PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Lyman Kissell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nick Zal (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Kissell
vs
Zal

160 cm
21
141 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

170 cm
30
152 lbs
14 - 9 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Decent wrestler
Counter fighter
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Lyman Kissell!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Nick Zal!
The judges for this bout are Igor Prikhodko, Viktor Lagutenko and Valeri Chadov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kissell chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Kissell throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
A telegraphed right hand from Zal misses the target.
A head kick from Kissell lands but Zal takes it in his stride.
Kissell throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
No joy there for Kissell, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Kissell lands with a nice body kick.
Zal's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Kissell connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Zal scrambles back to his feet.
Kissell sizes up Zal with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Kissell lands a nice looking kick to the body. Zal takes a step back to recover.
Kissell throws a nice head kick!

Zal is rocked!
Zal gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Kissell.
Zal is still on wobbly legs! Can Kissell finish him?
Kissell uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Zal has time to react.
Kissell lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Zal circles away quickly and effectively.
Kissell scores with a kick to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zal swings for the body but Kissell moves out of range.
Kissell scores with a hook to the body. Zal takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Zal seems to have recovered his senses.
Kissell keeps Zal at a distance using the push kick.
Zal misses with a straight left.
Kissell displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Zal throws out the jab.
A little feinted left hand from Kissell on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Kissell throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Kissell lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Kissell lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Zal throws a big shot that misses.
Zal connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Kissell ducks under a wild hook from Zal.
Kissell lands with a nice body kick.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Zal takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Kissell ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Kissell lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zal takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Zal looks winded!
Zal misses with a jab to the body
and Kissell counters with a leg kick.
Zal swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Kissell cracks Zal with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Kissell connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Zal momentarily.
Zal misses with a combination
and Kissell counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Sloppy strikes from Kissell. Those never looked like landing.

A big head kick from Kissell and Zal is sent sprawling to the canvas!
Kissell scoring with punches to the head and body.
Kissell postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Kissell lands a couple of elbows.
Zal is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Zal really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Kissell. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kissell's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Kissell scoring with punches to the head and body.
Kissell passes into half guard.
Kissell slows the pace down in half guard.
Kissell landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Kissell looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Kissell is taking a breather. Zal says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kissell is nestled in close to Zal, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Kissell performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Kissell is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Zal is trying to stand up here but Kissell is controlling him well.
Kissell seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Zal does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Kissell has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Kissell is nestled in close to Zal, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lyman Kissell dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Kissell throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Kissell!
Zal sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Zal avoids a kick to the body.
Nice cross by Kissell.
Zal on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
It looks like Kissell has been trying to sharpen up his punching technique, as it looks crisper than last time we saw him.
Zal's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Kissell connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Zal scrambles back to his feet.
Zal falls off balance throwing a combination
and Kissell counters with a nice leg kick.
Zal throws a left and a right that both miss
and Kissell counters with a body kick that stops Zal in his tracks momentarily.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Kissell tests Zal's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Zal has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Kissell.
Zal is breathing heavily.
Zal gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Kissell.
Kissell darts in looking for a takedown but Zal gets double underhooks and turns Kissell into the cage.
Zal looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kissell fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Zal avoids it really well and circles away.
Zal throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Kissell throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Zal's waist but Zal gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Kissell off to one side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Lyman Kissell. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Thud! ouch! good body kick from Kissell - that will leave a mark!
Kissell bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Zal looks to land a combination but Kissell avoids it well.
Zal has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Kissell.
Kissell ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Zal takes a jab right on the kisser.
Kissell keeps Zal at a distance using the push kick.
Lyman Kissell seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kissell lands a front kick.
Kissell lands with a kick to the ribs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zal walks forward, straight into a front kick from Kissell.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Kissell jabs Zal right on the nose. Zal blinks but takes it well.
Lyman Kissell is winning the standup battle so far.
Kissell connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Zal momentarily.
Kissell lands a nice looking body shot.

Kissell sets himself and throws a head kick that knocks Zal to the ground! Kissell dives into full mount looking to finish!
Zal is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Zal is in a horrible position here. Kissell smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Kissell raining down shots from the mount!
Kissell dominating with strikes here.
Kissell punishing his opponent with strikes.
Lyman Kissell overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kissell scoring with strikes but Zal is staying in there.
Kissell tries to control but Zal wriggling away.
Kissell unloading with bombs!
Kissell with shots to the head and body - Zal looks very uncomfortable down there.
Kissell connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Kissell raining down hammerfists from mount.
Kissell postures up and lands a whopping elbow - oh that's hurt Zal bigstyle! Two more strikes land for Kissell and the fight is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:59 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Lyman Kissell!
Lyman Kissell took to the mic after the fight and begged the organizational hierarchy for a shot at the title.