PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Arjen Pain (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Oleksandr Usyk (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Pain kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Thunderstruck. 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.

Pain
vs
Usyk

205 cm
22
254 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

190 cm
21
250 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Great elbows
Good gas tank

GREEN!160

Bad Man Clothing (Nothing Over $40)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Arjen Pain!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Oleksandr Usyk!
The judges for this bout are Patrick Alders, Saam Ante and Daniel Blasius.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pain keeps Usyk at a distance using the push kick.

Usyk has managed to clinch.
Our sources have told us that Pain has been working on his knees in the buildup to the fight.
Usyk misses with an elbow over the top.
Pain takes an elbow to the forehead.
Usyk gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

It looks like Arjen Pain has been cut.
Pain tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Usyk avoids it.
Usyk digs a right hand underneath Pain's ribcage. Pain let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Pain is breathing heavily.

Usyk ties up his opponent against the ropes and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Usyk no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Usyk bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Pain's guard.

Pain trying to keep a closed guard but Usyk is proving a slippery customer.
Usyk sitting in guard, not really doing much.

Usyk stands up from guard. Let's bang!

That's one minute gone in the round.

Usyk clinches with his opponent.
Pain throws an elbow but it misses.
Usyk misses with an elbow strike.
Usyk working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Good body shot from Usyk.
Usyk pressing his opponent against the ropes.

Usyk breaks the clinch.
Usyk works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.

Usyk waves his right hand out in front of him, looking to distract Pain. Oh, he's unloaded a beast of a left hand - it worked! He's dropped Pain to the canvas! Can he finish him!?

Pain is rocked!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Pain is trying to control the position but Usyk postures up.
Oh Pain is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Usyk pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Pain is keeping the position for now.
Pain seems to have got his legs back now.
Usyk controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Usyk stands up from Pain's guard - Usyk perhaps looking for a knockout.
Pain throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Usyk's waist but Usyk gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Pain off to one side.
Pain looks to score with a jab to the body but Usyk is just out of range.

Usyk fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Pain, pushing him back against the ropes.
A battle for position here, against the ropes.
Usyk lands a body punch in the clinch.
Usyk using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Pain has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
With the two fighters working up against the ropes, Usyk just misses with a elbow thrown towards Pain's brow.
Nice body punch from Usyk.
Usyk lands an elbow inside.
Usyk gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Usyk avoiding damage.
Usyk lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Usyk throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Usyk with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Usyk has been looking to improve his clinch game in recent weeks. Pain seems to have the measure of him in the clinch so far, so let's see if Usyk can turn it around.
Usyk leaning his opponent against the ropes.
Usyk takes an elbow to the forehead.
Pain fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Usyk lands an elbow inside that Pain shrugs off.

Usyk jumps guard.
Pain prevents Usyk from getting back to his feet.
Usyk is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
Usyk looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Pain preventing the sweep.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pain prevents Usyk from getting back to his feet.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Usyk keeping moving, preventing Pain from controlling successfully.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Usyk looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Oleksandr Usyk is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Usyk drives through and clinches with Pain against the ropes.
Pain looking to slow down the pace here.
Usyk taking a breather.
Usyk lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Oleksandr Usyk dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Arjen Pain's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Pain fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Usyk manages to avoid it.
Pain throws a body kick that misses
and Usyk counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

Usyk lands a big shot that drops Pain! Can he finish him?
Usyk controlling from the top position.
Pain is trying to control the position but Usyk postures up.

Usyk stands up from Pain's guard - Usyk perhaps looking for a knockout.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Pain rushes Usyk and pushes him back against the ropes in a clinch.
Oleksandr Usyk seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Usyk breaks the clinch.

Usyk cracks Pain with a big right hand and Pain goes down!

Pain is rocked!
Usyk sitting in guard here, content to control.
Oh Pain is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!

Usyk gets to his feet. Pain looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Pain misses with an uppercut.
Usyk moves in close and cracks Pain with a massive right hand! Pain, frozen momentarily in time, tumbles to the canvas, already out cold! A brutal knockout by Usyk!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:26 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Oleksandr Usyk!