PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight kickboxing rules bout between Ebrahim Azhari (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rodney Ruxin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Azhari kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Jedi Mind Tricks - Blood in Blood out. The crowd seem to be enjoying Ruxin's choice of entrance music: Hero. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Azhari
vs
Ruxin

171 cm
22
149 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

178 cm
22
143 lbs
6 - 8 - 0

World class MT
Granite chin

Excellent boxer
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Ebrahim Azhari!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Rodney Ruxin!
The judges for this bout are Yasuomi Hirokawa, Taro Takaoka and Hirohito Nitta.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ruxin avoids the head kick by Azhari.
Ruxin misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Ruxin lands a jab to Azhari's midsection.
Ruxin misses with a hook. Azhari ducked under it nicely.
Ruxin throws a right and a left that Azhari avoids nicely.
Ruxin chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Azhari can pounce on him.
Ruxin falls off balance throwing a combination
and Azhari counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Azhari throws a nice outside leg kick.
Ruxin takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Azhari lands a nice leg kick that just misses Ruxin's sensitive parts.
Azhari lands with a slapping head kick.
A combination from Ruxin does no damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ruxin lands a body shot.
Ruxin rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Azhari moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Ruxin lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Azhari circles away quickly and effectively.
Ruxin misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Ruxin jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Azhari connects with a leg kick. Ruxin looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Ruxin misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Azhari counters with an inside leg kick.
Ruxin misses with a few strikes there.
Azhari misses with a low kick.
Ruxin throws a right and a left that Azhari avoids nicely.
Ruxin fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ruxin comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Azhari tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Ruxin was well out of range. Poor timing from Azhari.
Ruxin falls off balance throwing a combination
and Azhari makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Ruxin really felt that one!
Ruxin digs a good body shot into Azhari's ribs.
Ruxin throws a right hand that misses
and Azhari counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Ruxin ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Azhari moves away.
Some bone on bone action there as Ruxin checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Ruxin misses with a few strikes there.
Ruxin swings away with a body shot that misses
and Azhari counters with a nice low kick that buckles Ruxin's knee momentarily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Ebrahim Azhari will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Ruxin misses with a few strikes there.
Ruxin throws a right and a left that Azhari avoids nicely.
Ruxin misses with a wild combination.
Ruxin misses with a straight left.
Azhari misses with a leg kick.
Azhari staying out of range there.
Azhari throws a leg kick but Ruxin moved away.
Ruxin misses with a jab, cross combination.

Azhari clinches up against the ropes.

Ruxin breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Ruxin waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Azhari.

That's one minute gone in the round.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Azhari.
Ruxin misses with a two punch combination.
No joy there for Ruxin, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Ruxin connects with the punch.
Azhari slips a jab from Ruxin.
Azhari throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Ruxin looks to land a combination but Azhari avoids it well.
Ruxin looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Ruxin misses with a two punch combination.
Ruxin looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Ruxin throws a sloppy body shot
and Azhari counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ruxin lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Azhari circles away quickly and effectively.
Ruxin throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Azhari counters with a stiff right hand.
Ruxin throws a series of punches but Azhari moves out of range.
Ruxin throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Ruxin misses with a two punch combination.
No joy there for Ruxin, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
A slapping leg kick lands for Azhari.
Ruxin is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Azhari rather than just go for the knockout.
Ruxin fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Azhari manages to avoid it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Azhari fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Ruxin has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.

Ruxin gets tackled into the ropes by Azhari. Azhari maintains the clinch.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Azhari throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Ruxins head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Rodney Ruxin will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Ruxin has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Azhari.
Azhari misses with a kick to the body.
Ruxin swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Ruxin throws a big shot that misses.
A lazy left from Azhari finds it's target.
Ruxin just misses with a punch to the body.
Ruxin moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Ruxin takes a swing at Azhari's ribcage but misses.
Azhari showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Ruxin.
Ruxin throws a nice looking combination but Azhari bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ruxin misses with a few strikes there.
Rodney Ruxin is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Ruxin misses with the combination.
Ruxin misses with the combination.
Ruxin slips a straight right by Azhari.
Azhari steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Ruxin.
Ruxin checks a low kick from Azhari.
Ruxin throws a right and a left that Azhari avoids nicely.
Ruxin closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Ruxin throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Azhari lands with a thumping leg kick.
Ruxin throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Azhari counters with a nice low kick that buckles Ruxin's knee momentarily.
Rodney Ruxin seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ruxin throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Azhari counters with an inside leg kick.
Ruxin misses with a combination
and Azhari counters with a thumping low kick.
Ruxin fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Azhari manages to avoid it.
Some wild striking there from Ruxin.
Azhari lands a front kick.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ruxin looks to land a combination but Azhari avoids it well.
Ruxin misses with a two punch combination.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rodney Ruxin really dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Azhari cracks Ruxin with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Ruxin connects with a body shot.
Azhari dodges the punch combination from Ruxin.
Ruxin will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Ruxin swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Azhari cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Azhari feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Ruxin's calf.
Ruxin throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Ruxin looks to land a right hand but Azhari moved out of range.
Azhari ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Ruxin moves away.

Azhari rushes Ruxin and presses him up against the ropes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ruxin looking to slow down the pace here.
Azhari lands a hook that snaps the head of Ruxin backwards.

Ruxin is rocked!
Azhari smacks Ruxin right on the bridge of the nose with a massive elbow! Another one lands and Ruxin goes down! He's clearly dazed - will he beat the count? 3,4,5,6,7... up to one knee... 8,9,10! He's not made it! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:19 of round 4, we have a winner by way of TKO (Elbows). Ebrahim Azhari!
Ebrahim Azhari decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.