PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Rustam Khabilov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Michael Koko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Khabilov comes to the cage accompanied by Rihanna Bitch Better Have My Money. Well, the cameraman is lingering on a pretty young lady for a bit too long there. Keep your eyes on the prize buddy or you'll miss the fighter intros!

Khabilov
vs
Koko

182 cm
24
187 lbs
13 - 10 - 0

190 cm
30
179 lbs
31 - 19 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 13 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Rustam Khabilov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 31 - 19 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Michael Koko!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Robert Twigg and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Koko throws a wild body kick that Khabilov sees coming a mile off.
Khabilov changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
No joy there for Koko, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Koko lands with a slapping head kick.
Khabilov fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Khabilov shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Koko sprawls well. Koko wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Khabilov gets slowly back to his feet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Koko fails with an attempt to clinch.
Koko misses with a combination

and Khabilov counters with a nice double leg into side control. Koko won't be happy with that.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Khabilov trying to control the action but Koko is working from the bottom.
Koko is trying to improve his position.
Koko holds on tight, trying to prevent any damage.
Koko is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Khabilov looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Koko is avoiding damage well.

Khabilov is trying to get an arm triangle but Koko is defending well.
Khabilov tries to score with some ground and pound. Koko controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Koko is looking to regain half guard here but Khabilov keeps moving and retains side control.
Khabilov has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Koko can't do much from the bottom here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Koko might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Khabilov haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
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Khabilov trying to control the position but Koko is working away.
Koko gets back to half guard.
Koko is looking to escape.
Koko gets full guard.

Koko manages to escape and get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Khabilov with a lazy takedown attempt
and Koko counters with a straight right hand.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rustam Khabilov. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Koko lands with a nice body kick.
Koko fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Khabilov checks it well.
Khabilov keeps the fight on the outside.
Khabilov shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Koko eats them both and turns towards Khabilov to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Koko connects with a solid leg kick.
Koko dips to his left and cracks Khabilov with an uppercut!
Koko with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Koko connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Koko scores with a slapping inside leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Koko lands a leg kick that knocks Khabilov off balance momentarily.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Khabilov shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Koko pinned against the cage. Koko gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Koko doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Khabilov tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Koko is able to avoid easily.
That kick from Koko tenderised Khabilov's leg. Khabilov is trying to keep his angry face on.
Koko misses with a few strikes there.
Koko connects with an inside leg kick.
Khabilov shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Koko feints and then cracks Khabilov's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Khabilov down.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Michael Koko dominated that round.
That's time! Khabilov's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Khabilov fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Koko avoids it really well and circles away.
Koko throws a big shot that misses.
Koko chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Koko lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Khabilov misses with a takedown
and Koko counters with a nice uppercut.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Khabilov will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rustam Khabilov. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Koko connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Koko connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Koko moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Koko connects with an inside leg kick.
Khabilov moves out of range of the strikes.
Khabilov half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Michael Koko seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Khabilov fails with the takedown.
Koko flicks out a counter leg kick but Khabilov steps away.
Khabilov shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Koko pinned against the cage. Koko gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Koko scores with a head kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Koko feints a jab promting Khabilov to slip. Koko then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Khabilov slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Khabilov takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Khabilov is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Khabilov misses with a takedown attempt
and Khabilov takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
An inside leg kick lands from Koko.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Khabilov steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Koko.
Khabilov shoots and misses
and Koko counters with a right hand to the body.
Koko misses with an uppercut.
Koko throws a head kick that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A clash of legs there as Khabilov blocks the low kick.
Khabilov slips a jab and a cross from Koko.
Khabilov goes for a double leg but Koko avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Koko continues to drive forward.
Koko scores with a jab to the jaw.
Koko tests Khabilov's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Khabilov has his takedown stuffed
and Koko counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Khabilov has his takedown stuffed
and Koko counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Koko throws a nice looking combination but Khabilov bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Koko motions for Khabilov to come forward. Koko throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Khabilov misses with a takedown attempt - Koko sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Koko has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
No luck for Khabilov with that takedown attempt.
Koko looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Koko throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Khabilov has his takedown stuffed
and Koko cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Koko connects with a solid leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Michael Koko showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Koko thumps Khabilov with a low kick.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Koko.
Koko keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Khabilov checks a leg kick.
Michael Koko seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Koko misses with a kick to the body

and Khabilov counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Koko!
Koko tries to bench press Khabilov off him but Khabilov keeps the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Koko can't do much from the bottom here.

Khabilov is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Koko has escaped the position, nice work there.
Koko wants to control but Khabilov postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Khabilov wants to control but Koko is keeping him busy.
Koko has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Koko is looking to reverse the position.
Koko wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Khabilov taking a break here but Koko is having none of it and regains half guard.
Koko moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Khabilov trying to control the position from guard on top but Koko is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Koko has his hands on Khabilov's head, controlling the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

Koko is scooting his butt against the cage and has managed to get back to his feet. Khabilov presses him back against the cage, presumably looking to take the fight back to the mat.

Koko manages to break the clinch.
Khabilov shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Koko as he avoids it easily.
Koko missing with a left hand there. Khabilov was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Khabilov checks a leg kick nicely.
Koko throws a body shot but no joy.
Koko throws a quick inside leg kick.
Koko misses with a leg kick

and Khabilov counters with a single leg into guard. Koko didn't expect that.
Khabilov with a flurry of punches that miss.
Koko wants to sweep but no luck.
Khabilov forces his way into half guard.
Koko is pressing down on Khabilov's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Koko wants to get back to his feet but Khabilov is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Koko wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Khabilov postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Khabilov stops Koko from standing up.
Khabilov throwing strikes from guard but Koko blocks nicely.

Koko has scooted to the edge of the canvas and used the cage to get back to his feet. Khabilov has stuck on his opponent and is forcing him back against the cage.
Khabilov is looking to take this one to the mat.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rustam Khabilov. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Khabilov drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Khabilov is trying to push Koko away but Koko has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Koko throws a head punch that misses.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A head punch on the inside from Koko fails to land.
Koko throws a punch but it's blocked by Khabilov.

And that's the end of the fight!
Michael Koko comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Koko has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Daniel Franklin scores the fight 26:30
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 26:30
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Michael Koko!
A relieved looking Michael Koko thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.