PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight kickboxing rules bout between Arlind Abazaj (ranked 5132 p4p, 490 weight class) and Toshizo Saito (ranked 6540 p4p, 535 weight class). Both fighters will be looking to make this an exciting fight for the fans, I'm sure!

Abazaj
vs
Saito

189 cm
18
190 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
19
194 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

Excellent MT
Granite chin

Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

RESISTANCE

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Arlind Abazaj!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Toshizo Saito!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Cesar, Felipe Paraventi and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Abazaj connects with a high kick.
Arlind Abazaj seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Abazaj lands a nice looking body kick.
Saito is looking to clinch but Abazaj is avoiding it.

Abazaj clinches up with Saito and pushes him back against the ropes.
Abazaj lands a body shot in the clinch.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Abazaj misses with some punches.
Abazaj can't find room to land a body shot as Saito controls the action.
Abazaj misses with a punch to the body.
Abazaj is trying to break the clinch but Saito has him pressed against the ropes.
Abazaj doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Abazaj goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Saito tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Saito is pushing Abazaj up against the ropes, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Saito is trying to break free.
Abazaj can't find room to land a body shot as Saito controls the action.
Abazaj doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Abazaj tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Saito looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Abazaj tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Abazaj tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Saito's elbow.
Abazaj misses with some punches.
Saito's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Abazaj doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Abazaj misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Abazaj tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Abazaj.
Saito dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the ropes.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Abazaj working aggressively here.
Saito wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
A short uppercut from Abazaj.
Abazaj tries a body shot but Saito blocks it.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Abazaj.
Abazaj misses with a short punch on the inside.
Abazaj lands with a left to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Abazaj misses with a body punch.
Abazaj prevents Saito from breaking the clinch.
Saito blocks a body shot from Abazaj.
Abazaj scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Abazaj throws a punch but it's blocked by Saito.
Saito wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Abazaj misses with a punch to the body.
Saito blocking some punches.
A frustrated look appears on Abazaj's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Still in the clinch, Abazaj scores with a nice short uppercut.
Abazaj tries to throw a body punch but Saito avoids it by throwing Abazaj back against the ropes.
Abazaj lands a left hand.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Abazaj.
Saito tries to break free but Abazaj pushes him back against the ropes.
Saito blocks a body shot from Abazaj.
Abazaj working aggressively here.
A frustrated look appears on Saito's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Abazaj throws a head punch that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Arlind Abazaj dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

A head kick from Abazaj lands but Saito takes it in his stride.
Abazaj cracks Saito with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the ropes.

Saito moves into range and clinches up with Abazaj.
Abazaj is trying to break the clinch but Saito has him pressed against the ropes.
Abazaj misses with a hook to the ribs.

Abazaj's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Abazaj avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Abazaj with a nice cross.

Abazaj pushes Saito up against the ropes in a clinch.
Saito blocks a body shot from Abazaj.
Saito blocks a body shot from Abazaj.
Abazaj tries to throw a body punch but Saito avoids it by throwing Abazaj back against the ropes.
Arlind Abazaj has scored more points in the clinch so far.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Abazaj tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Saito's elbow.
Abazaj misses with a hook from the clinch.
Abazaj can't find room to land a body shot as Saito controls the action.
Saito is trying to break the clinch but Abazaj has him pressed against the ropes.

Saito manages to break the clinch.
Saito tries to clinch there but Abazaj circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Saito darts in trying to clinch
and Abazaj counters with a nice kick to the body.
Abazaj dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Abazaj moves out of range of the body kick from Saito.
Saito tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Abazaj paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Abazaj lands a nice looking body shot.
Saito tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.

Saito gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Abazaj tries to throw a body punch but Saito avoids it by throwing Abazaj back against the ropes.
A short uppercut from Abazaj.
Saito's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Abazaj misses with some punches.
Abazaj gets through Saito's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Saito is trying to break the clinch but Abazaj is controlling him.
Abazaj tries to work over Saito's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
A frustrated look appears on Abazaj's face as he tries to break the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Saito.
Abazaj scores with a shot to the side of Saito's head.
Abazaj misses with a hook from the clinch.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Abazaj blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
A head punch on the inside from Abazaj fails to land.
Saito prevents a body shot from Abazaj.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Abazaj as Saito tries to tie him up.

Saito breaks the clinch.
Abazaj scores with a body shot.

Abazaj clinches.
Abazaj tries to work over Saito's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Abazaj swings away with an uppercut that misses.
A short uppercut from Abazaj.
Abazaj tries a body shot but Saito blocks it.
Saito stalling in the clinch but Abazaj improves position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Arlind Abazaj dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Some bone on bone action there as Abazaj checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Saito doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Abazaj is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Saito can do to turn this around?
Abazaj throws a nice inside leg kick.

Abazaj rushes Saito and pushes him back against the ropes in a clinch.
Abazaj cracks Saito with a nice body shot.
Abazaj has a couple of punches blocked by Saito.
Abazaj tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Abazaj lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Saito backwards.
Abazaj misses with a punch to the body.
Abazaj working hard to break the clinch.
Abazaj struggles to land a body shot inside as Saito controls his hands.
Saito misses with an elbow strike.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Abazaj digs a right hand into Saito's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Saito's gas tank.
Abazaj tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Saito's elbow.
Saito wants to get back to striking at distance but Abazaj won't allow it.
Abazaj lands an uppercut.
Saito blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
A short uppercut from Abazaj.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Abazaj misses with a short punch on the inside.
Abazaj misses with a hook from the clinch.
Abazaj tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Saito's elbow.
Abazaj misses with a body punch.
Saito blocking some punches.
Saito trying to land knees to the body.
Saito wants to stall.
Abazaj can't find room to land a body shot as Saito controls the action.
Abazaj misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Abazaj misses with a hook from the clinch.
Saito prevents a body shot from Abazaj.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Abazaj.
Abazaj misses with a body punch.
Saito looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

Saito breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Abazaj scores with a hook to the body. Saito takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Toshizo Saito is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Abazaj misses with a body shot

and Saito counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Saito throws an elbow that misses.
Abazaj lands a body punch in the clinch.
Abazaj scores with a shoulder strike.
Abazaj is trying to break the clinch but Saito is controlling him.
Abazaj softening up his opponent with strikes, against the ropes.
Abazaj tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
A bit of stalling here from Saito.
The crowd are getting on Saito's back here. They're not happy about his lack of aggression in the clinch.
Abazaj lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

Saito breaks the clinch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
The fight stays on the outside here - Abazaj looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Saito tries to close the distance and clinch up but Abazaj swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Arlind Abazaj is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Abazaj lands with a thumping leg kick.
Abazaj lands a slapping body shot.
Toshizo Saito has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Abazaj fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Saito on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.

And that's the end of the fight!
Arlind Abazaj showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Abazaj has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Daniel Cesar scores the fight 30:26
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 30:26
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Arlind Abazaj!