PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Nikolai Kuznetsov (ranked 682 p4p, 1020 weight class) and Shock Linewood (ranked 89 p4p, 137 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Kuznetsov
vs
Linewood

178 cm
34
186
22 - 14 - 0

185 cm
32
201
12 - 13 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Altitude Clothing
Fenrir Fightgear - Anno 2013

Hardcore Sports Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 22 - 14 - 0, fighting out of London, Nikolai Kuznetsov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 13 - 0, fighting out of London, Shock Linewood!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Frank Antenori and Percy O'Donnell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kuznetsov throws a head kick but Linewood moves out of range.
Linewood throws a good cross that connects.
Kuznetsov looks to score with a jab to the body but Linewood is just out of range.
Kuznetsov takes one on the button.
Linewood takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Linewood connects with a crisp jab.
Kuznetsov has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Lads Lash Banter Gym in the buildup to the fight.
Kuznetsov lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Linewood backs up against the cage.
Kuznetsov takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Linewood throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Kuznetsov on the side of the head.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Linewood misses with a body shot.
Kuznetsov misses with a combination
and Linewood cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Linewood steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Kuznetsov.
Kuznetsov lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Linewood circles away quickly and effectively.

Linewood moves into the clinch.
Linewood lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Still in the clinch, Linewood scores with a nice short uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kuznetsov is looking to break free of the clinch but Linewood has double underhooks.
Linewood's coach down at Jed's Gym was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Linewood's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
Linewood lands a left hand that snaps the head of Kuznetsov backwards.
Kuznetsov can't break the clinch.
Kuznetsov is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Linewood's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Linewood lands with a good body shot.
Linewood lands with a right hand.
Linewood scores with a nice head shot.

Kuznetsov is rocked!
The fight stays on the outside here - Linewood looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Oh Kuznetsov is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Linewood moves out of range of the body kick.
Kuznetsov seems to have got his legs back now.
Kuznetsov misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Linewood waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Kuznetsov.
Kuznetsov gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Linewood.
Linewood fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Kuznetsov checks it well.
Kuznetsov on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Linewood tests Kuznetsov's chin there with a solid looking shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A slapping leg kick lands for Kuznetsov.
Linewood moves into range and connects with a jab.
A decent looking cross lands there for Kuznetsov.
Kuznetsov misses with a double jab.
Linewood is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Kuznetsov had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into pâté.
Kuznetsov connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Donk. Kuznetsov catches Linewood right on the button with a cross.
Linewood takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Kuznetsov moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Sloppy strikes from Kuznetsov. Those never looked like landing.
Linewood is trying to counter with his kicks.
A nice leg kick from Linewood, right into the meat of the thigh.
Kuznetsov throws an overhand right that lands on Linewood's shoulder, as Linewood tries to avoid the shot.
Kuznetsov takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Kuznetsov fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Linewood on the side of the head.
Linewood throws a leg kick which misses Kuznetsov's front leg but catches the back leg as Kuznetsov tries to avoid it.
A low kick lands for Linewood.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Linewood looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Kuznetsov lands a leg kick that knocks Linewood off balance momentarily.
Kuznetsov throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Linewood works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Linewood has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Kuznetsov misses with a two punch combination.
Linewood dodges the punch combination from Kuznetsov.
Kuznetsov with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Kuznetsov throws a sloppy head kick
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Linewood steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Kuznetsov.
Linewood lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Linewood misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Kuznetsov.
Thud! ouch! good body kick from Linewood - that will leave a mark!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Kuznetsov lands a body shot.
Kuznetsov just misses with a punch to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kuznetsov pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Linewood misses with a body shot.
Linewood misses with a shot to the body
and Linewood takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Linewood stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Kuznetsov misses with a straight left.
Linewood throws a jab but it's blocked by Kuznetsov.
Kuznetsov fails to land with a series of punches.
Linewood looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
A head kick misses from Kuznetsov.
Kuznetsov walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Linewood dodges the punch combination from Kuznetsov.
Linewood works the jab nicely.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Linewood tries to clinch there but Kuznetsov circles away.
Linewood blocks a head kick by Kuznetsov.
Linewood looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Linewood fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Kuznetsov manages to avoid it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Shock Linewood 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.

Kuznetsov looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Kuznetsov throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
And Linewood responds with a good body kick, but Kuznetsov manages to step out the way in time.
Kuznetsov throws a body shot but no joy.
Kuznetsov fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Kuznetsov throws a solid leg kick but Linewood takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Kuznetsov.
Kuznetsov lands a high kick!
Linewood misses with a series of wild punches.
Kuznetsov fails to land with a series of punches.
Linewood was about to counter that last move with a leg kick but changes his mind.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Kuznetsov, as that shot connected.
Kuznetsov has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Linewood.
Linewood throws a quick inside leg kick.
Kuznetsov throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Kuznetsov throws the kick towards the body but Linewood avoids it.
Kuznetsov throws an off balance right hand
and Kuznetsov takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Kuznetsov takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Kuznetsov throws a right and a left that both miss.
Kuznetsov backing away here, and Linewood unleashes a leg kick that just misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kuznetsov throws a head kick that misses
and Linewood connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Nikolai Kuznetsov is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
A low kick lands for Linewood.
Kuznetsov throws a series of punches but Linewood avoids them all with ease.
Linewood lands with a cross.
Linewood blocks a head kick by Kuznetsov.
Sloppy strikes from Kuznetsov. Those never looked like landing.
Linewood swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Linewood lands a nice leg kick that just misses Kuznetsov's sensitive parts.
Kuznetsov throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Linewood on the side of the head.
Kuznetsov throws a lazy right hand but Linewood sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Linewood is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Kuznetsov.
A little feinted left hand from Kuznetsov on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Kuznetsov on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Kuznetsov swats away the attempt to clinch by Linewood.
Kuznetsov throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Linewood.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Linewood misses with a low kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Linewood slips under a jab.
Linewood avoids the head kick by Kuznetsov.
Kuznetsov lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Linewood backs up against the cage.
A telegraphed right hand from Linewood misses the target.
Linewood clobbers Kuznetsov with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Linewood's corner calls for a 1-2. Linewood obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Kuznetsov misses with an uppercut
and Linewood counters with a stiff right hand.
Kuznetsov throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Linewood.
Linewood tries to clinch there but Kuznetsov circles away.
Kuznetsov throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Linewood cracks Kuznetsov with a right hand to the side of the head.
Kuznetsov swings for the body but Linewood moves out of range.
Kuznetsov gets off balance looking for a body kick
and Linewood makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Kuznetsov misses with a two punch combination.
Some wild striking there from Kuznetsov.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Linewood chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Kuznetsov pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Linewood dodges the punch combination from Kuznetsov.
A leg kick checked by Linewood.
Linewood appeared to try and counter that last move with a leg kick.

Linewood darts in and clinches Kuznetsov up against the cage.
Linewood trying to stall but Kuznetsov improves his position.
Kuznetsov blocks an uppercut.
Linewood controlling the action here for a moment.
Linewood tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Come on Linewood - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Kuznetsov blocks a punch to the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Linewood throws a head punch that misses.
Kuznetsov has had enough of the clinch but Linewood keeps him there for the moment.
A shot in the inside from Linewood.
Linewood misses with the head strike.
Kuznetsov looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Kuznetsov is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Kuznetsov working hard to break the clinch.
Kuznetsov is trying to maintain a safe position but Linewood gets an underhook and turns Kuznetsov into the cage.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Linewood.

Kuznetsov breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Linewood blocks a head kick by Kuznetsov.
Kuznetsov throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Kuznetsov throws a head kick but Linewood moves out of range.
Kuznetsov shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Linewood scoring well with a low kick there.
Nikolai Kuznetsov seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kuznetsov tried to score with a low kick but Linewood checks it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Shock Linewood will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Kuznetsov tries a head kick but it misses.
Linewood throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Linewood jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Linewood smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Linewood avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Kuznetsov lands a right hook to the body.

Linewood darts in and clinches Kuznetsov up against the cage.
Linewood will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Kuznetsov up against the cage.
Kuznetsov working hard to break the clinch.
Kuznetsov looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Linewood controlling the action here for a moment.
Linewood tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Linewood swings wildly with an uppercut but Kuznetsov uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Linewood scores with a nice hook to the head.
Linewood is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Kuznetsov blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Linewood tries a body shot but Kuznetsov blocks it.
Linewood throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Kuznetsovs head.
Kuznetsov wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Linewood has him pressed against the cage.
Linewood misses with a hook from the clinch.

Linewood breaks the clinch.
Linewood dodges the punch combination from Kuznetsov.
Kuznetsov wants to slow Linewood down by chopping away at his legs.
The fighters circling - Linewood throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Linewood tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Linewood feints and then cracks Kuznetsov's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Kuznetsov down.
A shot to the liver by Kuznetsov. Beautiful body shot.
Linewood is looking to slow Kuznetsov down with leg kicks.
Kuznetsov lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Linewood circles away quickly and effectively.
Nice shot lands for Kuznetsov.
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!
A head kick from Linewood lands but Kuznetsov takes it in his stride.
Nice cross by Linewood.
Linewood swings widly with a right hand
and Kuznetsov counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Linewood throws a hook but Kuznetsov blocks it.
Linewood misses with a left hand
and Linewood takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Kuznetsov throws out a loose jab but Linewood uses good head movement to avoid it.
Kuznetsov throws a shot from downtown. Linewood moves away and avoids it.
Kuznetsov takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Kuznetsov changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Nikolai Kuznetsov has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Kuznetsov ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Linewood throws a jab but it's blocked by Kuznetsov.
Linewood scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Kuznetsov misses with a body kick.
A jab from Kuznetsov misses.
Linewood misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Kuznetsov.
An attempted straight right counter from Kuznetsov misses the target.
Linewood looks to score with a jab to the body but Kuznetsov is just out of range.
Linewood scores with a nice right hand.
Linewood uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Kuznetsov.
Kuznetsov walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Linewood moves out of range of the body kick.
A swing and a miss from Linewood.
Kuznetsov misses with a right hand
and Linewood makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Kuznetsov takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Kuznetsov swings away with a leg kick that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kuznetsov scores with a crisp jab that stopped Linewood in his tracks.
Linewood connects with a right hand. Kuznetsov shakes it off.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kuznetsov throws a leg kick but Linewood sees it coming and checks it nicely.
A slapping leg kick lands for Linewood.
A big right from Kuznetsov misses.
Kuznetsov throws a nice looking combination but Linewood bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
A nice leg kick lands there from Kuznetsov.
Kuznetsov throws a hook but Linewood avoids it easily.
Some wild striking there from Kuznetsov.
Linewood comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Shock Linewood is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
A leg kick checked by Linewood.
Linewood darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Kuznetsov misses with the combination.

And that's the end of the fight!
Shock Linewood comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Linewood winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 28:30
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 28:29
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 28:30

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