PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Pat Joe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Eugeniy Akulenko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Akulenko has chosen Cowboys From Hell as his entrance music. Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Joe
vs
Akulenko

170 cm
18
150 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

170 cm
19
165 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

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 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Pat Joe!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Eugeniy Akulenko!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Illya Tyunina and Fedor Mirinova.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A head kick by Akulenko misses
and Joe counters with a nice leg kick.
Akulenko lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Akulenko lands a jab to the head.
Joe tries to clinch but Akulenko moves out of range.
Akulenko misses with the combination.
Joe takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Akulenko pushes Joe away with a front kick.
A chopping leg kick lands by Akulenko.

Joe has Akulenko up against the cage in a clinch.
Akulenko tries to break the clinch but Joe is controlling the position.
Akulenko is looking to break free of the clinch but Joe has double underhooks.
Akulenko lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Joe keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Akulenko's efforts to push away.
Akulenko scores with a shoulder strike.
Akulenko is pressed up against the cage. Joe has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Akulenko down to the mat. Akulenko avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Joe is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Akulenko throws a nice head kick!
Joe takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Joe avoids the head kick by Akulenko.
Akulenko moves out of range of the body kick.
Eugeniy Akulenko is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Akulenko fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Joe.
Akulenko avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Joe throws a shot from downtown. Akulenko moves away and avoids it.
Joe tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Joe wants to clinch up but Akulenko keeps it at a distance.
Joe on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Joe slips a jab and a cross from Akulenko.
Joe has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Akulenko lands a body shot.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Akulenko pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Akulenko takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Joe misses the shot to the body.
Joe tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Akulenko misses with a head kick.
Akulenko shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Joe eats them both and turns towards Akulenko to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Joe tries to close the distance and clinch up but Akulenko swats him away and circles back towards the center.
The fight stays on the outside here - Joe looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Joe misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Akulenko throws a head kick that half lands.
Joe feints and then cracks Akulenko's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Akulenko down.
A clash of legs there as Akulenko blocks the low kick.
Joe gets off balance looking for a body kick
and Akulenko counters with a head kick. That will keep Joe thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!

Joe is rocked!
Akulenko checks a leg kick nicely.
Oh Joe is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Joe tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Joe seems to have got his legs back now.
Akulenko connects with a high kick.
Akulenko throws a head kick that half lands.
Akulenko avoids the head kick by Joe.
Akulenko lands a high kick!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Akulenko throws a nice looking combination but Joe bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Akulenko looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Akulenko lands with a slapping head kick.

Joe closes the distance and clinches.
Joe has Akulenko pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Akulenko manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
A frustrated look appears on Akulenko's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Joe goes for a takedown attempt but Akulenko pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Pat Joe. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Joe missing with a left hand there. Akulenko was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Akulenko connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Joe takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Akulenko circles away from the clinch attempt.
A slapping leg kick lands for Akulenko.
Joe wants to clinch.
Akulenko lands a nice leg kick that just misses Joe's sensitive parts.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Akulenko throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Joe.
Joe stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Akulenko.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Joe walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Joe wants to clinch
and Akulenko counters with a left and a right that stings Joe.
Joe takes a kick to the side of the head.

Akulenko gets tackled into the cage by Joe. Joe maintains the clinch.
Akulenko lands with a right to the head.
Akulenko gets underhooks to prevent Joe's takedown attempt.
Akulenko is defending well against a takedown attempt.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Joe crunches a lovely knee into Akulenko's ribcage.
Akulenko is trying to break the clinch but Joe is controlling him.

Akulenko's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Akulenko lands with a kick to the temple. Joe shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Joe looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eugeniy Akulenko dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Joe ducks right into an uppercut from Akulenko.
Joe takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Nice body kick there by Akulenko.
Akulenko lands a head kick!
Akulenko's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Akulenko duly obliges.
Akulenko tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Eugeniy Akulenko seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Akulenko scores with a three punch combo!
Joe lands a high kick!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Joe misses with a low kick as Akulenko jumps back.
Joe throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Joe gets a clinch.
Joe tries for a takedown. No joy.
Akulenko scores a nice knee to the body.

Akulenko breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Akulenko scores with a three punch combo!
Joe throws a wild body kick that Akulenko sees coming a mile off.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Akulenko lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Akulenko throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Joe throws a low kick, looking for Akulenko's leg but Akulenko calmly moves out of range.
Akulenko changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Joe tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Akulenko paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Joe attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Akulenko avoids the head kick by Joe.
Akulenko throws a quick inside leg kick.
Joe misses with a leg kick.
Left hook, right uppercut from Akulenko.
A solid leg kick lands there for Akulenko.
Joe throws a head kick that misses
and Akulenko counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Joe throws a sloppy head kick and Akulenko moves out of range easily.
Akulenko lands with a nice combination. Joe backs away looking to recover.
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!
Joe moves in looking to clinch but Akulenko pushes him off.
Eugeniy Akulenko is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Akulenko goes for a high kick. It partially lands.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Joe thows a left - swing and a miss!
Joe is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Joe throws a body punch but Akulenko moves out of range.
Akulenko moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Akulenko lands a big head kick that sends Joe to the canvas! Akulenko follows up with strikes from the mount that forces the ref to step in and stop the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:21 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Eugeniy Akulenko!
Our winner, Eugeniy Akulenko, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.