PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight kickboxing rules bout between Torkel Bystrom (ranked 1549 p4p, 176 weight class) and Brian Upchurch (ranked 24619 p4p, 517 weight class). Upchurch comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Quit Lyin kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Torkel Bystrom has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Bystrom
vs
Upchurch

206 cm
28
285 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

187 cm
28
235 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

World class boxer
Insanely flexible

World class MT
Good gas tank

HELLBENT

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 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Torkel Bystrom!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Brian Upchurch!
The judges for this bout are Nard Betker, Paul Aken and Patrick Alders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Upchurch is looking to clinch but Bystrom is avoiding it.
Brian Upchurch seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Bystrom lands a head kick. Upchurch smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
The fight stays on the outside here - Upchurch looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Bystrom lands a high kick!
Bystrom uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Upchurch.
A head kick misses from Bystrom.
Upchurch blocks a head kick by Bystrom.

Bystrom tries to keep at a distance but Upchurch has taken the fight into the clinch.
Upchurch misses with an elbow strike.
Bystrom wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Upchurch has him pressed against the ropes.
Bystrom misses with a body punch.

Bystrom's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bystrom scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Upchurch tries to clinch up but Bystrom circles away and keeps his distance.
Bystrom swats away the attempt to clinch by Upchurch.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Bystrom lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Upchurch has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Upchurch and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.

Upchurch gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Bystrom struggles to land a body shot inside as Upchurch controls his hands.

That's one minute gone in the round.
With the fighters up against the ropes, Upchurch throws an elbow but misses.
Upchurch scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Upchurch pushes Bystrom back against the ropes and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Bystrom dodges an elbow strike from Upchurch.
I was talking to Bystrom's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.

Bystrom breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Bystrom lands a high kick!
Upchurch tries to clinch up but Bystrom circles away and keeps his distance.
Upchurch fails in his attempt to clinch.
Upchurch tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Bystrom paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Bystrom pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Bystrom fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Upchurch is out of range.
Upchurch feints a counter leg kick.
Bystrom throws a head kick but Upchurch moves out of range.
Bystrom throws a head kick but Upchurch moves out of range.
Bystrom tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Bystrom tries a head kick but it misses.
Upchurch is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Upchurch tries to close the distance and clinch but Bystrom swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
A combination from Upchurch does no damage.
A combination from Upchurch does no damage.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Upchurch lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Bystrom backs up against the ropes.

It looks like Torkel Bystrom has been cut.
Upchurch darts in trying to clinch
and Bystrom counters with a straight punch to the midsection.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Upchurch has closed the distance and engaged Bystrom in a clinch.
Bystrom looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Upchurch misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Bystrom.
Bystrom doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
A head punch on the inside from Upchurch fails to land.
Upchurch trying to land knees to the body.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Upchurch.
Bystrom digs a right hand underneath Upchurch's ribcage. Upchurch let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Upchurch throws a punch but it's blocked by Bystrom.
Bystrom has had enough of the clinch but Upchurch keeps him there for the moment.
Bystrom is looking to break free of the clinch but Upchurch has double underhooks.
Bystrom blocks an elbow strike from Upchurch.
Bystrom tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Upchurch's elbow.
Upchurch lands an elbow just above Bystrom 's eye.
A short right from Upchurch on the inside.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Upchurch tries a body shot but Bystrom blocks it.

Upchurch escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Upchurch tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. Bystrom manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Bystrom jabs Upchurch right on the nose. Upchurch blinks but takes it well.
Upchurch moves in looking to clinch but Bystrom pushes him off.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Brian Upchurch will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Torkel Bystrom's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Bystrom scores with a head kick.
Torkel Bystrom is winning the standup battle so far.
Upchurch tries to close the distance and clinch but Bystrom swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Bystrom connects with a nice looking jab.
Upchurch's jab looks to have found its range, popping Bystrom under the eye.
Upchurch lands a head shot.
Upchurch moves in looking to clinch but Bystrom pushes him off.
Bystrom scores with a body shot.
Bystrom lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!

Upchurch pushes Bystrom up against the ropes in a clinch.
Bystrom throws a punch but it's blocked by Upchurch.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Upchurch throws an elbow that misses.

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

Upchurch moves into range and clinches up with Bystrom.

Bystrom breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Bystrom tries to land a front kick but Upchurch steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Bystrom's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Bystrom duly obliges.
Bystrom misses with a body shot.
Upchurch is looking to slow Bystrom down with leg kicks.
Upchurch wants to clinch up but Bystrom keeps it at a distance.
Upchurch is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Upchurch keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
A little jabbing left from Upchurch on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Bystrom misses with a head kick.

Upchurch gets a clinch.

Bystrom pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Upchurch takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Upchurch walks into a straight right hand from Bystrom.

Upchurch clinches up against the ropes.
Bystrom lands a shoulder strike.
Bystrom is trying to break the clinch but Upchurch has him pressed against the ropes.
A left hand lands to the body for Bystrom.
Upchurch swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Bystrom avoids a wild elbow strike from Upchurch.
Bystrom wants to break free but Upchurch has control.
With the two fighters working up against the ropes, Upchurch just misses with a elbow thrown towards Bystrom's brow.
Brian Upchurch seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Upchurch misses with an elbow over the top.
Bystrom blocking some punches.
Upchurch misses with some punches.
Bystrom wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Bystrom lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Upchurch creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Bystrom's defenses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Upchurch tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Upchurch blocks a body shot from Bystrom.
Still in the clinch, Bystrom scores with a nice short uppercut.

It looks like Brian Upchurch has been cut.
A frustrated look appears on Bystrom's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Upchurch has a couple of punches blocked by Bystrom.
Bystrom can't find room to land a body shot as Upchurch controls the action.
Bystrom working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.

Bystrom's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Bystrom keeps Upchurch at a distance using the push kick.
Bystrom fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Upchurch manages to avoid it.

Upchurch has taken the fight to the clinch.
A nice right hand lands inside from Bystrom.
Bystrom lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Upchurch backwards.
Upchurch lands a knee to the head.
Bystrom takes an elbow to the temple.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Bystrom blocks an uppercut.
Upchurch swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Upchurch fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Upchurch creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Bystrom misses with some punches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Torkel Bystrom dominated that second round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's time! Back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Bystrom keeps the fight on the outside.
Upchurch is looking to clinch but Bystrom is avoiding it.
Bystrom digs a good body shot into Upchurch's ribs.
Upchurch tries to clinch there but Bystrom circles away.
Upchurch misses with a straight left.
Bystrom swats away the attempt to clinch by Upchurch.
A punch combination from Bystrom misses.
Upchurch tries to clinch but Bystrom moves out of range.
Bystrom throws a right and a left that both miss.
Upchurch tried to score with a low kick but Bystrom checks it.
Upchurch misses with a hook. Bystrom ducked under it nicely.
Upchurch lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Upchurch tries to close the distance and clinch up but Bystrom swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Bystrom swats away the attempt to clinch by Upchurch.
Upchurch tries to close the distance and clinch up but Bystrom swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Bystrom throws a counter high kick but Upchurch was just alert enough to avoid it.
Bystrom wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Bystrom swats away the attempt to clinch by Upchurch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Upchurch gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Bystrom is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the ropes.
Upchurch landing knees to the body.
Bystrom throws a head punch that misses.
Upchurch throws a knee to the head but misses.
Upchurch misses with a knee to the head.
Upchurch misses with the head strike.
Bystrom blocks the elbow strike.
Upchurch has a couple of punches blocked by Bystrom.
Bystrom tries to circle away but Upchurch has him pinned against the ropes.
Bystrom lands a shot to the body.
Upchurch looking to throw knees to the head but Bystrom is blocking nicely.
Upchurch misses with some punches.
Upchurch lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Upchurch misses with an elbow strike.

Bystrom breaks from the clinch.

Upchurch takes the fight into the clinch.
With the two fighters working up against the ropes, Upchurch just misses with a elbow thrown towards Bystrom's brow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Bystrom manages to break the clinch.
Upchurch takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Upchurch is looking to clinch.
Bystrom goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Upchurch gets a clinch.
Upchurch lands a left hand that snaps the head of Bystrom backwards.
Bystrom blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Bystrom avoids a wild elbow strike from Upchurch.
Upchurch creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Bystrom blocks an elbow strike from Upchurch.
Upchurch pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the ropes.
Upchurch's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Upchurch lands an elbow just above Bystrom 's eye.
Bystrom working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Upchurch missing with knees to the body.

Bystrom breaks from the clinch.

Upchurch closes the distance and clinches.
Bystrom misses with a punch to the body.
Bystrom misses with a punch to the body.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Brian Upchurch.
I think Upchurch 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 Nard Betker scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paul Aken scores the fight 29:29
Judge Patrick Alders scores the fight 29:29

The fight is ruled a majority draw!