PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ben Keats (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nickolay Katorjnov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Katorjnov has chosen Remember the name - Fort Minor as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Keats
vs
Katorjnov

179 cm
20
180 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

178 cm
34
186 lbs
22 - 15 - 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 welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Ben Keats!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 22 - 15 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Nickolay Katorjnov!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Timothy Bukovac and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Thud! ouch! good body kick from Katorjnov - that will leave a mark!
Keats throws a lazy body kick
and Katorjnov counters with a one-two to the body.
Katorjnov throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Nickolay Katorjnov seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Keats misses with a straight right.
Katorjnov misses with a wild combination.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Katorjnov throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Katorjnov misses with a low kick as Keats jumps back.
Katorjnov moves forwards but Keats connects with a nice, crisp jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Katorjnov showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Keats.
Katorjnov lands a leg kick that knocks Keats off balance momentarily.
Keats throws a head kick that misses
and Katorjnov counters with a nice low kick that buckles Keats's knee momentarily.
Katorjnov throws a leg kick but Keats sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Katorjnov throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Katorjnov looks to land a right hand but Keats moved out of range.
Keats misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Katorjnov.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Katorjnov misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Keats gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.

It looks like Ben Keats has been cut.
Keats looks to throw the jab but Katorjnov is out of range.
Keats misses with a wild combination.
Keats takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Katorjnov swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Keats slips a jab and a cross from Katorjnov.
Katorjnov dodges the punch combination from Keats.
Keats tries a low kick but Katorjnov avoids it.
An inside leg kick from Katorjnov misses.
Katorjnov throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Keats slips under a jab from Katorjnov.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Keats scores with a hook to the body. Katorjnov takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Keats misses with a double jab.
Katorjnov throws an off balance right hand
letting Keats counter with a right hand.
Katorjnov misses the jab.
Keats ducks under a wild hook from Katorjnov.
Keats throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A chopping leg kick lands by Keats.
Katorjnov throws a good cross that connects.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nickolay Katorjnov dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Ben Keats's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Katorjnov tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Keats has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
A decent looking cross lands there for Katorjnov.
Keats has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Katorjnov.
Keats throws a hook but Katorjnov blocks it.
Keats tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
A punch combination from Katorjnov misses.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Katorjnov, right into the meat.
Keats tries a head kick but it misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A big right from Katorjnov misses.
Katorjnov throws a body kick that misses.
Katorjnov misses with an uppercut.
Ben Keats is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Katorjnov ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Keats scores with a sloppy right hand. Katorjnov should have avoided that one.
Keats throws a right and a left that Katorjnov avoids nicely.
Keats misses with a head kick.
Katorjnov is looking to slow Keats down with leg kicks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Keats tries a head kick but it misses.
Nickolay Katorjnov seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Katorjnov throws a hook but Keats avoids it easily.
Katorjnov lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Keats throws a leg kick
and Katorjnov cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
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!
Katorjnov misses the jab.
Keats uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Katorjnov.
Katorjnov throws a leg kick
and Keats counters with a three punch combo that has Katorjnov backing up. Katorjnov nods at Keats to acknowledge the strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Katorjnov thumps Keats with a low kick.
Katorjnov scores with a hook.
Katorjnov dodges the punch combination from Keats.
Keats takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Katorjnov misses with a double jab.
Keats takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Katorjnov misses with an uppercut.
Keats throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Katorjnov cracks Keats with an open hand slap.
Nice cross by Katorjnov.

Katorjnov lands a big head kick that sends Keats tumbling to the mat! Katorjnov takes a step backwards and waves Keats back to his feet - he wants the finish!

Keats is rocked!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Keats misses with a series of wild punches.
Oh Keats is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Katorjnov throws a series of punches but Keats avoids them all with ease.
This entire fight has taken place on the feet so far and you wonder whether Keats might be better served trying to take this one to the ground because he's losing the standup battle so far.
Keats tries a head kick but it misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nickolay Katorjnov showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Ben Keats's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Keats throws a right and a left that both miss.
Keats seems to have got his legs back now.
Keats avoids the body shot from Katorjnov.
Nice defenses there by Keats.
Katorjnov misses with a low kick.
Katorjnov's corner calls for a 1-2. Katorjnov obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Keats misses with a jab, cross combination.
Keats rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Katorjnov moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Katorjnov ducks down and throws a hook to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Katorjnov misses the jab.
Katorjnov moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Keats tries to work over Katorjnov's front leg with a kick but Katorjnov checks it.
Katorjnov throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Katorjnov keeps Keats at a distance using the push kick.
Katorjnov looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Katorjnov looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Keats takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Katorjnov takes one to the side of the head.
Keats throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Katorjnov.
Katorjnov misses with an uppercut.
Keats buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Katorjnov misses with a jab, cross combination.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Keats dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Katorjnov. That did some damage!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Katorjnov jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Katorjnov throws a hook but Keats avoids it easily.
Katorjnov looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Keats checks the leg kick nicely there.
Keats jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Katorjnov misses with a kick to the body.
Katorjnov throws a combination. Keats tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Ben Keats has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Nickolay Katorjnov is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Keats blocks a jab.
Katorjnov pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Keats back to the cage. Katorjnov follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Keats scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Keats walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Katorjnov checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Katorjnov lands with an uppercut that bounces Keats off the cage and back into range.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Keats misses with a wild body shot.
Katorjnov tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Keats was well out of range. Poor timing from Katorjnov.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nickolay Katorjnov comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Katorjnov has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Don Winkell scores the fight 27:30
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 27:30
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nickolay Katorjnov!
Nickolay Katorjnov decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.