PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Ismail Saidov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Aaron Knight (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Saidov comes to the cage accompanied by Shamhan Daldaev - Eto Kavkaz. Aaron Knight will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Saidov
vs
Knight

188 cm
33
202 lbs
14 - 8 - 1

185 cm
27
195 lbs
6 - 3 - 1

Good wrestling
Brawler
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Determined

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 14 - 8 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Ismail Saidov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 3 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Aaron Knight!
The judges for this bout are Hirohito Nitta, Yasuomi Hirokawa and Yukihiro Yamamoto.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Knight misses with a low kick.
Knight misses with a low kick.
A nice combination there by Knight.
The fight stays on the outside here - Saidov looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Saidov with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Knight to score with a decent uppercut.
Aaron Knight seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Saidov clinches up against the cage.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Ismail Saidov.
Knight throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Saidov.
Knight lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Knight shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Saidov dodges the punch combination from Knight.
Knight scores with a shot to the body.
Knight misses with a series of wild punches.
Saidov moves in looking to clinch but Knight pushes him off.
Knight doesn't manage to clinch there - Saidov circles away.
Saidov is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Saidov tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Knight fails to land with a series of punches.
Knight avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Knight throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Saidov.
Saidov looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Saidov tries to clinch but Knight moves out of range.
Saidov tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Knight counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Knight.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Saidov just leaning against Knight, taking a breather.
Knight is trying to break free.
Saidov stalling against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Ismail Saidov.
Saidov tries to close the distance and clinch up but Knight swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Knight with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Knight tries to bum rush Saidov with a series of wild strikes but Saidov uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Saidov has Knight pressed against the cage.
Saidov seems to have come into the fight with the intention of avoiding any damage in the clinch, rather than actually showing any aggression.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Knight blocks an elbow strike from Saidov.
Knight tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Saidov's elbow.
Saidov slows down the pace here.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Ismail Saidov.
Knight connects with a crisp jab.
Saidov tries to clinch but Knight is having none of it.
Knight displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Knight misses with a series of wild punches.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Saidov darts in trying to clinch
and Knight counters with a left to the body.

Saidov has taken the fight to the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aaron Knight dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

A punch combination from Knight misses.
Aaron Knight seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Knight throws a right and a left that both miss.
Knight throws a series of punches but Saidov moves out of range.
Knight looks to land a combination. Saidov sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Knight misses with a double jab.
Knight has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Saidov is landing a low percentage of strikes.

Saidov closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Knight blocking some punches.
Saidov's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Knight is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Saidov displaying some good clinch control by pressing Knight up against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Knight wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Saidov lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Knight backwards.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Knight.
Saidov works on Knight's body with a couple of short punches.
Saidov is pushing Knight up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Saidov lands a left hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Saidov holding his opponent close, against the cage.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Ismail Saidov.
The fight stays on the outside here - Saidov looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Knight misses with a double jab.
Saidov tries to clinch there but Knight circles away.
Knight misses with the combination.
Knight moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Saidov moves in looking to clinch but Knight pushes him off.
Knight misses with a series of wild punches.
Knight throws a half hearted mid kick.
The fight stays on the outside here - Saidov looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Saidov tries to close the distance and clinch up but Knight swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Saidov 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.
Saidov tries to close the distance and clinch but Knight swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Knight scores with a three punch combo!
Some bone on bone action there as Saidov checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Saidov tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Knight manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Aaron Knight is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Knight scores with a three punch combo!
Saidov tries to clinch but Knight moves out of range.
Knight feints a jab promting Saidov to slip. Knight then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Saidov slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Saidov tries to clinch but Knight moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A leg kick checked by Saidov.
Saidov wants to clinch.
Knight throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Saidov tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Knight misses with a head kick.
Saidov fails in his attempt to clinch.
A low kick from Knight is predictable there
and Saidov counters with a two punch combo.
Knight shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Knight gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Knight pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Saidov tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Saidov tries to close the distance and clinch up but Knight swats him away and circles back towards the center.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Aaron Knight will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Knight lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Knight tries to land a leg kick but Saidov saw it coming and moves away.
Knight tries to bum rush Saidov with a series of wild strikes but Saidov uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Saidov tries to clinch up.
Saidov fails with an attempt to clinch.
Knight throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
No joy there for Knight, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Knight is looking to clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Saidov looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Saidov is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Saidov tries to clinch but Knight moves out of range.

Saidov rushes Knight and presses him up against the cage.
Knight is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Saidov slows down the pace here.
Knight working hard to break the clinch.
Saidov makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Saidov pressing his opponent against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ismail Saidov has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Ismail Saidov.
Saidov tries to clinch but Knight is having none of it.
Knight rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Saidov moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Knight looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Knight fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Saidov checks it well.
Knight will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Knight throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Saidov tries to close the distance and clinch but Knight swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Some wild striking there from Knight.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Saidov taking a breather.
Saidov keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Knight's efforts to push away.
Knight blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Come on Saidov - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
A shot in the inside from Saidov.
Saidov just leaning against Knight, taking a breather.
Knight has had enough of the clinch but Saidov keeps him there for the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Saidov working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Saidov stalls.
Saidov throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Knight blocks it with crossed arms.
Saidov leaning his opponent against the cage.
Saidov misses with a punch to the body.
Aaron Knight is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Saidov misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Knight.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ismail Saidov showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Knight has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Aaron Knight!