Overshadowing the Grand Duchess: Oleander (debut) vs Alena Stepanova

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Oleander notices what she’s doing and decides to transition into an Ezekiel choke.

Oleander: Well next time you should probably read the fine print!

[CaptainL]

Both Alena and Oleander were highly skilled and well-practiced grapplers - and when both of them were determined to show off their skills, they were both going to compete at the top of their game! It was neck and neck, with both women countering and outwitting one another at every turn! Oleander might have taken Alena down, but the Russian was quick to try and roll the two of them into a half guard, from which she could launch her own attack. But Oleander was prepared for that as well - as she slung her arm over the back of Alena's neck to try and lock in an Ezekiel choke from below, before she had a chance to make her move!

As she felt Oleander's arm brush across the back of her neck, Alena sucked in a hiss. Her muscles tensed, knowing she was in danger. But she wasn't giving up hope - far from it! Alena was well versed in the Ezekiel choke herself. She knew it was a move that was simple to set up - and, as a result, simple to counter. Even now, she was going to keep up the fight. Looking to intercept Oleander before she could grab onto her elbow and fully lock in the choke, Alena went to grab hold of Oleander's elbow with her own hand and push it away! "Didn't think you could fool me with that, did you?"

If she was successful at countering the Ezekiel choke, Alena would direct her attention to her opponent's legs, which were still tangled up in her own. Squeezing her thighs around her opponent's, she pulled back at Oleander's leg, attempting to stretch out her knee with a kneebar! She wasn't in the best place to move in for the kill, but hopefully she could at least do some damage that might help her set up a more advantageous position...

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Oleander’s eyes sudden start to glow red as she kept her hold tight on Alena, almost as if she was becoming possessed.

[CaptainL]

Alena had tried to protect herself against Oleander's Ezekiel choke, grabbing onto her arm and trying to keep her opponent from locking the hold in, but it wouldn't work - Oleander was just too quick, and before the Russian grappler could save herself, her foe had already clamped down tight, putting the pressure around her throat. She sputtered and gagged, twisting and turning against Oleander's weight. But if that plan hadn't worked, she'd just resort to plan B. In a last-ditch effort to resist, Alena tried to grab at the wrist of the arm Oleander was using to lock in the choke, trying to pry it off. Still, the Ezekiel choke was quickly sapping her strength, and her grip wasn't as tight as she would've hoped - but she was still determined to go as hard as she could with what she had available.

At the same time, though, she noticed a wild look come over Oleander's eyes - and it was a look she hadn't been prepared for. It was as though Oleander had allowed herself to be completely lost in a haze of bloodlust! Alena had already seen plenty of reason to believe her opponent was tough, but now she seemed almost inhuman! There weren't a lot of things that could intimidate Alena Stepanova, but when she saw that, her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open in surprise, though whatever gasp might have come up from her throat was choked out from lack of air. How was she supposed to defend herself against this?

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Oleander: *Raspy voice* Give.. up.. mortal!!

[CaptainL]

Mortal? For just a moment, a worried look crossed Alena's eyes. Just what was Oleander on about? She was talking as though she believed herself to be under the influence of some demonic force. The Russian girl thought back briefly to what she'd heard during her opponent's introduction, and she realized that that might well be exactly what Oleander believed...and just how much of it, she wondered, was really a delusion?

Either way, though, the pressure on Alena's throat quickly yanked her out of the world of speculation and forced her to confront the cold, hard facts in front of her. No matter how much she tried to resist, Oleander had still caught her, and her grip wasn't letting up any time soon. Alena could feel the pressure of her arm contorting tighter and tighter around her throat, causing her to cough out a few raspy groans as her eye twitched under the pressure. She might have been stubborn, but Alena knew that she had her limits - and there were some positions in the MMA world that it was better to submit to and live to fight another day. This was, after all, a best-of-five match, and the longer Alena stayed in a stranglehold like this, the more she would be losing precious air, air that she would need to keep up the fight. If she didn't concede the first fall to Oleander, she would be at a disadvantage for what came afterward. But when that time came, she fully intended to make up for it!

At last, Alena tapped on Oleander's side. The first victory would go to the Englishwoman...but could she keep the lead for long?

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Oleander’s eyes sudden went back to normal as she released the hold, returning to her corner as she held her hand to her temple.

Oleander: Good lord, what even was that?!

[CaptainL]

As soon as Alena tapped out, Oleander let her go, causing the Russian girl to fall back onto the mat. There she rose to a seated position, panting and groaning. She could still feel a sore sensation where Oleander had hit her with the Superman Punch, but she just as quickly shook that out of her head - it wasn't going to slow her down for long, and she knew she was tougher than that. No, what was so interesting for Alena was that, even after the heated turn the match had taken toward the end...Oleander seemed to have forgotten everything, huddling back in her corner in bewilderment.

"Hmm?" Alena raised an eyebrow to her curiously as she rose back to her feet, dusting herself off. "What's there not to understand? You beat me in the first fall, fair and square..." She didn't know why Oleander wouldn't want to take the credit for it - she certainly knew that she would wear such success with pride.

But a moment later, she fixed a determined look on her opponent and pounded a fist against her chest. Even if she'd lost, she wasn't going to let this cast a shadow over her confidence - and she was going to come back swinging! "But the next fall won't be so easy, I promise you that!"

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Oleander is caught off guard from Alena’s punch, but quickly recovers.

Oleander: Your cheap shots won’t be enough to take me down!! (She enters her grappling stance, hoping that by locking up with Alena she’d be able to sprawl with the grand duchess)

[CaptainL]

Alena had been quick to set the tone of the second fall, coming in swinging. But Oleander wouldn't be far behind, and just as quickly she threw herself back into the fray, getting her arms around Alena and dragging her downward! Hissing through clenched teeth, the Russian girl tried to dig her feet into the mat to try and steady herself, but with Oleander's weight advantage, she couldn't hold herself up for long - and soon, she dropped down onto her hands and knees, with Oleander's arms slung around her head and under her arm.

Alena grimaced, finding herself caught up in Oleander's grip. But if she wanted to raise the stakes, that was no matter to the Russian girl. She had her means of getting out of a sprawl, and she was looking to use leverage to her advantage in upsetting her opponent's center of balance. Sliding in closer, she would use her arm to hook one of Oleander's legs. From there, she still had her knees braced against the ground - and she would push off the mat with them, looking to create enough space for her to get one foot beneath her and push up even further. The force of the push, combined with her hold on Oleander's leg, would lift the Englishwoman higher - and then Alena would swing her trapped arm out to the side, in the hopes that such a shift in leverage would flip Oleander over and onto her face!

Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbrH1yKuLmg

If her escape worked, Alena would end up on her back, lying perpendicular to Oleander. From there, she could grab for her leg, looking to crank back at her ankle and apply some pressure with an ankle lock! "Is that so? Then maybe this will," Alena muttered.