PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Syazwan Zulkilfly (ranked 25075 p4p, 5031 weight class) and Oleksandr Kimbors (ranked 679 p4p, 513 weight class). Oleksandr Kimbors has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Zulkilfly
vs
Kimbors

200 cm
18
260
1 - 1 - 0

198 cm
19
220
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Syazwan Zulkilfly!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Oleksandr Kimbors!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Timothy Bukovac and Percy O'Donnell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Zulkilfly looks for a takedown but Kimbors sprawls well.

Zulkilfly gets caught napping as Kimbors dives in and scores a takedown. Zulkilfly manages to retain guard.
Kimbors content to stall in guard here.

Kimbors avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Kimbors seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kimbors is in close to Zulkilfly's body, working some short punches and elbows.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zulkilfly looking to hit a scissor sweep but Kimbors is one step ahead there.

Zulkilfly escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Kimbors gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Kimbors stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Zulkilfly darts in looking for a takedown but Kimbors gets double underhooks and turns Zulkilfly into the cage.

Kimbors manages to break the clinch.

Zulkilfly clinches up against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kimbors taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Kimbors throws a punch but it's blocked by Zulkilfly.
Kimbors tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Zulkilfly avoids it.
Kimbors pressing his opponent against the cage.

Kimbors pulls guard effortlessly.
Kimbors keeping moving, preventing Zulkilfly from controlling successfully.

Kimbors is looking for a triangle but Zulkilfly pushes his legs off easily.
Zulkilfly missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zulkilfly is stalling in the full guard.
Kimbors is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Zulkilfly trying to control the position from guard on top but Kimbors is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Zulkilfly won't allow Kimbors to sweep him here.
Zulkilfly throwing strikes but missing.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Zulkilfly stuffs the takedown.
Kimbors moves in looking to clinch but Zulkilfly pushes him off.
Zulkilfly tries to counter with a takedown but Kimbors is quick to defend against it.
Zulkilfly fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Syazwan Zulkilfly. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Zulkilfly drives through and clinches with Kimbors against the cage.
Kimbors is looking for a takedown.
Kimbors jumps guard but Zulkilfly stands there with Kimbors around his waist. Kimbors gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Kimbors jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Zulkilfly walks away with a smile on his face. Kimbors gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Oleksandr Kimbors dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Kimbors is looking to clinch but Zulkilfly is avoiding it.
Kimbors keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Kimbors takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Kimbors waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Zulkilfly.
Zulkilfly fails with an attempt to clinch.
Zulkilfly keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Zulkilfly misses with a takedown attempt - Kimbors sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Kimbors appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Kimbors tries to keep at a distance but Zulkilfly has taken the fight into the clinch.

Kimbors breaks the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kimbors misses with a two punch combination.
Zulkilfly misses with a double jab.
Kimbors swats away the attempt to clinch by Zulkilfly.
Zulkilfly dives in for a single leg takedown but Kimbors sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.

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

Zulkilfly drives through and clinches with Kimbors against the cage.
Zulkilfly wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Kimbors has him pressed against the cage.
Zulkilfly has had enough of the clinch but Kimbors keeps him there for the moment.

Kimbors manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Zulkilfly controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Zulkilfly throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Kimbors works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zulkilfly wants to control from the top but Kimbors keeps moving.

Zulkilfly stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Zulkilfly fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Syazwan Zulkilfly. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kimbors tries to clinch there but Zulkilfly circles away.
Zulkilfly ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Kimbors moves away.
Kimbors doesn't manage to clinch there - Zulkilfly circles away.
Zulkilfly looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Kimbors fails with the takedown
and Zulkilfly counters with a three punch combo that has Kimbors backing up. Kimbors nods at Zulkilfly to acknowledge the strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kimbors fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Zulkilfly fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Kimbors avoids it really well and circles away.
Syazwan Zulkilfly is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Kimbors keeps the fight on the outside.
Zulkilfly dives in and grabs Kimbors's left leg, looking for a takedown. Kimbors pushes down on Zulkilfly's head and hops out.
Nice body kick from Kimbors.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Kimbors feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.

Zulkilfly has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Kimbors off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Zulkilfly.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kimbors shoots in looking for a takedown. Zulkilfly tries to sprawl out of it but Kimbors keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Zulkilfly manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Zulkilfly fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
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!
Zulkilfly moves in looking to clinch but Kimbors pushes him off.
Oleksandr Kimbors seems to be getting the better of the standup.

Kimbors fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Zulkilfly, pushing him back against the cage.
Kimbors wants a takedown but no success here.
Kimbors tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Zulkilfly tries to break free but Kimbors pushes him back against the cage.
Kimbors misses with a punch to the body.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Syazwan Zulkilfly will probably get the nod.
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!

Zulkilfly displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Kimbors.
Kimbors shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Zulkilfly but Zulkilfly pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Zulkilfly changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Kimbors tries to avoid it but Zulkilfly manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Kimbors to the ground. Kimbors escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Kimbors tries to counter by closing the distance.
Zulkilfly misses with a takedown attempt - Kimbors sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Kimbors leaves Zulkilfly with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
A little jabbing left from Kimbors on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Syazwan Zulkilfly. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Zulkilfly moves in looking to clinch but Kimbors pushes him off.
Kimbors steps in looking to counter with the mid kick but it doesn't connect.

Kimbors closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Zulkilfly's guard.
Kimbors trying to control the position from guard on top but Zulkilfly is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Kimbors takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zulkilfly tries to land a sweep but no joy.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Zulkilfly pulls Kimbors in close to his closed guard and prevents Kimbors from doing any damage or advancing position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Zulkilfly controls Kimbors momentarily but Kimbors frees himself.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Kimbors is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Kimbors throws a big elbow that misses.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Kimbors shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Zulkilfly defends it nicely.
Kimbors stuffs the takedown attempt from Zulkilfly. Zulkilfly gets slowly back to his feet.

Kimbors darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

Zulkilfly kicks off Kimbors and gets to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A nice combination there by Zulkilfly.

Kimbors drives through with a takedown into Zulkilfly's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.

Zulkilfly manages to escape and get back to his feet.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Zulkilfly.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Zulkilfly dives in and grabs Kimbors's left leg, looking for a takedown. Kimbors pushes down on Zulkilfly's head and hops out.
Zulkilfly shoots for a takedown but Kimbors saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Kimbors lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kimbors misses with a few strikes there.
Zulkilfly shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Kimbors but Kimbors pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Kimbors shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Zulkilfly napping and manages to drive through into side control!
You can see the frustration on Zulkilfly's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Kimbors has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Zulkilfly is squirming around, avoiding Kimbors's attempts to control the action.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Oleksandr Kimbors.
I think Kimbors 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 Jack Bonds scores the fight 28:29
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 29:29
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 29:29

The fight is ruled a majority draw!