PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Israel Kirzner (ranked 1199 p4p, 2510 weight class) and Kody Harbrant (ranked 137 p4p, 260 weight class). Kody Harbrant has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Kirzner
vs
Harbrant

170 cm
24
158
5 - 5 - 0

175 cm
26
155
8 - 8 - 0

Decent wrestler
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Israel Kirzner!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 8 - 0, fighting out of New York, Kody Harbrant!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Don Winkell and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A looping hook to the body misses from Kirzner. Harbrant does a little dance to reset his feet.
Harbrant falls off balance throwing a combination
enabling Kirzner to counter with a crisp jab.
Harbrant fails in his attempt to clinch.
Kirzner thinks about countering with a body kick.
Kirzner lands a nice leg kick that just misses Harbrant's sensitive parts.
Harbrant gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Kirzner.
Harbrant moves to clinch but Kirzner breaks away
and Kirzner counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Kirzner misses with a body kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kirzner swats away the attempt to clinch by Harbrant.
Harbrant moves out of range of the strikes.
Harbrant with the counter takedown but Kirzner avoids it easily.
Kirzner feints a jab promting Harbrant to slip. Kirzner then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Harbrant slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Kirzner lands a jab to Harbrant's midsection.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kirzner lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Kirzner looks to land a combination but Harbrant avoids it well.
Harbrant tries to clinch but Kirzner moves out of range.
Kirzner tries to bum rush Harbrant with a series of wild strikes but Harbrant uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Kirzner bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Kirzner misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Harbrant.
Harbrant wants to clinch up but Kirzner keeps it at a distance.
Harbrant tries for a takedown but Kirzner sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Kirzner motions for Harbrant to come forward. Kirzner throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Harbrant 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.
Kirzner connects with a solid leg kick.
Kirzner looks to land a body kick but Harbrant moved away.

Harbrant rushes Kirzner and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harbrant scores with a nice hook to the head.

Kirzner breaks from the clinch.
Kirzner misses with a body shot.

Kirzner gets tackled into the cage by Harbrant. Harbrant maintains the clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Kirzner breaks from the clinch.
That kick from Kirzner tenderised Harbrant's leg. Harbrant is trying to keep his angry face on.
Harbrant showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Kirzner.
Kirzner keeps the fight on the outside.
Harbrant wants to clinch.
Kirzner throws a right and a left that Harbrant avoids nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kirzner circles away from the clinch attempt.

Kirzner tries to keep at a distance but Harbrant has taken the fight into the clinch.

Kirzner breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Harbrant closes the distance looking to clinch
and Kirzner counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Harbrant tests Kirzner's chin there with a solid looking shot.
We've been told by Kirzner's head coaches at Soul Supremacy Rio that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Harbrant tries to clinch up but Kirzner circles away and keeps his distance.

Harbrant has closed the distance and engaged Kirzner in a clinch.

Kirzner breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Kirzner fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.

Harbrant gets in close and instigates a clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Kirzner breaks the clinch.
Kirzner lands with a thumping leg kick.
Kirzner circles away from the clinch attempt.
Kirzner attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Harbrant moves in looking to clinch but Kirzner pushes him off.
Harbrant fails with a takedown attempt.
Kirzner stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Harbrant blocks the body kick.
Kirzner moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Harbrant moves out of range of the strikes.
Israel Kirzner seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Harbrant clinches up against the cage.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Israel Kirzner dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Harbrant takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.

Harbrant has Kirzner up against the cage in a clinch.
Kirzner scores with a shoulder strike.
Harbrant is trying to pull guard but Kirzner turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.

Harbrant's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Kirzner avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Harbrant shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
letting Kirzner counter with a right hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harbrant tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Kirzner manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Harbrant is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Good shot there by Kirzner.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kirzner scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Kirzner looks for the body kick but Harbrant saw that one coming.
A nice inside leg kick there by Kirzner. That's going to slow Harbrant down.
Israel Kirzner is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Harbrant fails with an attempt to clinch.
Kirzner keeps Harbrant at a distance using the push kick.
Harbrant tries to clinch up.
Harbrant avoids the body shot from Kirzner.
Israel Kirzner is winning the standup battle so far.
Harbrant takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Harbrant walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Kirzner avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Harbrant wants to clinch up but Kirzner keeps it at a distance.
Kirzner tried to counter with a leg kick but Harbrant avoided it.
Kirzner throws a body punch but Harbrant moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harbrant tries to clinch but Kirzner is having none of it.
Kirzner is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Harbrant can do to turn this around?
Harbrant tries to clinch up but Kirzner circles away and keeps his distance.
Kirzner throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Kirzner punishes Harbrant's body with a nice straight punch.
Harbrant tries to clinch but Kirzner is having none of it.
A looping hook to the body misses from Kirzner. Harbrant does a little dance to reset his feet.
Harbrant uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Kirzner.
Israel Kirzner is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Kirzner with the inside leg kick.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kirzner misses the shot to the body.
Kirzner misses with an uppercut.
Kirzner lands a nice hook to Harbrant's body. Harbrant takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.

Harbrant clinches up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harbrant tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Harbrant tries to pull guard but Kirzner holds him up against the cage and eventually Harbrant drops back down to his feet.
Israel Kirzner has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kody Harbrant.
Harbrant prevents a body shot from Kirzner.
Harbrant misses with the head strike.

Kirzner escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Kirzner with a nice calf kick.
Harbrant moves in looking to clinch but Kirzner pushes him off.

Harbrant instigates a clinch.

Kirzner breaks the clinch.
Kirzner lands a nice looking body shot.
Kirzner circles away from the clinch attempt.
Kirzner fires out a quick counter leg kick but Harbrant just manages to avoid it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harbrant wants to clinch.
Harbrant's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.

Harbrant gets a clinch.

Kirzner pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Harbrant wants to clinch.
Kirzner loads up on a big right hand but Harbrant slips the punch.
Harbrant fails in his attempt to clinch.
Kirzner buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Israel Kirzner dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Harbrant moves in looking to clinch but Kirzner pushes him off.
Kirzner throws an overhand right that lands on Harbrant's shoulder, as Harbrant tries to avoid the shot.
Harbrant takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Some wild striking there from Kirzner.
Harbrant takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Kirzner swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Kirzner lands a glancing blow to the side of Harbrant's head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harbrant misses with a takedown attempt - Kirzner sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Harbrant tries to close the distance and clinch but Kirzner swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Harbrant shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kirzner stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Kirzner fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Harbrant manages to avoid it.
Harbrant changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Kirzner throws a shot from downtown. Harbrant moves away and avoids it.
Harbrant changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Harbrant tries to clinch up.
Kirzner with a hook.
Kirzner throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Kirzner lands a head shot.
Kirzner avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Harbrant uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Kirzner.
Harbrant tries to close the distance and clinch up but Kirzner swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Harbrant on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Harbrant tries to clinch but Kirzner moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kirzner lands with an uppercut that bounces Harbrant off the cage and back into range.
Harbrant tries to close the distance and clinch but Kirzner swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Harbrant looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Harbrant tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Kirzner fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Harbrant manages to avoid it.

Harbrant clinches.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Kirzner breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Kody Harbrant has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Harbrant keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
A looping hook to the body misses from Kirzner. Harbrant does a little dance to reset his feet.
Kirzner swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Harbrant fails with an attempt to clinch.
Good leg kick by Kirzner.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kirzner throws a right hand that Harbrant ducks under and follows up with a left that Harbrant also avoids with ease.
Harbrant tries to counter with a clinch but Kirzner shakes him off and moves away.
A good leg kick by Kirzner.
Kirzner tests Harbrant's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Kirzner lands a nice leg kick that just misses Harbrant's sensitive parts.
Harbrant tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Kirzner manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Kirzner thinks about countering with a head kick.
Harbrant tries to clinch up but Kirzner circles away and keeps his distance.
Harbrant tries to clinch up but Kirzner circles away and keeps his distance.
Kirzner swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Harbrant wants to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kirzner swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Harbrant tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Harbrant wants to clinch.

Harbrant closes the distance and clinches.

Kirzner breaks from the clinch.
Harbrant misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Kirzner.

Harbrant has managed to clinch.

Kirzner breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Israel Kirzner is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Kirzner wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.

And that's the end of the fight!
Israel Kirzner showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Kirzner, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Frank Antenori scores the fight 30:27
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 30:27
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Israel Kirzner!