PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Volodymyr Kersikov (ranked 566 p4p, 386 weight class) and Lars Kay (ranked 43 p4p, 28 weight class). Kersikov comes to the cage accompanied by DEF LEPPARD - Pour Some Sugar On Me. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Kersikov
vs
Kay

170 cm
26
140
5 - 3 - 0

177 cm
31
147
20 - 15 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Conviction
Kersikov's Vitamin Clinic (160)

NARCOS
30th Century Beer Store

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the bantamweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Volodymyr Kersikov!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 20 - 15 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Lars Kay!
The judges for this bout are Chris Edwards, Colin Fotheringham and Donald Grub.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kersikov scores with a nice right hand.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Kay is defended easily by Kersikov.
Kay tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Kersikov manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Kay looks to throw the jab but Kersikov is out of range.
Kersikov drops down looking for a counter takedown but Kay sprawls and moves away.
Kay throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Kersikov's waist but Kersikov gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Kay off to one side.
Kay keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Kersikov.
Kay fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Kersikov manages to avoid it.
Kay throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Kersikov.
Kay shoots in for a takedown but Kersikov shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Volodymyr Kersikov has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Lars Kay.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nice shot by Kay.
Kay slips a straight right by Kersikov.
Kay misses with a body shot.

Kersikov changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Kay looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Kersikov lands some shots froms side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kersikov landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Kersikov is working Kay over with some ground and pound from side control.

Kersikov is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Kay is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Kay taking a bit of punishment here - Kersikov scoring with strikes.
Kay takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Kay is trying to work for a sweep but Kersikov has mounted him!
Kersikov connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
The referee warns Kay that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Kersikov working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Kay is trying desperately to improve position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kersikov raining down hammerfists from mount.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kersikov controlling the position easily from mount.
Kersikov connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Kersikov working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Kay is looking to improve his position but Kersikov isn't that keen on the idea.
Kersikov landing strikes from the mount and Kay is in trouble!
Kersikov scoring with strikes but Kay is staying in there.
Kay in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Kersikov working the ground and pound effectively.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kay takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Kay is looking to improve his position but Kersikov isn't that keen on the idea.
Kersikov lands a couple of good shots and Kay has given up his back, trying to escape the position!

Kersikov looking to break Kay's wrist control so he can sink in the choke. Kay remaining controlled and patient though - he really has to keep calm otherwise Kersikov will wrap this one up with the rear naked choke!
Can Kay hold on?! Kersikov is landing more strikes to his hapless foe.
Kersikov is landing with strikes from the back.
Kersikov 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.
A lull in the action here.
Kay is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
Kersikov seems to have improved his submission grappling technique since last time we saw him. Let's see if he can pull off a submission.
Kersikov lands with a nice looking elbow that stuns Kay.
Kersikov has Kay flattened out and is raining down punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Kay can't escape the position.
Kersikov lands strikes to the head.
Kersikov biding his time, looking for the opening.

Kay is displaying good submission defense - not really looking in danger of submitting to the rear naked choke at the moment. That could change in an instant of course if Kersikov gets his way!
Kersikov doesn't have the hooks in and Kay manages to turn into his guard.
Kersikov manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Kay manages to get himself to full guard.

Kay bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Kersikov's guard.

Kersikov is controlling Kay's posture.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Volodymyr Kersikov dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Kay pushing out the jab but it's not landing.

Kay has taken the fight to the clinch.
Kay works on Kersikov's body with a couple of short punches.

Kersikov breaks from the clinch.
Kay displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Kersikov.
Kersikov scores with a nice head shot.
Kersikov misses the jab.
Kay lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kersikov throws a lazy right hand but Kay sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Kay throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Kersikov tries to counter with a takedown but Kay is quick to defend against it.
Kersikov takes one to the chin there.
Kay looks to score with a jab to the body but Kersikov is just out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kay steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Kersikov.
Kay wants to clinch.
Kersikov wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Kay jabs at Kersikov's body.
Lars Kay seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Kersikov throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Kay wants to clinch.
Kersikov misses with a straight right.
Kay looks like he wants to counter punch here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kay misses with a body shot.
Kersikov uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Kay.
Kersikov misses with a body shot.

Kersikov shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Kay's guard.
Kersikov is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Kersikov is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Kersikov stopping the sweep attempt from Kay.

Kay working for submissions but it's allowed Kersikov to get to half guard.
Kersikov uses his free foot to push down on Kay's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Kay.
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!
Kersikov lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kay is squirming around, avoiding Kersikov's attempts to control the action.
Kersikov scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Kay?
Kay tries to hold on but Kersikov postures up.
Kay is trying desperately to improve position.
Kersikov lands a big shot there that rocks Kay but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Kay is in all sorts of trouble here.
Kersikov lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Kersikov lands with some strikes.
Kay tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kersikov cracks Kay with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Kay is trying to escape the mount.
Kersikov scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Kay?
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Kay can't escape the position.
Kersikov has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Kay's face.
Kay wants to control but Kersikov is having none of it.
Kersikov breaks from Kay's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Kersikov is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Kay can't stay in a position like this for much longer.

Kay is rocked!
Kersikov looking to finish here with some ground and pound. He lands one big shot that has Kay covering up... and two more big strikes land, forcing the referee to step in and put and end to proceedings! This fight is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:58 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Volodymyr Kersikov!
Volodymyr Kersikov retains his bantamweight title!
A relieved looking Volodymyr Kersikov thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.