PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight kickboxing rules bout between Iosefa Umaga (ranked 3291 p4p, 24335 weight class) and Taz Bandichoo (ranked 58 p4p, 159 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Umaga might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Ky-Mani Marley - Warriors. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Umaga
vs
Bandichoo

191 cm
36
248
19 - 6 - 1

178 cm
31
240
22 - 27 - 0

World class boxer
Insanely flexible

World class MT
Granite chin

Vegan Gains

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 19 - 6 - 1, fighting out of London, Iosefa Umaga!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 22 - 27 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Taz Bandichoo!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Shimada, Sosuke Kotani and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bandichoo throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Bandichoo fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Umaga has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Umaga throws out a loose jab but Bandichoo uses good head movement to avoid it.
Bandichoo misses with the combination.
Umaga just misses with a punch to the body.
Bandichoo with the inside leg kick.
Bandichoo gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Umaga.
Umaga has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Bandichoo swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Taz Bandichoo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Bandichoo pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Bandichoo pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Bandichoo throws a head kick but Umaga moves out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Umaga avoids a punch combination nicely.
Bandichoo dips to his left and cracks Umaga with an uppercut!
Bandichoo misses with a left hand
and Umaga counters with a nice body shot.
Umaga dips to his left and cracks Bandichoo with an uppercut!

That's one minute gone in the round.
A chopping leg kick lands by Umaga.
A head kick misses from Bandichoo.
Umaga lands a jab.
Umaga keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Bandichoo looks to score with a jab to the body but Umaga is just out of range.
It looked like Umaga wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Bandichoo lands a head shot.
Bandichoo has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Umaga on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Umaga uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Bandichoo.
Umaga fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Bandichoo manages to avoid it.
Umaga lands a nice looking kick to the body. Bandichoo takes a step back to recover.
The fighters circle momentarily. Bandichoo darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Bandichoo scores with a jab to the jaw.
Umaga slips a jab from Bandichoo.
Bandichoo lands a head kick. Umaga smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
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!
Bandichoo lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Umaga throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A looping hook to the body misses from Bandichoo. Umaga does a little dance to reset his feet.
Bandichoo throws a low kick but it's checked well by Umaga.
Umaga slips under a jab from Bandichoo.
Bandichoo misses with an uppercut. Umaga saw that one coming.
Bandichoo moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Umaga throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Bandichoo tries a quick counter leg kick but Umaga is wise to it.
Bandichoo moves out of range as Umaga strikes.
Bandichoo misses with a head kick.
Bandichoo looks for the body kick but Umaga saw that one coming.
Umaga delivers a nice body kick.
Bandichoo throws a body kick, spinning off balance
and Umaga counters with a low kick, right behind Bandichoo 's knee.
Umaga walks forward, straight into a front kick from Bandichoo.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Bandichoo tries to land a front kick but Umaga steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Umaga throws a good cross that connects.

It looks like Taz Bandichoo has been cut.
Bandichoo moves out of range of the body kick.
A nice leg kick lands there from Umaga.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Taz Bandichoo dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Taz Bandichoo's cut.
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.

Bandichoo throws a head kick that misses
and Umaga counters with a stiff right hand.
Bandichoo misses with a body kick.
Umaga's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Bandichoo connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Umaga scrambles back to his feet.
Bandichoo throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Umaga takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Umaga scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Umaga with a nice calf kick.

Umaga has managed to clinch.
Bandichoo blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Umaga throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Umaga scores with a nice hook to the head.
Bandichoo wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Umaga has him pressed against the ropes.
Umaga pushes Bandichoo back against the ropes and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Bandichoo is trying to force a seperation but Umaga has the dominant position.
Bandichoo tries to work over Umaga's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
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!
Umaga lands a hook to the side of the head.
Umaga throws a punch but it's blocked by Bandichoo.
A short uppercut from Bandichoo.
Umaga tries to throw a body punch but Bandichoo avoids it by throwing Umaga back against the ropes.

Bandichoo breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bandichoo misses with a hook to the body
and Umaga cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Bandichoo lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
A head kick misses from Bandichoo.
Bandichoo throws a nice outside leg kick.
Bandichoo throws a head kick that misses.
Bandichoo scores with a kick to the midsection.
Bandichoo throws a head kick but Umaga moves out of range.
Bandichoo connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Bandichoo throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Umaga counters with an outside leg kick.
Umaga paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Umaga is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Umaga avoids a kick to the body.
Umaga fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Bandichoo has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Bandichoo works the jab nicely.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Umaga lands with an overhand left.
Taz Bandichoo seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Umaga misses with a looping left.
Bandichoo throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bandichoo misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Bandichoo lands a lovely overhand right.
Bandichoo scores with a spinning back kick!
Bandichoo throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Bandichoo misses with a left hand
enabling Umaga to counter with a crisp jab.
Bandichoo throws a leg kick
and Umaga counters with a nice body shot.
Umaga shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
A big left from Umaga misses.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Umaga.
Bandichoo throws a jab when Umaga was well out of range.
Umaga avoids the head kick by Bandichoo.
Umaga takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Umaga throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Bandichoo steps in looking to counter with the mid kick but it doesn't connect.
Bandichoo throws a hook but Umaga avoids it easily.
Bandichoo throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Umaga ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
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 Iosefa Umaga will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Taz Bandichoo's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Umaga throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Bandichoo throws out a counter right but Umaga avoids it with no problem.
Umaga gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Umaga fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Bandichoo manages to avoid it.
Umaga takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
A head kick from Bandichoo lands but Umaga takes it in his stride.
Bandichoo scores with a head kick. Umaga tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Bandichoo lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Umaga moves into range and connects with a jab.
A punch lands to the side of Umaga 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Bandichoo throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Bandichoo ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Bandichoo tries a head kick but it misses.
Bandichoo throws an off balance right hand
and Umaga makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Bandichoo takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Bandichoo lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Umaga throws a head kick that misses.
Bandichoo misses with a head kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bandichoo looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Bandichoo misses with a wild combination.
Umaga was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Bandichoo throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Umaga.
Umaga avoids the head kick by Bandichoo.
Umaga is looking to counter punch.
Bandichoo misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
An attempted straight right counter from Umaga misses the target.
Bandichoo misses with a low kick.
Umaga throws a quick counter kick to the body but Bandichoo avoids it.
Umaga smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Bandichoo misses with a lunging right hand
and Umaga makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Bandichoo rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Umaga counters with a straight right hand.
Umaga throws a nice outside leg kick.
Umaga throws a wild body kick that Bandichoo sees coming a mile off.
A lazy left from Bandichoo finds it's target.
Nice jab there from Umaga.
Bandichoo scores with a nice body kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Bandichoo throws the kick towards the body but Umaga avoids it.
Umaga takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Bandichoo looks to land a body kick but Umaga moved away.
Umaga looked to counter that last move with a leg kick but didn't pull the trigger.

Umaga connects with a beautiful left hand that drops Bandichoo onto his butt! Bandichoo bounces straight back up though - he's OK. After the ref checks him out, we're back to the action.
Bandichoo tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Umaga uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Bandichoo.
Bandichoo throws the kick towards the body but Umaga avoids it.
Umaga lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Bandichoo tries a head kick but it misses.
Nice body punch from Umaga.
Bandichoo misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Bandichoo pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Umaga blocks the body kick.
Umaga is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Umaga throws a body punch but Bandichoo moves out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Iosefa Umaga takes that one, having scored the knockdown.
The cut man is working on Taz Bandichoo's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the ring so we can get back down to business.

A decent looking cross lands there for Bandichoo.
Bandichoo throws a poor cross that misses
and Umaga counters with a straight right hand.
Bandichoo misses with a body kick.
Umaga will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
Bandichoo is looking to land body kicks.
Umaga quickly followed up with a counter body kick but doesn't connect.
Bandichoo thows a left - swing and a miss!
Bandichoo misses with an uppercut.
Umaga throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Bandichoo sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Umaga connects with a picture perfect right hand that knocks Bandichoo out cold! This one is over in a flash!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:32 of round 4, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Iosefa Umaga!
Iosefa Umaga was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.