has been cut.

Ivanic shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Craft pushes Ivanic off looking to stand but Ivanic dives back in and keeps control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Craft looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Ivan Ivanic has got the better of the ground game so far.
Ivanic throwing shots but Craft is blocking nicely.
Ivanic trying to control the pace.
Ivanic is looking to take a break and control but Craft is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ivan Ivanic showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Frankie Craft's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Ivanic tries to close the distance and clinch up but Craft swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Craft tries to clinch but Ivanic moves away
and Ivanic counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Ivanic tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Craft manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Ivanic pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Craft throws a series of punches but Ivanic moves out of range.
Craft misses with a straight right.
Ivanic checks the leg kick nicely there.
Craft throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Craft throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.

Ivanic looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Ivanic content to stall in guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Craft is trying to keep Ivanic in close.

Craft manages to wriggle out and sneak his way back up to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched up against the cage.
Craft has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Craft jumps guard but Ivanic turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Ivanic stops a takedown attempt from Craft.
Craft tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Ivanic just stands there and leans against the cage.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Frankie Craft. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Ivanic is trying to trip Craft. He has hold of a leg but Craft is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Ivanic persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Ivanic 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.
Ivanic trying to control but Craft is working from the bottom.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Craft bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Ivanic's guard.

Ivanic is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Craft is aware though and is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Craft prevents Ivanic from getting back to his feet.

Ivanic looking for subs off his back but Craft has passed one foot through into half guard.
Craft prevents Ivanic from standing back up.
Craft controlling the action here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ivanic is refusing to be controlled, as Craft sits in half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

We're going to have a standup here because Frankie Craft wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.

Ivanic shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Frankie Craft has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Ivan Ivanic is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Craft flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ivan Ivanic comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Ivanic 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 Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 27:30
Judge Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 27:30
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ivan Ivanic!