PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight kickboxing rules bout between Spas Spasov (ranked 20999 p4p, 22794 weight class) and Carlton Adesanya (ranked 671 p4p, 638 weight class). Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

Spasov
vs
Adesanya

180 cm
34
159
21 - 28 - 2

160 cm
26
147
11 - 14 - 0

Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Lethal high kicks
Good gas tank

Helsinki Xtreme Fightwear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 21 - 28 - 2, fighting out of Las Vegas, Spas Spasov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 14 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Carlton Adesanya!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Cecil Peabody and Robert Twigg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Spasov bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
A head kick misses from Adesanya.
Adesanya walks into a stiff left hand from Spasov.

It looks like Carlton Adesanya has been cut.

Adesanya closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the ropes.
Adesanya looking to stall.
Adesanya blocks a body shot from Spasov.
Adesanya misses with some punches.

Spasov breaks from the clinch.
Spasov scores with a jab.
Spasov misses with a few strikes there.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Spasov will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Sloppy strikes from Spasov. Those never looked like landing.
Spasov misses with a series of wild punches.
Spasov ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Adesanya moves away.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Spasov clinches with his opponent.
Adesanya taking a breather.

Spasov pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Spasov throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Spasov with a nice cross.

Spasov rushes Adesanya and pushes him back against the ropes in a clinch.

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

Spasov moves into the clinch.
Spasov lands a body punch in the clinch.
Spasov misses with a body punch.
I was talking to Spasov's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Adesanya tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Spasov's elbow.
Adesanya being controlled against the ropes.
Spasov lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Adesanya prevents a body shot from Spasov.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Spasov gets through Adesanya's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Good body shot from Spasov.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Spasov doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Spasov can't find room to land a body shot as Adesanya controls the action.
Adesanya misses with the head strike.
Spasov misses with a body punch.
Spasov tries to throw a body punch but Adesanya avoids it by throwing Spasov back against the ropes.
Spasov struggles to land a body shot inside as Adesanya controls his hands.
Spasov lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the ropes.
Spasov tries to throw a body punch but Adesanya avoids it by throwing Spasov back against the ropes.
Spasov struggles to land a body shot inside as Adesanya controls his hands.
Spasov presses Adesanya against the ropes and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Spasov pressing his opponent against the ropes.
Spasov misses with a body punch.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Spas Spasov dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Carlton Adesanya's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Spasov displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Sloppy strikes from Spasov. Those never looked like landing.
Spasov misses with the combination.
Spasov misses with the combination.
Adesanya swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Spasov is looking to counter punch.
Spasov showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Adesanya.
Adesanya walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Spasov throws a right and a left that Adesanya avoids nicely.
Adesanya appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Spas Spasov seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Adesanya tries to keep at a distance but Spasov has taken the fight into the clinch.
Spasov tries to work over Adesanya's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
A right handed body shot lands from Spasov.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Adesanya blocks a body shot from Spasov.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Adesanya prevents a body shot from Spasov.
Spasov lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.

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

Spasov forces Adesanya back against the ropes and clinches.
Spasov goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Spasov pushes Adesanya back against the ropes and unloads with a body punch.
Spas Spasov has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Adesanya is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the ropes.
Spasov can't find room to land a body shot as Adesanya controls the action.
Adesanya tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Spasov avoids it.
Spasov tries to throw a body punch but Adesanya avoids it by throwing Spasov back against the ropes.
Adesanya working hard to break the clinch.
Adesanya misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Adesanya takes a shot to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Spasov breaks from the clinch.
Spasov lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Adesanya circles away quickly and effectively.

Adesanya rushes Spasov and pushes him back against the ropes in a clinch.

Spasov's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Spasov misses with a few strikes there.

Spasov clinches with his opponent.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Spasov misses with a short punch on the inside.
Spasov lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the ropes.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.

Spasov pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Spasov throws a combination. Adesanya tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Adesanya misses with a body shot.
Spasov throws a right hand that Adesanya ducks under and follows up with a left that Adesanya also avoids with ease.
Spasov looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Despite the aggression on Adesanya's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Spasov lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Adesanya circles away quickly and effectively.
A countering left hand to the body from Adesanya misses.
Spasov misses with a double jab.
Despite the aggression on Adesanya's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Spas Spasov dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Carlton Adesanya'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. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Spasov forces Adesanya back against the ropes and clinches.
Adesanya is trying to break the clinch but Spasov is controlling him.
Spasov is leaning against Adesanya and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Spasov is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Adesanya can do to turn this around?
Adesanya is trying to break the clinch but Spasov is controlling him.
Spasov tries to throw a body punch but Adesanya avoids it by throwing Spasov back against the ropes.

Adesanya breaks the clinch.
Spasov swinging wildly here.
A right-left combo lands from Spasov.
Spasov's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Spasov duly obliges.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Spasov throws a left and a right that both miss
letting Adesanya counter with a right hand.
Spasov throws a right hand that Adesanya ducks under and follows up with a left that Adesanya also avoids with ease.
Spasov lands a jab-cross combination.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Adesanya avoids a punch combination nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Spasov tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Spasov is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Despite the aggression on Adesanya's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Adesanya tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.

Spasov closes the distance and clinches.
Adesanya prevents a body shot from Spasov.
Spasov tries to work over Adesanya's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Spasov lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the ropes.

Spasov breaks the clinch.
Adesanya takes one to the chin there.
Spas Spasov is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Spasov tries to clinch but Adesanya moves out of range.
Spasov throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Adesanya unleashes a big counter combination but Spasov bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Spasov throws a right hand that Adesanya ducks under and follows up with a left that Adesanya also avoids with ease.
Despite the aggression on Adesanya's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Spasov throws a series of strikes that have Adesanya backpedaling.
Adesanya will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Spasov throws a big counter combination but Adesanya scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Adesanya uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Spasov.
Spasov throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Adesanya counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Spasov is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Adesanya slips a jab and a cross from Spasov.
Adesanya is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.

Spasov has closed the distance and engaged Adesanya in a clinch.
Adesanya scores with an uppercut up the middle.

Spasov breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Sloppy strikes from Spasov. Those never looked like landing.
As Spasov backs off Adesanya throws a huge counter combo but Spasov manages to avoid it all.

Spasov darts in and clinches Adesanya up against the ropes.
Spasov goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
A right handed body shot lands from Spasov.
Spasov tries a body shot but Adesanya blocks it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Spas Spasov showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Spasov has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Chris Downing scores the fight for Spas Spasov!
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight for Spas Spasov!
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight for Spas Spasov!

Spas Spasov wins by unanimous decision!
Spas Spasov thanked the fans post fight for their support.