PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Pat Yaj (ranked 1421 p4p, 1204 weight class) and Nikolai Kuznetsov (ranked 210 p4p, 175 weight class). I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Yaj
vs
Kuznetsov

188 cm
35
195
24 - 17 - 0

178 cm
37
186
25 - 20 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

HARDCORE Threads
Conviction

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 24 - 17 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Pat Yaj!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 25 - 20 - 0, fighting out of London, Nikolai Kuznetsov!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Roosa Järviläinen and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kuznetsov misses the jab.
Nikolai Kuznetsov seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kuznetsov throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Yaj sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Kuznetsov lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Yaj throws a sloppy head kick and Kuznetsov moves out of range easily.
Kuznetsov looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Yaj lands a leg kick that knocks Kuznetsov off balance momentarily.
Kuznetsov pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Kuznetsov swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Kuznetsov throws a lazy right hand but Yaj sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Kuznetsov connects with a crisp jab.
Kuznetsov misses with a series of wild punches.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kuznetsov swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Yaj counters with a head kick that drops Kuznetsov to the mat! Kuznetsov scrambles across the canvas and gets back to his feet, still wobbly!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Kuznetsov throws a chopping leg kick but Yaj manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
It looked like Yaj was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Kuznetsov.
A head kick misses from Yaj.
Yaj misses with a hook. Kuznetsov ducked under it nicely.
Yaj pulls out of a head kick attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yaj ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Kuznetsov checks a low kick from Yaj.
Kuznetsov avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Nice uppercut there from Kuznetsov.
Yaj throws the kick towards the body but Kuznetsov avoids it.
Yaj uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Kuznetsov.
Yaj misses with a looping right.
A shot to the body from Kuznetsov misses
and Yaj counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Kuznetsov blocks a head kick by Yaj.
Yaj connects with a leg kick.
Kuznetsov connects with a nice looking jab.
Yaj is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Kuznetsov connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Yaj throws a leg kick that misses.
Kuznetsov swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
A bone on bone clash there as Yaj blocks the leg kick.
Yaj throwing a counter right hand but Kuznetsov manages to avoid it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kuznetsov throws a body shot but no joy.
Kuznetsov throws a quick inside leg kick.
Yaj lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Kuznetsov circles away quickly and effectively.
Kuznetsov throws a head kick that misses.
Yaj throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Yaj connects with a leg kick.
Kuznetsov connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Yaj momentarily.
Kuznetsov scores with a jab to the body.
Kuznetsov steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Yaj. That one must have hurt.
Yaj dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Yaj thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Kuznetsov if he has to take too many more of those.
Yaj pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Kuznetsov works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.

Yaj lands a big head kick that sends Kuznetsov tumbling to the mat! Yaj takes a step backwards and waves Kuznetsov back to his feet - he wants the finish!

Kuznetsov is rocked!
Kuznetsov misses with the combination.
Kuznetsov is still on wobbly legs! Can Yaj finish him?

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kuznetsov tries a head kick but it misses.
Kuznetsov misses with a jab, cross combination.
Kuznetsov seems to have recovered his senses.
Kuznetsov throws a right hand that Yaj ducks under and follows up with a left that Yaj also avoids with ease.
Kuznetsov takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Yaj lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Yaj sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Both fighters circling a little - Yaj finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Yaj takes a kick to the side of the head.
A head kick misses from Kuznetsov.
Yaj is looking light on his feet compared to last time was saw him fight.
Yaj fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Kuznetsov has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Kuznetsov pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Kuznetsov misses with an uppercut. Yaj saw that one coming.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Yaj tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Kuznetsov is able to avoid easily.
Yaj throws a nice inside leg kick.
Yaj with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kuznetsov misses with an uppercut
and Yaj counters with a leg kick.
Kuznetsov bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Yaj's head.
Kuznetsov steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Yaj.
Kuznetsov lands a head kick!
Kuznetsov avoids the head kick by Yaj.
Yaj throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Kuznetsov.
Yaj throws a low kick but Kuznetsov moves out of range easily.
Kuznetsov is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Yaj had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into mush.
Yaj connects with a solid leg kick.
Yaj fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Kuznetsov manages to avoid it.
Yaj lands a head kick. Kuznetsov smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Kuznetsov looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Kuznetsov looks to score with a jab to the body but Yaj is just out of range.
Kuznetsov blocks a head kick by Yaj.
Yaj misses with an attempted mid kick.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Pat Yaj dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Kuznetsov takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Yaj misses with a double jab.
Kuznetsov looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Kuznetsov lands a jab to Yaj's midsection.
Kuznetsov lands with a cross.
Kuznetsov swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Kuznetsov throws a head kick that misses.
Kuznetsov looks to land a combination but Yaj avoids it well.
Yaj with a nice calf kick.
Yaj has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Kuznetsov keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Kuznetsov fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Yaj manages to avoid it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Yaj lands with a good body shot.
Yaj slips under a jab.
Yaj pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Kuznetsov moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Kuznetsov moves out of range of the leg kick from Yaj.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yaj fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Kuznetsov is out of range.
Kuznetsov's corner calls for a 1-2. Kuznetsov obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Yaj throws a body shot but no joy.
Kuznetsov lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Kuznetsov connects with the punch.
Kuznetsov lands a head shot.

Yaj is rocked!
Yaj ducks under a wild hook from Kuznetsov.
Yaj connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Yaj tries a head kick but it misses.
Yaj moves out of range of the body kick from Kuznetsov.
Yaj is looking to counter with a body kick.
Kuznetsov smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Kuznetsov misses with a two punch combination.
Yaj looked to counter that last move with a leg kick but didn't pull the trigger.
Kuznetsov checks a low kick from Yaj.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Yaj keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yaj throws a wild body kick that Kuznetsov sees coming a mile off.
Yaj throws a sloppy head kick and Kuznetsov moves out of range easily.
Yaj walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Kuznetsov checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Kuznetsov connects with a nice looking jab.
Kuznetsov displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Oh Yaj is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Yaj scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.

Kuznetsov drops Yaj with a left and a right! Oh, Yaj is hurt - Kuznetsov dives into side control looking to finish!
Yaj gets back to half guard.

Kuznetsov stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Yaj to get to his feet.
Yaj throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Yaj seems to have got his legs back now.
Kuznetsov connects with a jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kuznetsov blocks a head kick by Yaj.
Yaj with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Kuznetsov to score with a decent uppercut.
Yaj misses with a body kick.
Yaj tries to work over Kuznetsov's front leg with a kick but Kuznetsov checks it.
Kuznetsov throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Yaj.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Kuznetsov.
Yaj uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Kuznetsov.
Yaj appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.
Kuznetsov misses with a jab, cross combination.
Kuznetsov keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Yaj bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Yaj lands a high kick!
Kuznetsov sizes up Yaj with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Yaj takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Yaj missing with a left hand there. Kuznetsov was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Kuznetsov takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A head kick misses from Kuznetsov.
Yaj thumps Kuznetsov with a low kick.
Kuznetsov misses with a body shot.
Yaj thinks about countering with a head kick.
Yaj throws a leg kick
and Kuznetsov counters with a straight right hand.
Kuznetsov has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Yaj.
Yaj takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
The fighters circling - Kuznetsov throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Yaj misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Kuznetsov changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Kuznetsov throws a good cross that connects.
Kuznetsov feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Yajs jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Kuznetsov bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
The fighters circling - Yaj throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Kuznetsov scores with a jab to the body.
Nice cross by Kuznetsov.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Nikolai Kuznetsov 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 each other down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Kuznetsov cracks Yaj with a big right hand that sees him stumbling back against the cage! Yaj falls to his knees and Kuznetsov doesn't need a second invitatation - he rushes in and fires off several unanswered shots that force the referee to stop the fight! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:05 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Nikolai Kuznetsov!
Nikolai Kuznetsov took to the mic after the fight and begged the organizational hierarchy for a shot at the title.
Pat Yaj was interviewed post fight and said 'It wasn't the game plan we planned. Props to Puzo on a well deserved victory. '.