PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight kickboxing rules bout between Kyle Rutherford (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Byron Phillips (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kyle Rutherford has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Rutherford
vs
Phillips

187 cm
20
210 lbs
7 - 0 - 0

188 cm
21
204 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

Excellent MT
Cardio machine

World class MT
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the light heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Kyle Rutherford!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Byron Phillips!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Bishop, Colin Fotheringham and Phil Schofield.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Phillips slips under a jab.
Phillips has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Rutherford is landing a low percentage of strikes.
A big right from Phillips misses.
Phillips throws a nice outside leg kick.
A leg kick checked by Phillips.
Phillips takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.

It looks like Byron Phillips has been cut.
Rutherford throws the kick towards the body but Phillips avoids it.
Phillips appeared to try and counter that last move with a leg kick.
Phillips pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Phillips.
Rutherford avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Phillips throws the left hand but Rutherford avoids the punch easily.
Rutherford digs a good body shot into Phillips's ribs.
Rutherford lands with a thumping leg kick.
Rutherford thows a left - swing and a miss!
A jab from Rutherford misses.
Phillips throws a hook but Rutherford blocks it.
Phillips tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Rutherford was well out of range. Poor timing from Phillips.
Rutherford throws a low kick but Phillips moves out of range easily.
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!
Jab from Rutherford.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rutherford throws a nice outside leg kick.
Rutherford moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Phillips throws a looping overhand right but Rutherford ducks down to avoid it.
Phillips throws a body punch but Rutherford moves out of range.
Phillips throws the left hand but Rutherford avoids the punch easily.
Phillips swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Rutherford counters with a stiff right hand.
Phillips misses with a few strikes there.
Rutherford ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
A little feinted left hand from Rutherford on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Rutherford throws a nice head kick!
Phillips is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Rutherford.
Phillips throws out a loose jab but Rutherford uses good head movement to avoid it.
Rutherford throws a leg kick
enabling Phillips to counter with a crisp jab.
Phillips tries to bum rush Rutherford with a series of wild strikes but Rutherford uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Phillips lands with a right hand.
Rutherford throws a hook but Phillips avoids it easily.
Rutherford slips under a jab from Phillips.
Rutherford avoids a kick to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rutherford misses with a hook. Phillips ducked under it nicely.
Phillips keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Phillips lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Phillips staying out of range there.
Phillips fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Rutherford throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Byron Phillips seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Phillips misses with a hook.
Rutherford tries to land a front kick but Phillips steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Phillips looks to land a left hand but Rutherford moved out of range nicely.
Phillips fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Rutherford thinks about countering with a body kick.
Rutherford throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Phillips misses with a hook
and Rutherford counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
We've been told by Rutherford's head coaches at The Charles Martel School of Greatness that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Rutherford changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Rutherford connects with a good right hand that stumbles Phillips. Phillips circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Phillips throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Rutherford sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Phillips avoids the body shot from Rutherford.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rutherford throws an overhand right that lands on Phillips's shoulder, as Phillips tries to avoid the shot.
Phillips just misses with a punch to the body.
Rutherford misses with an uppercut. Phillips saw that one coming.
A big right from Phillips misses.
Rutherford was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Phillips misses with a right hand
and Rutherford counters with a left to the body.
Rutherford misses with a wild body shot.
Rutherford lands with a kick to the temple. Phillips shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Phillips throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Rutherford sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Rutherford fires out a quick counter leg kick but Phillips just manages to avoid it.
A slow jab from Phillips misses its intended target.
Rutherford throws a hook but Phillips avoids it easily.
A looping hook to the body misses from Rutherford. Phillips does a little dance to reset his feet.
Rutherford connects with a leg kick. Phillips looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Phillips misses with a two punch combination.
Phillips misses with an uppercut
and Rutherford counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
A punch combination from Phillips misses.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rutherford lands with a shot to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rutherford misses with a low kick.
Phillips misses with a low kick.
Phillips misses the jab.

Rutherford instigates a clinch.
Rutherford misses with a punch on the inside.
Phillips scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Rutherford lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Rutherford blocks an uppercut.
Rutherford working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Rutherford cracks Phillips with a nice body shot.
Rutherford works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Phillips lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Phillips blocks an uppercut.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rutherford working aggressively here.
Rutherford goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Rutherford tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Rutherford lands a body punch.
Phillips lands a nice uppercut.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kyle Rutherford dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Byron Phillips's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Rutherford tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Rutherford throws a half hearted mid kick.
As Rutherford backs off Phillips throws a huge counter combo but Rutherford manages to avoid it all.
Rutherford lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Rutherford throws a leg kick that is checked
enabling Phillips to counter with a crisp jab.
Phillips throws a body kick that misses.
Kyle Rutherford is winning the standup battle so far.
Phillips misses with a right hand
and Rutherford cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Rutherford tries to clinch up but Phillips circles away and keeps his distance.
Rutherford tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Phillips throws a shot from downtown. Rutherford moves away and avoids it.
Rutherford pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Rutherford fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Phillips has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rutherford throws a shot to the body.
Phillips throws a big shot that misses.
Rutherford swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Phillips jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Rutherford throws a quick counter kick to the body but Phillips avoids it.
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!
Rutherford moves away from the strike by Phillips.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rutherford misses with a lunging right hand
and Phillips counters with a leg kick.
Phillips throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Rutherford.
Rutherford takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Phillips on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Rutherford. Rutherford obviously looking to wear him down.
Rutherford misses with a body shot.
Phillips scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Rutherford lands with an uppercut that bounces Phillips off the cage and back into range.
Phillips feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Rutherford's calf.
Phillips takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Phillips throws the left hand but Rutherford avoids the punch easily.
Rutherford scores with a hook to the body. Phillips takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Phillips takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
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!
Phillips lands with a kick to the ribs.
A swing and a miss from Rutherford.
Phillips misses with a wild body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Phillips thows a left - swing and a miss!
Rutherford checks a low kick from Phillips.

Rutherford moves into the clinch successfully.

Phillips manages to break the clinch.
Phillips throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Phillips takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Phillips rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Rutherford moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Rutherford wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Rutherford.
Phillips throws a hook but Rutherford blocks it.
Rutherford scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Rutherford defending well as Phillips loads up on a big left hand.
Phillips stalks Rutherford and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Rutherford's face. Rutherford staggers backwards, shaken.
Rutherford connects with a right hand. Phillips shakes it off.
Rutherford looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Rutherford uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Rutherford thuds a left hand into Phillips's body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Phillips darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Rutherford tries to land a front kick but Phillips steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
A little jabbing left from Phillips on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
A swing and a miss from Phillips.
Rutherford lands a nice leg kick that just misses Phillips's sensitive parts.
Rutherford slips a jab from Phillips.
Rutherford with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Phillips slips a jab and a cross from Rutherford.
Rutherford misses with a low kick.
A big right from Rutherford misses.
That kick from Phillips tenderised Rutherford's leg. Rutherford is trying to keep his angry face on.
Phillips jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Rutherford swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Rutherford lands a nice hook to Phillips's body. Phillips takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Nice uppercut there from Rutherford.

That has opened up Byron Phillips's cut even more.
Phillips lands with a kick to the ribs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Phillips connects with a good right hand that stumbles Rutherford. Rutherford circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Rutherford misses with a body kick.
Rutherford has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Phillips.
A big right from Phillips misses.
Phillips moves out of range of the strikes.
Phillips waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Rutherford.
Phillips works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Phillips shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Phillips's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Rutherford doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Phillips connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Rutherford tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Phillips throws a lazy uppercut
letting Rutherford counter with a right hand.
Rutherford looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Phillips misses with a looping right.
Rutherford lands the left hand.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Kyle Rutherford will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Byron Phillips's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Rutherford bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Phillips connects with a right hand. Rutherford shakes it off.
Rutherford catches Phillips with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!

Phillips is rocked!
The fighters circling - Phillips throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Phillips is still on wobbly legs! Can Rutherford finish him?
Phillips walks straight into devastating uppercut and drops to the floor, clearly wobbled! Can he beat the count? 4,5,6,7... he's up! And he's down again! The ref steps in and calls an end to the fight! What a punch that was!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:20 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punch). Kyle Rutherford!
Kyle Rutherford retains his light heavyweight title!