PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Aleksey Borodin (ranked 3123 p4p, 119 weight class) and Khamed Al Khabbib (ranked 4069 p4p, 143 weight class). Borodin has a slight injury, which hopefully won't affect the fight too much. Khamed Al Khabbib has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Aleksey Borodin's chin.

Borodin
vs
Al Khabbib

191 cm
26
338 lbs
12 - 8 - 0

194 cm
30
300 lbs
9 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good takedowns
Counter fighter
Granite chin

Urban Fighter

Woodshins' Ship

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 12 - 8 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Aleksey Borodin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 5 - 0, fighting out of London, Khamed Al Khabbib!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Valeri Chadov and Vladimir Khabensky.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Al Khabbib shoots and misses
enabling Borodin to counter with a crisp jab.
Al Khabbib shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Borodin sprawls well. Borodin wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Al Khabbib gets slowly back to his feet.
Al Khabbib shoots in for a double leg but Borodin sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Aleksey Borodin has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Khamed Al Khabbib.
Al Khabbib fails with a takedown attempt.
Borodin jabs Al Khabbib to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Borodin is breathing heavily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Borodin misses with an uppercut.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Borodin, as that shot connected.
Nice uppercut there from Borodin.
Aleksey Borodin seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Al Khabbib throws a body shot but no joy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Al Khabbib shoots for a takedown but Borodin saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
A quick step to the side and Borodin tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
Al Khabbib's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Borodin connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Al Khabbib scrambles back to his feet.
Al Khabbib tries for a takedown but Borodin circles away easily
and Borodin counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Al Khabbib looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Borodin is fending him off so far but Al Khabbib persists. Nope, Borodin circles away and we're back to standing.
Borodin throwing a counter right hand but Al Khabbib manages to avoid it.
Borodin looks to land a combination. Al Khabbib sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Borodin misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Al Khabbib fails with a takedown attempt.
Decent striking displayed by Borodin there.
Al Khabbib with a poor takedown
and Borodin counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Borodin takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Al Khabbib with a lazy takedown attempt
and Borodin cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Al Khabbib shoots in for a takedown but Borodin shows good takedown defense.
Al Khabbib misses with a takedown attempt - Borodin sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Borodin throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Al Khabbib misses with an uppercut. Borodin saw that one coming.
Borodin lands with a nice combination. Al Khabbib backs away looking to recover.
Al Khabbib looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Borodin is fending him off so far but Al Khabbib persists. Nope, Borodin circles away and we're back to standing.
Aleksey Borodin is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Al Khabbib throws a big shot that misses.
Borodin is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.
Borodin tries to clinch up but Al Khabbib circles away and keeps his distance.
Al Khabbib with the counter takedown but Borodin avoids it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Borodin gets a clinch.
Al Khabbib fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Al Khabbib tries to pull guard but Borodin holds him up against the cage and eventually Al Khabbib drops back down to his feet.
A head punch on the inside from Borodin fails to land.
Al Khabbib is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Borodin to keep the fight standing.
Al Khabbib fails to pull guard.
Borodin digs a right hand underneath Al Khabbib's ribcage. Al Khabbib let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Borodin lands with a short punch from the clinch.
I was talking to Borodin's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Al Khabbib tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Borodin just stands there and leans against the cage.
Borodin lands a nice uppercut.
Borodin lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Al Khabbib tries to pull guard but Borodin won't allow it.
Al Khabbib tries to pull guard but Borodin holds him up against the cage and eventually Al Khabbib drops back down to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Al Khabbib fails to pull the fight into his guard.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Borodin.
A short uppercut from Borodin.
Al Khabbib jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Borodin walks away with a smile on his face. Al Khabbib gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Borodin works the jab nicely.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Borodin defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Al Khabbib.
Borodin lands with a cross.
Al Khabbib fails with the takedown
and Borodin counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Borodin lands with a right hand.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aleksey Borodin dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Al Khabbib takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Borodin keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Al Khabbib throws a body punch but Borodin moves out of range.
Borodin missing with a left hand there. Al Khabbib was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Aleksey Borodin is winning the standup battle so far.
Al Khabbib fails with a takedown attempt.
Al Khabbib dives in and grabs Borodin's left leg, looking for a takedown. Borodin pushes down on Al Khabbib's head and hops out.
Aleksey Borodin has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Khamed Al Khabbib.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Al Khabbib fails to land the takedown.
Al Khabbib misses with a takedown
letting Borodin counter with a right hand.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Borodin bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Al Khabbib's head.
Al Khabbib shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Borodin counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Al Khabbib is trying hard to land a takedown here. Borodin sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Borodin was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.

Al Khabbib looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Borodin!
Borodin tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Al Khabbib wants to control but Borodin is keeping him busy.
Borodin is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Al Khabbib is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Borodin knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Al Khabbib is looking to take a break and control but Borodin is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Al Khabbib tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Al Khabbib has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Borodin pushes Al Khabbib away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Al Khabbib gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Borodin is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Al Khabbib can do to turn this around?
Al Khabbib tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.

That's four 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.

Al Khabbib working for the choke.
Al Khabbib really has the hooks in deep now - there seems like no escape for Borodin.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Borodin looking very determined here, making life difficult for Al Khabbib.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aleksey Borodin dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Al Khabbib shoots in for a double leg but Borodin sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Al Khabbib moves away from the strike by Borodin.
Al Khabbib misses with a takedown attempt - Borodin sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Al Khabbib tries to score a power double leg takedown but Borodin sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Al Khabbib somewhat.
Aleksey Borodin has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Khamed Al Khabbib.
Borodin connects with a single shot there.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Al Khabbib with a lazy takedown attempt
and Borodin counters with a straight right hand.
Al Khabbib tries for a takedown but Borodin circles away easily
and Borodin counters with a straight right hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Al Khabbib avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
A cross from Borodin lands.
Al Khabbib closes this distance looking for a takedown but Borodin circles away.
Borodin defending well as Al Khabbib loads up on a big left hand.
Al Khabbib shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Borodin but Borodin pushes him off and we're back to square one.
It looked like Borodin was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Al Khabbib.
Al Khabbib fails with the takedown.
Nice shot lands for Borodin.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Borodin throws a jab but it's blocked by Al Khabbib.
Al Khabbib drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Borodin defends it well.
Al Khabbib fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Al Khabbib doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Borodin counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
The fighters circling - Borodin throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Al Khabbib shoots in looking for a takedown. Borodin tries to sprawl out of it but Al Khabbib keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Borodin manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Al Khabbib changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Borodin tries to avoid it but Al Khabbib manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Borodin to the ground. Borodin escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Borodin misses with a looping left.
Al Khabbib misses with a takedown attempt
and Borodin counters with a straight right hand.
Borodin throws a looping overhand right but Al Khabbib ducks down to avoid it.
Al Khabbib tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Nice sprawl there from Borodin as Al Khabbib shoots in.
Borodin jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Al Khabbib tries for a takedown but Borodin sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Al Khabbib gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Borodin cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Borodin misses with a hook.
Al Khabbib tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Al Khabbib misses with a takedown attempt
and Borodin connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Al Khabbib with a poor takedown
and Borodin counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Al Khabbib shoots in for a double leg but Borodin sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
A little feinted left hand from Borodin on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Borodin lands with a good body shot.
Al Khabbib throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Borodin's waist but Borodin gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Al Khabbib off to one side.
Borodin throws a shot to the body.
Horrible takedown attempt by Al Khabbib or perhaps it was just good defense by Borodin, which made it look bad.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Borodin smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.

And that's the end of the fight!
Aleksey Borodin showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Borodin, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 30:25
Judge Valeri Chadov scores the fight 30:25
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 30:25

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Aleksey Borodin!
An out of breath Aleksey Borodin thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.