PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Tom Henke (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ruslan Karaev (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Henke
vs
Karaev

192 cm
24
202 lbs
11 - 10 - 0

185 cm
21
191 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
World class boxer
Very quick

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

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 11 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Tom Henke!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ruslan Karaev!
The judges for this bout are Igor Prikhodko, Sergei Dronov and Vladimir Khabensky.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Henke just misses with a punch to the body.
Henke is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Henke misses with a two punch combination.
Henke misses with a double jab.
Henke keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Henke swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Karaev counters with a straight right hand.
Karaev avoids a punch combination nicely.
Karaev takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Karaev swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Henke throws a nice looking combination but Karaev bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Henke tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Karaev was well out of range. Poor timing from Henke.
Karaev walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Henke on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
A combination from Karaev does no damage.
Henke throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Karaev stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
A combination from Karaev does no damage.
Henke swings for the body but Karaev moves out of range.
Karaev swings for the body but Henke moves out of range.
Henke jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Karaev gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Henke.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henke works over Karaev's head and body with a nice combination.
Karaev walks forward, straight into a front kick from Henke.
Henke jabs Karaev to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Henke throws a wild body kick that Karaev sees coming a mile off.
Henke is looking to wear down Karaev with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Henke ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Karaev moves away.
Henke scores with a sloppy right hand. Karaev should have avoided that one.
A big right from Karaev misses.
Karaev moves away from the strike by Henke.
Karaev looks to land a combination but Henke avoids it well.
Karaev falls off balance throwing a combination
and Henke counters with a straight right hand.
Henke throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Henke throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Karaev falls off balance throwing a combination
and Henke counters with a stiff right hand.
Karaev looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Henke throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Karaev throws a left and a right that both miss
and Henke counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Karaev rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Henke moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Karaev throws a combination that misses
and Henke counters with a two punch combo.
Karaev misses with the combination.
Decent striking displayed by Henke there.
Karaev keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Henke.
Henke throws a wild body kick that Karaev sees coming a mile off.
Henke misses with a two punch combination.
Henke slips under a jab.
Henke looks to land a right hand but Karaev moved out of range.
Karaev takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Henke lands a nice looking body shot.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Karaev thuds his right hand into Henke's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Henke moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Henke fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Karaev manages to avoid it.
Karaev looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Henke tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Karaev was well out of range. Poor timing from Henke.
Henke fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Karaev looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Karaev walks into a jab.
Nice shot by Henke.
Henke lands a slapping body shot.
Karaev avoids a punch combination nicely.
Henke listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Henke is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Henke connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Henke scores with a hook to the body. Karaev takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Henke throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Donk. Henke catches Karaev right on the button with a cross.
Henke throws a predictable looking body shot
and Karaev counters with a series of strikes. Henke will be more careful next time no doubt.
Henke will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Nice defenses there by Henke.
Henke throws a right and a left that both miss.
Henke looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Karaev throws a nice looking combination but Henke bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Henke throws a right hand that Karaev ducks under and follows up with a left that Karaev also avoids with ease.
Karaev walks into a jab.
Henke looks to land a right hand but Karaev moved out of range.
Some wild striking there from Henke.
Karaev misses the shot to the body.
Karaev looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Henke showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Karaev.
Karaev showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Henke.
Karaev uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Henke.
Karaev throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Henke.
Henke is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A big right from Henke misses.
Karaev misses with a wild combination.
Henke fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Karaev looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tom Henke dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Karaev throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Karaev cracks Henke with a right hand to the side of the head.
Karaev takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Karaev moves away from the strike by Henke.
Karaev swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Henke misses with a hook. Karaev ducked under it nicely.
Karaev tries to bum rush Henke with a series of wild strikes but Henke uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Karaev slips under a jab from Henke.
Henke throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Karaev counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Henke takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
A big right from Karaev misses.
Karaev misses with a series of wild punches.
Henke moves out of range as Karaev strikes.
Karaev on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Karaev lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Henke backs up against the cage.

It looks like Tom Henke has been cut.
Henke connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Karaev falls off balance throwing a combination
and Henke counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Karaev throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Henke lands a nice hook to Karaev's body. Karaev takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
A slow jab from Henke misses its intended target.
Danga de danga de dang - Henke scores with a four punch combination!
Tom Henke seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Henke digs a good hook to Karaev's body.
Tom Henke is winning the standup battle so far.
Karaev moves forwards but Henke connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Henke lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Tom Henke is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Henke lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Karaev misses with a jab, cross combination.
Karaev is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Henke.
Good exchange - Henke coming out on top.
A looping hook to the body misses from Henke. Karaev does a little dance to reset his feet.
Henke stalks Karaev and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Karaev's face. Karaev staggers backwards, shaken.
Karaev has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Henke fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Karaev throws out a loose jab but Henke uses good head movement to avoid it.
Karaev misses with a left hand
and Henke cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Henke scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Karaev misses with an uppercut
and Henke counters with a three punch combo that has Karaev backing up. Karaev nods at Henke to acknowledge the strikes.
Karaev cracks Henke with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
No joy there for Karaev, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Karaev ducks under a wild hook from Henke.
The fighters circling - Henke throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Henke takes a swing at Karaev's ribcage but misses.
A combination from Karaev does no damage.
Henke lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Karaev backs up against the cage.
A punch combination from Henke misses.
Henke throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
A right-left combo lands from Karaev.
Henke fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Karaev manages to avoid it.
A jab from Henke finds it's way through Karaev's defenses.
Karaev throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Henke counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Henke listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Karaev misses with a few strikes there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henke missing with a left hand there. Karaev was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Karaev pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Henke showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Karaev.
Henke connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Karaev momentarily.
Karaev misses with a hook
and Henke makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Henke scores with a decent looking hook.
Henke throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Henke lands a body shot.
Karaev throws a left and a right that both miss
letting Henke counter with a right hand.
Henke loads up on a big right hand but Karaev slips the punch.
Karaev might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Karaev rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Henke moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Henke scores with a sloppy right hand. Karaev should have avoided that one.
Henke lands with a shot to the body.
Karaev throws a combination that misses
and Henke counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Nice uppercut there from Henke.
Karaev doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Henke stuns Karaev with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Henke looks to land a combination. Karaev sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
A jab lands there for Henke.
A telegraphed right hand from Karaev misses the target.
Karaev connects with a looping right hand.
Karaev throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Karaev rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Henke moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Henke lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Henke looks to land a combination but Karaev avoids it well.
Henke ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Karaev will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Karaev throws a combination that misses
letting Henke counter with a right hand.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Karaev gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Henke changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Karaev throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tom Henke dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Tom Henke's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! And we move into the final round!

Karaev misses with a lunging right hand
and Henke counters with a nice body kick.
A combination from Karaev does no damage.
Good exchange - Henke coming out on top.
Henke loads up on a big right hand but Karaev slips the punch.
Karaev's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Karaev duly obliges.
Henke lunges at Karaev with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Karaev's hand.
Karaev throws a lazy right hand but Henke sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Henke connects with a right hand. Karaev shakes it off.
A combination from Karaev does no damage.
Karaev misses with a double jab
and Henke counters with a one-two to the body.
Henke throws a body punch but Karaev moves out of range.
Karaev avoids the body shot from Henke.
Henke lands a head shot.
Henke lands with a shot to the body.
Danga de danga de dang - Karaev scores with a four punch combination!
Karaev moves away from the strike by Henke.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henke scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Karaev doesn't seem bothered though.
Henke scores with a shot to the body.
Karaev takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Henke throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Henke closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Henke misses with a straight right.
Henke loads up on a big right hand but Karaev slips the punch.
A looping hook to the body misses from Henke. Karaev does a little dance to reset his feet.
A swing and a miss from Henke.
Henke swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Karaev counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Karaev scores with a hook.
Karaev throws a combination that misses
and Henke counters with a right hand to the body.
Henke scores with a nice right hand.
Karaev ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Henke moves away.
Karaev swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
A shot to the liver by Henke. Beautiful body shot.
Henke takes a swing at Karaev's ribcage but misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Henke falls off balance throwing a combination
and Karaev counters with a right hand to the body.
Henke takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Henke scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Karaev doesn't seem bothered though.
Henke throws a shot from downtown. Karaev moves away and avoids it.
Karaev moves out of range as Henke strikes.
Karaev misses with a double jab.
Karaev throws a hook to the side of Henke's head but Henke sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Karaev walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Henke throws a right and a left that both miss.
Karaev lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Henke backs up against the cage.
Karaev slips under a jab.
Karaev misses with a two punch combination.
Henke misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Karaev counters with a left and a right that stings Henke.
Henke digs a good body shot into Karaev's ribs.
Henke lands a jab-cross combination.
Tom Henke is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henke misses with a two punch combination.
Karaev slips under a jab from Henke.
Henke connects with a body shot.
Henke lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Henke misses with a jab, cross combination.
Henke throws a hook but Karaev blocks it.
Henke throws a one two combo.
Karaev lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Henke takes a swing at Karaev's ribcage but misses.
Karaev keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Henke lands with an uppercut that bounces Karaev off the cage and back into rage.
A swing and a miss from Karaev.
Karaev bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Henke stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Karaev throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Henke throws a hook but Karaev avoids it easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Henke throws a shot to the body.
Henke is working the combinations to good effect here.
A combination from Karaev does no damage.
Henke fails to land with a series of punches.
A punch combination from Karaev misses.
Karaev misses with a hook. Henke ducked under it nicely.
Karaev misses with a double jab
and Henke counters with a right hand to the body.
Good exchange - Henke coming out on top.
Karaev misses with a double jab
and Henke counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Henke avoids a punch combination nicely.
Henke looks to land a left hand but Karaev moved out of range nicely.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Karaev is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Henke.
A punch combination from Karaev misses.
Ruslan Karaev has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Henke swings for the body but Karaev moves out of range.
Henke scores with a jab to the head.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tom Henke showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Henke has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 30:27
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight 30:27
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tom Henke!