PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Bale Krueger (ranked 2029 p4p, 2503 weight class) and Hakim Harko (ranked 225 p4p, 264 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Krueger
vs
Harko

195 cm
25
265
4 - 2 - 0

206 cm
25
275
2 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

Decent wrestler
Decent knees
Powerful

Sweet Leaf Supplements

EL ZOIDO FEEBLE 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 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Bale Krueger!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Hakim Harko!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Peter Branson and Winston Alpacca.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Harko connects with a crisp jab.
The fight stays on the outside here - Harko looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Harko with a body punch. A glancing blow.

Krueger gets tackled into the cage by Harko. Harko maintains the clinch.
Krueger scores with a shoulder strike.
Harko swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Krueger looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Krueger blocks an uppercut.
Stalling in the clinch from Krueger.

Krueger breaks from the clinch.
Krueger gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
The fight stays on the outside here - Harko looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Harko looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Krueger swats away the attempt to clinch by Harko.
Krueger appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Harko cracks Krueger with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harko tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Krueger counters with a nice right hand that sends Harko toppling to the canvas! Harko scrambles and gets back to his feet - can Krueger finish him?!

It looks like Hakim Harko has been cut.
Krueger throws a hook but Harko avoids it easily.
Harko misses with an uppercut. Krueger saw that one coming.
Krueger swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.

Harko instigates a clinch.
Krueger has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Krueger looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

Krueger pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
We've been told by Krueger's head coaches at Island Training Centre that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Krueger throws a shot from downtown. Harko moves away and avoids 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!
Harko walks into a straight right hand from Krueger.
Harko tries to clinch but Krueger is having none of it.

Harko pushes Krueger up against the cage in a clinch.
Krueger is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Krueger wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Harko misses with some punches.

Krueger pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Harko connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Krueger's hands.
Harko tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Krueger was well out of range. Poor timing from Harko.
Harko doesn't manage to clinch there - Krueger circles away.
Krueger was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Krueger is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Harko.
Harko tries to clinch up

and Krueger counters with a nice right hand that sends Harko toppling to the canvas! Harko scrambles and gets back to his feet - can Krueger finish him?!

Harko is rocked!
Harko tries to close the distance and clinch but Krueger swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Harko missing with a left hand there. Krueger was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Krueger with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Harko to score with a decent uppercut.
Krueger throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

Harko closes the distance and clinches.
Harko misses with a short punch on the inside.
Krueger wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Harko has him pressed against the cage.
Harko has Krueger pressed against the cage, preventing Krueger from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Harko letting Krueger take a breather here.
Harko goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

Krueger breaks the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Krueger misses with a series of wild punches.

Harko gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Krueger blocks a body shot from Harko.
Krueger wants to break free but Harko has control.
Krueger blocks a punch to the side of the head.

Krueger breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Hakim Harko seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Harko closes the distance and pushes Krueger back into the cage.
Harko trying to stall but Krueger improves his position.
A short left from Harko.
Harko misses with a body punch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Harko.

Krueger escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Krueger throws a big shot that misses.
Krueger drops his hands momentarily and Harko takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Krueger throws a body punch but Harko moves out of range.

Harko darts in and clinches Krueger up against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Krueger has had enough of the clinch but Harko keeps him there for the moment.
A frustrated look appears on Krueger's face as he tries to break the clinch.

Krueger's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Harko gets a clinch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Harko working aggressively here.
Harko misses with a punch on the inside.
Krueger wants to break the clinch but can't.
Harko trying to stall but Krueger improves his position.
Harko keeps control of Krueger as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Krueger has had enough of the clinch but Harko keeps him there for the moment.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Krueger as Harko tries to tie him up.

Krueger breaks the clinch.
Krueger drops his hands momentarily and Harko takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Krueger will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Harko throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Krueger on the side of the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Bale Krueger will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Hakim Harko's cut.
That's time! Krueger's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Krueger circles away from the clinch attempt.
A little feinted left hand from Krueger on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Harko misses with an uppercut
and Krueger counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Harko wants to clinch.
Harko tries to clinch up but Krueger circles away and keeps his distance.
Harko connects with a body shot.
Krueger throws a looping overhand right but Harko ducks down to avoid it.
Harko has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Harko lands an overhand right.
Nice straight punches there by Harko. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Harko.
Harko defending well as Krueger loads up on a big left hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harko throws a poor cross that misses
and Krueger counters with a nice uppercut.

That has opened up Hakim Harko's cut even more.
Nice straight punches there by Harko. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Harko.
Harko fails with an attempt to clinch.
Krueger takes one to the chin there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harko tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Krueger manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Krueger appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Krueger swats away the attempt to clinch by Harko.
Harko connects with a crisp jab.
Harko scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Harko tries to clinch but Krueger is having none of it.
Krueger was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Krueger takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Krueger presses Harko against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
A short body shot lands from Harko as the two fighters clinch.
Harko working aggressively here.
Harko tries to throw a body punch but Krueger avoids it by throwing Harko back against the cage.
Harko struggles to land a body shot inside as Krueger controls his hands.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Krueger manages to break the clinch.
Harko scores with a jab to the jaw.
Harko uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Krueger.
Harko wants to clinch.
Krueger swats away the attempt to clinch by Harko.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Krueger misses with a hook. Harko ducked under it nicely.
Harko connects with a body shot that sends Krueger's belly button to the back.
Harko tests Krueger's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Bale Krueger is winning the standup battle so far.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Krueger ducks under a wild hook from Harko.
Harko staying out of range there.
Harko tries to close the distance and clinch but Krueger swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Krueger is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Harko moves out of range as Krueger strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Krueger avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Krueger keeps the fight on the outside.
It looked like Krueger was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Harko.

Harko moves into the clinch.
Krueger is trying to break the clinch but Harko has him pressed against the cage.
Krueger blocks an uppercut.

Krueger pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Krueger scores with a decent looking hook.
Good shot there by Harko.
Harko stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Krueger lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Harko circles away quickly and effectively.
Harko is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Krueger takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Harko stalls.

Krueger breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harko misses with a straight right.
Harko fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Krueger tries to move into range but Harko moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Harko connects with a single shot there.
Harko moves away from the strike by Krueger.
Harko scores with a decent looking hook.
Harko tries to close the distance and clinch up but Krueger swats him away and circles back towards the center.
A telegraphed right hand from Harko misses the target.
Krueger was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Harko works Krueger's body with a nice hook.

Harko moves into the clinch.
A head punch on the inside from Harko fails to land.
Krueger 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.
Krueger stalls.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Harko.
Harko wants to stall.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hakim Harko showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Hakim Harko's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

A lazy left from Harko finds it's target.
A big right from Harko misses.

Harko has closed the distance and engaged Krueger in a clinch.

Krueger escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Harko fails with an attempt to clinch.
Harko cracks Krueger with a right hand to the side of the head.
Harko connects with a crisp jab.

Harko gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Krueger working hard to break the clinch.
Harko scores with an uppercut up the middle.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Krueger working hard to break the clinch.
Harko misses with a body punch.
Harko is trying to stall.
Harko misses with a hook from the clinch.
Krueger'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.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Krueger breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Krueger takes a swing at Harko's ribcage but misses.
Harko tries to close the distance and clinch up but Krueger swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Jab from Harko.
Harko is looking to clinch but Krueger is avoiding it.
A little feinted left hand from Krueger on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Nice defenses there by Harko.
Harko tries to clinch up.
Krueger avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
A little feinted left hand from Krueger on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Krueger misses with a looping right.
Harko tries to clinch but Krueger moves out of range.
Harko fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Krueger takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Harko scores with the left hand. Krueger knows he should have avoided that one.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harko dips to his left and cracks Krueger with an uppercut!
Harko misses with a looping right.

Harko rushes Krueger and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Harko keeps control of Krueger as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Harko has Krueger pressed against the cage, preventing Krueger from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Krueger looking to stall.
Harko swings wildly with an uppercut but Krueger uses good head movement to avoid it.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Krueger is trying to push Harko away but Harko has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Harko.
Krueger wants to get back to striking at distance but Harko won't allow it.
Krueger wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Harko misses with a short punch on the inside.

Krueger's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Harko scores with a nice strike.
Harko slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Harko dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A slow jab from Krueger misses its intended target.
Harko lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Krueger takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Harko avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Krueger looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Harko doesn't manage to clinch there - Krueger circles away.
Harko wants to clinch up but Krueger keeps it at a distance.
Krueger keeps the fight on the outside.
Krueger appears to be looking for a big counter.
Harko tries to close the distance and clinch but Krueger swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Harko lands an overhand right.
Jab by Harko.
Harko tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Krueger paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Harko rushes Krueger and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Krueger dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
A head punch on the inside from Harko fails to land.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harko lands with a short shot to the head.
Krueger blocks an uppercut.
A battle for position here, against the cage.

Krueger breaks from the clinch.
Nice shot by Harko.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Harko takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Krueger breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Krueger takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Harko slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Krueger ducks right into an uppercut from Harko.
Harko scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Krueger takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.

And that's the end of the fight!
Hakim Harko comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Harko has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Daniel Franklin scores the fight 28:29
Judge Peter Branson scores the fight 28:29
Judge Winston Alpacca scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Hakim Harko!
In his post fight interview, Hakim Harko started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.