|
|
PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a heavyweight kickboxing rules bout between Antero Mertaranta (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Taylor Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.
 |
|
 |
| 188 cm
19
228 lbs
0 - 1 - 0 |
|
190 cm
26
224 lbs
1 - 3 - 0 |
Excellent boxer
Good chin
|
|
Solid Muay Thai
Solid chin
|
|
| |
|
Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 2 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of
0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Antero Mertaranta!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of
1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Taylor Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Dmitry Maklakov and Fedor Mirinova.
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie forces Mertaranta back against the ropes and clinches.
Gracie wants to stall.
I was talking to Mertaranta's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Mertaranta avoids a wild elbow strike from Gracie.
Mertaranta scores with a shot to the side of Gracie's head.
Gracie tries to throw a body punch but Mertaranta avoids it by throwing Gracie back against the ropes.
Gracie being controlled against the ropes.
Gracie throws an elbow that misses.
Gracie breaks the clinch.
Gracie takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
It looks like Taylor Gracie has been cut.
Gracie tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Mertaranta was well out of range. Poor timing from Gracie.
Mertaranta jabs at Gracie's body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gracie jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Mertaranta connects with a body shot that sends Gracie's belly button to the back.
Mertaranta catches Gracie with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Mertaranta avoids the body shot from Gracie.
Mertaranta jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie tries to move into range but Mertaranta moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
A slow jab from Gracie misses its intended target.
Taylor Gracie seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Mertaranta listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Mertaranta changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Mertaranta connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Gracie walks into a left hand.
Gracie throws a head kick but Mertaranta moves out of range.
Mertaranta connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Gracie momentarily.
Mertaranta smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Gracie misses with a body shot.
Mertaranta keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Gracie doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Mertaranta lands a nice shot to the body.
Mertaranta scores with a jab. Gracie acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Mertaranta cracks a nice hook into Gracie's ribs.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie lands with a kick to the ribs.
Mertaranta ducks under a wild hook from Gracie.
Mertaranta changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Gracie misses with a hook
and Mertaranta counters with a left to the body.
Mertaranta rushes Gracie and presses him up against the ropes.
Mertaranta stalling the fight.
Gracie breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Good shot there by Mertaranta.
Mertaranta connects with a body shot.
Mertaranta scores with a crisp jab that stopped Gracie in his tracks.
Mertaranta lands a glancing blow to the side of Gracie's head.
Gracie will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Gracie takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Mertaranta works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mertaranta moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Mertaranta with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Gracie shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Gracie fails to land with a series of punches.
Antero Mertaranta is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Gracie throws a right hand that misses
and Gracie takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Mertaranta clinches up with Gracie and pushes him back against the ropes.
Mertaranta breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Gracie takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Mertaranta lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Gracie misses with a jab, cross combination.
Mertaranta connects with the punch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Gracie misses with a body punch
and Mertaranta counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Mertaranta, as that shot connected.
Gracie throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Gracie has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Mertaranta connects with the punch.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie tries to clinch but Mertaranta moves out of range.
Mertaranta scores with a jab. Gracie acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Gracie takes a jab right on the kisser.
Mertaranta connects with a right hand. Gracie shakes it off.
Mertaranta bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Gracie's head.
Mertaranta works the jab nicely.
Gracie slips under a jab.
Gracie keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Gracie throws a body shot but no joy.
Mertaranta was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Gracie takes one to the side of the head.
Gracie lands a nice looking body shot.
Mertaranta connects with a body shot.
Mertaranta smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Gracie tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Mertaranta was well out of range. Poor timing from Gracie.
Gracie throws a right hand that misses
and Mertaranta counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
That's five minutes gone in the round.
Mertaranta connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Mertaranta lands a nice shot that snaps Gracie's head back.
Mertaranta works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Mertaranta fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Gracie, pushing him back against the ropes.
Mertaranta manages to break the clinch.
Mertaranta scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Gracie missing with a left hand there. Mertaranta was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Gracie takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Gracie misses with an uppercut
and Mertaranta connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Mertaranta has closed the distance and engaged Gracie in a clinch.
Mertaranta breaks the clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Mertaranta scores with a nice head shot.
A slow jab from Mertaranta misses its intended target.
Gracie throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Mertaranta throws a hook but Gracie avoids it easily.
That's six minutes gone in the round.
Mertaranta lands a nice shot that snaps Gracie's head back.
Mertaranta lands a right hook to the body.
Mertaranta scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Nice uppercut there from Mertaranta.
Mertaranta misses with an uppercut. Gracie saw that one coming.
Gracie takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Mertaranta scores with the left hand. Gracie knows he should have avoided that one.
Mertaranta stalks Gracie and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Gracie's face. Gracie staggers backwards, shaken.
Mertaranta keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
A big right from Gracie misses.
Mertaranta appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Gracie displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Mertaranta lands a right hook to the body.
Mertaranta lands a lovely overhand right.
Gracie looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Mertaranta scores with a jab to the jaw.
Gracie misses with a hook to the body
and Gracie takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
A big left from Gracie misses.
Nice body punch from Mertaranta.
Mertaranta with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Mertaranta connects with a right hand. Gracie shakes it off.
Mertaranta scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Gracie doesn't seem bothered though.
Gracie looks to throw the jab but Mertaranta is out of range.
Gracie moves forwards but Mertaranta connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Mertaranta scores with the left hand. Gracie knows he should have avoided that one.
Mertaranta cracks Gracie with a good jab.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Mertaranta lands the left hand.
Mertaranta is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.
Mertaranta walks into a stiff left hand from Gracie.
Gracie looks to throw a body kick
and Mertaranta counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Mertaranta scores with a shot to the body.
Gracie moves in looking to clinch but Mertaranta pushes him off.
Nice body punch from Mertaranta.
Mertaranta connects with a crisp jab.
Gracie takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Gracie is looking to clinch but Mertaranta is avoiding it.
Gracie shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Mertaranta with a nice cross.
Gracie is rocked!
No joy there for Gracie, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Mertaranta cracks a nice hook into Gracie's ribs.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Mertaranta scores with a jab to the head.
Mertaranta scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Mertaranta gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Mertaranta sizes up Gracie with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Gracie is still on wobbly legs! Can Mertaranta finish him?
That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Mertaranta lands a lovely overhand right.
Gracie seems to have recovered his senses.
Mertaranta thuds a left hand into Gracie's body.
Mertaranta steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Gracie.
Mertaranta moves into range and connects with a jab.
That has opened up Taylor Gracie's cut even more.
A punch lands to the side of Gracie 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Mertaranta avoids the head kick by Gracie.
Mertaranta instigates a clinch.
Mertaranta escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Gracie throws a sloppy head kick
and Mertaranta holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Gracie has been looking to improve his clinch game in recent weeks. Mertaranta seems to have the measure of him in the clinch so far, so let's see if Gracie can turn it around.
Gracie misses with an elbow strike.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Mertaranta blocking some punches.
Mertaranta lands a body shot in the clinch.
Gracie looks winded!
Mertaranta lands a body punch.
Mertaranta lands a nice uppercut.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Antero Mertaranta dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Taylor Gracie's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!
Mertaranta has managed to clinch.
Gracie tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
A hook to the body from Mertaranta.
Mertaranta dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the ropes.
Mertaranta's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Mertaranta thuds a left hand into Gracie's body.
Gracie takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Mertaranta lands a nice shot to the body.
Mertaranta cracks Gracie with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Gracie takes one to the chin there.
Mertaranta fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Gracie looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Mertaranta scores with a nice strike.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Gracie takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Gracie is breathing heavily.
Gracie tries to close the distance and clinch but Mertaranta swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Mertaranta comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Mertaranta scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Mertaranta ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Mertaranta throws a good cross that connects.
Mertaranta feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Gracies jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Mertaranta scores with a jab to the body.
Taylor Gracie is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Gracie throws a left and a right that both miss
and Mertaranta counters with a big uppercut that nearly lifts Gracie off his feet! Gracie crashes to the mat in all kinds of trouble! The referee starts the count but I'm not sure it's necessary - Gracie isn't going to make it! The count reaches 10 and this fight is all over! Mertaranta screams and throws his mouthpiece into the crowd. Mmmmm spit, everywhere. Lovely.
Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:32 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punch). Antero Mertaranta!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| S |
C
A |
G |
S |
C
B |
G |
|
S |
C |
G |
|
energy
A | B |
|
hype
A | B |
|
pop
A | B |
|
mgr
A | B |
|
FIGHT
RATING
88% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
