PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Rayan McCarthy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Anzor Azhiev (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Anzor Azhiev struggled to make weight for this fight. He only made it down to 156.0lbs at the first attempt and had to take the additional two hours to make the official bout weight. Let's see how much it's taken out of him. The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

McCarthy
vs
Azhiev

170 cm
26
154 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

177 cm
25
166 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Big right hand

Good takedowns
Brawler
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Rayan McCarthy!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Anzor Azhiev!
The judges for this bout are Sergei Dronov, Aleksandr Martynov and Vladimir Khabensky.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Azhiev closes the distance and clinches.
Azhiev fails to pull guard.
McCarthy stops a takedown attempt from Azhiev.

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

McCarthy drops Azhiev with a nice combination! McCarthy dives into Azhiev's guard, looking to finish!

It looks like Anzor Azhiev has been cut.
This has been an exciting period of action!
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
McCarthy would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Azhiev trying to control the position here.
McCarthy wants to stand and escape but instead Azhiev has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Azhiev engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.

Azhiev stands up and waves to McCarthy to follow him.
McCarthy throws a front kick aimed at Azhiev's knee but Azhiev avoids it well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McCarthy goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Azhiev is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
McCarthy lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Azhiev circles away quickly and effectively.
McCarthy pulls out of a head kick attempt.
McCarthy misses with a looping left.
McCarthy swings and misses with a hook to the body.
McCarthy misses with a head kick.
Azhiev misses with a two punch combination.
Azhiev on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Azhiev is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.

Azhiev is rocked!
Azhiev wants to clinch.
Azhiev is still on wobbly legs! Can McCarthy finish him?
McCarthy sees an opening and throws a straight punch right through Azhiev's defenses. It connects perfectly with Azhiev's jaw and knocks him out cold! Wow - that's a contender for knockout of the year - absolutely brutal!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:53 of round 1, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Rayan McCarthy!
Our winner, Rayan McCarthy, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.