PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight kickboxing rules bout between Ebrahim Azhari (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dan Church (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Azhari comes to the ring accompanied by Jedi Mind Tricks - Blood in Blood out. 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
Church

171 cm
22
149 lbs
6 - 4 - 0

174 cm
21
135 lbs
3 - 4 - 1

World class MT
Granite chin

Excellent MT
Good gas tank

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 6 - 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 3 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Dan Church!
The judges for this bout are Hirohito Nitta, Taro Takaoka and Shigeki Fujiwara.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Azhari scores with the left hand. Church knows he should have avoided that one.
Church wants to clinch but Azhari slips to the side
enabling Azhari to counter with a crisp jab.
Sloppy strikes from Church. Those never looked like landing.
Church misses with a double jab
and Azhari counters with a head kick.
Church blocks a leg kick.
Azhari showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Church.
Church throws a series of punches but Azhari moves out of range.
Church ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Azhari moves away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Church misses with a double jab
and Azhari counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Church misses with a low kick.

Azhari has Church up against the ropes in a clinch.
Azhari blocks an elbow strike from Church.
Church wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Azhari has him pressed against the ropes.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.

Church's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Azhari lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Azhari tries to bum rush Church with a series of wild strikes but Church uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Church swinging wildly here.
Church fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Azhari has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Church goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Azhari throws a leg kick that is checked
and Church counters with a nice body kick.
An inside leg kick from Church misses.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Church throws a wild body kick that Azhari sees coming a mile off.
Church tries to clinch up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Dan Church will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Azhari fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Church.
Church throws a head kick but Azhari moves out of range.
Church lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Azhari circles away quickly and effectively.
Azhari misses the shot to the body.

Azhari drives through and clinches with Church against the ropes.
Church throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Azhari blocks it with crossed arms.
Azhari tries to land a knee to the head but Church blocks with his arms.

Azhari escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Church lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Church.
Dan Church seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Azhari pulls out of a head kick attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Church looks to clinch
and Azhari counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Dan Church is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Azhari misses with an attempted mid kick.
Church falls off balance throwing a combination
and Azhari counters with a straight right hand.

Church gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Azhari dodges an elbow strike from Church.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Azhari.
Church is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Come on Azhari - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Azhari lands a left hand that snaps the head of Church backwards.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Church with an attempt at a knee that misses.
With the fighters up against the ropes, Church throws an elbow but misses.
Azhari tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Church looking to throw knees to the head but Azhari is blocking nicely.
Azhari lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Church backwards.
Church tries to land a knee to the head but Azhari blocks with his arms.
Azhari lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Azhari is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Church is defending well for now.
Azhari connects with a nasty looking knee right to Church's face.
Church takes an elbow to the temple.
Church throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Azhari blocks it with crossed arms.
Azhari lands with a right to the head.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Church throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Azhari dodges an elbow strike from Church.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Azhari lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Knees to the body from Azhari.
Azhari connects with a knee to the head.
Azhari tries to land a knee to the head but Church blocks with his arms.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Azhari.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ebrahim Azhari dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Azhari swats away the attempt to clinch by Church.
Church will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Azhari avoids a punch combination nicely.
Azhari misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Church clinches up against the ropes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Church tries to land a knee to the head but Azhari blocks with his arms.
Church is trying to maintain a safe position but Azhari gets an underhook and turns Church into the ropes.
Azhari lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Church misses with a knee strike.
Azhari throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Church blocks it with crossed arms.
Azhari's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.

Azhari breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Church is looking to clinch.
Azhari pivots, looking for a leg kick but Church is out of range and Azhari settles back down.
Church throws a low kick but Azhari avoids it.
Azhari slips a jab and a cross from Church.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Church lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Azhari has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Azhari and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Church lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Azhari circles away quickly and effectively.
Azhari throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Some wild striking there from Church.
Church is looking to clinch.
Church does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dan Church really dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Azhari checks a low kick from Church.
Azhari checks a low kick from Church.
Dan Church seems to be getting the better of the standup.
A punch combination from Church misses.
Church fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Church throws a series of punches but Azhari moves out of range.
Azhari avoids the head kick by Church.
Azhari wants to slow Church down by chopping away at his legs.
Church throws a head kick but Azhari moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Azhari pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Azhari throws a low kick but Church moves out of range easily.
Church tries a head kick but it misses.
Church swinging wildly here.
Azhari throws a shot from downtown. Church moves away and avoids it.
Azhari dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Church. That did some damage!
Azhari is looking to score with low kicks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Church blocks a low kick nicely.
Azhari keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Azhari chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Azhari throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Church throws a right and a left that Azhari avoids nicely.
Church misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Church defending well as Azhari loads up on a big left hand.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close fourth round but I would say that Ebrahim Azhari will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Church tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Azhari paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Church moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Azhari misses with a low kick.
Church throws a nice looking combination but Azhari bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
A punch combination from Church misses.
Azhari tries to land a body kick
and Church counters with a good low kick that Azhari was not able to check.
Azhari throws a push kick but Church slaps the foot to one side.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Church tries to clinch but Azhari is having none of it.
A chopping leg kick lands by Azhari.
No joy there for Church, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
A head kick misses from Azhari.
Church thows a leg kick but Azhari checks it
and Azhari counters with an outside leg kick.
Church falls off balance throwing a combination
and Azhari counters with a nice body shot.
Azhari throws a nice outside leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Church throws a half hearted mid kick.
A punch combination from Church misses.
Azhari buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Church lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Church.

Azhari has taken the fight to the clinch.
Azhari tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Church with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Church looking to throw knees to the head but Azhari is blocking nicely.
Azhari avoids a wild elbow strike from Church.

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.
I think Azhari has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 5 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 48:48
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 48:48
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 48:48

The fight is ruled a draw!