PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ivan Drago (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Stelian Zeklos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Zeklos's choice of entrance music: Du Riechst So Gut. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Drago
vs
Zeklos

183 cm
29
215 lbs
15 - 11 - 0

183 cm
21
219 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Good kicks
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 15 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Ivan Drago!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Stelian Zeklos!
The judges for this bout are Ben Zyskovitsi, Anni Minnemäki and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Zeklos rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Drago moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Zeklos lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Zeklos throws a big shot that misses.
Drago throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Zeklos ducks under a wild hook from Drago.
Drago throws a right and a left that both miss.
Zeklos misses with an uppercut. Drago saw that one coming.
Drago throws a series of strikes that have Zeklos backpedaling.
Zeklos with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Drago to score with a decent uppercut.
Drago moves out of range of the body kick from Zeklos.
Zeklos circles away from the clinch attempt.
Drago tries to clinch there but Zeklos circles away.
Zeklos waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Drago.
Drago throws a series of punches but Zeklos avoids them all with ease.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Drago scores with the left hand. Zeklos knows he should have avoided that one.
Drago tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Drago lands a jab.

It looks like Stelian Zeklos has been cut.
Ivan Drago seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Drago tries to clinch up but Zeklos circles away and keeps his distance.
Drago throws an overhand right that lands on Zeklos's shoulder, as Zeklos tries to avoid the shot.
Drago wants to clinch up but Zeklos keeps it at a distance.
Zeklos tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Drago was well out of range. Poor timing from Zeklos.
Zeklos swats away the attempt to clinch by Drago.
Drago misses the jab.
Zeklos uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Drago.
A big right from Drago misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zeklos misses with a wild combination.
Drago moves to clinch but Zeklos breaks away
and Drago takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Drago scores with a one two! Zeklos had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Zeklos throws a jab but it's blocked by Drago.
Zeklos connects with a nice looking jab.
Drago tries to close the distance and clinch but Zeklos swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Zeklos takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Drago with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Drago swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Drago pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Zeklos back to the cage. Drago follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Drago on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Zeklos. Zeklos obviously looking to wear him down.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zeklos moves out of range of the strikes.
Decent striking displayed by Zeklos there.

Drago darts in and clinches Zeklos up against the cage.
Drago throws a punch but it's blocked by Zeklos.
Drago misses with a body punch.
Zeklos gets through Drago's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Drago misses with a shot to the kidneys.
A nice left hand lands by Zeklos.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Zeklos.
Drago tries to throw a body punch but Zeklos avoids it by throwing Drago back against the cage.
Drago working aggressively here.
Nice body punch from Drago.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Drago trying to control the position but instead, Zeklos has worked for underhooks and has pushed Drago into the cage.
Zeklos lands with a short punch from the clinch.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Zeklos lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Zeklos blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Drago doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Drago can't find room to land a body shot as Zeklos controls the action.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Zeklos working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Stalling in the clinch from Zeklos.
Drago tries to throw a body punch but Zeklos avoids it by throwing Drago back against the cage.
Drago lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ivan Drago dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Stelian Zeklos's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Zeklos pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Drago connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Zeklos momentarily.
Drago rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Zeklos moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Drago moves away from the strike by Zeklos.
Drago closes the distance looking to clinch
and Zeklos counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Drago throws a lazy right hand but Zeklos sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Drago moves in looking to clinch but Zeklos pushes him off.
Drago moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Zeklos uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Drago.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Drago drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Drago throws a series of punches but Zeklos avoids them all with ease.
A jab from Drago misses.
Zeklos keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Drago.
Drago slips a jab from Zeklos.
Drago listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Drago throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Zeklos in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
Zeklos throws a nice head kick!

It looks like Ivan Drago has been cut.
Drago is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Drago throws a looping overhand right but Zeklos ducks down to avoid it.
Drago showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Zeklos.
Drago blocks a head kick by Zeklos.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zeklos walks into a stiff left hand from Drago.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Drago looks to land a combination but Zeklos avoids it well.
Drago swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Drago lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Drago throws out a loose jab but Zeklos uses good head movement to avoid it.
Drago looks to land a combination. Zeklos sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Drago works over Zeklos's head and body with a nice combination.

That has opened up Stelian Zeklos's cut even more.
Zeklos keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Drago tries to clinch but Zeklos is having none of it.
Zeklos dodges the punch combination from Drago.
Zeklos takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A jab from Zeklos misses.
Zeklos scores with a nice right hand.
Drago misses with a jab, cross combination.
Drago misses with a looping left.
Drago ducks under a wild hook from Zeklos.
Zeklos closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Drago throws a combination that misses
and Zeklos counters with a two punch combo.
Zeklos cracks the inside of Drago's front leg.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
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 looping hook to the body misses from Drago. Zeklos does a little dance to reset his feet.
Drago throws a big shot that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zeklos fails to land with a series of punches.
Sloppy strikes from Drago. Those never looked like landing.
The fighters circling - Zeklos throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Zeklos throws a poor cross that misses
and Drago counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Drago tries to clinch
and Zeklos counters with a series of strikes. Drago will be more careful next time no doubt.
Drago misses with a double jab.
Drago looks to land a combination but Zeklos avoids it well.
Drago fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Zeklos throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Drago sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Zeklos scores with a nice right hand.
Drago walks into a straight right hand from Zeklos.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ivan Drago dominated that second round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's time! Drago's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Drago throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Zeklos scores with a head kick.
Zeklos takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Drago throws an overhand right that lands on Zeklos's shoulder, as Zeklos tries to avoid the shot.
Zeklos scores with a kick to the midsection.
Zeklos dodges the punch combination from Drago.
Drago slips a straight right by Zeklos.
Zeklos connects with the punch.
Sloppy strikes from Drago. Those never looked like landing.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Drago moves in looking to clinch but Zeklos pushes him off.
Drago throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Drago avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Drago slips a jab from Zeklos.
Zeklos takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Drago throws a jab but it's blocked by Zeklos.
Ivan Drago is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Drago ducks under a wild hook from Zeklos.
Drago takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Drago steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Zeklos.
Zeklos misses with a left hand
and Drago counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
A punch lands to the side of Zeklos 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Drago dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Drago lands the left hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zeklos throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Drago takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
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!
Drago throws a big shot that misses.
Zeklos lands with a nice body kick.
Drago throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Ivan Drago is winning the standup battle so far.
Left hook, right uppercut from Zeklos.
Zeklos throws a right and a left that Drago avoids nicely.
Drago jabs at Zeklos's body.
Drago throws a shot from downtown. Zeklos moves away and avoids it.
Zeklos fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A looping hook to the body misses from Zeklos. Drago does a little dance to reset his feet.
Drago on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Zeklos on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Zeklos throws a nice inside leg kick.
Drago swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Zeklos.
Drago tries to clinch but Zeklos is having none of it.
Drago fails to land with a series of punches.
A left lands for Drago.
Drago takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Nice defenses there by Zeklos.
Drago looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Drago tries to close the distance and clinch but Zeklos swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Drago shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Zeklos thuds his shin into the meat of Drago's side.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Drago missing with a left hand there. Zeklos was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
The fighters circling - Zeklos throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Zeklos throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Drago stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Drago throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Zeklos sees it coming and avoids it easily.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Drago throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Drago misses the shot to the body.
Stelian Zeklos has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Drago waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Zeklos.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Stelian Zeklos.
Well Drago has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 29:28
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 29:28
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ivan Drago!