PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight kickboxing rules bout between Kazuyoshi Ishii (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Opel Astra (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Ishii
vs
Astra

225 cm
25
300 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

220 cm
26
265 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Solid Muay Thai
Solid chin

Machiavelli Boutique

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Kazuyoshi Ishii!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Opel Astra!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Marco Blurström and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ishii doesn't manage to clinch there - Astra circles away.
Astra looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Ishii pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Kazuyoshi Ishii seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Astra with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Ishii thumps Astra with a low kick.
Ishii misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Ishii sets himself, and Astra steps forward looking for the clinch! Ishii avoids it this time.
Ishii is looking to clinch.
Astra unleashes a big counter combination but Ishii bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Ishii tries to close the distance and clinch up but Astra swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Astra closes the distance and clinches.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Ishii throws a knee to the head but misses.
Astra connects with a knee to the head.
Ishii looking to slow down the pace here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Astra works on Ishii's body with a couple of short punches.
Ishii misses with a body punch.
Astra blocks an uppercut.
Ishii dodges an elbow strike from Astra.
Ishii looking to stall.

Astra breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Astra is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Astra clinches up against the ropes.
Ishii taking a breather.
Astra misses with a knee to the head.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Ishii.
Ishii with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Astra breaks the clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Ishii looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Ishii fails with an attempt to clinch.
Astra misses with a jab, cross combination.
Ishii tries to clinch up.
Astra lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Ishii tries to clinch up but Astra circles away and keeps his distance.
Ishii avoids a punch combination nicely.
Astra connects with a body shot that sends Ishii's belly button to the back.
Ishii misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Astra throws a series of punches but Ishii avoids them all with ease.
Ishii tries to clinch there but Astra circles away.
Ishii tries to close the distance and clinch up but Astra swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Astra tries a head kick but it misses.
Ishii tries to clinch up.
Ishii wants to clinch.
Ishii misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Astra.
Astra throws a shot to the body.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ishii tries to clinch there but Astra circles away.
A head kick misses from Ishii.
Astra throws a counter combo.
Ishii wants to clinch.
Ishii wants to clinch
and Astra counters with a straight right hand.
Ishii lands a jab-cross combination.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Opel Astra dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Ishii tries to clinch up.
Ishii lands with a nice body punch.

Astra moves into the clinch.

Astra breaks the clinch.
Astra throws a head kick but Ishii moves out of range.

Astra closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the ropes.

Astra manages to break the clinch.

Ishii scores a flash knockdown with a right hook that drops Astra to his hands and knees! The ref pushes Ishii away as he looks to land an illegal blow. Astra got an extra few seconds to recover there, which could have made all the differences as he stumbles back to his feet. The referee looks into his eyes and decides to allow the bout to continue. Can he survive?!

Astra is rocked!

It looks like Opel Astra has been cut.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Ishii doesn't manage to clinch there - Astra circles away.
Astra is still on wobbly legs! Can Ishii finish him?
Ishii tries to clinch up.
Astra is looking for the big counter here.

Astra gets a clinch.
Astra seems to have recovered his senses.
Ishii looking to stall.
Ishii throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Astra blocks it with crossed arms.
Ishii tries to stall but Astra uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Ishii is trying to maintain a safe position but Astra gets an underhook and turns Ishii into the ropes.
A battle for position here, against the ropes.
Astra is trying to stall.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ishii missing with knees to the body.
Ishii is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the ropes.
Ishii looking to throw knees to the head but Astra is blocking nicely.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

Astra's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Good work by Ishii as he checks the leg kick.
Ishii is looking to clinch but Astra is avoiding it.
Ishii tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Opel Astra seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Ishii is looking to clinch.
Ishii tries to clinch but Astra is having none of it.
Ishii tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Astra wants to counter the offense by Ishii and move into the clinch position.
Astra keeps the fight on the outside.
A head kick misses from Ishii.
Ishii wants to clinch up but Astra keeps it at a distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ishii slips a jab and a cross from Astra.
The fight stays on the outside here - Ishii looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Astra closes the distance and clinches.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Ishii is trying to stall.
Ishii can't seem to implement his control oriented gameplan at the moment. That's no bad thing of course, for those of us who want to see a good fight.
Ishii is trying to stall.
Ishii tries a body shot but Astra blocks it.

Astra pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Astra misses with a two punch combination.
Astra dodges the punch combination from Ishii.
Ishii tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Astra paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Ishii tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kazuyoshi Ishii will take that round after scoring the only knockdown of the round.
The cut man is working on Opel Astra'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. This is the final round!

Ishii tries to close the distance and clinch but Astra swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Astra clinches up with Ishii and pushes him back against the ropes.
Ishii digs a right hand into Astra's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Astra's gas tank.
Ishii lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Astra has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Ishii wants to stall.
Ishii trying to control the position but instead, Astra has worked for underhooks and has pushed Ishii into the ropes.
Maybe Ishii would be better served going for some more strikes rather than trying to control so much.
Astra putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Ishii in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ishii tries to throw a body punch but Astra avoids it by throwing Ishii back against the ropes.

Astra breaks from the clinch.

Astra gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Ishii is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Astra is keeping busy.
Ishii being controlled against the ropes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Astra looking to slow down the pace here.
Ishii is trying to stall.

Astra escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Astra throws a head kick that misses.
Ishii scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Ishii throws a head kick but Astra moves out of range.
The fight stays on the outside here - Ishii looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Ishii tries to close the distance and clinch up but Astra swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Ishii lands with a right, followed by a left to the temple and Astra goes down! The ref sends Ishii to a neutral corner so he can begin the count. 3,4,5,6 and Astra is back to his feet. He seems a little groggy but the referee thinks he's OK to continue, so we're back to the action!
This has been an exciting period of action!

Astra closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the ropes.
Ishii goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

Astra breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Astra tries a head kick but it misses.

Astra fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Ishii, pushing him back against the ropes.
Ishii trying to control the position but instead, Astra has worked for underhooks and has pushed Ishii into the ropes.
Astra crunches a lovely knee into Ishii's ribcage.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Ishii obliges.
Astra takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Astra slows down the pace here.
Ishii is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the ropes.
Kazuyoshi Ishii has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Opel Astra is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Ishii throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Kazuyoshi Ishii.
I think Astra has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 29:26
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 29:26
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 29:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kazuyoshi Ishii!