PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight kickboxing rules bout between Chol-Hyon An (ranked 4082 p4p, 96 weight class) and Hippo Potamus (ranked 5471 p4p, 114 weight class). An comes to the ring accompanied by Aegukka (DPRK national anthem). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

An
vs
Potamus

193 cm
29
221 lbs
6 - 9 - 0

196 cm
23
245 lbs
8 - 4 - 0

Great low kicks
Very strong

Excellent MT
Granite chin

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 6 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Chol-Hyon An!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Hippo Potamus!
The judges for this bout are Radbod Blank, Saam Ante and Paulsen Ambrosius.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Potamus ducks down and throws a hook to the body but An moves away.
An throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Potamus misses with an attempted mid kick.
An does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
An throws a leg kick
and Potamus counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
An scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
An misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Potamus.
An is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
An tries to clinch up.
An throws a head kick but Potamus moves out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
An tries to land a body kick
and Potamus cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
A head kick from An lands but Potamus takes it in his stride.
An throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
A nice inside leg kick there by An. That's going to slow Potamus down.
An throws a sloppy head kick and Potamus moves out of range easily.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A slapping leg kick lands for Potamus.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Potamus is looking to slow An down with leg kicks.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Potamus.
Potamus swings and misses with a hook to the body.
An throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Potamus misses with a wild body shot.
An lands a nice leg kick that just misses Potamus's sensitive parts.
Potamus is looking to score with low kicks.
An tries to clinch there but Potamus circles away.
A slapping leg kick lands for Potamus.
Potamus throws a nice inside leg kick.
Chol-Hyon An seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
An swings for the body but Potamus moves out of range.
Potamus is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Potamus takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
A jab from An misses.
Potamus counters with a body kick.
Potamus checks the leg kick.
Potamus appeared to try and counter that last move with a leg kick.
An tries to clinch but Potamus is having none of it.
Potamus swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
An tries to clinch but Potamus is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
An tries to clinch but Potamus is having none of it.
Both fighters circling a little - Potamus finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
A low kick from An is predictable there
and Potamus counters with a body kick that stops An in his tracks momentarily.
A chopping leg kick lands by An.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
An has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Potamus.
An walks into a stiff left hand from Potamus.
An throws a leg kick but Potamus sees it coming and moves out of range.
An turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
An takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
A nice inside leg kick there by Potamus. That's going to slow An down.
Hippo Potamus is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
An tries to land a body kick
and Potamus counters with a one-two to the body.
Potamus takes one to the side of the head.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Potamus lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Potamus misses with a punch on the inside.
An using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Potamus has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hippo Potamus dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

An tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. Potamus manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
An tries to work over Potamus's front leg with a kick but Potamus checks it.
Chol-Hyon An is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Potamus lands a jab to the nose.
Potamus looks to land a body kick but An moved away.
An tries to clinch up but Potamus circles away and keeps his distance.
An throws a wild body kick that Potamus sees coming a mile off.
Potamus flicks out a counter leg kick but An steps away.
A low kick from An is predictable there
and Potamus counters with a stiff right hand.
An lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Potamus lands a nice looking body kick.
An throws a leg kick
and Potamus counters with a nice leg kick.
Potamus throws a leg kick that is checked

and An counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by An.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Potamus lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Potamus throws a head punch that misses.

Potamus breaks the clinch.
An takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

An has taken the fight to the clinch.
The referee calls for An to work.
An misses with a hook from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

An breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Potamus lands a head kick!
An is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
An tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
An misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Potamus.
An throws a body punch but Potamus moves out of range.
A leg kick checked by Potamus.
Potamus dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
An misses with a low kick as Potamus jumps back.
Potamus scores with a jab to the jaw.
An tries to score with a low kick but Potamus moves his leg out of the way.

An moves into the clinch.
Potamus has An pressed against the ropes, preventing An from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
An pushes off an throws an elbow but Potamus leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the ropes.

Potamus breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
An closes the distance but Potamus moves to the side
and Potamus counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Potamus throws a nice outside leg kick.

An forces Potamus back against the ropes and clinches.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
An working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Potamus gets through An's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Potamus pushes off an throws an elbow but An leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the ropes.

Potamus pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
An scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
An scoring well with a low kick there.
That kick from Potamus tenderised An's leg. An is trying to keep his angry face on.
A good leg kick by Potamus.
An throws a low kick but Potamus avoids it.
An misses with an attempted mid kick.
Potamus throws out a counter right but An avoids it with no problem.
An fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Potamus checks it well.
Potamus looks like he wants to counter punch here.
An misses with a jab to the body
and Potamus makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. An really felt that one!
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.

An gets a clinch.
Potamus is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but An is keeping busy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hippo Potamus showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Potamus looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Chol-Hyon An has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
A solid leg kick lands there for An.
An fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Potamus is out of range.
An chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Potamus can pounce on him.
An throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Potamus flicks out a counter leg kick but An steps away.
An wants to clinch up but Potamus keeps it at a distance.
Potamus avoids the head kick by An.
Potamus flicks out a counter leg kick but An steps away.
Potamus checks a leg kick.
An cracks a nice hook into Potamus's ribs.
An is looking to score with low kicks.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
An throws a half hearted mid kick.
An looks to clinch
and Potamus counters with a nice body kick.
An looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Nice body kick from An.
An is looking to land body kicks.

That's one minute gone in the round.
An throws a half hearted mid kick.
An fakes the leg kick and cracks Potamus in the body.
An throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
An throws a leg kick
and Potamus counters with a stiff right hand.
An throws a predictable looking body shot
and Potamus connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

An moves into the clinch.
An prevents a body shot from Potamus.

Potamus manages to break the clinch.
An throws a sloppy head kick and Potamus moves out of range easily.
Potamus tries a quick counter leg kick but An is wise to it.
An throws a leg kick but Potamus sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Potamus has been working his punching technique in the buildup to the fight and it appears to be paying off.
Potamus is on the wrong end of a nice combination from An.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
An doesn't manage to clinch there - Potamus circles away.
Potamus only half commits to the counter leg kick.
An pivots, looking for a leg kick but Potamus is out of range and An settles back down.
Hippo Potamus seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Good work by Potamus as he checks the leg kick.
Jab by Potamus.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Potamus scores with a punch to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
An stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Potamus.
Potamus scores with a jab to the body.
Potamus ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
An takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
A low kick from An is predictable there
and Potamus counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Potamus has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Potamus there as he acknowledges the shot.
Potamus lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
An throws a leg kick
and Potamus counters with a nice body shot.
A thudding body kick lands there by Potamus!
An has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Potamus.
Potamus has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Potamus lands a body shot.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Potamus bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Potamus scores with a hook.
An misses with a head kick.
Potamus scores with a kick to the midsection.

And that's the end of the fight!
Hippo Potamus comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Potamus winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Radbod Blank scores the fight for Hippo Potamus!
Judge Saam Ante scores the fight for Hippo Potamus!
Judge Paulsen Ambrosius scores the fight for Hippo Potamus!

Hippo Potamus wins by unanimous decision!
After winning the bout, Hippo Potamus thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.
Chol-Hyon An was interviewed post fight and said 'Forgiveness, preasuh.'.