PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Jalo Ilmarinen (ranked 449 p4p, 148 weight class) and Azad Bekzod (ranked 60 p4p, 25 weight class). Bekzod has chosen "Weird" Al Yankovic - Amish Paradise as his entrance music. 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.

Ilmarinen
vs
Bekzod

178 cm
23
174
9 - 4 - 0

183 cm
23
174
11 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Good gas tank

30th Century Beer Store
Conviction

Black Lab Clothing
Groove Gear

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 9 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Jalo Ilmarinen!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Azad Bekzod!
The judges for this bout are Illya Tyunina, Dmitry Maklakov and Aleksandr Martynov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bekzod swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Bekzod scores with a hook to the body.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Ilmarinen.
Ilmarinen lands a body shot.
Ilmarinen cracks Bekzod with a nice body shot.
I was talking to Ilmarinen's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Bekzod misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Bekzod blocks a body shot from Ilmarinen.
Ilmarinen lands a body punch in the clinch.
Ilmarinen works on Bekzod's body with a couple of short punches.
Ilmarinen tries to throw a body punch but Bekzod avoids it by throwing Ilmarinen back against the cage.
Ilmarinen misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Bekzod wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bekzod tries a body shot but Ilmarinen blocks it.
Ilmarinen is working Bekzod over against the cage.
Bekzod misses with a hook from the clinch.
Ilmarinen lands a hook that snaps the head of Bekzod backwards.
Ilmarinen tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
A head punch on the inside from Ilmarinen fails to land.
Bekzod tries to throw a body punch but Ilmarinen avoids it by throwing Bekzod back against the cage.
Ilmarinen blocks a punch to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bekzod working aggressively here.
Ilmarinen lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Ilmarinen tries a body shot but Bekzod blocks it.
Ilmarinen can't find room to land a body shot as Bekzod controls the action.
Bekzod doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Ilmarinen lands a right hand.
Nice body punch from Bekzod - that landed with a thud.
Bekzod goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Ilmarinen prevents a body shot from Bekzod.
Bekzod makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Ilmarinen scores with a nice hook to the head.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Ilmarinen.
Ilmarinen misses with a short punch on the inside.
Ilmarinen goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Bekzod can't find room to land a body shot as Ilmarinen controls the action.
Ilmarinen swings wildly with an uppercut but Bekzod uses good head movement to avoid it.
Ilmarinen can't find room to land a body shot as Bekzod controls the action.
Ilmarinen swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Ilmarinen blocks a body shot from Bekzod.
Bekzod struggles to land a body shot inside as Ilmarinen controls his hands.
Ilmarinen working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Nice body punch from Ilmarinen - that landed with a thud.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bekzod scores with a hook to the body.
Bekzod tries a body shot but Ilmarinen blocks it.
Bekzod lands a hook that snaps the head of Ilmarinen backwards.
A hook to the body from Bekzod.
Bekzod lands a left hand that snaps the head of Ilmarinen backwards.
Ilmarinen misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Bekzod throws a punch but it's blocked by Ilmarinen.
Bekzod has been looking to improve his clinch game in recent weeks. Ilmarinen seems to have the measure of him in the clinch so far, so let's see if Bekzod can turn it around.
Ilmarinen fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Ilmarinen.
Bekzod blocks a body shot from Ilmarinen.
Bekzod lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Ilmarinen.
Bekzod tries to throw a body punch but Ilmarinen avoids it by throwing Bekzod back against the cage.
Bekzod pushes Ilmarinen back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Ilmarinen swings away with an uppercut that misses.
A short uppercut from Ilmarinen.
Bekzod cracks Ilmarinen with a nice body shot.
Ilmarinen lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Bekzod lands a shot to the body.
Ilmarinen is breathing heavily.
Bekzod lands with a short shot to the head.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Ilmarinen.
Ilmarinen can't find room to land a body shot as Bekzod controls the action.
Bekzod misses with a punch to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bekzod misses with a punch on the inside.
Bekzod misses with the head strike.
Bekzod misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Bekzod works on Ilmarinen's body with a couple of short punches.
Bekzod tries to work over Ilmarinen's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Nice body punch from Bekzod - that landed with a thud.
Bekzod misses with a punch to the body.
A shot in the inside from Bekzod.
Bekzod lands a hook to the side of the head.
Bekzod tries a body shot but Ilmarinen blocks it.
Bekzod struggles to land a body shot inside as Ilmarinen controls his hands.
Bekzod misses with a shot to the kidneys.
A head punch on the inside from Bekzod fails to land.
Bekzod tries a body shot but Ilmarinen blocks it.
Bekzod digs a right hand into Ilmarinen's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Ilmarinen's gas tank.
Bekzod blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Ilmarinen misses with some punches.

Bekzod's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Bekzod thows a left - swing and a miss!
A counter left hand to the body from Ilmarinen misses its target.
Ilmarinen feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Bekzods jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Jalo Ilmarinen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bekzod is looking to land body kicks.
Ilmarinen feinted with a counter takedown.
Bekzod darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ilmarinen keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Bekzod misses with a right hand
and Ilmarinen counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
The fighters circling - Bekzod throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Bekzod tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Ilmarinen counters with a left to the body.
Ilmarinen takes a jab right on the kisser.
Bekzod scores with a nice strike.

Ilmarinen is rocked!
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Azad Bekzod will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Ilmarinen tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Bekzod was well out of range. Poor timing from Ilmarinen.
Ilmarinen slips under a jab from Bekzod.
A big right from Bekzod misses.
Bekzod is looking to clinch.
Ilmarinen throws a jab but it's blocked by Bekzod.
Bekzod clobbers Ilmarinen with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Oh Ilmarinen is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Ilmarinen ducks under a wild hook from Bekzod.
Ilmarinen misses with a wild body shot.
Ilmarinen ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Ilmarinen is holding his hands too far apart here. Bekzod throws a hard, straight punch right down the pipe and BOOM! Ilmarinen is out! That punch landed square on the jaw - what a shot!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:47 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Azad Bekzod!
A relieved looking Azad Bekzod thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.