PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Frank Kurschmann (ranked 2123 p4p, 2176 weight class) and Zack Rize (ranked 262 p4p, 270 weight class). Rize comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Luke Combs - When It Rains It Pours kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Kurschmann
vs
Rize

190 cm
19
275
2 - 2 - 0

197 cm
18
260
4 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Excellent boxer
Very quick

Decent wrestler
Good kicks
Good gas tank

FEEBLE FIGHTWEAR

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 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Frank Kurschmann!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Zack Rize!
The judges for this bout are Russell Pearce, Reed Andrews and Dean Styles.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rize lands with a shot to the body.
Rize has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
Rize shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
It looked like Kurschmann wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Rize turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Rize throws a nice outside leg kick.
Rize smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.

It looks like Frank Kurschmann has been cut.
Rize lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Rize connects with a leg kick.
Kurschmann tests Rize's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Rize throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Kurschmann tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Rize manages to circle out of the way.
Rize takes a swing at Kurschmann's ribcage but misses.
Rize with a nice cross.
Rize scores with a leg kick.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Nice defenses there by Rize.
Kurschmann tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Rize tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Kurschmann was well out of range. Poor timing from Rize.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rize tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Rize throws out a powerful jab.
Rize misses with a straight left.
Rize throws a series of punches but Kurschmann moves out of range.
Rize lands a leg kick that knocks Kurschmann off balance momentarily.
Rize misses with a body shot.
Rize is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Kurschmann rather than just go for the knockout.

Rize closes the distance and pushes Kurschmann back into the cage.
Rize tries to throw a body punch but Kurschmann avoids it by throwing Rize back against the cage.
Kurschmann lands a shoulder strike.
Kurschmann lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Kurschmann scores with a nice hook to the head.
Kurschmann gets through Rize's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Kurschmann scores with a shot to the side of Rize's head.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rize scores with a nice hook to the head.
Kurschmann lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Rize backwards.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A head punch on the inside from Kurschmann fails to land.
Rize blocks a body shot from Kurschmann.
Kurschmann blocks a body shot from Rize.
Rize working aggressively here.
Rize tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
A hook to the body from Kurschmann.
Kurschmann lands a right hand.
Kurschmann misses with a short punch on the inside.
Kurschmann misses with some punches.
A head punch on the inside from Rize fails to land.
Rize tries a body shot but Kurschmann blocks it.
Kurschmann softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Rize tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rize misses with some punches.
Rize lands a body shot in the clinch.
Kurschmann misses with a hook from the clinch.
Rize lands with a light punch inside.
Kurschmann lands with a left to the head.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Zack Rize dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Frank Kurschmann's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Rize scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Rize digs a good body shot into Kurschmann's ribs.
Rize with a nice calf kick.
Rize uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Kurschmann throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Rize counters with an outside leg kick.
Rize connects with a jab.
Rize listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Kurschmann showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Rize.
An attempted straight right counter from Kurschmann misses the target.
Rize with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Rize swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Kurschmann throws a jab when Rize was well out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kurschmann throws a jab when Rize was well out of range.
Rize slips under a jab from Kurschmann.
Rize connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Zack Rize seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kurschmann is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.

Rize takes the fight into the clinch.
Rize working aggressively here.
Rize blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Rize tries to land a knee to the head but Kurschmann blocks with his arms.
Kurschmann working aggressively here.
Rize tries to work over Kurschmann's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Kurschmann is leaning against Rize and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Kurschmann misses with a punch on the inside.
Rize trying to land knees to the body.
Kurschmann misses with a punch on the inside.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rize throws a punch but it's blocked by Kurschmann.
Rize blocks a punch to the side of the head.
I was talking to Kurschmann's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Rize misses with a body punch.
Kurschmann is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Rize lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Kurschmann backwards.
Rize lands with a light punch inside.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Kurschmann escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Rize scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Rize has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Rize wants to land a leg kick but Kurschmann is out of range.
Kurschmann fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
A jab from Rize does it's job there.
Rize throws the left hand but Kurschmann avoids the punch easily.
Rize uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Kurschmann.
A good leg kick by Rize.
Some wild striking there from Rize.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Zack Rize showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Frank Kurschmann's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Kurschmann throws a shot from downtown. Rize moves away and avoids it.
Nice defenses there by Rize.
Rize uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Kurschmann.
Rize moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Kurschmann looks to score with a jab to the body but Rize is just out of range.
Rize looks to land a left hand but Kurschmann moved out of range nicely.
Kurschmann is looking to counter punch.
Kurschmann misses with a looping right.
Kurschmann is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Kurschmann moves out of range of the strikes.
Rize ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Kurschmann moves away.
Rize has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rize looks to land a right hand but Kurschmann moved out of range.
Kurschmann closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Rize lands with a shot to the body.
Rize clobbers Kurschmann with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Kurschmann's legs have taken a beating and he's really slowing down as a result.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kurschmann lands a really nice looking cross but Rize seems unphased.
Rize will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Kurschmann was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Kurschmann is really struggling to find his range with his punches. Rize's reach advantage is clearly causing him problems.
Kurschmann swings widly with a right hand
and Rize makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Rize throws a chopping leg kick but Kurschmann manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Kurschmann has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Rize.
Frank Kurschmann has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Rize ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Kurschmann circles away from the clinch attempt.
Kurschmann was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Rize uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Kurschmann.
Kurschmann throws a lazy right hand but Rize sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Rize dodges the punch combination from Kurschmann.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rize clinches up with Kurschmann and pushes him back against the cage.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Kurschmann.
Rize tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Still in the clinch, Rize scores with a nice short uppercut.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Rize.
Rize tries a body shot but Kurschmann blocks it.
Kurschmann blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Rize misses with a hook to the ribs.
Kurschmann misses with some punches.
Kurschmann lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Kurschmann lands with a light punch inside.
Kurschmann is trying to break free.
Rize blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Frank Kurschmann has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Kurschmann misses with a punch on the inside.
Rize swings wildly with an uppercut but Kurschmann uses good head movement to avoid it.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Zack Rize.
I've got Rize winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Russell Pearce scores the fight 27:30
Judge Reed Andrews scores the fight 27:30
Judge Dean Styles scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Zack Rize!
Zack Rize seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.