PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Oleksandr Usyk (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kirks Lazarus (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Usyk
vs
Lazarus

190 cm
30
250 lbs
11 - 4 - 0

200 cm
36
276 lbs
19 - 10 - 1

Good wrestling
Great elbows
Insanely flexible

BJJ Brown Belt
World class MT
Good gas tank

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 11 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Oleksandr Usyk!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 19 - 10 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Kirks Lazarus!
The judges for this bout are Trevor Gratis, Elvis Blanc and Gregory Folan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Usyk keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Lazarus staying out of range there.
Usyk lands with a cross.
Usyk blocks a leg kick.
Usyk tries to clinch up but Lazarus circles away and keeps his distance.
Sloppy strikes from Usyk. Those never looked like landing.
Usyk wants to clinch up but Lazarus keeps it at a distance.

Lazarus clinches up with Usyk and pushes him back against the cage.
Usyk tries a knee to the head but Lazarus blocks it.
Usyk throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Usyk creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Lazarus avoids a wild elbow strike from Usyk.
Usyk pushes off an throws an elbow but Lazarus leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Knees in the clinch landing for Lazarus.
Lazarus utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Usyk is breathing heavily.
Lazarus lands a right hand that snaps the head of Usyk backwards.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Lazarus lands a nice knee to the body.
Our sources have told us that Usyk has been working on his elbows in the gym.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lazarus content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Lazarus prevents Usyk from breaking the clinch.
Lazarus has Usyk pushed against the cage.
Lazarus is struggling to control the position.
Lazarus continues to stall. The referee tells him to work or he's going to break them up.
Usyk misses with a punch on the inside.
Usyk gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Lazarus looking to throw knees to the head but Usyk is blocking nicely.
Lazarus is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Usyk is defending well for now.
Usyk throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Lazarus avoids the elbow strike from Usyk, against the cage.
Usyk throws an elbow that misses.
Lazarus effectively controlling the action here.
Lazarus blocks an elbow strike from Usyk.
Lazarus is trying to maintain a safe position but Usyk gets an underhook and turns Lazarus into the cage.
Usyk pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Usyk managing to block the knees to the body from Lazarus.
Usyk misses with a hook to the ribs.
Usyk pushes off an throws an elbow but Lazarus leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
A right hand to the body from Usyk.
Lazarus is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Usyk is keeping busy.
Usyk scores with a hook to the body.
Lazarus blocks the elbow strike.
Usyk is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Usyk lands a damaging elbow.

It looks like Kirks Lazarus has been cut.

Usyk pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Usyk cracks Lazarus with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Usyk throws a hook to the side of Lazarus's head but Lazarus sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Lazarus feints a counter leg kick.
Lazarus misses with a low kick.
Lazarus takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.

Lazarus fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Usyk, pushing him back against the cage.
Usyk misses with a shot to the kidneys.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Usyk just misses with a elbow thrown towards Lazarus's brow.
Usyk comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Usyk misses with an elbow strike.
Usyk lands an elbow inside that Lazarus shrugs off.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Lazarus blocks an elbow strike from Usyk.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Usyk just misses with a elbow thrown towards Lazarus's brow.
Come on Lazarus - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Usyk blocks an uppercut.

Usyk manages to break the clinch.
Usyk fails in his attempt to clinch.
That kick from Lazarus tenderised Usyk's leg. Usyk is trying to keep his angry face on.
Usyk tries to clinch up.
Usyk wants to clinch up but Lazarus keeps it at a distance.

Lazarus has Usyk up against the cage in a clinch.
Usyk lands an elbow that stopped Lazarus in his tracks for a moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Usyk.
Usyk lands an elbow just above Lazarus 's eye.

That has opened up Kirks Lazarus's cut even more.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A nice left hand lands by Usyk.
Usyk throws an elbow but it's blocked.

Usyk's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Lazarus misses the body punch
and Usyk counters with a huge left! Lazarus is in big trouble! He's backing up but Usyk isn't giving him chance to recover. Under a barage of punches the ref has to step in to save Lazarus from any more damage. A dominating finish by Usyk!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:26 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Oleksandr Usyk!
Kirks Lazarus was interviewed post fight and said 'It's a tough loss for sure. I still want to challenge myself. I call out Knight and his big mouth manager Stu next round. He picks first, so if it doesnt happen, he's a coward.'.