PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Leon Pablo Sanchez (ranked 3464 p4p, 0 weight class) and Aslan Akishev (ranked 3759 p4p, 0 weight class). Leon Pablo Sanchez looks tired to me. Hopefully he has got enough gas left in the tank to put in a good performance.

Pablo Sanchez
vs
Akishev

175 cm
25
156 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

178 cm
25
158 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Leon Pablo Sanchez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Aslan Akishev!
The judges for this bout are Jorge Garcia, John Kavanagh and Columbo Gatti.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Akishev throws the kick towards the body but Sanchez avoids it.
The fight stays on the outside here - Akishev looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Sanchez drives through with a takedown into guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Akishev wants to stand up but Sanchez is controlling him.
Sanchez slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Akishev is wriggling around but Sanchez manages to pass to half guard.
Akishev keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Akishev tries to kick Sanchez off but Sanchez keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Sanchez looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sanchez is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Sanchez tries to pass to full mount but Akishev defends it.
Sanchez controlling the action here.
Akishev is trying to stand back up but Sanchez is controlling him
Akishev tries to kick Sanchez off in order to stand up. Sanchez Avoids the leg push though and dives into side control.
Sanchez takes a little break here. Akishev wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.

Sanchez looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Akishev tries to get back to his feet but has found himself mounted instead. Damn, that's gotta suck.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez controlling from mount.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Sanchez throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Sanchez controlling from mount.
Akishev really wants to buck Sanchez off and get back to his feet.
Sanchez looking to ground and pound but Akishev is blocking nicely.
Sanchez content just to control the position here.
Sanchez seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Akishev for as long as he can get away with.
Sanchez continues to stall.
Akishev's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sanchez jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Akishev manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Akishev is trying to get back to his feet.

Sanchez looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Akishev wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!

Akishev explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
Akishev connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Sanchez takes a head kick and shrugs it off.

It looks like Leon Pablo Sanchez has been cut.
Sanchez tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Akishev wants to clinch up but Sanchez keeps it at a distance.
Akishev tries to clinch but Sanchez is having none of it.
Akishev throws a lazy head kick

and Sanchez counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Sanchez.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez trying to land knees to the body.
Akishev is trying to maintain a safe position but Sanchez gets an underhook and turns Akishev into the cage.
Sanchez tries to pull guard but Akishev won't allow it.
Sanchez fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Sanchez is looking for a takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Leon Pablo Sanchez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sanchez is breathing heavily.
Sanchez prevents a body shot from Akishev.
Sanchez drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Akishev gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Akishev is looking to control Sanchez's arms but Sanchez gets an underhook and turns him. Now Akishev has his back to the cage.
Akishev is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Sanchez is defending well for now.
Sanchez keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Akishev's efforts to push away.
Sanchez scores with a shoulder strike.
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!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sanchez tries to pull guard but Akishev holds him up against the cage and eventually Sanchez drops back down to his feet.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Akishev creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Leon Pablo Sanchez dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Leon Pablo Sanchez's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Akishev throws a nice looking combination but Sanchez bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Sanchez fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Akishev is looking to clinch.
Sanchez shoots for a takedown but Akishev saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
A slapping body kick lands there for Akishev.
Akishev on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Akishev tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Sanchez manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Akishev throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Akishev tries to clinch but Sanchez is having none of it.
Akishev lands a nice looking body kick.
Akishev tries to clinch up but Sanchez circles away and keeps his distance.
Akishev just manages to avoid a counter high kick fromSanchez.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Akishev will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Leon Pablo Sanchez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Sanchez avoids the head kick by Akishev.
Akishev tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Sanchez cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Akishev moves into the clinch.

Akishev escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Akishev is looking to clinch but Sanchez is avoiding it.
The fight stays on the outside here - Akishev looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Akishev.
A head kick misses from Akishev.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Sanchez crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Akishev - the referee stops the clock and Sanchez gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Akishev. Sanchez manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Aslan Akishev seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Akishev tries to clinch up.
Sanchez shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Akishev defends it nicely.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Leon Pablo Sanchez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sanchez fails to land with a series of punches.
Sanchez throws an overhand right that lands on Akishev's shoulder, as Akishev tries to avoid the shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Akishev tries to clinch but Sanchez is having none of it.

Akishev closes the distance and pushes Sanchez back into the cage.

Akishev breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
A nice leg kick lands there from Akishev.
Sanchez avoids the head kick by Akishev.
Sanchez tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Akishev manages to circle out of the way.
Akishev throws a sloppy head kick
and Sanchez cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Sanchez closes the distance and pushes Akishev back into the cage.

Sanchez's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Sanchez goes for a double leg but Akishev avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Akishev continues to drive forward.
Akishev is looking to clinch but Sanchez is avoiding it.
Akishev throws a nice outside leg kick.
Akishev misses with a wild combination.
Akishev dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Sanchez. That did some damage!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez circles away from the clinch attempt.

Sanchez moves into the clinch.

Akishev breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Akishev tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Sanchez shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Sanchez looks for a takedown but Akishev sprawls well.
Akishev moves in looking to clinch but Sanchez pushes him off.
Akishev lands a head kick!
Akishev defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Sanchez.
The fight stays on the outside here - Akishev looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Akishev lands with a kick to the temple. Sanchez shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Akishev tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Sanchez manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Sanchez is looking for a counter combo.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Sanchez.
Akishev lands a big head kick that sends Sanchez to the canvas! Akishev follows up with strikes from the mount that forces the ref to step in and stop the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:15 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Aslan Akishev!