PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Igor Stankevich (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Toquinho Palhares (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters really staring each other down here, as Toquinho Palhares enters the cage!

Stankevich
vs
Palhares

185 cm
24
180 lbs
5 - 9 - 0

173 cm
24
180 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Very quick

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
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 5 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Igor Stankevich!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Toquinho Palhares!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Lombardi, Reed Andrews and Dean Styles.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Palhares with a lazy takedown attempt
and Stankevich counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Palhares on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Stankevich stuffs the takedown.
Palhares fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Igor Stankevich has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Toquinho Palhares.
Palhares's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Stankevich connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Palhares scrambles back to his feet.
Stankevich lands a two punch combo.
Stankevich cracks Palhares with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Palhares darts in looking for a takedown but Stankevich gets double underhooks and turns Palhares into the cage.

Stankevich gets caught napping as Palhares dives in and scores a takedown. Stankevich manages to retain guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Stankevich is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Palhares is controlling him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Palhares throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Stankevich is pulling down on Palhares's head. It's preventing any offense from Palhares, at least for the moment.
Stankevich preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Palhares working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
Palhares trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Palhares sitting in guard, not really doing much.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Palhares stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Stankevich swivels though and keeps the full guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

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

Palhares closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Palhares postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Stankevich is in a tricky position but he's been working on his transitions down at LOD: Ground Zero, so we'll see if he gets out of it.
Stankevich wants to get back to his feet.
Palhares has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Palhares wants to control but Stankevich is keeping him busy.
Palhares misses with the ground and pound.
Stankevich is trying to control Palhares's posture but Palhares avoids it.
Palhares moves into full mount!
Palhares wants to control the pace but Stankevich is squirming around nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stankevich is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Palhares raining down hammerfists from mount.
Palhares in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Stankevich is working to get back to half guard.
Stankevich tries to hold on but Palhares postures up.
Palhares raining down shots from the mount!
Stankevich sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Stankevich is staying active underneath Palhares, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Palhares not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

Palhares is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

Palhares seems to be looking for submissions.
Stankevich won't allow Palhares to pass to mount.
Stankevich makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Stankevich.
Stankevich looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Stankevich controlling the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Toquinho Palhares will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Palhares dives in and grabs Stankevich's left leg, looking for a takedown. Stankevich pushes down on Palhares's head and hops out.
Stankevich scores with a punch to the head.
Palhares blocks a jab.
Palhares misses with a takedown
and Stankevich connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

Palhares is rocked!
Stankevich steps into range and unloads a brutal right left combo! Palhares is out on his feet! Stankevich sets himself and nearly takes Palhares's head off with a straight right, sending him crashing to the mat! Wow, that was nasty... but awesome! Wooo!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:32 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Strikes). Igor Stankevich!
Igor Stankevich really struggled to get his t-shirt on before his hand was raised. Making sure that Bushido Fightwear logo gets some air time is pretty tricky when you're all sweaty.