PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Argat Khan (ranked 1263 p4p, 2003 weight class) and Steve Cusumano (ranked 192 p4p, 298 weight class). Cusumano has chosen Gamefire as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Khan
vs
Cusumano

178 cm
34
180
20 - 11 - 1

175 cm
36
180
17 - 10 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

****160Q Energy for $150****

The Dirty Needle Project

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the welterweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 20 - 11 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Argat Khan!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 17 - 10 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Steve Cusumano!
The judges for this bout are Wagner Zegers, Patrick Alders and Radbod Blank.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Khan lands with a hook. Cusumano tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.

It looks like Steve Cusumano has been cut.
Cusumano defending well as Khan loads up on a big left hand.
Khan fails in his attempt to clinch.
Khan moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Khan connects with a solid leg kick.

Khan has managed to clinch.
Khan tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

Khan breaks from the clinch.
Khan keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Khan throws out a leg kick but Cusumano moves out of range and Khan only half commits.

Khan gets a clinch.
Khan lands a nice uppercut.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Khan throws a punch but it's blocked by Cusumano.

Cusumano pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Cusumano keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Some wild striking there from Cusumano.
A low kick from Khan misses
and Cusumano counters with a one-two to the body.
A head kick misses from Khan.
Khan tries a head kick but it misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cusumano scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Cusumano ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Khan tries to clinch but Cusumano moves out of range.
Cusumano moves out of range of the body kick.
Khan looks to land a right hand but Cusumano moved out of range.
Khan backing away here, and Cusumano unleashes a leg kick that just misses.
Khan lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Khan ducks under a wild hook from Cusumano.
A shot to the liver by Cusumano. Beautiful body shot.
Cusumano keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Cusumano feints a jab promting Khan to slip. Cusumano then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Khan slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Cusumano swinging wildly here.

Khan rushes Cusumano and presses him up against the cage.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Cusumano blocks an uppercut.
Cusumano is trying to push Khan away but Khan has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Cusumano looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Khan misses with the head strike.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Khan.

Khan's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Khan throws a body punch but Cusumano moves out of range.
Khan fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Cusumano.
Khan connects with the punch.

That has opened up Steve Cusumano's cut even more.
Khan connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Good shot there by Khan.
Khan wants to land a leg kick but Cusumano is out of range.
Cusumano lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Khan tries to bum rush Cusumano with a series of wild strikes but Cusumano uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Khan stuns Cusumano with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Khan lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Cusumano at a distance.
Khan throws a leg kick but Cusumano sees it coming and checks it nicely.
A lazy left from Khan finds it's target.
Cusumano circles away from the clinch attempt.
Khan pivots, looking for a leg kick but Cusumano is out of range and Khan settles back down.
Cusumano misses with a series of wild punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Khan misses with the combination.
Khan wants to clinch but Cusumano slips to the side
and Cusumano counters with a thumping low kick.
Cusumano shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Khan eats them both and turns towards Cusumano to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.

It looks like Argat Khan has been cut.
Khan tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Cusumano paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Cusumano unleashes a big counter combination but Khan bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Cusumano throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
No joy there for Cusumano, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Khan looks to land a combination but Cusumano avoids it well.
Cusumano fails to land with a series of punches.
Khan is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.

The cut above Steve Cusumano's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
Khan throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Khan slips under a jab.
Cusumano swinging wildly here.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Khan clinches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Khan taking a break, stalling in the clinch.

Khan escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Khan with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Khan lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Cusumano lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Khan wants to land a leg kick but Cusumano is out of range.
A countering left hand to the body from Cusumano misses.
Cusumano throws a jab but it's blocked by Khan.
Khan fails in his attempt to clinch.
Cusumano blocks a head kick by Khan.
Cusumano tries to bum rush Khan with a series of wild strikes but Khan uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Cusumano misses with a few strikes there.
Khan throws a sloppy head kick and Cusumano moves out of range easily.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Khan throws a nice looking combination but Cusumano bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Khan is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Cusumano.
Khan throws a leg kick which misses Cusumano's front leg but catches the back leg as Cusumano tries to avoid it.
No joy there for Khan, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Argat Khan dominated that round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's time! Back to the action!

Khan wants to clinch.
Cusumano takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Cusumano avoids the body shot from Khan.
Cusumano slips a jab from Khan.
Cusumano is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Khan with a body shot.
The crowd cheers as Cusumano lands an impressive looking overhand right. Khan doesn't seem phased though.
Argat Khan is winning the standup battle so far.
Khan scores with a crisp jab that stopped Cusumano in his tracks.
Argat Khan is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Cusumano uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Khan.
A chopping leg kick lands by Khan.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cusumano throws a nice looking combination but Khan bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
A decent looking cross lands there for Khan.
Cusumano slips a jab and a cross from Khan.
Cusumano scores with a crisp jab that stopped Khan in his tracks.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Khan throws a right and a left that both miss.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cusumano slips under a jab.
Cusumano is looking to land body kicks.
Cusumano misses with a few strikes there.

Cusumano lands a left and a right that send Khan crashing to the mat, dazed. Cusumano thinks about following him to the mat but decides to wave him back up to his feet!

Khan is rocked!
Good leg kick by Khan.
Oh Khan is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Cusumano throws a right and a left that Khan avoids nicely.
Cusumano works Khan's body with a nice hook.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Khan misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Khan seems to have got his legs back now.
Khan connects with an inside leg kick.
Khan wants to land a leg kick but Cusumano is out of range.
Khan tries to clinch up but Cusumano circles away and keeps his distance.
Cusumano doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Cusumano lands with a good body shot.
Cusumano misses with a jab, cross combination.
Khan lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Cusumano takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Khan tries to clinch but Cusumano moves out of range.
Cusumano pushing out the jab but it's not landing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Khan connects with a leg kick.
Khan misses with a low kick.
Cusumano throws a body shot but no joy.
It looked like Khan wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Khan moves into range and connects with a jab.
Khan fails to land with a series of punches.
Cusumano unleashes a big counter combination but Khan bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Khan throws a leg kick that is checked
and Cusumano counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Khan will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Khan lands a leg kick that knocks Cusumano off balance momentarily.
Khan misses with a head kick.
Cusumano tries to bum rush Khan with a series of wild strikes but Khan uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
A telegraphed right hand from Cusumano misses the target.
Left hook, right uppercut from Khan.
Khan misses with a hook. Cusumano ducked under it nicely.
Cusumano's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Cusumano swinging wildly here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Khan showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Cusumano.
Cusumano takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Cusumano on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Cusumano scores with the left hand. Khan knows he should have avoided that one.
Khan lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Cusumano throws a hook but Khan blocks it.
Khan throws a big counter combination but Cusumano scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Cusumano misses with a combination
and Khan counters with a straight right hand.

Steve Cusumano's cut is absolute horrible now. This looks like something out of a horror film with blood covering both fighters.
Khan moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Cusumano blocks a low kick nicely.
Cusumano unleashes a big counter combination but Khan bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Khan misses with a hook. Cusumano ducked under it nicely.
Cusumano feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Khans jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Khan tries to bum rush Cusumano with a series of wild strikes but Cusumano uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Khan is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Cusumano can do to turn this around?

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cusumano throws a combination. Khan tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Cusumano misses with a leg kick
and Khan finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
Cusumano checks a leg kick.
Khan throws a right and a left that both miss.
Cusumano misses with a straight left.
Cusumano throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Cusumano will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Cusumano throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Cusumano showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Khan.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Cusumano takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Cusumano throws a combination that misses
and Khan counters with a stiff right hand.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at Steve Cusumano's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:59 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Argat Khan!
Argat Khan retains his welterweight title!
In his post fight interview, Argat Khan started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.