PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight kickboxing rules bout between Brian Baker (ranked 18148 p4p, 642 weight class) and Saúl Tacoronte (ranked 755 p4p, 105 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Baker
vs
Tacoronte

190 cm
39
220
24 - 21 - 2

190 cm
34
208
16 - 11 - 2

World class boxer
Insanely flexible

World class MT
Granite chin

CHURCH OF ZOIDBERG - FEEBLE FIGHTWEAR

HELLS BALLS RECOVERY
HELLBENT

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 24 - 21 - 2, fighting out of St Petersburg, Brian Baker!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 11 - 2, fighting out of Las Vegas, Saúl Tacoronte!
The judges for this bout are Dean Styles, Jonathan Paton and Steve Montenegro.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Baker closes the distance and pushes Tacoronte back into the ropes.
Tacoronte fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
A battle for position here, against the ropes.
Tacoronte trying to stall but Baker improves his position.
Tacoronte is trying to maintain a safe position but Baker gets an underhook and turns Tacoronte into the ropes.
Tacoronte lands a right hand.
Baker blocks an uppercut.
Tacoronte tries to work over Baker's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Tacoronte looking to stall.
Baker lands with a right to the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tacoronte has Baker pressed against the ropes.
Baker tries a body shot but Tacoronte blocks it.
Tacoronte misses with a punch to the body.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Tacoronte as Baker tries to tie him up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Baker trying to stall but Tacoronte improves his position.
Baker blocks a body shot from Tacoronte.
Tacoronte goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Tacoronte misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Tacoronte misses with a body punch.
Tacoronte lands a body punch in the clinch.
Tacoronte trying to control the position but instead, Baker has worked for underhooks and has pushed Tacoronte into the ropes.
Tacoronte misses with the head strike.
Tacoronte throws a head punch that misses.
Tacoronte lands a right hand that snaps the head of Baker backwards.
Tacoronte lands a nice shot to the body.
Tacoronte scores with a nice hook to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A head punch on the inside from Tacoronte fails to land.
Tacoronte struggles to land a body shot inside as Baker controls his hands.
Tacoronte is working Baker over against the ropes.
Baker blocks a body shot from Tacoronte.
Tacoronte fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Baker stalling.
Tacoronte fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
A battle for position here, against the ropes.
The referee calls for Tacoronte to work.
Tacoronte is leaning against Baker and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Tacoronte stalling against the ropes.
Tacoronte misses with a shot to the kidneys.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Tacoronte throws a nice outside leg kick.
Baker works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Saúl Tacoronte seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Baker fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Baker misses with a body shot
and Tacoronte counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
A slapping leg kick lands for Tacoronte.
Tacoronte avoids the body shot from Baker.
Tacoronte will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Tacoronte defending well as Baker loads up on a big left hand.
Baker misses the shot to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tacoronte connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Tacoronte fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Baker is out of range.
Tacoronte lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Tacoronte fails in his attempt to clinch.
Tacoronte throws a front kick that sends Baker stumbling back into the ropes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Baker walks into a straight right hand from Tacoronte.
Baker swings for the body but Tacoronte moves out of range.
A countering left hand to the body from Tacoronte misses.
Baker takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
A big right from Baker misses.
Baker just misses with a punch to the body.
Tacoronte looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Tacoronte fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Baker takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Tacoronte looks to land a body kick but Baker moved away.
Tacoronte scores with a jab. Baker acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Baker scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Tacoronte with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Baker on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Tacoronte throws a lazy head kick
and Baker counters with a nice uppercut.
Baker blocks the body kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tacoronte buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Tacoronte listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Tacoronte plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Saúl Tacoronte seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Tacoronte on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Tacoronte has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Tacoronte connects with a body shot that sends Baker's belly button to the back.

Tacoronte moves into the clinch successfully.
Tacoronte doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Baker lands with a left to the head.
Tacoronte struggles to land a body shot inside as Baker controls his hands.
Tacoronte tries to stall but Baker uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A head punch on the inside from Tacoronte fails to land.
Tacoronte lands with a short shot to the head.
Tacoronte lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Baker or not.
Baker prevents a body shot from Tacoronte.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Saúl Tacoronte showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Baker looks to land a left hand but Tacoronte moved out of range nicely.
Tacoronte moves away from the strike by Baker.
Baker misses with a straight left.
Tacoronte connects with an inside leg kick.
Tacoronte clobbers Baker with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Baker tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Tacoronte was well out of range. Poor timing from Baker.
Brian Baker has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Baker tries to bum rush Tacoronte with a series of wild strikes but Tacoronte uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Well,Baker is on his way to losing a decision here. Can he use his experience to pull something off in the closing minutes?
Tacoronte feints and then cracks Baker's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Baker down.
Tacoronte scores with a head kick.
That kick from Tacoronte tenderised Baker's leg. Baker is trying to keep his angry face on.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tacoronte misses with a head kick.
Tacoronte sizes up Baker with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
A head kick misses from Tacoronte.
Tacoronte with a body punch. A glancing blow.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Baker slips a straight right by Tacoronte.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tacoronte misses with a hook.
Baker moves out of range as Tacoronte strikes.
Baker is looking to counter with head kicks.
Tacoronte lands a nice hook to Baker's body. Baker takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Baker walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Tacoronte looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Tacoronte pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Baker back to the ropes. Tacoronte follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Baker misses with a body shot.
Tacoronte is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Nice uppercut lands for Tacoronte. That snapped Baker's head back.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
The fighters circle momentarily. Tacoronte darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Tacoronte throws a head kick that misses.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Baker misses with a looping left.
Baker uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Tacoronte.
Baker swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Baker throws a body punch but Tacoronte moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Baker ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Tacoronte moves away.
Baker is looking to wear down Tacoronte with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Tacoronte slips under a jab from Baker.
Tacoronte works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Tacoronte digs a good hook to Baker's body.
Tacoronte swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Baker fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Tacoronte manages to avoid it.
Baker takes a swing at Tacoronte's ribcage but misses.
Tacoronte is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
Tacoronte thows a left - swing and a miss!
Tacoronte lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Baker misses with a series of wild punches.
Baker is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Tacoronte fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Baker on the side of the head.
Baker shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Saúl Tacoronte comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Tacoronte 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 Dean Styles scores the fight for Saúl Tacoronte!
Judge Jonathan Paton scores the fight for Saúl Tacoronte!
Judge Steve Montenegro scores the fight for Saúl Tacoronte!

Saúl Tacoronte wins by unanimous decision!
During a confident post fight interview, Saúl Tacoronte thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.