PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight kickboxing rules bout between Weimin Liaw (ranked 2500 p4p, 71 weight class) and Hakeem Oki (ranked 2172 p4p, 60 weight class). Weimin Liaw has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Liaw
vs
Oki

187 cm
31
187 lbs
7 - 9 - 1

170 cm
39
123 lbs
31 - 9 - 0

Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

World class MT
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 9 - 1, fighting out of St Petersburg, Weimin Liaw!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 31 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Hakeem Oki!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Yamamoto, Yukihiro Shimada and Shirou Masuda.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Oki tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Liaw counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Oki feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Liaw's calf.
Liaw scores with a one two! Oki had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.

It looks like Hakeem Oki has been cut.
Oki loads up on a big right hand but Liaw slips the punch.
Liaw takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Liaw stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Oki.
Liaw misses with a body shot.
Oki is looking for the big counter here.
Oki avoids the body shot from Liaw.
Liaw slips under a jab.
Liaw jabs Oki to the body, keeping him at a distance.
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!
Liaw staying out of range there.
Oki with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Oki is looking to slow Liaw down with leg kicks.

Oki moves into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Oki lands a shot to the body.
Oki throws a punch but it's blocked by Liaw.
Oki working aggressively here.
Oki swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Oki wants to break the clinch but can't.
Oki misses with a hook to the ribs.
Oki struggles to land a body shot inside as Liaw controls his hands.
Oki goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Oki scores with a shot to the side of Liaw's head.
Oki misses with a shot to the kidneys.

Oki breaks the clinch.
Oki is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Liaw staying out of range there.
Oki throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Liaw appears to be looking for a big counter.
Oki avoids the body shot from Liaw.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Oki looks to score with a jab to the body but Liaw is just out of range.
Oki digs a good hook to Liaw's body.
A solid leg kick lands there for Oki.
Oki is looking to clinch.
Oki connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Liaw displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Oki throws out the jab.
An attempted straight right counter from Liaw misses the target.
Oki fails in his attempt to clinch.
Oki tries to clinch
and Liaw makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Liaw prevents a body shot from Oki.
Liaw misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Oki.
Liaw blocks a body shot from Oki.
Oki tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Oki misses with a shot to the kidneys.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hakeem Oki dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Hakeem Oki's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Liaw slips under a jab.

Liaw rushes Oki and presses him up against the ropes.
Oki lands a shoulder strike.
Oki misses with a punch to the body.
Liaw stalling in the clinch.

Oki escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Liaw slips a jab and a cross from Oki.
Oki is really struggling to land any decent head shots against his taller opponent.
Left hook, right uppercut from Oki.
Oki's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Oki duly obliges.
A head kick from Oki lands but Liaw takes it in his stride.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Liaw avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Oki defending well as Liaw loads up on a big left hand.
Oki fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Liaw manages to avoid it.
Oki misses with a right hand
and Liaw counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Liaw lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Oki circles away quickly and effectively.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Liaw keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Liaw looked to counter that last move with a leg kick but didn't pull the trigger.
Oki throws a nice inside leg kick.
Oki walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Liaw misses with an uppercut.
Hakeem Oki seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Liaw throws a jab when Oki was well out of range.
Oki throws a jab when Liaw was well out of range.
A solid body kick from Oki.
Liaw misses with a hook.
Oki lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Hakeem Oki seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Oki misses with a hook.
Liaw is looking to counter punch.
A big left from Oki misses.
Oki misses with a hook to the body
and Liaw counters with a stiff right hand.
Oki lands a right hook to the body.
Oki lands a jab to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Oki has Liaw up against the ropes in a clinch.
Liaw taking a breather.
Oki tries to throw a body punch but Liaw avoids it by throwing Oki back against the ropes.
Oki throws a punch but it's blocked by Liaw.
Oki gets through Liaw's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.

Liaw breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Liaw avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Liaw walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Oki looks to clinch
and Liaw counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Liaw tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Liaw tries a head kick but it misses.
Oki misses with a body shot.
Oki throws a hook to the side of Liaw's head but Liaw sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Liaw appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hakeem Oki showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Hakeem Oki's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the ring so we can get back down to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Oki moves into the clinch.
Liaw keeps control of Oki as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Oki can't find room to land a body shot as Liaw controls the action.
Oki misses with a body punch.
Liaw tries a body shot but Oki blocks it.
Oki blocks a body shot from Liaw.
Weimin Liaw has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
A quick uppercut on the inside from Oki.
Oki pushes Liaw back against the ropes and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Oki digs a right hand into Liaw's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Liaw's gas tank.
Oki can't find room to land a body shot as Liaw controls the action.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Oki struggles to land a body shot inside as Liaw controls his hands.
Oki tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Liaw is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Liaw blocks an uppercut.
Oki struggles to land a body shot inside as Liaw controls his hands.
A short body shot lands from Oki as the two fighters clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Oki tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Oki misses with a body punch.
A nice right hand lands inside from Oki.

Oki breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Liaw slips a jab from Oki.
Liaw appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Liaw moves out of range as Oki throws a body kick.
Oki connects with a high kick.
Hakeem Oki is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Oki tries to clinch but Liaw is having none of it.
Liaw is looking to counter punch.
Oki connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Liaw drops his hands momentarily and Oki takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Oki throws a nice inside leg kick.
Oki throws a right and a left that Liaw avoids nicely.
Liaw throws a leg kick that misses.
Oki lands a right hook to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Liaw connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
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!
Oki scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Oki tries to clinch but Liaw moves out of range.
Liaw takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Oki punishes Liaw's body with a nice straight punch.
Oki sizes up Liaw with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Liaw has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Liaw there as he acknowledges the shot.
Oki is looking to clinch but Liaw is avoiding it.
It looked like Liaw was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Oki.
Oki lands a nice shot that snaps Liaw's head back.
Some wild striking there from Oki.
Oki throws a head kick but Liaw moves out of range.
A big right from Oki misses.
A quick step to the side and Liaw tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
Oki lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.

And that's the end of the fight!
Hakeem Oki comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Oki has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 27:30
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 27:30
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Hakeem Oki!
A pretty intense looking Hakeem Oki took the opportunity post-fight to ask for a shot at the title.