PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight kickboxing rules bout between Draughn Diego (ranked 3358 p4p, 5908 weight class) and Tom Obama (ranked 407 p4p, 574 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Diego
vs
Obama

202 cm
37
255
38 - 11 - 0

190 cm
23
265
14 - 3 - 0

World class boxer
Insanely flexible

World class MT
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 38 - 11 - 0, fighting out of London, Draughn Diego!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Tom Obama!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Shirou Masuda and Taro Takaoka.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Obama misses with an attempted mid kick.
Obama cracks Diego with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the ropes.
Obama throws a body punch but Diego moves out of range.
Obama lands a nice looking body shot.
Diego stalks Obama and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Obama's face. Obama staggers backwards, shaken.
Obama swings widly with a right hand
enabling Diego to counter with a crisp jab.
Diego scores with a jab to the head.
A slow jab from Obama misses its intended target.
Obama takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Obama has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Obama missing with a left hand there. Diego was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Obama misses with a hook to the body
and Diego counters with a leg kick.
Obama tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Diego was well out of range. Poor timing from Obama.
Obama misses with a jab to the body
letting Diego counter with a right hand.
Diego misses the shot to the body.

Diego gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Diego struggles to land a body shot inside as Obama controls his hands.
Obama fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diego swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Diego working aggressively here.
Diego swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Diego lands a shot to the body.
Obama tries a body shot but Diego blocks it.
Obama tries a body shot but Diego blocks it.
Diego swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Obama tries a body shot but Diego blocks it.
Diego lands a left hand that snaps the head of Obama backwards.
Diego blocks an uppercut.
Diego can't find room to land a body shot as Obama controls the action.
I was talking to Diego's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Obama tries a body shot but Diego blocks it.
Obama misses with a punch to the body.
Diego tries to work over Obama's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Diego misses with a punch on the inside.
Diego blocks an uppercut.
Diego blocks an uppercut.
Diego tries to throw a body punch but Obama avoids it by throwing Diego back against the ropes.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Diego.
A body shot lands from Diego.
Obama looks winded!
Diego lands with a short shot to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Diego has Obama pressed against the ropes, preventing Obama from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Obama swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Diego works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Obama fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Diego is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the ropes.
Diego tries to throw a body punch but Obama avoids it by throwing Diego back against the ropes.

Diego breaks from the clinch.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Diego tries to clinch there but Obama circles away.
Obama throws a looping overhand right but Diego ducks down to avoid it.
Diego throwing a counter right hand but Obama manages to avoid it.

Diego rushes Obama and pushes him back against the ropes in a clinch.
Diego tries to work over Obama's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Obama misses with a body punch.
Obama tries to throw a body punch but Diego avoids it by throwing Obama back against the ropes.
Diego tries a body shot but Obama blocks it.
Diego lands a hook to the side of the head.
Diego lands a shoulder strike.
Diego goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Obama throws a head punch that misses.
Nice body punch from Diego - that landed with a thud.
Obama prevents a body shot from Diego.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Diego taking a breather.
Diego blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Obama lands with a left to the head.
Obama misses with a hook from the clinch.
Diego misses with some punches.
Diego lands a body punch in the clinch.
Diego lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Obama.
Diego scores with a hook to the body.
Diego presses Obama against the ropes and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Diego doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Diego tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Diego can't find room to land a body shot as Obama controls the action.
Diego lands a body punch in the clinch.
Diego lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Obama backwards.
Diego working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Diego doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Obama misses with some punches.
Diego lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Diego lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Diego makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Diego is working Obama over against the ropes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Diego looking to stall.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Diego.
Still in the clinch, Diego scores with a nice short uppercut.
Diego lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Obama backwards.

Diego creates a bit of space for himself and unleashed what can only be described as a tiger uppercut, straight out of Street Fighter! Obama crashes to the mat! Can he make it back to his feet in time? 3,4,5, yes, he's made it back to his feet. He seems OK so it looks like we're going to continue!

Obama is rocked!

Diego closes the distance and clinches.
Obama is still on wobbly legs! Can Diego finish him?
Diego misses with a hook to the ribs.
A short right from Diego.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Diego.
Obama seems to have recovered his senses.
Obama misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Obama fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Diego lands an uppercut.
A shot in the inside from Diego.
Obama has a couple of punches blocked by Diego.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Obama throws a punch but it's blocked by Diego.

Diego breaks the clinch momentarily and cracks Obama with a big right hook that drops him to the canvas! Obama looks like he might be in big trouble here! The referee has started the count straight away and we're up to 5 already. Obama get to one knee - can he make it back to his feet? Yes, he's struggled back up to his feet and seems OK to continue. The referee agrees so we're back to the action!
A low kick from Obama is predictable there
and Diego counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Both fighters circling slowly here as the pace drops. Hopefully one of them does someth.. OOOHHHH!!!! Diego throws an absolute beast of a head kick! Obama is done! He's out cold, twisted and contorted up against the ropes! Wow!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:56 of round 1, we have a winner by way of KO (Head Kick). Draughn Diego!
Draughn Diego retains his heavyweight title!
During a confident post fight interview, Draughn Diego thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.