PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Sergei Sabotka (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Eoin Andershannon O Darby (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). O Darby has chosen I'm Shipping up to Boston by Dropkick Murphys as his entrance music. Eoin Andershannon O Darby will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Sabotka
vs
Andershannon O Darby

179 cm
23
152 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

170 cm
23
154 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid Muay Thai
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Determined

Hell's Balls Fightwear
Team S.W.A.T.

Red Moon Nutrition
Red Moon Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Sergei Sabotka!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Eoin Andershannon O Darby!
The judges for this bout are Steven Brown, James Glass and Paul Tew.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Jab by O Darby.
Sabotka is looking to clinch.
Sabotka moves in looking to clinch but O Darby pushes him off.
The fighters circling - O Darby throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
A head kick misses from Sabotka.
O Darby misses with a straight right.
Sabotka ducks under a wild hook from O Darby.
Sabotka fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Sabotka shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sabotka passes to full mount!
O Darby tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Sabotka misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.

Sabotka looking to secure an arm triangle but O Darby defends it well.
Sabotka working away from the top, dropping strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.

O Darby defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Sabotka.
Sabotka prevents O Darby from getting the reversal.
Sabotka connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
O Darby is wriggling around trying to escape.
O Darby throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
O Darby slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.

O Darby actively working from the bottom here.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
O Darby is looking for a sweep. Sabotka is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Sabotka seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

O Darby looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Sabotka is looking for a kimura here.

O Darby actively working from the bottom here.
O Darby wants to improve his position but Sabotka is controlling well.

O Darby looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
O Darby looks gassed!

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Sabotka tries to close the distance and clinch but O Darby swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sabotka avoids a punch combination nicely.
Sabotka takes a jab right on the kisser.
Sabotka tries to clinch but O Darby moves out of range.
Sabotka wants to clinch up but O Darby keeps it at a distance.
Nice shot by O Darby.
Sabotka is looking to clinch but O Darby is avoiding it.
O Darby uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Sabotka.
Sabotka tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but O Darby paws at him with a jab and circles away.

O Darby gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Sabotka stands and throws O Darby's legs to the side, diving into side control.
O Darby is trying to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
O Darby looks to move to half guard but instead Sabotka has passed into mount! Damn!
Sabotka sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Sabotka prevents O Darby from getting the reversal.
Sabotka trying to control but O Darby is having none of it.

Sabotka working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Sabotka throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sergei Sabotka dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Sabotka tries to close the distance and clinch but O Darby swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
O Darby connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Sabotka's hands.

It looks like Sergei Sabotka has been cut.
Sabotka shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has O Darby pinned against the cage. O Darby gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Sabotka closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Sabotka slips a jab from O Darby.
Sabotka tries to move into range but O Darby moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Sabotka cracks a nice hook into O Darby's ribs.
O Darby fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Sabotka fails in his attempt to clinch.

Sabotka scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
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!
Sabotka is putting a hurting on O Darby here, landing some big shots from side control.
Sabotka wants to control but O Darby is keeping him busy.
O Darby misses with a strike from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sabotka passes to full mount! That's big trouble for O Darby!
Sabotka wants to control the pace but O Darby is squirming around nicely.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
O Darby looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
Sabotka has the hooks in. O Darby is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.

Sabotka has his opponent's back and is working for the choke.
O Darby wants to escape the position.
Sabotka connects with a big shot to the side of O Darby's head.
Sabotka trying to control.
Sabotka just keeping the dominant position. He can't wait too long though, otherwise the referee will stand them back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
O Darby is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
O Darby is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Sabotka is riding his opponent, not letting O Darby buck him off.
Sabotka struggling to keep hold of the position.
O Darby breaks Sabotka's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
O Darby stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Sabotka swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Sabotka is looking to sweep but instead, O Darby has passed into half guard.
Sabotka slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
O Darby postures up.

O Darby drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Sabotka manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now O Darby has Sabotka in his guard.
O Darby keeping moving, preventing Sabotka from controlling successfully.
Sabotka trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

O Darby looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

O Darby looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Sabotka pushing down on O Darby's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

O Darby is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Sabotka pulls his head out easily.
Sabotka stalling.
Sabotka throwing shots but O Darby is blocking nicely.
Sabotka is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for O Darby!
O Darby is desperately trying to improve his position but Sabotka has a good base and remains in mount.
Sabotka controlling his opponent.
O Darby throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Sergei Sabotka will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Sergei Sabotka's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Sabotka tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but O Darby paws at him with a jab and circles away.
O Darby might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
O Darby blocks a head kick by Sabotka.
O Darby avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Sabotka moves in looking to clinch but O Darby pushes him off.
A clash of legs there as O Darby blocks the low kick.
O Darby keeps the fight on the outside.
Sabotka throws a sloppy head kick and O Darby moves out of range easily.
The fight stays on the outside here - Sabotka looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Sabotka tries to clinch there but O Darby circles away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
O Darby darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Sabotka fails in his attempt to clinch.
O Darby circles away from the clinch attempt.
Sabotka wants to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A punch lands to the side of Sabotka 's head but he takes it in his stride.
O Darby swats away the attempt to clinch by Sabotka.
Sabotka moves in looking to clinch but O Darby pushes him off.

Sabotka scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

O Darby looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

O Darby actively working from the bottom here.
O Darby is looking for a sweep. Sabotka is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Sabotka working to pass to mount. He's got his hand pressing down on O Darby's thigh. O Darby counters though and makes it back to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sabotka passes O Darby's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Sabotka controlling the action here.

O Darby is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Sabotka pulls his head out easily.
Sabotka has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Sabotka takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
O Darby is squirming around, avoiding Sabotka's attempts to control the action.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sabotka sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
O Darby tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Sabotka throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for O Darby because Sabotka loaded up on that one.
O Darby manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Sabotka moves into full mount! O Darby won't be happy about that!
Sabotka working O Darby over with strikes here.
Sabotka prevents O Darby from getting the reversal.
O Darby in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
O Darby is looking to improve his position but Sabotka isn't that keen on the idea.
Sergei Sabotka is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sabotka controlling from the full mount.
Sabotka manages to capitalize on a mistake by O Darby to take his back!
Sabotka trying to secure his dominant position for a moment - making sure O Darby doesn't escape.
O Darby tries to escape the position.

O Darby defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sergei Sabotka showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Sabotka, 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 Steven Brown scores the fight 30:27
Judge James Glass scores the fight 30:27
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sergei Sabotka!