PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Aleksanteri Karelin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gunnar Steigelmann (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Karelin kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is CCCP. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Karelin
vs
Steigelmann

191 cm
28
286 lbs
20 - 12 - 0

199 cm
27
280 lbs
13 - 8 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

GREEN!160

Milwaukee's Best Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 20 - 12 - 0, fighting out of London, Aleksanteri Karelin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 8 - 0, fighting out of New York, Gunnar Steigelmann!
The judges for this bout are Richard Clark, Phil Schofield and James Atkins.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Steigelmann bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Karelin's head backwards.
Karelin avoids the body shot from Steigelmann.
We've been informed that Steigelmann has been sparring a lot of Muay Thai in the buildup to this fight so let's see if that has an impact on the result.
Steigelmann lands a jab to the head.
Karelin misses the shot to the body.
Gunnar Steigelmann seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Karelin misses with a body shot.
Steigelmann gets off balance looking for a body kick
and Karelin counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

Karelin rushes Steigelmann and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Steigelmann throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Steigelmann swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Steigelmann scores with an uppercut up the middle.
A nice left hand lands by Steigelmann.

It looks like Aleksanteri Karelin has been cut.
Steigelmann lands a left hand.
Steigelmann throws a head punch that misses.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Steigelmann throws a head punch that misses.
Steigelmann swings wildly with an uppercut but Karelin uses good head movement to avoid it.
Karelin takes an elbow to the temple.
Karelin struggles to land a body shot inside as Steigelmann controls his hands.
Karelin pushes Steigelmann back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Karelin doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
I was talking to Karelin's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Steigelmann lands an uppercut.
Steigelmann lands with a short head shot on the inside.

Aleksanteri Karelin's cut is getting worse.
Steigelmann throws a knee to the head but misses.
Steigelmann misses with an elbow over the top.
Karelin wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Steigelmann has him pressed against the cage.
Karelin tries a body shot but Steigelmann blocks it.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Steigelmann.
Steigelmann lands a left hand that snaps the head of Karelin backwards.
Steigelmann throws a punch but it's blocked by Karelin.
Steigelmann pushes Karelin back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Steigelmann lands a left hand.
Steigelmann scores with a nice hook to the head.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Karelin.
Steigelmann misses with a knee strike.
Steigelmann digs a right hand into Karelin's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Karelin's gas tank.
Karelin dodges an elbow strike from Steigelmann.
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!
Karelin swings away with an uppercut that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Steigelmann tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Karelin's elbow.
Steigelmann with a knee to the head.
Karelin misses with a body punch.
Karelin is trying to break free.
Steigelmann landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Karelin is breathing heavily.
Karelin tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Steigelmann lands a nice knee to the body.
Steigelmann working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Nice elbow from Steigelmann.

Aleksanteri Karelin's cut is bleeding quite badly. He's got to try and protect it.
Karelin blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Steigelmann can't find room to land a body shot as Karelin controls the action.

Karelin breaks from the clinch.
Steigelmann throws a leg kick which misses Karelin's front leg but catches the back leg as Karelin tries to avoid it.
Steigelmann lands with a straight right. Karelin didn't see that one coming.
Karelin misses with an uppercut.
Karelin circles away from the clinch attempt.
Karelin swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Karelin lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Steigelmann circles away quickly and effectively.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Steigelmann misses with a head kick.
Steigelmann lands with a thumping leg kick.
Steigelmann lands a nice hook to Karelin's body. Karelin takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Steigelmann throws a quick inside leg kick.
Steigelmann scores with a jab to the body.
Karelin needs to keep his hands up - Steigelmann had a free shot at his head there.
Steigelmann lands a right hook to the body.
Karelin on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
A big left from Karelin misses.
Steigelmann jabs at Karelin's body.
Steigelmann is looking to clinch.
Steigelmann tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Karelin was well out of range. Poor timing from Steigelmann.
Steigelmann connects with a leg kick. Karelin looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
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!
Karelin throws a body shot but no joy.
Karelin takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Steigelmann bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Steigelmann bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A punch combination from Karelin misses.
Steigelmann lands with a straight right. Karelin didn't see that one coming.
Steigelmann throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Karelin on the side of the head.

Jeez, Aleksanteri Karelin's cut is really nasty now. The referee must be thinking about getting that checked.
Karelin swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Karelin slips a straight right by Steigelmann.
Steigelmann lands with an uppercut that bounces Karelin off the cage and back into range.
Steigelmann swings for the body but Karelin moves out of range.
A little feinted left hand from Karelin on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Jab, jab by Steigelmann - just one landing.
Steigelmann rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Karelin moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Karelin misses with a body shot.
Karelin misses the shot to the body.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Steigelmann moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Steigelmann throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Karelin swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Steigelmann throws a sloppy body shot

and Karelin counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Steigelmann desperately trying to maintain half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gunnar Steigelmann dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Aleksanteri Karelin's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Karelin tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Steigelmann swivels and escapes.
Karelin ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Steigelmann moves away.
Steigelmann scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Steigelmann fails with an attempt to clinch.
Steigelmann explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Karelin throws an overhand right that lands on Steigelmann's shoulder, as Steigelmann tries to avoid the shot.
Karelin checks a leg kick nicely.
Steigelmann moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Steigelmann uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Karelin.
Karelin moves out of the way of the counter high kick fromSteigelmann.
Karelin misses with a wild body shot.
Steigelmann thumps Karelin with a low kick.
Steigelmann throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Steigelmann scores with a one two! Karelin had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Gunnar Steigelmann seems to be getting the better of the standup.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Karelin has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Steigelmann.
Steigelmann works the jab nicely.
Steigelmann rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Karelin moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Steigelmann scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Steigelmann lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Karelin backs up against the cage.
Steigelmann has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Karelin wants to clinch.
Karelin throws an overhand right that lands on Steigelmann's shoulder, as Steigelmann tries to avoid the shot.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Steigelmann.
Steigelmann connects with a body shot.
Steigelmann moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Karelin throws a hook to the side of Steigelmann's head but Steigelmann sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Gunnar Steigelmann is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Karelin has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Steigelmann.
Steigelmann throws a jab but it's blocked by Karelin.
Karelin just misses with a punch to the body.
Karelin scores with the left hand. Steigelmann knows he should have avoided that one.
Steigelmann misses with a kick to the body.
Steigelmann looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Karelin missing with a left hand there. Steigelmann was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Karelin listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
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!
Karelin swats away the attempt to clinch by Steigelmann.
Karelin swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Steigelmann let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
Steigelmann ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Steigelmann throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Karelin stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Karelin gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Steigelmann.
Steigelmann throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Steigelmann takes a jab right on the kisser.
Steigelmann connects with an inside leg kick.
Steigelmann has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Steigelmann connects with the punch.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at Aleksanteri Karelin's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:52 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Gunnar Steigelmann!
Gunnar Steigelmann decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.