PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight kickboxing rules bout between Karen Darabedyan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alexander Popov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Darabedyan comes to the ring accompanied by KDB Highlights. Popov is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Be Good to Yourself . Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Darabedyan
vs
Popov

170 cm
30
158 lbs
8 - 12 - 0

222 cm
24
146 lbs
11 - 6 - 1

Solid boxing
Very quick

Decent boxing
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Karen Darabedyan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 6 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Alexander Popov!
The judges for this bout are Tatsuya Matsuyama, Yuuki Gou and Yukihiro Shimada.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Popov is looking to clinch.

Popov tries to keep at a distance but Darabedyan has taken the fight into the clinch.
Popov has a couple of punches blocked by Darabedyan.
Popov lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Popov fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Darabedyan wants to break the clinch but can't.
A nice left hand lands by Popov.
Darabedyan wants to break free but Popov has control.

Darabedyan pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Popov tries to clinch up but Darabedyan circles away and keeps his distance.
Popov is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Darabedyan throws a series of punches but Popov moves out of range.
The fight stays on the outside here - Popov looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Darabedyan forces Popov back against the ropes and clinches.
Darabedyan working hard to break the clinch.
Popov has a couple of punches blocked by Darabedyan.
Darabedyan has had enough of the clinch but Popov keeps him there for the moment.
Darabedyan blocking some punches.
Darabedyan pushes off an throws an elbow but Popov leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the ropes.
Darabedyan takes a shot to the head.
Popov swings wildly with an uppercut but Darabedyan uses good head movement to avoid it.
Darabedyan blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Popov tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

Darabedyan pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Popov forces Darabedyan back against the ropes and clinches.
Darabedyan is looking to break free of the clinch but Popov has double underhooks.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Darabedyan.

Darabedyan breaks from the clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Popov looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Popov tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Popov avoids a punch combination nicely.
Darabedyan misses with a few strikes there.

Darabedyan moves into the clinch successfully.
Popov lands with a short punch from the clinch.

Darabedyan pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Popov tries to clinch but Darabedyan is having none of it.
Popov is looking to clinch but Darabedyan is avoiding it.
Popov showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Darabedyan.
Popov is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Popov tries to clinch up but Darabedyan circles away and keeps his distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Popov looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Darabedyan is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Popov.

Darabedyan has Popov up against the ropes in a clinch.
Darabedyan pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the ropes.

Darabedyan breaks from the clinch.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
A jab from Darabedyan misses.
Darabedyan pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Popov back to the ropes. Darabedyan follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.

It looks like Alexander Popov has been cut.
Popov tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Darabedyan holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Darabedyan breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Popov moves in looking to clinch but Darabedyan pushes him off.
Popov wants to clinch.
Popov doesn't manage to clinch there - Darabedyan circles away.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Popov tries to clinch up
and Darabedyan counters with a nice body shot.
Darabedyan cracks the inside of Popov's front leg.
Darabedyan avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Karen Darabedyan dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Alexander Popov'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.

Popov tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Darabedyan paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Popov fails in his attempt to clinch.

Darabedyan has Popov up against the ropes in a clinch.
Darabedyan misses with a hook from the clinch.
Darabedyan is trying to break free.
Popov doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
A battle for position here, against the ropes.
Popov lands a hook that snaps the head of Darabedyan backwards.
Darabedyan blocks an uppercut.

Darabedyan breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Popov wants to clinch up but Darabedyan keeps it at a distance.
Darabedyan cracks Popov with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Darabedyan avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Popov walks into a jab.

Popov is rocked!
Popov tries to clinch but Darabedyan is having none of it.
Popov is still on wobbly legs! Can Darabedyan finish him?
Darabedyan looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Popov tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Popov seems to have recovered his senses.
Popov tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Darabedyan paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Darabedyan keeps the fight on the outside.
Popov slips a jab and a cross from Darabedyan.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Popov tries to clinch up.
Darabedyan tries to bum rush Popov with a series of wild strikes but Popov uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Karen Darabedyan is winning the standup battle so far.
Popov wants to clinch.
Popov tries to clinch up.
Darabedyan throws a body kick that misses.
Popov tries to clinch but Darabedyan is having none of it.
Darabedyan pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Darabedyan throws a hook to the side of Popov's head but Popov sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Popov moves in looking to clinch but Darabedyan pushes him off.
Popov is looking to clinch.

Darabedyan gets a clinch.
Popov doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Darabedyan lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
A nice left hand lands by Popov.
Darabedyan lands with a light punch inside.
Popov lands with a left to the head.
Popov misses with a hook from the clinch.
Popov doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Darabedyan looking to slow down the pace here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Darabedyan lands a right hand that snaps the head of Popov backwards.
Popov misses with a hook from the clinch.
Popov prevents a body shot from Darabedyan.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Popov lands with a right to the head.
Darabedyan is trying to break the clinch but Popov is controlling him.
Popov misses with a short punch on the inside.
Popov misses with the head strike.
Popov doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

Darabedyan breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Darabedyan throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Some wild striking there from Darabedyan.

Popov closes the distance and clinches.
Popov misses with the head strike.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Darabedyan can't break the clinch.
Popov keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Darabedyan's efforts to push away.

Darabedyan breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Popov tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
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 Karen Darabedyan will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Alexander Popov's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Darabedyan swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Popov darts in trying to clinch
and Darabedyan counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Darabedyan catches Popov napping and connects with a fantastic 3 punch combination that sends Popov crashing to the mat! He's still conscious but he's all over the place - can he beat the count?!? 4,5,6,7,8...9...10! He didn't make it back to his feet! Darabedyan raises both arms skywards and takes in the roar from the crowd!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:17 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Karen Darabedyan!
Karen Darabedyan 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.