PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Kamaru Usman (ranked 2647 p4p, 340 weight class) and Ivan Lyubenov (ranked 2782 p4p, 355 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Usman
vs
Lyubenov

182 cm
22
185 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

182 cm
25
170 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Big heart

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Granite chin

The Glue Factory

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Kamaru Usman!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Ivan Lyubenov!
The judges for this bout are Bart Greer, Sandra Marshall and Peter Branson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Lyubenov moves into the clinch.
Usman tries to pull guard but Lyubenov holds him up against the cage and eventually Usman drops back down to his feet.
A right hook to the body lands for Lyubenov.

Usman gets a trip takedown into half guard.

Usman is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Usman works his way into side control.
Check out the look on Usman's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
The ground and pound from Usman seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Lyubenov wants to control but Usman postures up.
Lyubenov is looking for a sweep.
Usman throws a strike aimed at the side of Lyubenov's head but Lyubenov avoids it well.
Lyubenov really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Usman. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Usman postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Lyubenov is looking to reverse the position.
Usman lands a nice forearm strike.
Usman in side control, throwing shots but Lyubenov defends.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Usman postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Usman looks up at the clock and then as Lyubenov takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Usman smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Lyubenov tries to bench press Usman off him but Usman keeps the position.

Usman looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Usman has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Lyubenov dodges the ground and pound from Usman.
Usman working the head and body with strikes.
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The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
An elbow from Usman crashes against the mat.
Usman tries to score with some ground and pound. Lyubenov controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Lyubenov looking for a sweep but Usman has passed into full mount! Oh no!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Usman throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Usman trying to control but Lyubenov is having none of it.
Usman cracks Lyubenov with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.

Usman working for a guillotine from mount but Lyubenov is in no mood to give up.
Usman pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Lyubenov tries to lock up and control but Usman gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Usman thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Usman misses with a head shot.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Lyubenov can do anything to dispel that myth.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Usman lands a big shot there that rocks Lyubenov but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kamaru Usman dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Usman on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Usman looks to throw the jab but Lyubenov is out of range.
Lyubenov avoids the body shot from Usman.
Lyubenov throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Usman stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.

Lyubenov has managed to clinch.
Usman looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Lyubenov lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Lyubenov is leaning against Usman and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Usman is working for takedown but Lyubenov is calmly controlling the position for now.
Lyubenov lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Lyubenov lands with a left to the head.
Lyubenov works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Lyubenov lands with a short shot to the head.
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!
Lyubenov pushes Usman back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Lyubenov cracks Usman with a nice body shot.
Lyubenov looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Lyubenov is leaning against Usman and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
A short uppercut from Lyubenov.
A nice right hand lands inside from Lyubenov.
Lyubenov lands with a short shot to the head.

Usman is rocked!
Lyubenov lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Usman backwards.
Oh Usman is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Lyubenov lands a shot to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A right hand to the body from Lyubenov.

Lyubenov drops Usman onto one knee with a big uppercut from the clinch! Usman is propped up by the cage and works his way back to his feet!
Lyubenov unloads with a big right hand that wobbles Usman! He's leaning against the cage trying to keep his feet but Lyubenov is unloading with more strikes now! Usman drops to his knees and the referee stops the fight for a TKO!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:15 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Ivan Lyubenov!
Ivan Lyubenov bigged himself up after the win. The crowd seemed to love it.