PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Toktogulovich Bakiyev (ranked 2782 p4p, 277 weight class) and James Lesnar (ranked 3529 p4p, 348 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Bakiyev
vs
Lesnar

171 cm
44
163 lbs
35 - 42 - 1

210 cm
26
270 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Experienced

Decent wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Dr Zoidberg Office

Dr Zoidberg Office
SynCity Fightwear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 35 - 42 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Toktogulovich Bakiyev!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, James Lesnar!
The judges for this bout are Hirohito Nitta, Tatsuya Matsuyama and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lesnar misses with a combination
and Bakiyev counters with a nice body shot.
Lesnar fails in his attempt to clinch.
Bakiyev throws the left hand but Lesnar avoids the punch easily.
Lesnar ducks under a wild hook from Bakiyev.
Bakiyev looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Bakiyev swats away the attempt to clinch by Lesnar.
Bakiyev throws a shot from downtown. Lesnar moves away and avoids it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bakiyev takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Lesnar misses the jab.
James Lesnar seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Lesnar throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Lesnar tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Bakiyev counters with a straight right hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lesnar tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Bakiyev cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Bakiyev bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Bakiyev takes a swing at Lesnar's ribcage but misses.
Bakiyev avoids the body shot from Lesnar.
Bakiyev appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Bakiyev scores with the left hand. Lesnar knows he should have avoided that one.
A decent looking cross lands there for Bakiyev.
Bakiyev blocks a jab.
Bakiyev keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Lesnar.
A counter left hand to the body from Bakiyev misses its target.
Lesnar fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lesnar misses with a wild combination.
Lesnar closes the distance but Bakiyev moves to the side
and Bakiyev counters with a nice uppercut.
Bakiyev slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Lesnar tries to clinch up
and Bakiyev counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Lesnar throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Bakiyev counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Bakiyev lands a nice hook to Lesnar's body. Lesnar takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Bakiyev lands a nice looking body shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Lesnar is looking to clinch.
Lesnar misses with an uppercut
and Bakiyev counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Bakiyev lands a jab to Lesnar's midsection.
Bakiyev misses with a straight left.
Lesnar looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Lesnar swings widly with a right hand
and Bakiyev makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Lesnar throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Bakiyev counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Lesnar thinking.
Bakiyev with a hook.
Lesnar rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Bakiyev counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bakiyev connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Bakiyev jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Lesnar defending well as Bakiyev loads up on a big left hand.
Lesnar throws a hook to the side of Bakiyev's head but Bakiyev sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
A counter left hand to the body from Bakiyev misses its target.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Danga de danga de dang - Lesnar scores with a four punch combination!
Lesnar throws a lazy uppercut
and Bakiyev counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Bakiyev jabbing away but nothing is landing.
A jab from Bakiyev misses.
Bakiyev swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Lesnar unleashes a big counter combination but Bakiyev bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Lesnar might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Nice shot by Bakiyev.
Bakiyev works Lesnar's body with a nice hook.
Lesnar fails in his attempt to clinch.
Toktogulovich Bakiyev is winning the standup battle so far.

Lesnar drops Bakiyev with a hook right on the temple. He thinks about going to the ground but Bakiyev looks back up at him and smiles so Lesnar waves him back to his feet - he obviously thinks he can knock him out after that shot landed.

Bakiyev is rocked!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Lesnar fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Oh Bakiyev is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
James Lesnar is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Lesnar throws a right and a left that Bakiyev avoids nicely.
Lesnar throws a left and a right that both miss
and Bakiyev connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lesnar throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Lesnar tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Bakiyev counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Bakiyev jabs at Lesnar's body.
Bakiyev misses the shot to the body.
Bakiyev lands a right hook to the body.

Lesnar fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Bakiyev, pushing him back against the ropes.
Lesnar has Bakiyev pushed against the ropes.
Bakiyev keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Lesnar's efforts to push away.
Lesnar is trying to force a seperation but Bakiyev has the dominant position.
Lesnar slowing the pace effectively.
Bakiyev seems to have got his legs back now.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.

Bakiyev pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Bakiyev is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Lesnar can do to turn this around?
Lesnar looks to land a left hand but Bakiyev moved out of range nicely.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Bakiyev defending well as Lesnar loads up on a big left hand.
Bakiyev uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Lesnar has time to react.
Bakiyev scores with a jab to the jaw.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Toktogulovich Bakiyev dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Lesnar is looking to clinch.
Lesnar throws an off balance right hand
and Bakiyev makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Lesnar wants to clinch but Bakiyev slips to the side
and Bakiyev counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Bakiyev fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Lesnar throws a series of punches but Bakiyev avoids them all with ease.
Bakiyev punishes Lesnar's body with a nice straight punch.
Lesnar fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Bakiyev manages to avoid it.
Bakiyev swings for the body but Lesnar moves out of range.
Lesnar swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lesnar needs to keep his hands up - Bakiyev had a free shot at his head there.
Good shot there by Bakiyev.
Lesnar is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lesnar misses with a combination
and Bakiyev counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Lesnar moves to clinch but Bakiyev breaks away
and Bakiyev connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Bakiyev scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Lesnar looks to clinch
and Bakiyev counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Lesnar thinking.
Bakiyev avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Lesnar moves out of range of the strikes.
It seemed like Lesnar was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Lesnar scores with a jab. Bakiyev acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Lesnar darts in trying to clinch
and Bakiyev counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bakiyev misses with an uppercut. Lesnar saw that one coming.
Lesnar misses the body punch
and Bakiyev counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Bakiyev digs a good body shot into Lesnar's ribs.
Lesnar ducks under a wild hook from Bakiyev.
Bakiyev scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Lesnar doesn't manage to clinch there - Bakiyev circles away.
It looked like Bakiyev was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Lesnar.
Lesnar is looking to clinch but Bakiyev is avoiding it.
Lesnar wants to clinch
and Bakiyev cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

And that's the end of the fight!
Toktogulovich Bakiyev showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Bakiyev, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 30:27
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Toktogulovich Bakiyev!
A relieved looking Toktogulovich Bakiyev thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.