PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight kickboxing rules bout between Phil Lynott (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Giovanni Niccoli (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Lynott's entrance music is Out in the Fields. A fine choice. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Lynott
vs
Niccoli

198 cm
30
275 lbs
15 - 10 - 0

194 cm
25
245 lbs
9 - 6 - 0

World class MT
KO power

World class MT
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 15 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Phil Lynott!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Giovanni Niccoli!
The judges for this bout are Sosuke Kotani, Hirohito Nitta and Kenichi Hosakawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Niccoli misses with a straight left.
Niccoli buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
A head kick misses from Niccoli.
Phil Lynott seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Niccoli moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Lynott lunges at Niccoli with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Niccoli's hand.

It looks like Giovanni Niccoli has been cut.
Niccoli checks a leg kick.
Lynott throws a right hand that Niccoli ducks under and follows up with a left that Niccoli also avoids with ease.
Niccoli pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Lynott wants to clinch.
Lynott fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Niccoli misses with an uppercut.
Lynott misses with a straight right.
Niccoli misses with a straight left.
Niccoli tries to score with a low kick but Lynott moves his leg out of the way.
Lynott on the wrong end of a nice hook.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Niccoli throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Niccoli is looking to slow Lynott down with leg kicks.
Niccoli avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Niccoli checks the leg kick nicely there.
Niccoli throws a body kick, spinning off balance
and Lynott counters with a good low kick that Niccoli was not able to check.
Lynott throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Crunch! Niccoli slams his shin into Lynott's torso.
Niccoli explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Niccoli moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Lynott looks to land a left hand but Niccoli moved out of range nicely.
Lynott avoids the head kick by Niccoli.
Lynott throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Niccoli sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Niccoli lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Niccoli uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Lynott.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Niccoli looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Niccoli throws a head kick but Lynott moves out of range.
Nice defenses there by Lynott.
Lynott walks into a left hand.
Niccoli throws a low kick but Lynott avoids it.
Lynott takes a shot to the body in his stride.
A solid body kick from Niccoli.
Lynott moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
A chopping leg kick lands by Niccoli.
Lynott is breathing heavily.
Niccoli scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Niccoli swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Lynott misses with a looping left.
Niccoli throws a quick inside leg kick.
Lynott blocks a head kick by Niccoli.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Niccoli scores with a jab. Lynott acknowledges it with a nod of the head.

It looks like Phil Lynott has been cut.
A swing and a miss from Lynott.
A telegraphed right hand from Lynott misses the target.
Lynott walks into a straight right hand from Niccoli.
Lynott lands a jab.
Niccoli lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Niccoli.
Niccoli lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Lynott at a distance.
Niccoli throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Lynott gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Niccoli.
Niccoli scores with a jab.
Lynott swings and misses with a hook to the body.
A swing and a miss from Niccoli.
Niccoli ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lynott jabs Niccoli right on the nose. Niccoli blinks but takes it well.
Lynott chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Niccoli can pounce on him.
Niccoli scores with a jab. Lynott acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Niccoli is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Lynott had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into pâté.
Niccoli avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Lynott has Niccoli up against the ropes in a clinch.
Niccoli gets through Lynott's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
A battle for position here, against the ropes.
Lynott comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.

Lynott breaks from the clinch.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Lynott pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Niccoli slips a jab from Lynott.
Niccoli fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Lynott is out of range.
Lynott takes a head kick and keeps coming.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Giovanni Niccoli dominated that round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's time! Back to the action!

A head kick misses from Lynott.
Niccoli lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Niccoli throws a quick inside leg kick.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Niccoli, right into the meat.
Niccoli throws a head kick that half lands.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Lynott checks a low kick from Niccoli.
Niccoli scores with a shot to the body.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Niccoli. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.

Niccoli catches his opponent with a big hook that sends him to the canvas! Lynott stumbles back to his feet but will the referee allow it to continue? Lynott walks forwards and this one will be allowed to continue! Come on!
Lynott throws a right hand that Niccoli ducks under and follows up with a left that Niccoli also avoids with ease.
Lynott fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Niccoli manages to avoid it.
Lynott missing with a left hand there. Niccoli was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Niccoli tries a head kick but it misses.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Niccoli lands a leg kick that knocks Lynott off balance momentarily.
Lynott tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Niccoli paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Niccoli lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A slapping leg kick lands for Niccoli.

Niccoli has closed the distance and engaged Lynott in a clinch.
Niccoli is pushing Lynott up against the ropes, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Lynott is trying to break the clinch but Niccoli has him pressed against the ropes.
Lynott is trying to break the clinch but Niccoli is controlling him.
Lynott tries to break free but Niccoli pushes him back against the ropes.
Niccoli leaning against his opponent.
Niccoli scores with a shot to the side of Lynott's head.

Lynott's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Niccoli fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Lynott on the side of the head.
Donk. Niccoli catches Lynott right on the button with a cross.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Niccoli cracks Lynott with a left hand that drops him to the canvas, up against the ropes! Can Lynott get back up in time? 3, 4, 5, 6, 7... he's on one knee... 8, 9... he's up! 'Walk towards me' says the referee. Lynott looks steady enough to continue so we're going to continue!
Niccoli ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Niccoli thuds his right hand into Lynott's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.

Lynott is rocked!
Lynott fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Niccoli manages to avoid it.
Niccoli connects with a leg kick. Lynott looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.

Lynott walks into a straight right hand and goes down! Niccoli rushes to a neutral corner so the count doesn't get delayed but Lynott has made it back to his feet on 5. He's OK so we're back to the action.
Oh Lynott is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Niccoli looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Niccoli, right into the meat.
Lynott seems to have got his legs back now.

Niccoli rushes Lynott and presses him up against the ropes.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Niccoli tries to throw a body punch but Lynott avoids it by throwing Niccoli back against the ropes.
Niccoli is stalling here.
Lynott on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Niccoli misses with a knee to the head.
Niccoli scores with a shot to the side of Lynott's head.
Niccoli keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Lynott's efforts to push away.
Lynott wants to break the clinch but can't.
Lynott blocks an elbow strike.
Niccoli creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Lynott putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Niccoli in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Lynott blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Lynott tries to circle away but Niccoli has him pinned against the ropes.

Lynott escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Lynott is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Niccoli throws a push kick but Lynott slaps the foot to one side.
Lynott tries to clinch but Niccoli moves out of range.
Niccoli throws a low kick but it's checked well by Lynott.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lynott tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Lynott crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Niccoli - the referee stops the clock and Lynott gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Niccoli. Lynott manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Niccoli punishes Lynott's body with a nice straight punch.
Niccoli throws a head kick that Lynott semi-blocks.

Niccoli rushes Lynott and pushes him back against the ropes in a clinch.

Lynott breaks from the clinch.
Niccoli displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Lynott throws out the jab.

Lynott has taken the fight to the clinch.
Lynott has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Niccoli lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Lynott looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Niccoli tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Lynott avoids it.

Lynott pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Niccoli moves out of range of the strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Giovanni Niccoli will take that one after putting his opponent down more than once in the round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the ring so we can get back down to business.

Niccoli avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Lynott misses with a lunging right hand
and Niccoli counters with a slapping leg kick.
Lynott throws a head kick that misses.
Jab, jab by Lynott - just one landing.
Niccoli scores with a punch to the head.
Niccoli fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Lynott.
Niccoli lands a front kick.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Niccoli looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Niccoli connects with a jab.
Niccoli lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Niccoli throws a front kick that sends Lynott stumbling back into the ropes.
Niccoli wants to clinch.
Niccoli scores with a decent looking hook.
Niccoli has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A nice inside leg kick there by Niccoli. That's going to slow Lynott down.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Lynott on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Good standup being displayed there by Niccoli as he connects with a hook.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Niccoli.
Niccoli lands a nice looking body kick.
Niccoli plants his feet and throws a devastating head kick! It connects square on Lynott's ear and has knocked him out cold! No need for a count here as the referee immediately tends to a stricken Lynott, crumpled in the corner! Wow, what a finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:32 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Head Kick). Giovanni Niccoli!
Giovanni Niccoli seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.