PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Keijo Maki (ranked 1394 p4p, 1217 weight class) and Michael Salazar (ranked 186 p4p, 165 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.

Maki
vs
Salazar

205 cm
26
220
7 - 3 - 0

193 cm
30
215
16 - 7 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Keijo Maki!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 7 - 0, fighting out of New York, Michael Salazar!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Timothy Bukovac and Don Winkell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Maki throws a jab but it's blocked by Salazar.

Salazar gets a clinch.

Salazar manages to break the clinch.
Maki tried to score with a low kick but Salazar checks it.
Maki cracks a nice hook into Salazar's ribs.
Salazar has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Salazar moves to clinch but Maki breaks away
letting Maki counter with a right hand.
Salazar drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.

Salazar drives through and clinches with Maki against the cage.
Maki avoiding damage.
Maki cracks Salazar with a nice body shot.
Maki blocks a body shot from Salazar.
Maki lands a hook to the side of the head.
Maki prevents a body shot from Salazar.

Maki escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Maki scores with the left hand. Salazar knows he should have avoided that one.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Maki throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maki scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Maki throws a lazy right hand but Salazar sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Maki looks to throw a body kick
and Salazar counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Maki thinking.
Maki throws an overhand right that lands on Salazar's shoulder, as Salazar tries to avoid the shot.

Salazar has closed the distance and engaged Maki in a clinch.
Salazar is working Maki over against the cage.
Salazar fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Salazar lands a hook to the side of the head.
Maki has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Maki misses with the head strike.
Salazar working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Maki misses with a body punch.
Maki lands a body shot in the clinch.
Maki blocks an elbow strike.

Maki breaks from the clinch.
Maki throws a leg kick that misses.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Maki.
Salazar throws out a counter right but Maki avoids it with no problem.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maki tries to land a leg kick but Salazar saw it coming and moves away.

Salazar clinches up against the cage.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Maki lands with a light punch inside.
A head punch on the inside from Salazar fails to land.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Salazar.
Salazar swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Maki working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Salazar managing to block the knees to the body from Maki.
Maki taking a breather.
Salazar blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Maki blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Maki tries to work over Salazar's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Salazar misses with a punch to the body.
Maki is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Salazar is keeping busy.
Maki throws a head punch that misses.
Maki missing with knees to the body.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Salazar.
Maki tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Salazar tries to throw a body punch but Maki avoids it by throwing Salazar back against the cage.
Maki struggles to land a body shot inside as Salazar controls his hands.
Salazar takes a knee right on the jaw!
Salazar leaning his opponent against the cage.
Salazar tries to throw a body punch but Maki avoids it by throwing Salazar back against the cage.
Maki swings wildly with an uppercut but Salazar uses good head movement to avoid it.
Salazar letting Maki take a breather here.
Maki lands a body punch in the clinch.
Salazar misses with some punches.
Salazar lands with a light punch inside.
Maki tries to throw a body punch but Salazar avoids it by throwing Maki back against the cage.
Salazar doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Salazar working aggressively here.
Salazar misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Maki connects with a knee to the head.

It looks like Michael Salazar has been cut.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maki misses with a knee to the head.
Salazar pressing his opponent against the cage.
Maki lands a body punch.
Salazar lands with a short shot to the head.
Maki has a couple of punches blocked by Salazar.
Salazar blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Maki digs a right hand into Salazar's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Salazar's gas tank.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Maki.
Maki struggles to land a body shot inside as Salazar controls his hands.
A shot in the inside from Maki.
Good body shot from Salazar.
Maki lands a nice knee to the body.

Maki's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Maki cracks Salazar with a good jab.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Maki, as that shot connected.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Keijo Maki dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Michael Salazar's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Salazar has Maki up against the cage in a clinch.
Maki throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Salazars head.
Salazar misses with a body punch.
Maki working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Salazar fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Salazar taking a breather.
Maki gets through Salazar's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Salazar takes a shot to the head.
Maki controlling the action here for a moment.

Maki breaks the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A nice leg kick from Maki, right into the meat of the thigh.
Maki throws a front kick that sends Salazar stumbling back into the cage.
Salazar on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Maki. Maki obviously looking to wear him down.
Maki throws a jab when Salazar was well out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maki throws a looping overhand right but Salazar ducks down to avoid it.
Maki fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Salazar on the side of the head.
Maki scoring well with a low kick there.
Good work by Salazar as he checks the leg kick.
Salazar tries to close the distance and clinch but Maki swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Salazar fakes the leg kick and cracks Maki in the body.
Maki scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Maki is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Salazar can do to turn this around?
A telegraphed right hand from Salazar misses the target.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Maki lands a right hand.

Maki breaks the clinch.
Maki misses the shot to the body.
Salazar walks forward, straight into a front kick from Maki.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maki throws a front kick aimed at Salazar's knee but Salazar avoids it well.
Keijo Maki seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Salazar closes the distance and pushes Maki back into the cage.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Maki misses with a short punch on the inside.
Maki is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Maki misses with a knee to the head.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Maki.
Salazar misses with a body punch.
Maki's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!

Salazar breaks the clinch.
Keijo Maki is winning the standup battle so far.
Maki looks to throw the jab but Salazar is out of range.
Good standup being displayed there by Maki as he connects with a hook.
Maki throws a nice outside leg kick.
Maki looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Maki 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.
Good leg kick by Maki.
Salazar swings and misses with a hook to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Salazar looks to clinch
and Salazar takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Maki is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Salazar is looking to clinch but Maki is avoiding it.
Maki lifts his leg as if looking to counter with a high kick.
Maki lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Salazar takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Salazar's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Maki throws a leg kick
and Salazar counters with a left to the body.
Maki lands with a right hand.
A decent looking cross lands there for Maki.
Maki's corner calls for a 1-2. Maki obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Salazar tries to close the distance and clinch up but Maki swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Maki pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Maki buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Salazar walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
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!
Nice jab there from Maki.
Nice body kick there by Maki.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maki connects with a nice looking jab.
Maki throws a push kick but Salazar slaps the foot to one side.
Salazar appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Salazar has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Maki.
Maki avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Salazar tries to clinch there but Maki circles away.
Maki throws a lazy body kick
and Salazar counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Salazar ducks right into an uppercut from Maki.

Salazar clinches up against the cage.
Maki can't find room to land a body shot as Salazar controls the action.

Salazar's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Maki works Salazar's body with a nice hook.
Salazar darts in trying to clinch
and Maki counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Keijo Maki dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Michael Salazar's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Salazar on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Maki. Maki obviously looking to wear him down.
Maki jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Salazar wants to clinch
and Maki counters with a slapping leg kick.
Salazar takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Salazar looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Maki throws a jab when Salazar was well out of range.
A solid leg kick lands there for Maki.
No joy there for Salazar, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
An inside leg kick from Maki misses.
Maki misses with an uppercut.
A solid body kick from Maki.
Maki motions for Salazar to come forward. Maki throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.

That's one minute gone in the round.
That kick from Maki tenderised Salazar's leg. Salazar is trying to keep his angry face on.

Salazar rushes Maki and presses him up against the cage.
Salazar tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Maki.
Salazar misses with a hook from the clinch.
Salazar swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Maki lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Salazar backwards.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Salazar creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Maki takes a shot to the head.
Maki struggles to land a body shot inside as Salazar controls his hands.
Maki lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Maki with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Maki lands a knee to the head.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Salazar lands a hook to the side of the head.
Salazar misses with a short punch on the inside.
Salazar misses with a hook to the ribs.
A short right from Maki.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Salazar tries a knee to the head but Maki blocks it.
Maki lands with a short punch from the clinch.

Salazar breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Maki scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Salazar doesn't seem bothered though.
Maki misses with a low kick.

Salazar has closed the distance and engaged Maki in a clinch.
Maki tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Salazar swings wildly with an uppercut but Maki uses good head movement to avoid it.
Maki lands a knee to the head.
Salazar takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Salazar blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Maki throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Salazar blocks it with crossed arms.

Salazar's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Salazar tries to close the distance and clinch up but Maki swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Maki lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maki moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Maki cracks Salazar with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Maki paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.

Salazar is rocked!
Maki misses with a low kick.
Salazar is still on wobbly legs! Can Maki finish him?
Maki swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Salazar bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Salazar seems to have recovered his senses.

Salazar has closed the distance and engaged Maki in a clinch.
Nice body punch from Maki.
Salazar tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
You can see that Salazar has visibly slowed down as a result of the leg kicks
Salazar fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Maki lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Salazar struggles to land a body shot inside as Maki controls his hands.
A right handed body shot lands from Maki.

Maki drops Salazar with a big knee straight up the middle! Salazar is covering up against the cage but manages to escape and gets back to his feet!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Salazar moves into range and clinches up with Maki.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maki landing knees to the head.
Maki misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Maki presses Salazar against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Still in the clinch, Maki scores with a nice short uppercut.

Maki breaks the clinch.
That kick from Maki tenderised Salazar's leg. Salazar is trying to keep his angry face on.
Maki lands a nice looking body kick.
Maki with the inside leg kick.

Maki drops Salazar with a beautiful combination! Salazar stares up at his opponent, who ushers him back to his feet - Maki is looking for the KO!
Michael Salazar has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
I'm just looking down at my notes here and I see that.... oh! Maki has cracked Salazar with a big right, followed by a left! He's out on his feet! Maki lands another huge swinging hook and Salazar tumbles to the canvas! The ref dives in to save Salazar, before Maki can land any more shots!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:45 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Punches). Keijo Maki!
Keijo Maki decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.
Michael Salazar was interviewed post fight and said 'The belt belongs to me, it will be reclaimed. '.