PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight kickboxing rules bout between Ebrahim Azhari (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gde Vkaragande (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Azhari comes to the ring accompanied by Jedi Mind Tricks - Blood in Blood out. Vkaragande is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Morbid Angel - God of Emptiness. Ebrahim Azhari had real problems making weight for this fight. After initially coming in at 136.7lbs, he had two hours to make the official fight weight. He made it but it will have taken a lot out of him to cut those extra few pounds. This should be fireworks!

Azhari
vs
Vkaragande

171 cm
21
150 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

169 cm
30
141 lbs
11 - 3 - 1

World class MT
Granite chin

Lethal high kicks
Good gas tank

Brute

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Ebrahim Azhari!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 3 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Gde Vkaragande!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Yamamoto, Taro Takaoka and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Good work by Vkaragande as he checks the leg kick.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Vkaragande.
Gde Vkaragande seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Vkaragande swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Azhari connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Vkaragande takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Vkaragande throws a sloppy head kick and Azhari moves out of range easily.
Vkaragande pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Vkaragande misses with a leg kick
and Azhari counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Vkaragande throws a sloppy head kick and Azhari moves out of range easily.
A punch combination from Vkaragande misses.
Vkaragande throws a nice outside leg kick.
Vkaragande throws a lazy head kick
and Azhari counters with a slapping leg kick.
Vkaragande paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vkaragande misses with a low kick.
Azhari has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Vkaragande finds it's way round the side to connect with Azhari's head.
Vkaragande misses with a double jab
and Azhari makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Vkaragande throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Azhari walks forward, straight into a front kick from Vkaragande.
Vkaragande throws a one two combo.

It looks like Ebrahim Azhari has been cut.
Vkaragande swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Vkaragande throws a head kick that misses
and Azhari counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Vkaragande thinking.
Azhari lands a nice shot to the body.
Nice defenses there by Azhari.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Nice shot lands for Vkaragande.
Vkaragande misses the shot to the body.
Azhari tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Vkaragande throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Azhari.
Vkaragande wants to land a leg kick but Azhari is out of range.
A head kick misses from Vkaragande.
Vkaragande misses with a body kick.
Vkaragande walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Azhari checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Vkaragande throws a leg kick that is checked
and Azhari makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Vkaragande lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vkaragande chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Vkaragande motions for Azhari to come forward. Vkaragande throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Azhari has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Vkaragande throws a leg kick but Azhari sees it coming and moves out of range.
Vkaragande blocks a head kick by Azhari.
Vkaragande throws a leg kick but Azhari moved away.
Vkaragande tries a head kick but it misses.
Vkaragande misses with a hook. Azhari ducked under it nicely.
Vkaragande feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Azhari's calf.
Vkaragande tries to land a leg kick but Azhari saw it coming and moves away.
Vkaragande throws a right hand that Azhari ducks under and follows up with a left that Azhari also avoids with ease.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vkaragande throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Vkaragande throws a lazy body kick
and Azhari counters with a leg kick.
Vkaragande lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Azhari circles away quickly and effectively.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Vkaragande misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Vkaragande throws a head kick that misses.
Azhari avoids the head kick by Vkaragande.
Azhari blocks a head kick by Vkaragande.
Vkaragande scores with a head kick.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Vkaragande listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Azhari takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Vkaragande throws a head kick but Azhari moves out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gde Vkaragande dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Ebrahim Azhari's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the ring so we can get back down to business.

Vkaragande throws a body kick, spinning off balance
and Azhari counters with a nice body kick.
A punch combination from Vkaragande misses.
Vkaragande throws a jab when Azhari was well out of range.
Vkaragande fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Azhari uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Vkaragande.
Vkaragande misses with a body kick.
Azhari misses with a body kick.
Vkaragande tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Azhari throws a chopping leg kick but Vkaragande manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Vkaragande scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Vkaragande keeps Azhari at a distance using the push kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Azhari thuds a left hand into Vkaragande's body.
Vkaragande tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Azhari was well out of range. Poor timing from Vkaragande.
Vkaragande blocks the body kick.
That kick from Vkaragande tenderised Azhari's leg. Azhari is trying to keep his angry face on.
Azhari avoids the head kick by Vkaragande.
Vkaragande fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Azhari blocks a head kick by Vkaragande.
Vkaragande feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Azhari's calf.
Gde Vkaragande seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Azhari slips a jab and a cross from Vkaragande.
Vkaragande throws a sloppy head kick and Azhari moves out of range easily.
Vkaragande misses with a low kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vkaragande throws a leg kick which misses Azhari's front leg but catches the back leg as Azhari tries to avoid it.
Azhari blocks the body kick.
Vkaragande connects with an inside leg kick.
Vkaragande throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Azhari counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
A solid leg kick lands there for Azhari.
Vkaragande misses with a series of wild punches.
Vkaragande turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Azhari avoids the head kick by Vkaragande.
An inside leg kick from Vkaragande misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vkaragande throws a head kick but Azhari moves out of range.
A head kick by Vkaragande misses
and Azhari counters with a good, hard body kick but Vkaragande shrugs it off.
Azhari's corner calls for a 1-2. Azhari obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Vkaragande throws a head kick that misses.
Vkaragande throws a right hand that misses
and Azhari counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Azhari connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Azhari ducks under a wild hook from Vkaragande.
Vkaragande throws a head kick that misses
and Azhari counters with a low kick, right behind Vkaragande 's knee.
Vkaragande misses with a lunging right hand
and Azhari makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Vkaragande tries a head kick but it misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vkaragande pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Vkaragande throws a solid leg kick but Azhari takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Vkaragande.
Vkaragande throws a half hearted mid kick.
A chopping leg kick lands by Azhari.
Vkaragande throws a lazy head kick
and Azhari makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Vkaragande moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Vkaragande takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A looping hook to the body misses from Vkaragande. Azhari does a little dance to reset his feet.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Vkaragande throws the kick towards the body but Azhari avoids it.
Vkaragande throws a leg kick but Azhari moved away.
Azhari scores with a body shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gde Vkaragande showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Ebrahim Azhari's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the ring so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Azhari tries to clinch but Vkaragande is having none of it.
Azhari throws a head kick that misses.
Vkaragande pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Azhari is looking to wear down Vkaragande with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Azhari lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Vkaragande misses with a double jab.
A big left from Vkaragande misses.
Vkaragande checks the leg kick nicely there.
A punch combination from Vkaragande misses.
Azhari blocks a leg kick.
Vkaragande shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Vkaragande throws a lazy body kick
and Azhari counters with a head kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vkaragande throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Azhari.
Azhari buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Azhari goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Vkaragande tries a head kick but it misses.
Azhari throws a front kick that sends Vkaragande stumbling back into the ropes.
Vkaragande checks a leg kick.
Azhari is looking to slow Vkaragande down with leg kicks.
Azhari walks into a left hand.
Vkaragande takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Vkaragande misses with a head kick.
Ebrahim Azhari has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vkaragande gets off balance looking for a body kick
and Azhari counters with a solid body kick.
Vkaragande takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Vkaragande falls off balance throwing a combination
and Azhari counters with a straight right hand.
Vkaragande lands a glancing blow to the side of Azhari's head.
Vkaragande throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Azhari.
Azhari moves out of range of the body kick.
Azhari throws a sloppy head kick and Vkaragande moves out of range easily.
Vkaragande turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Vkaragande looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Vkaragande throws a leg kick that is checked
and Azhari counters with a good low kick that Vkaragande was not able to check.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Azhari throws a wild body kick that Vkaragande sees coming a mile off.
Vkaragande looks to land a combination but Azhari avoids it well.
Vkaragande throws a head kick that misses
and Azhari counters with a nice low kick that buckles Vkaragande's knee momentarily.
Azhari checks a leg kick.
Azhari throws out a leg kick but Vkaragande moves out of range and Azhari only half commits.
Vkaragande swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Vkaragande throws a shot from downtown. Azhari moves away and avoids it.
Vkaragande closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Azhari connects with a body shot.
Azhari tries a head kick but it misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vkaragande moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Azhari defending well as Vkaragande loads up on a big left hand.
Vkaragande throws a sloppy head kick and Azhari moves out of range easily.
Vkaragande misses with a leg kick
and Azhari counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Gde Vkaragande is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Vkaragande throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
A telegraphed right hand from Vkaragande misses the target.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Azhari, right into the meat.
Vkaragande is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Vkaragande misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Vkaragande throws a head kick but Azhari moves out of range.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Ebrahim Azhari.
Well Vkaragande 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 Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 27:30
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gde Vkaragande!
After the big win, Gde Vkaragande made sure to do all the important stuff like thanking his sponsors Brute and telling the interviewer how much he loves him.