PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight kickboxing rules bout between Lukas Hartmann (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Cliff Richards (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Richards has chosen Loch Lomond as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the ring.

Hartmann
vs
Richards

191 cm
29
223 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

195 cm
28
205 lbs
9 - 6 - 1

World class boxer
Very quick

Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

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 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Lukas Hartmann!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 6 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Cliff Richards!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Anni Minnemäki and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hartmann misses with a two punch combination.
Richards tries to clinch up but Hartmann circles away and keeps his distance.
Hartmann swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Richards counters with a three punch combo that has Hartmann backing up. Hartmann nods at Richards to acknowledge the strikes.
Richards tries to land a front kick but Hartmann steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Richards tries to clinch up but Hartmann circles away and keeps his distance.
Nice cross by Hartmann.
Lukas Hartmann seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Hartmann rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Richards moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Richards moves in looking to clinch but Hartmann pushes him off.
Hartmann throws a series of strikes that have Richards backpedaling.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Hartmann lands a nice shot that snaps Richards's head back.
Richards takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Richards showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Hartmann.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Richards lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Hartmann backs up against the ropes.
Richards drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Hartmann has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Richards avoids a punch combination nicely.
Some wild striking there from Hartmann.
Richards tries a low kick but Hartmann avoids it.
Richards scores with a jab to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Hartmann throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Richards sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Hartmann fails to land with a series of punches.
Hartmann connects with a body shot.
Richards looks to land a combination but Hartmann avoids it well.
Richards tries to close the distance and clinch up but Hartmann swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Hartmann will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Lukas Hartmann is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Richards pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Richards darts in and clinches Hartmann up against the ropes.

Richards breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Hartmann just misses with a punch to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hartmann swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Richards holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Richards lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Hartmann backwards.
Hartmann misses with a knee to the head.
Richards creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Hartmann's defenses.
Hartmann is looking to control Richards's arms but Richards gets an underhook and turns him. Now Hartmann has his back to the ropes.

Richards breaks from the clinch.
Hartmann blocks a head kick by Richards.
Richards doesn't manage to clinch there - Hartmann circles away.
Hartmann rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Richards moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Richards throws a right hand that Hartmann ducks under and follows up with a left that Hartmann also avoids with ease.

Hartmann gets tackled into the ropes by Richards. Richards maintains the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hartmann working hard to break the clinch.
Hartmann avoids a wild elbow strike from Richards.
Hartmann takes a shot to the head.

Richards breaks the clinch.
Some wild striking there from Hartmann.
Richards uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Hartmann.

Richards gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Richards breaks from the clinch.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Hartmann misses with a hook. Richards ducked under it nicely.
Hartmann moves out of range of the body kick from Richards.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Hartmann misses with a few strikes there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Cliff Richards will probably get the nod.
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.

Hartmann takes a swing at Richards's ribcage but misses.
Hartmann misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
A punch combination from Hartmann misses.
Hartmann looks to land a combination but Richards avoids it well.
Hartmann throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Richards stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Hartmann throws a jab but it's blocked by Richards.

Richards has Hartmann up against the ropes in a clinch.
Richards misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Hartmann.

Richards breaks from the clinch.

Richards fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Hartmann, pushing him back against the ropes.
Richards throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hartmann unloads a knee to the mid-section. Richards lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.

Richards breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Hartmann jabs Richards to the body, keeping him at a distance.

Richards moves into range and clinches up with Hartmann.
Richards tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Hartmann avoids it.
Richards working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Richards lands a hook to the side of the head.
Richards managing to block the knees to the body from Hartmann.
Hartmann can't break the clinch.

Richards breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Hartmann cracks Richards with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
A punch combination from Richards misses.
Lukas Hartmann is winning the standup battle so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Hartmann fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Richards looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Hartmann throws a nice looking combination but Richards bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Hartmann swinging wildly here.
A looping hook to the body misses from Richards. Hartmann does a little dance to reset his feet.
No joy there for Hartmann, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Hartmann throws a hook but Richards avoids it easily.
Hartmann misses the shot to the body.
Hartmann misses with a two punch combination.
Richards thumps Hartmann with a low kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hartmann fails to land with a series of punches.
Hartmann dodges the punch combination from Richards.
Sloppy strikes from Hartmann. Those never looked like landing.
Hartmann throws a series of punches but Richards avoids them all with ease.

Richards closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the ropes.
Hartmann misses with the head strike.
Richards with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.

Richards escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Richards avoids the body shot from Hartmann.
Richards is looking to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Richards throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Richards scores with a one two! Hartmann had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Hartmann feints a jab promting Richards to slip. Hartmann then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Richards slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Hartmann misses with a wild body shot.

Richards pushes Hartmann up against the ropes in a clinch.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Richards as Hartmann tries to tie him up.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Richards escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Richards throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
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 Lukas Hartmann will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. And we move into the final round!

Hartmann is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Richards.
Hartmann missing with a left hand there. Richards was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Richards tries to close the distance and clinch up but Hartmann swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Richards tries to clinch but Hartmann moves out of range.
Richards throws a right and a left that both miss.
Richards tries to clinch up.
Richards is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Hartmann fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Hartmann throws a left and a right that both miss

and Richards counters by clinching up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hartmann's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Hartmann trying to land knees to the body.
Richards throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Hartmanns head.
Richards keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Hartmann's efforts to push away.
Hartmann tries a knee to the head but Richards blocks it.
Hartmann is trying to break the clinch but Richards has him pressed against the ropes.

Richards manages to break the clinch.
Hartmann swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Richards counters with a nice body shot.
Hartmann throws a right and a left that Richards avoids nicely.

Richards clinches up with Hartmann and pushes him back against the ropes.

Richards manages to break the clinch.
Sloppy strikes from Richards. Those never looked like landing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hartmann lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Richards circles away quickly and effectively.
Richards lands a nice looking body shot.

Richards clinches.
Richards throws a knee to the head but misses.

Richards escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Hartmann misses with the combination.
Hartmann is looking to wear down Richards with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
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!

Richards closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the ropes.
Richards misses with a knee to the head.

Richards pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Richards tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in the close the distance. Hartmann manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hartmann scores with a hook to the body. Richards takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
A shot to the body from Hartmann misses
and Richards counters with a good low kick that Hartmann was not able to check.
Richards closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Hartmann looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Richards moves into range and clinches up with Hartmann.

Richards manages to break the clinch.
Richards on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Hartmann swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Richards wants to clinch.
Hartmann lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Richards throws a body kick that misses.
Hartmann throws a right hand that Richards ducks under and follows up with a left that Richards also avoids with ease.
Hartmann blocks a head kick by Richards.

Richards closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the ropes.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hartmann stalling in the clinch but Richards improves position.

Richards pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Hartmann throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Richards counters with an inside leg kick.

And that's the end of the fight!
Cliff Richards comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Richards has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Marco Blurström scores the fight 28:29
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 28:29
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Cliff Richards!