PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Fidelity Castro (ranked 2061 p4p, 2554 weight class) and Nikolai Kuznetsov (ranked 291 p4p, 368 weight class). Fidelity Castro has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Castro
vs
Kuznetsov

191 cm
35
201
12 - 4 - 0

178 cm
40
186
29 - 24 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Fidelity Castro!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 29 - 24 - 0, fighting out of London, Nikolai Kuznetsov!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Robert Twigg and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kuznetsov misses with a left hand
and Castro counters with a nice uppercut.
Castro thows a left - swing and a miss!
Castro takes a jab right on the kisser.

It looks like Fidelity Castro has been cut.
Kuznetsov lands a head shot.
Castro swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Kuznetsov avoids a punch combination nicely.
Castro throws a looping overhand right but Kuznetsov ducks down to avoid it.
Kuznetsov throws a head kick but Castro moves out of range.
An attempted straight right counter from Castro misses the target.
Kuznetsov dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Castro tries to close the distance and clinch up but Kuznetsov swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Kuznetsov lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Castro circles away quickly and effectively.
Castro tries a head kick but it misses.
Kuznetsov uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Castro has time to react.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Castro takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Kuznetsov pushes Castro away with a front kick.
Kuznetsov lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Kuznetsov uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The crowd cheers as Castro lands an impressive looking overhand right. Kuznetsov doesn't seem phased though.
Kuznetsov swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Kuznetsov takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Kuznetsov scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.

Castro closes the distance and clinches.

Kuznetsov escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Kuznetsov misses with a straight right.
Kuznetsov slips under a jab.
Kuznetsov goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Castro will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Kuznetsov throws out a counter right but Castro avoids it with no problem.
Kuznetsov blocks a jab.
A left and a right from Castro both land. Nice combination.
A head kick by Kuznetsov misses
and Castro counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Kuznetsov thinking.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Castro throws the left hand but Kuznetsov avoids the punch easily.
Kuznetsov shapes to counter with a head kick.
Castro takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Kuznetsov's jab looks to have found its range, popping Castro under the eye.
Castro throws a low kick, looking for Kuznetsov's leg but Kuznetsov calmly moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kuznetsov lands a jab to the nose.
Kuznetsov fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Castro slips a jab from Kuznetsov.

Castro closes the distance and clinches.
Castro tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Kuznetsov is trying to force a seperation but Castro has the dominant position.
Kuznetsov's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!

Castro breaks the clinch.
Castro tries to close the distance and clinch up but Kuznetsov swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Kuznetsov swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Kuznetsov cracks Castro with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Castro moves away from the strike by Kuznetsov.
Kuznetsov swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Nice uppercut lands for Castro. That snapped Kuznetsov's head back.
Kuznetsov rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Castro moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Castro tries to close the distance and clinch but Kuznetsov swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kuznetsov lands with a good body shot.
Kuznetsov throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
A swing and a miss from Castro.
Castro is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Kuznetsov.
Castro with a nice cross.
Castro lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Kuznetsov circles away quickly and effectively.
Castro wants to clinch up but Kuznetsov keeps it at a distance.
Kuznetsov misses with a jab, cross combination.
Kuznetsov swinging wildly here.
Castro was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Kuznetsov throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Castro lands a nice shot that snaps Kuznetsov's head back.
Castro gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Kuznetsov is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Castro had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into mush.
Kuznetsov moves into range and connects with a jab.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Kuznetsov misses with a wild combination.
Castro is looking to counter punch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Castro gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Castro throws a hook but Kuznetsov blocks it.
No joy there for Kuznetsov, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Kuznetsov avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Kuznetsov throws a poor cross that misses
and Castro counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Castro tries to clinch there but Kuznetsov circles away.
Kuznetsov digs a good hook to Castro's body.
Kuznetsov lands with a right hand.
Kuznetsov uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Castro has time to react.
Kuznetsov pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Castro half committed to a counter leg kick.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Kuznetsov throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Kuznetsov checks a leg kick.
Kuznetsov misses the shot to the body.
Castro throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Castro takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Nikolai Kuznetsov dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Fidelity Castro's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Kuznetsov scores with a jab to the jaw.
Kuznetsov scores with a decent looking hook.
Kuznetsov uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Castro swinging wildly here.
Kuznetsov dips to his left and cracks Castro with an uppercut!
Kuznetsov cracks Castro on the jaw with a powerful right hand and Castro falls backwards against the cage. Kuznetsov follows up with more strikes that drop Castro to his knees. Kuznetsov keeps the pressure on and the referee jumps in to save Castro! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:31 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Nikolai Kuznetsov!
Nikolai Kuznetsov got down on his knees post fight and begged the management for a title shot. 'Please, I want that title shot so bad! Give it to me!'