PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mikhail Popkov (ranked 1966 p4p, 270 weight class) and Rhymin Slayin (ranked 1323 p4p, 191 weight class). I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Rhymin Slayin was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Popkov
vs
Slayin

200 cm
22
210 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

190 cm
22
221 lbs
6 - 4 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

BuriedAlive// Fight Gear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Mikhail Popkov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Rhymin Slayin!
The judges for this bout are James Glass, Chris Edwards and Colin Fotheringham.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Popkov lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Popkov ducks under a wild hook from Slayin.
Popkov looks to land a right hand but Slayin moved out of range.
A jab lands there for Popkov.
Slayin throws an off balance right hand
and Popkov counters with a nice uppercut.
Popkov jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Slayin swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Popkov throws a hook but Slayin avoids it easily.
Mikhail Popkov seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Popkov throws a jab when Slayin was well out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Popkov throws a poor cross that misses
and Slayin counters with a stiff right hand.
Slayin takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
A head kick by Slayin misses
and Popkov makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Slayin slips a jab and a cross from Popkov.
Nice shot lands for Popkov.
Slayin throws a poor cross that misses
and Popkov counters with a straight right hand.
Popkov throws a sloppy head kick
and Slayin counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Slayin takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Slayin slips under a jab from Popkov.
Popkov misses with an uppercut. Slayin saw that one coming.
Slayin misses with a hook
and Popkov counters with a two punch combo.
Slayin avoids a kick to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Popkov throws a nice head kick!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Popkov will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Popkov swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Slayin throws an overhand right that lands on Popkov's shoulder, as Popkov tries to avoid the shot.
Slayin takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Slayin thows a left - swing and a miss!
Slayin lands a nice hook to Popkov's body. Popkov takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Popkov lands a jab to the nose.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Popkov scores with a kick to the midsection.
Popkov throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Slayin swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Slayin throws a poor cross that misses
enabling Popkov to counter with a crisp jab.
Popkov throws a body kick, spinning off balance
and Popkov takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Slayin slips under a jab from Popkov.
Popkov throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Slayin sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Popkov.
Popkov throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
A little jabbing left from Slayin on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Slayin throws a shot from downtown. Popkov moves away and avoids it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Popkov slips a straight right by Slayin.
Slayin throws a lazy uppercut
and Popkov counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Popkov swinging wildly here.
Popkov misses with a left hand
and Slayin counters with a stiff right hand.
Slayin avoids the head kick by Popkov.
Slayin looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Slayin jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Popkov is looking light on his feet compared to last time was saw him fight.
Popkov throws a head kick but Slayin moves out of range.
A big left from Popkov misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mikhail Popkov dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

A slow jab from Slayin misses its intended target.
Popkov swings widly with a right hand
and Slayin counters with a stiff right hand.
Popkov misses with a series of wild punches.
Popkov looks to land a right hand but Slayin moved out of range.
Popkov lands with a kick to the temple. Slayin shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"

It looks like Rhymin Slayin has been cut.
Popkov connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Popkov looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Sloppy strikes from Popkov. Those never looked like landing.
Slayin might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Popkov finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Popkov throws a right hand that misses
and Slayin counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Slayin blocks a head kick by Popkov.
Popkov just misses with a punch to the body.
Slayin looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Popkov throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Popkov uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Slayin.
Popkov went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Slayin throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Popkov sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Slayin fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Slayin keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Popkov.
Slayin looks like he wants to counter punch here.
A jab from Popkov misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Popkov looks to throw the jab but Slayin is out of range.
Popkov scores with a jab to the body.
A low kick from Popkov misses
and Slayin counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Slayin throws out a loose jab but Popkov uses good head movement to avoid it.
Popkov throws a quick counter kick to the body but Slayin avoids it.
Slayin checks a leg kick.
Popkov goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Popkov throws a right and a left that Slayin avoids nicely.
Slayin uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Popkov.
Slayin throws a sloppy head kick and Popkov moves out of range easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Slayin fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Popkov takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Mikhail Popkov is winning the standup battle so far.
Good leg kick by Popkov there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
An inside leg kick from Popkov misses.
Popkov throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Slayin counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Popkov is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Slayin can do to turn this around?
Slayin misses with a hook
and Popkov counters with a left to the body.
Popkov scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Popkov takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Slayin moves out of range as Popkov strikes.
Slayin looks like he wants to counter punch here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Slayin connects with the punch.
Slayin uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Popkov.
Slayin swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Popkov on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Popkov fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Slayin manages to avoid it.
Slayin is looking for the big counter here.
A head kick misses from Popkov.
Popkov thows a leg kick but Slayin checks it
and Slayin counters with a stiff right hand.

Popkov is rocked!
Both fighters step back and shake their arms out. Slayin engages and cracks Popkov with a massive lead left hook - Popkov tumbles to the floor, out cold! What a shot! Slayin is delighted - all that hard work in training paid off!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:52 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Rhymin Slayin!
A very excited looking Rhymin Slayin rambled incoherently for about 5 minutes post fight about how awesome he is. It was kinda funny for a while but then everyone got annoyed.