PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Kelly Van Soest (ranked 2091 p4p, 2890 weight class) and Vino Kourov (ranked 182 p4p, 233 weight class). Van Soest comes to the cage accompanied by Philipee Rochard - The World (Frequencerz Remix). Kourov has chosen COME ON as his entrance music. Kelly Van Soest has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Van Soest
vs
Kourov

168 cm
24
139
3 - 0 - 0

171 cm
23
136
6 - 7 - 0

Great wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

BJJ Brown Belt
Dangerous knees
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Kelly Van Soest!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 7 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Vino Kourov!
The judges for this bout are Dmitry Maklakov, Vladimir Khabensky and Fedor Mirinova.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kourov keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Van Soest.
Kourov throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Van Soest tries to counter with a takedown but Kourov is quick to defend against it.
Kourov is looking to clinch.
Van Soest appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Kourov throws a right and a left that both miss.
Kourov jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Kourov fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Van Soest changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Kourov 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.
Van Soest sizes up Kourov with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Kourov tries to clinch but Van Soest is having none of it.
Van Soest swats away the attempt to clinch by Kourov.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Van Soest darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Van Soest thows a left - swing and a miss!
Kourov moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Kourov gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Van Soest misses with a punch to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Van Soest looking for a takedown.
Van Soest tries a body shot but Kourov blocks it.

Kourov pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Van Soest keeps the fight on the outside.
Van Soest looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Van Soest throws a body punch but Kourov moves out of range.
No joy there for Kourov, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Kourov jabs Van Soest to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Kourov lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Van Soest backs up against the cage.
Vino Kourov is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Van Soest tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Kourov was well out of range. Poor timing from Van Soest.
Some wild striking there from Van Soest.
A little jabbing left from Kourov on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Van Soest avoids the body shot from Kourov.
Kourov wants to clinch up but Van Soest keeps it at a distance.
Van Soest half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.

Kourov rushes Van Soest and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Kourov unloads a knee to the mid-section. Van Soest lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Kourov manages to break the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kourov misses with a wild combination.
Van Soest drops down looking for a counter takedown but Kourov sprawls and moves away.
Kourov ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Van Soest looks to score with a jab to the body but Kourov is just out of range.
Van Soest lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Van Soest misses with a hook. Kourov ducked under it nicely.
Van Soest swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Kourov swings widly with a right hand

and Van Soest counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Kourov!
Kourov pushes Van Soest away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Van Soest gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Van Soest is looking to take a break and control but Kourov is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Van Soest sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Kourov is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Van Soest in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Kourov stops Van Soest from passing to mount.
Kourov takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Van Soest prevents Kourov from escaping the position.
Kourov felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.
Van Soest working the head and body with strikes.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Van Soest lands a nice forearm strike.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Van Soest controls the position.
Van Soest has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Van Soest wants to lay and pray for a moment but Kourov keeps working.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Van Soest taking a breather here.
Kourov is not content to let Van Soest control the position.
Van Soest moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Vino Kourov will probably get the nod.
That's time! Van Soest's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Kourov feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Van Soests jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Kourov lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Kourov swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Kourov wants to clinch

and Van Soest counters with a nice double leg into side control. Kourov won't be happy with that.

Kourov explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Kourov lunges at Van Soest with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Van Soest's hand.
Vino Kourov is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Kourov moves to clinch but Van Soest breaks away

and Van Soest counters with a single leg into guard. Kourov didn't expect that.
Kourov is wriggling around but Van Soest manages to pass to half guard.

Van Soest throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kourov is looking to get back to is feet but Van Soest passes into side control.
Van Soest wants to lay and pray for a moment but Kourov keeps working.
Kourov parries the strikes from Van Soest easily there. Van Soest is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Kourov to escape.
Van Soest throws an elbow but Kourov slips to the side and avoids it well.
Van Soest wants to control but Kourov is keeping him busy.
Van Soest is chipping away with strikes.
Kelly Van Soest overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Van Soest misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Van Soest postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Kourov is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Van Soest is controlling him well.
Van Soest lands a decent elbow from side control.
Van Soest just content to control the position.
Van Soest lands some shots froms side control.
Van Soest lands a decent elbow from side control.
Van Soest misses with the ground and pound.
Kourov takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.

Kourov is rocked!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Van Soest working the ground and pound.
Kourov is still in real trouble! Can Van Soest finish him?
Kourov wants to get back to his feet but Van Soest drags him back down.
A big shot lands for Van Soest! That's hurt Kourov! Will he recover? Van Soest fires away with more strikes and the referee has to step in to stop the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:28 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Kelly Van Soest!
Our winner, Kelly Van Soest, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.
The defeated Vino Kourov had this to say: 'there's vomit on his sweat ! mom's spaghetti's !'.