PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight kickboxing rules bout between Bob Marley (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alex Muter (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Alex Muter will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Marley
vs
Muter

158 cm
23
143 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

180 cm
27
155 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

Counter striker
Good chin

Solid Muay Thai
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 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Bob Marley!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Alex Muter!
The judges for this bout are Viktor Lagutenko, Valeri Chadov and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fight stays on the outside here - Muter looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Marley throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

Muter drives through and clinches with Marley against the ropes.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Muter prevents Marley from breaking the clinch.
Marley is trying to break the clinch but Muter has him pressed against the ropes.
A bit of stalling here from Muter.
Muter lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Marley wants to get back to striking at distance but Muter won't allow it.
Muter misses with some punches.
Muter keeps control of Marley as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Muter breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Muter misses with a few strikes there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Marley takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Muter tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Marley paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Muter closes the distance and clinches.
Marley takes a knee right on the jaw!

Muter breaks from the clinch.

Muter rushes Marley and presses him up against the ropes.
Marley wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Muter has him pressed against the ropes.
Marley stalling in the clinch but Muter improves position.
Muter tries to break free but Marley pushes him back against the ropes.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.

Muter escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Muter tries to bum rush Marley with a series of wild strikes but Marley uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Muter tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Marley could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
A head kick misses from Muter.
Muter scores with a spinning back kick!
Marley misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Muter.
Marley tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Muter was well out of range. Poor timing from Marley.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Muter tries to close the distance and clinch but Marley swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Muter looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A nice leg kick lands there from Muter.
Marley takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Marley avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Muter keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Marley takes a kick to the side of the head.
Muter tries to clinch up.
Muter wants to clinch.
Marley throws the left hand but Muter avoids the punch easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Muter tries to clinch but Marley is having none of it.
Marley takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Muter tries to clinch up but Marley circles away and keeps his distance.

Muter clinches up against the ropes.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Muter breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Muter with a nice cross.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alex Muter dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Muter tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Marley paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Muter fails with an attempt to clinch.
Alex Muter seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Muter tries to clinch but Marley moves out of range.
Muter is looking to clinch but Marley is avoiding it.
Muter throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Marley.
Muter tries to close the distance and clinch up but Marley swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Muter tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Muter wants to clinch up but Marley keeps it at a distance.
Muter lands a high kick!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Marley keeps the fight on the outside.
Muter tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in the close the distance. Marley manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Marley thows a body shot but no joy.
Alex Muter is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Marley keeps the fight on the outside.
Marley tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Muter tries to close the distance and clinch up but Marley swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Muter throws a series of punches but Marley moves out of range.
Muter darts in trying to clinch
and Marley cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Muter throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Muter tries to clinch but Marley is having none of it.
Muter looks to land a combination but Marley avoids it well.

Muter clinches.
Marley prevents Muter from breaking the clinch.
Muter misses with a punch on the inside.

Muter breaks from the clinch.
Muter is looking to clinch but Marley is avoiding it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marley circles away from the clinch attempt.
Muter throws a head kick but Marley moves out of range.

Muter moves into the clinch.

Muter manages to break the clinch.
Muter lands a head kick!
Muter throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Muter wants to clinch up but Marley keeps it at a distance.
Muter fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Muter is looking to clinch.
Muter throws a sloppy head kick and Marley moves out of range easily.
Marley misses with a wild body shot.
Muter fails with an attempt to clinch.
Marley circles away from the clinch attempt.
Muter tries to close the distance and clinch but Marley swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Muter doesn't manage to clinch there - Marley circles away.
Muter throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alex Muter showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Marley takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Muter tries to close the distance and clinch up but Marley swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Marley is looking to wear down Muter with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Muter fails with an attempt to clinch.
Muter tries to clinch but Marley moves out of range.
Muter slips under a jab.
Muter misses with a wild combination.
A telegraphed right hand from Marley misses the target.
Marley uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Muter.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Muter uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Marley.
Muter will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Muter ducks under a wild hook from Marley.
Muter lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
The fight stays on the outside here - Muter looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Marley ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Muter moves away.

Muter clinches up against the ropes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Muter misses with a punch on the inside.
Muter holding his opponent close, against the ropes.

Muter breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Muter connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Alex Muter seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Muter scores with a head kick.

Marley gets tackled into the ropes by Muter. Muter maintains the clinch.
Marley trying to stall but Muter improves his position.

Muter breaks the clinch.
Marley throws a body punch but Muter moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Muter instigates a clinch.
Muter utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Muter tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Marley's elbow.
Muter has a couple of punches blocked by Marley.
Muter lands a body punch in the clinch.
Muter has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Marley looking to slow down the pace here.
Marley is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the ropes.
Marley trying to control the position but instead, Muter has worked for underhooks and has pushed Marley into the ropes.
Muter using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Marley has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Marley trying to control the position but instead, Muter has worked for underhooks and has pushed Marley into the ropes.
Marley is really struggling to find his range with his punches. Muter's reach advantage is clearly causing him problems.
Marley avoiding damage as Muter throws knees to the body.
Alex Muter is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Muter landing some nice looking knees to the body.
A frustrated look appears on Marley's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Marley trying to control the position but instead, Muter has worked for underhooks and has pushed Marley into the ropes.
Marley can't seem to implement his control oriented gameplan at the moment. That's no bad thing of course, for those of us who want to see a good fight.

And that's the end of the fight!
Alex Muter comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Muter has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 27:30
Judge Valeri Chadov scores the fight 27:30
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Alex Muter!
Alex Muter seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.