PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Fa Sho (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rakharo Ko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ko has chosen Monster as his entrance music. Rakharo Ko has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Sho
vs
Ko

175 cm
23
168 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

176 cm
24
170 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

BJJ Blue Belt
Great elbows
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the lightweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Fa Sho!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Rakharo Ko!
The judges for this bout are Aafke Stam, Saam Ante and Nard Betker.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ko is looking to land body kicks.
Ko lands a nice leg kick that just misses Sho's sensitive parts.
Rakharo Ko seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ko throws a leg kick but Sho sees it coming and moves out of range.
Ko needs to keep his hands up - Sho had a free shot at his head there.
Ko with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Ko throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Ko throws the kick towards the body but Sho avoids it.
Ko is looking to score with low kicks.
Ko throws a low kick but it's checked well by Sho.
Ko with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Sho throws a body punch but Ko moves out of range.
Ko doesn't manage to clinch there - Sho circles away.
Ko throws a leg kick but Sho checks it.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Ko lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Sho has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Sho and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ko throws a leg kick that misses.
Ko bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Sho ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Ko moves away.
Sho missing with a left hand there. Ko was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Ko throws a wild body kick that Sho sees coming a mile off.
Sho takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Ko throws a head kick but Sho moves out of range.
Sho misses with a wild body shot.
Ko tried to score with a low kick but Sho checks it.
Ko keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Good leg kick by Ko there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Ko lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Ko misses with a body kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sho checks a low kick from Ko.
Ko misses with a head kick.
Sho fails to land with a series of punches.
Ko scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Ko connects with a solid leg kick.
Ko throws the kick towards the body but Sho avoids it.
Sho throws a body punch but Ko moves out of range.
Sho swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Ko tries to land a leg kick but Sho saw it coming and moves away.
Ko ducks under a wild hook from Sho.
Ko looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Sho swats away the attempt to clinch by Ko.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sho just misses with a punch to the body.
Sho checks the leg kick.
Ko throws a low kick but Sho avoids it.
Ko throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Ko throws a body kick that misses.
Ko looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Sho fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Ko manages to avoid it.
Ko moves out of range as Sho strikes.
Ko walks into a stiff left hand from Sho.

It looks like Rakharo Ko has been cut.
Ko thumps Sho with a low kick.
Ko is looking to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sho looks to score with a jab to the body but Ko is just out of range.
Ko throws a sloppy head kick and Sho moves out of range easily.
Sho misses with a straight right.
Ko does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Ko looks for the body kick but Sho saw that one coming.
Ko tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Sho is able to avoid easily.
Ko misses with a low kick.
Ko tries to land a front kick but Sho steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Ko looks for the body kick but Sho saw that one coming.
Ko looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Ko looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Sho checks a leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rakharo Ko dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Rakharo Ko's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Sho checks a leg kick.
Sho is looking to wear down Ko with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Sho throws a body punch but Ko moves out of range.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Ko in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
Sho keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Ko throws a low kick but it's checked well by Sho.
Ko looks for the body kick but Sho saw that one coming.
Ko is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Ko swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Ko has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Ko there as he acknowledges the shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ko is looking to land body kicks.
Ko bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Ko misses with a low kick as Sho jumps back.
Ko looks to land a body kick but Sho moved away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ko tries to clinch but Sho moves out of range.
Sho swats away the attempt to clinch by Ko.
Ko will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Ko tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Ko moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Ko tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Sho paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Sho checks the leg kick.
Ko tries to clinch but Sho moves out of range.
A looping hook to the body misses from Sho. Ko does a little dance to reset his feet.
Sho takes a swing at Ko's ribcage but misses.
Sho misses the shot to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Ko feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Sho's calf.
Ko fails with an attempt to clinch.
Ko tries a low kick but Sho avoids it.
Ko tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Ko looks for the body kick but Sho saw that one coming.
Ko swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Ko tries a low kick but Sho avoids it.
Sho is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Ko.
Ko buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Sho takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Sho moves out of range of the body kick from Ko.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Ko.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ko doesn't manage to clinch there - Sho circles away.
Ko throws a quick inside leg kick.
Sho just misses with a punch to the body.
No joy there for Sho, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

Ko pushes Sho up against the cage in a clinch.
Ko gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Ko pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Ko takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Sho lands a right hand that snaps the head of Ko backwards.
Ko lands an elbow inside that Sho shrugs off.
Ko is struggling to control the position.
The crowd are getting on Ko's back here. They're not happy about his lack of aggression in the clinch.
Ko lands an elbow inside.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sho misses with some punches.
Ko lands a damaging elbow.
Ko blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Ko lands an elbow that stopped Sho in his tracks for a moment.
Ko lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Sho misses with a punch on the inside.
Sho swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Ko dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Nice elbow from Ko.
Sho tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Ko's elbow.
Ko blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Ko comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Sho swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Ko lands an elbow that stopped Sho in his tracks for a moment.

It looks like Fa Sho has been cut.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Ko lands a nice elbow.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Ko.
Sho being controlled against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rakharo Ko showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Sho just misses with a punch to the body.
Ko throws a half hearted mid kick.
Sho looks to throw the jab but Ko is out of range.

Ko has Sho up against the cage in a clinch.
Sho is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Sho tries to throw a body punch but Ko avoids it by throwing Sho back against the cage.
Ko comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Ko throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Sho leaning against his opponent.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ko comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.

Sho is rocked!
Ko stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Oh Sho is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
A nice glancing elbow lands by Ko.
Sho seems to have got his legs back now.
Sho is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Ko is defending well for now.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Ko gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sho lands with a right to the head.
Sho goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Sho throws a head punch that misses.
Ko stalling the fight.
Ko lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Sho trying to control the position but instead, Ko has worked for underhooks and has pushed Sho into the cage.
Ko creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Sho's defenses.
Sho goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Ko lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Sho misses with a short punch on the inside.
Ko pulls back and lands a big elbow that stuns Sho! Ko unloads with more strikes and Sho sinks to his knees! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:45 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Rakharo Ko!
Rakharo Ko is the new lightweight champion!