PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mr Joshua (ranked 2747 p4p, 109 weight class) and Boris Balkan (ranked 2086 p4p, 79 weight class). Joshua's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Problem Child. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Joshua
vs
Balkan

193 cm
28
255 lbs
13 - 9 - 1

207 cm
29
240 lbs
8 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

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 13 - 9 - 1, fighting out of Hilo, Mr Joshua!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Boris Balkan!
The judges for this bout are Alan Glass, Daniel Franklin and Chris Downing.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Balkan uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Joshua.
Balkan steps in looking to counter with the mid kick but it doesn't connect.
Joshua misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Balkan.
Joshua throws a shot from downtown. Balkan moves away and avoids it.
Balkan looks for the body kick but Joshua saw that one coming.
A chopping leg kick lands by Balkan.
Joshua has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Nice uppercut there from Joshua.
Balkan throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
A head kick misses from Joshua.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Balkan checks a leg kick.
A thudding body kick lands there by Balkan!
Joshua fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Balkan.
Good standup being displayed there by Balkan as he connects with a hook.
Joshua throws a jab when Balkan was well out of range.
Joshua lands a nice leg kick that just misses Balkan's sensitive parts.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Balkan misses with a looping right.
Joshua with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.

Joshua has managed to clinch.

Balkan manages to break the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balkan jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Joshua walks forward, straight into a front kick from Balkan.

Joshua clinches.
Balkan makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.

Balkan breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Balkan keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Joshua fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Joshua wants to clinch.
Joshua wants to clinch up but Balkan keeps it at a distance.
Balkan looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.

Joshua rushes Balkan and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Balkan misses with some punches.
Balkan misses with a punch to the body.
A head punch on the inside from Balkan fails to land.
Balkan swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Balkan lands a shoulder strike.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Balkan working aggressively here.
Joshua is looking to control Balkan's arms but Balkan gets an underhook and turns him. Now Joshua has his back to the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balkan misses with a punch to the body.
Joshua's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!

Balkan escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Balkan looks for the body kick but Joshua saw that one coming.
Nice straight punches there by Joshua. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Joshua.
Balkan feints and then cracks Joshua's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Joshua down.
Balkan scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Joshua avoids the head kick by Balkan.
Mr Joshua seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Balkan throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Balkan scores with a head kick.
Joshua throws a leg kick that misses.
Balkan throws a body kick that misses.
Balkan misses with a kick to the body.
Balkan checks a leg kick.
Joshua throws a body shot but no joy.
Joshua's corner calls for a 1-2. Joshua obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Joshua throws a body shot but no joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A big right from Joshua misses.
Joshua 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.
Joshua buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Balkan throws a head kick that Joshua semi-blocks.

It looks like Mr Joshua has been cut.
Balkan tries to score with a low kick but Joshua moves his leg out of the way.
Balkan will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Balkan misses with a body kick.
Balkan slips a jab from Joshua.
Balkan does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Good work by Joshua as he checks the leg kick.
Joshua appears to be looking for a counter takedown.

Joshua has Balkan up against the cage in a clinch.
Joshua is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Joshua lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Balkan tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Joshua's elbow.
Joshua lands a body shot.
Balkan looks winded!
Joshua struggles to land a body shot inside as Balkan controls his hands.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Joshua lands a hook to the side of the head.
Joshua lands a right hand that snaps the head of Balkan backwards.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Joshua scores with a nice hook to the head.
Joshua lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Joshua lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Balkan takes a shot to the head.

Balkan is rocked!
Balkan being controlled against the cage.
Balkan is still on wobbly legs! Can Joshua finish him?
Joshua dips a shoulder and cracks Balkan with a mighty uppercut! Balkan falls back against the cage and Joshua unloads with a barrage of strikes! Balkan is completely out with his eyes open, only supported by the cage! Save him ref! Eventually the ref decides to do his job and jumps in - Joshua screams abuse at the incompetent official before going over to celebrate with his corner. Brutal stuff!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:30 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Mr Joshua!
Mr Joshua took to the microphone after his victory and thanked his sponsors, IniTech Nutrition for their support in the buildup to the fight.