PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight kickboxing rules bout between Alex Alexandrov (ranked 7330 p4p, 439 weight class) and Yayi Zinsou (ranked 3563 p4p, 306 weight class). Yayi Zinsou has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Alex Alexandrov's chin.

Alexandrov
vs
Zinsou

188 cm
21
205 lbs
7 - 5 - 0

199 cm
30
273 lbs
11 - 23 - 0

Solid boxing
Cardio machine

Decent boxing
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Alex Alexandrov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 23 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Yayi Zinsou!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Yamamoto, Shigeki Sano and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Zinsou throws a body shot but no joy.
Alexandrov is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Alexandrov tries to clinch but Zinsou moves out of range.

Alexandrov clinches.
A hook to the body from Alexandrov.
Alexandrov goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Zinsou looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.

Zinsou breaks the clinch.
Zinsou circles away from the clinch attempt.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Zinsou! But no joy.
Zinsou wants to clinch up but Alexandrov keeps it at a distance.
Yayi Zinsou seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Zinsou tries to keep at a distance but Alexandrov has taken the fight into the clinch.
Alexandrov stalling in the clinch but Zinsou improves position.
Zinsou wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
I was talking to Alexandrov's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Alexandrov tries to stall but Zinsou uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Alexandrov lands a left hand.
A nice right hand lands inside from Alexandrov.
Zinsou pushes off an throws an elbow but Alexandrov leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the ropes.

Zinsou escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Zinsou instigates a clinch.
The fighters are pressed against the ropes, as the pace of the fight slows.

Zinsou escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Alexandrov takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.

Alexandrov clinches up against the ropes.

Zinsou's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Alexandrov closes the distance and clinches.

Zinsou manages to break the clinch.
Zinsou with a hook.

Alexandrov has closed the distance and engaged Zinsou in a clinch.
Zinsou misses with an elbow strike.
Zinsou is stalling here.

Zinsou's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Zinsou avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Zinsou tries to keep at a distance but Alexandrov has taken the fight into the clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Zinsou taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Zinsou scores with an uppercut up the middle.

Zinsou escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Zinsou swings for the body but Alexandrov moves out of range.
Alexandrov tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Zinsou counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Alexandrov uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Zinsou.
A jab from Zinsou finds it's way through Alexandrov's defenses.
Zinsou lands a lovely overhand right.
Zinsou avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Zinsou looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Zinsou connects with the punch.
Alexandrov tries to clinch there but Zinsou circles away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yayi Zinsou dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Alexandrov moves into the clinch successfully.
Zinsou misses with a hook from the clinch.

Zinsou breaks from the clinch.
Alexandrov wants to clinch
and Zinsou counters with a nice uppercut.

Zinsou closes the distance and clinches.
Zinsou tries to throw a body punch but Alexandrov avoids it by throwing Zinsou back against the ropes.
Alexandrov lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.

Zinsou breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Zinsou closes the distance and clinches.
Zinsou lands a body shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Zinsou has Alexandrov pressed against the ropes, preventing Alexandrov from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

Zinsou escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Alexandrov lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Zinsou circles away quickly and effectively.
A little jabbing left from Zinsou on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Zinsou lands a right hook to the body.

Zinsou fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Alexandrov, pushing him back against the ropes.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Zinsou is trying to maintain a safe position but Alexandrov gets an underhook and turns Zinsou into the ropes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zinsou working aggressively here.
Alexandrov is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
A head punch on the inside from Alexandrov fails to land.
Zinsou managing to block the knees to the body from Alexandrov.

Zinsou breaks from the clinch.
Alexandrov tries to close the distance and clinch but Zinsou swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Alexandrov takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Zinsou throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.

Alexandrov rushes Zinsou and pushes him back against the ropes in a clinch.
Zinsou misses with a knee to the head.
Alexandrov misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Zinsou can't break the clinch.

Zinsou pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Alexandrov tries to close the distance and clinch up but Zinsou swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Zinsou has Alexandrov up against the ropes in a clinch.
Alexandrov tries a body shot but Zinsou blocks it.
Come on Zinsou - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.

Zinsou pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Zinsou rushes Alexandrov and pushes him back against the ropes in a clinch.
Alexandrov working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Zinsou's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Alexandrov on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Zinsou tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Alexandrov was well out of range. Poor timing from Zinsou.
Alexandrov seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Alexandrov swats away the attempt to clinch by Zinsou.
Zinsou listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.

Zinsou has managed to clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yayi Zinsou showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Alexandrov wants to clinch.

Zinsou moves into the clinch.
Zinsou tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Alex Alexandrov has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Alexandrov wants to stall.
Zinsou dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the ropes.
Zinsou with an attempt at a knee that misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Alexandrov letting Zinsou take a breather here.
A right handed body shot lands from Alexandrov.
Alexandrov stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Zinsou digs a right hand underneath Alexandrov's ribcage. Alexandrov let out a lung full of air as it connected.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alexandrov throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Zinsous head.
Alexandrov goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Alexandrov doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Zinsou is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Alexandrov is keeping busy.
Zinsou has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Alexandrov wants to stall.

Zinsou pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Alexandrov lands a slapping body shot.
A looping hook to the body misses from Zinsou. Alexandrov does a little dance to reset his feet.
Alexandrov lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Zinsou at a distance.
Alexandrov fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Alexandrov avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Alexandrov throws a big counter combination but Zinsou scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Yayi Zinsou seems to be getting the better of the standup.

Zinsou takes the fight into the clinch.
A short left from Alexandrov.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zinsou misses with a hook from the clinch.
Zinsou struggles to land a body shot inside as Alexandrov controls his hands.
Zinsou missing with knees to the body.
Zinsou is trying to break free.
Zinsou goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Alexandrov throws a head punch that misses.
A hook to the body from Zinsou.
Alexandrov lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Zinsou.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Alexandrov lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the ropes.
Alex Alexandrov has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Zinsou throws an elbow but it misses.
Alexandrov being controlled against the ropes.
Zinsou has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Zinsou misses with a hook to the ribs.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Alexandrov misses with a punch to the body.
Alexandrov goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Alex Alexandrov.
I think Zinsou has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 28:30
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 28:29
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Yayi Zinsou!
A very excited looking Yayi Zinsou 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.