PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Nikolai Luzhin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Michael Shanks (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Luzhin comes to the cage accompanied by Toccata and Fugue. Shanks has chosen Dethklok - The Cyborg Slayers as his entrance music. Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Luzhin
vs
Shanks

181 cm
25
174 lbs
9 - 3 - 1

190 cm
35
187 lbs
26 - 12 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Hellbent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 3 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Nikolai Luzhin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 26 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Michael Shanks!
The judges for this bout are Gregory Folan, Robert Douchet and Elvis Blanc.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Luzhin throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Shanks stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.

Shanks closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Shanks digs a right hand underneath Luzhin's ribcage. Luzhin let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Shanks on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Shanks's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Luzhin has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Shanks leaning his opponent against the cage.
Shanks blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Shanks misses with a hook to the ribs.
Shanks avoiding damage as Luzhin throws knees to the body.
Luzhin misses with a hook from the clinch.
Luzhin blocks a body shot from Shanks.
Shanks trying to land knees to the body.
Shanks is trying to maintain a safe position but Luzhin gets an underhook and turns Shanks into the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Luzhin scores with a knee to the head.

It looks like Michael Shanks has been cut.
Shanks takes a shot to the head.
Knees in the clinch landing for Luzhin.
Shanks stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Luzhin prevents a body shot from Shanks.
Luzhin with an attempt at a knee that misses.
A head punch on the inside from Luzhin fails to land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Luzhin misses with a punch to the body.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Shanks.
Luzhin blocks a body shot from Shanks.
Luzhin avoiding damage as Shanks throws knees to the body.
Luzhin gets through Shanks's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Luzhin using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Shanks has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Shanks misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Luzhin obliges.
Luzhin throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Shanks blocks it with crossed arms.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Shanks.
Shanks can't find room to land a body shot as Luzhin controls the action.
Shanks trying to stall but Luzhin improves his position.
Luzhin tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Shanks blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Shanks tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Luzhin's elbow.
Shanks misses with some punches.
Luzhin lands a good knee to the midsection. Shanks won't want to take too many of those.
Luzhin working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Luzhin swings away with an uppercut that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shanks taking a breather.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Shanks.
Luzhin with a knee to the head.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Luzhin misses with the head strike.
Shanks misses with a body punch.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Shanks obliges.
Shanks misses with a hook to the ribs.
Luzhin blocks a body shot from Shanks.
Luzhin using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Luzhin lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Shanks tries to throw a body punch but Luzhin avoids it by throwing Shanks back against the cage.
Luzhin with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Shanks is trying to stall.
Luzhin working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
A left hand lands to the body for Shanks.
Luzhin misses with the head strike.
A body shot lands from Shanks.
Shanks doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Luzhin with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Luzhin misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Shanks.
Luzhin misses with some punches.
Shanks tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
A short body shot lands from Shanks as the two fighters clinch.
Shanks is pushing Luzhin up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
A head punch on the inside from Shanks fails to land.
Luzhin blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Shanks struggles to land a body shot inside as Luzhin controls his hands.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Shanks.
A short left from Shanks.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Luzhin tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Shanks's elbow.
Shanks swings wildly with an uppercut but Luzhin uses good head movement to avoid it.
Luzhin landing knees to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Luzhin tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Shanks's elbow.
Luzhin crunches a lovely knee into Shanks's ribcage.
Shanks goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Luzhin misses with a body punch.
Shanks throws a head punch that misses.
Luzhin lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Shanks backwards.
Shanks is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Still in the clinch, Luzhin scores with a nice short uppercut.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Shanks swings wildly with an uppercut but Luzhin uses good head movement to avoid it.
Luzhin working aggressively here.
Luzhin blocks the elbow strike.
Luzhin tries to land knees in the clinch but Shanks avoids the damage to the body.
Shanks struggles to land a body shot inside as Luzhin controls his hands.
Shanks tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Luzhin's elbow.
Shanks lands a nice shot to the body.
Luzhin swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Shanks lands a nice shot to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nikolai Luzhin dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Michael Shanks's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Luzhin looks to land a left hand but Shanks moved out of range nicely.
Shanks tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Shanks throws a leg kick but Luzhin checks it.
Good leg kick by Shanks there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Luzhin will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Luzhin on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Luzhin digs a good body shot into Shanks's ribs.
Luzhin is looking to clinch.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Shanks, as that shot connected.
Luzhin throws out a loose jab but Shanks uses good head movement to avoid it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nice defenses there by Shanks.
Luzhin looks to land a left hand but Shanks moved out of range nicely.
Luzhin lands a body shot.
Shanks avoids the body shot from Luzhin.
A nice leg kick lands there from Shanks.
A solid leg kick lands there for Luzhin.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shanks is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Shanks rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Luzhin moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Luzhin wants to clinch.
Shanks misses with a body kick.

Luzhin pushes Shanks up against the cage in a clinch.
Luzhin swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Luzhin throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Shanks blocks it with crossed arms.
Luzhin tries to land knees in the clinch but Shanks avoids the damage to the body.
Nikolai Luzhin has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Luzhin managing to block the knees to the body from Shanks.
Shanks lands a knee to the body.
Luzhin lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Shanks pushes Luzhin back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Luzhin lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Shanks blocks an uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Luzhin landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Luzhin missing with knees to the body.
Luzhin fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Shanks throws a punch but it's blocked by Luzhin.
Luzhin tries a knee to the head but Shanks blocks it.
Luzhin with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Shanks holding his opponent close, against the cage.
A knee to the head by Luzhin.
Shanks scores with a knee to the head.
A short right from Luzhin on the inside.
Shanks lands a hook that snaps the head of Luzhin backwards.
Shanks trying to land knees to the body.
Shanks can't find room to land a body shot as Luzhin controls the action.
Shanks tries to land knees in the clinch but Luzhin avoids the damage to the body.
Shanks on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Shanks throws a head punch that misses.
Shanks lands a knee to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shanks looking to throw knees to the head but Luzhin is blocking nicely.
Shanks managing to block the knees to the body from Luzhin.
Shanks can't find room to land a body shot as Luzhin controls the action.
Luzhin scores a nice knee to the body.
Shanks is breathing heavily.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Shanks.
Luzhin scores with a nice hook to the head.
Shanks misses with a short punch on the inside.
Luzhin tries to land a knee to the head but Shanks blocks with his arms.
Shanks has a couple of punches blocked by Luzhin.
Luzhin swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Shanks stalling in the clinch but Luzhin improves position.
Shanks working aggressively here.
Luzhin with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Shanks working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Shanks lands an uppercut.
A right hand to the body from Luzhin.
Luzhin looking to throw knees to the head but Shanks is blocking nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Luzhin misses with a knee strike.
Shanks pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
A nice left hand lands by Luzhin.
Still in the clinch, Luzhin scores with a nice short uppercut.

Shanks is rocked!
Luzhin creates some distance for himself and unleashes a massive uppercut that sends Shanks's eyes rolling into the back of his head! Shanks drops to his knees and Luzhin pours it on with more strikes until the referee steps in to end the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:23 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Nikolai Luzhin!