PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight kickboxing rules bout between Lesliah Souza (ranked 24097 p4p, 605 weight class) and Gavin McDonelu (ranked 8396 p4p, 584 weight class). Gavin McDonelu told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Souza
vs
McDonelu

191 cm
19
176 lbs
2 - 2 - 1

180 cm
18
170 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

Excellent MT
Good chin

Excellent MT
Heavy handed

Freebok (85% Laundry)

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 2 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Lesliah Souza!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Gavin McDonelu!
The judges for this bout are Sam Margolis, William Gold and Paul Tew.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Souza swats away the attempt to clinch by McDonelu.
Souza is looking for a counter combo.
Souza throws an uppercut from half a mile away. McDonelu sees it coming and avoids it easily.
McDonelu throws a counter combo.
A slapping leg kick lands for Souza.
Souza rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but McDonelu moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
McDonelu misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Souza.
Souza went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Souza throws a chopping leg kick but McDonelu manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
McDonelu avoids the head kick by Souza.
McDonelu looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Souza checks a leg kick.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
McDonelu tries to score with a low kick but Souza moves his leg out of the way.
Souza misses with a head kick.
McDonelu tries to clinch there but Souza circles away.
Souza attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
McDonelu misses with a jab, cross combination.
A nice inside leg kick there by Souza. That's going to slow McDonelu down.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
McDonelu is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Souza.
McDonelu fails with an attempt to clinch.
Sloppy strikes from McDonelu. Those never looked like landing.

McDonelu closes the distance and pushes Souza back into the ropes.

McDonelu breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Souza cracks the inside of McDonelu's front leg.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McDonelu throws a leg kick that misses.
Souza misses with a head kick.
A bone on bone clash there as Souza blocks the leg kick.
Souza seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
McDonelu tries to close the distance and clinch but Souza swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
McDonelu tries to clinch up.
Souza with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Souza misses with a kick to the body
and McDonelu counters with a one-two to the body.
Souza misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
McDonelu tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Souza paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Souza throws a head kick that misses.
Souza keeps the fight on the outside.
McDonelu has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Souza.
McDonelu tries to clinch up but Souza circles away and keeps his distance.
Souza feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to McDonelu's calf.
McDonelu wants to clinch.
McDonelu checks a leg kick nicely.
Souza throws a sloppy head kick and McDonelu moves out of range easily.
McDonelu buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fighters circle momentarily. McDonelu darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
This has been an exciting period of action!
McDonelu swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
McDonelu tries to close the distance and clinch but Souza swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
McDonelu wants to clinch.
Souza throws a leg kick
and McDonelu finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
Souza swings and misses with a hook to the body.
As Souza backs off McDonelu throws a huge counter combo but Souza manages to avoid it all.
Souza will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
McDonelu misses with a low kick.
McDonelu will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
McDonelu rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Souza moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Souza lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Souza.
Souza takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
McDonelu feints and then cracks Souza's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Souza down.
Souza throws a half hearted mid kick.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
McDonelu tried to score with a low kick but Souza checks it.
McDonelu looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Gavin McDonelu will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

McDonelu closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the ropes.
McDonelu prevents Souza from breaking the clinch.
McDonelu swings wildly with an uppercut but Souza uses good head movement to avoid it.

Souza's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
A punch combination from McDonelu misses.
McDonelu misses with a head kick.
Souza misses with a double jab.
Souza catches McDonelu with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
McDonelu doesn't manage to clinch there - Souza circles away.
McDonelu scoring well with a low kick there.
McDonelu shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Souza misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Souza.
Souza swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and McDonelu counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
McDonelu fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Souza is out of range.
Souza appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
McDonelu checks a leg kick.
McDonelu slips a jab and a cross from Souza.
Souza misses with a low kick as McDonelu jumps back.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
McDonelu misses with a two punch combination.
No joy there for McDonelu, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
McDonelu misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Souza throws a quick counter head kick but McDonelu was just out of range.
McDonelu throws a low kick, looking for Souza's leg but Souza calmly moves out of range.
Souza's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Souza duly obliges.
McDonelu buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
McDonelu scores with a spinning back kick!
Souza lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
McDonelu misses with a straight right.
A head kick misses from McDonelu.
Souza is looking to counter with a body kick.
Souza circles away from the clinch attempt
and Souza counters with a lovely shot to the body.
McDonelu will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Souza delivers a nice body kick.
McDonelu moves in looking to clinch but Souza pushes him off.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

McDonelu instigates a clinch.

McDonelu's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Souza misses with a head kick.
McDonelu tries to clinch there but Souza circles away.
Souza wants to slow McDonelu down by chopping away at his legs.
McDonelu walks into a stiff left hand from Souza.
Souza lands a nice leg kick that just misses McDonelu's sensitive parts.
McDonelu is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Souza throws a quick counter head kick but McDonelu was just out of range.
McDonelu goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Souza rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but McDonelu moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Souza scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
McDonelu stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Souza.
McDonelu fails in his attempt to clinch.
Lesliah Souza is winning the standup battle so far.
McDonelu stalks Souza and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Souza's face. Souza staggers backwards, shaken.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
McDonelu tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Souza paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Souza lands with a nice body kick.
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 Lesliah Souza will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

McDonelu takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
McDonelu throws a sloppy head kick and Souza moves out of range easily.
McDonelu fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Souza.
Souza lands a slapping body shot.
The fight stays on the outside here - McDonelu looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Souza on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by McDonelu. McDonelu obviously looking to wear him down.
Souza throws a head kick but McDonelu moves out of range.
Souza throws a head kick but McDonelu moves out of range.
McDonelu's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Souza tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
McDonelu fails with an attempt to clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - McDonelu looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Souza is looking to slow McDonelu down with leg kicks.
Souza is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
McDonelu throws a leg kick that misses.
Souza closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Lesliah Souza is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Souza throws a nice head kick!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Nice body kick from McDonelu.
Souza looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
McDonelu pulls out of a head kick attempt.
As McDonelu looks to move away, Souza throws a big counter combo but McDonelu just gets out of the way.
McDonelu throws a head kick that misses
and Souza counters with a two punch combo.
A solid leg kick lands there for McDonelu.
A punch lands to the side of McDonelu 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Souza circles away from the clinch attempt
and McDonelu takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Good standup being displayed there by Souza as he connects with a hook.
Souza slips a jab and a cross from McDonelu.
Souza throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
McDonelu throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
No joy there for McDonelu, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Souza appears to be looking for a big counter.
Souza lunges at McDonelu with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by McDonelu's hand.
Souza tries to land a front kick but McDonelu steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from McDonelu.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
McDonelu is looking to slow Souza down with leg kicks.
Souza misses with a head kick.
McDonelu throws a leg kick but Souza sees it coming and checks it nicely.
McDonelu throws a right and a left that both miss.

McDonelu rushes Souza and pushes him back against the ropes in a clinch.

Souza breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
McDonelu avoids the head kick by Souza.
McDonelu on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
An inside leg kick lands from Souza.
Souza is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
A left and a right from McDonelu both land. Nice combination.
Souza throws a push kick but McDonelu slaps the foot to one side.
McDonelu showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Souza.
Souza pulls out of a head kick attempt.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
McDonelu throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
McDonelu rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Souza moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
McDonelu misses with a head kick.
McDonelu throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

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 Lesliah Souza.
I think Souza has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Sam Margolis scores the fight 28:29
Judge William Gold scores the fight 30:28
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Lesliah Souza!