PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Zion Zadeer (ranked 5504 p4p, 5268 weight class) and Fela Kuti (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Fela Kuti will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Zadeer
vs
Kuti

180 cm
23
185
2 - 1 - 0

192 cm
18
195
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Powerful

Brooklyn Apothecary

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Zion Zadeer!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Fela Kuti!
The judges for this bout are Columbo Gatti, Reed Andrews and John Kavanagh.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kuti ducks under a wild hook from Zadeer.
Kuti takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Kuti walks into a jab.
Zadeer connects with a looping right hand.
Kuti stuns Zadeer with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Zion Zadeer seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Zadeer feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Kutis jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
The fighters circling - Kuti throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Nice straight punches there by Zadeer. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Zadeer.
Zadeer throws a hook but Kuti blocks it.
Zadeer ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Kuti moves away.
Kuti tries to move into range but Zadeer moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Zadeer ducks right into an uppercut from Kuti.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Zadeer has a couple of punches blocked by Kuti.
Kuti throws a punch but it's blocked by Zadeer.
Zadeer lands a shoulder strike.
Kuti throws a punch but it's blocked by Zadeer.
Kuti swings wildly with an uppercut but Zadeer uses good head movement to avoid it.
Zadeer misses with a hook from the clinch.
Kuti lands an uppercut.

Zadeer escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Zadeer tries to keep at a distance but Kuti has taken the fight into the clinch.
Kuti blocks an uppercut.
Zadeer presses Kuti against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Kuti swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Kuti swings wildly with an uppercut but Zadeer uses good head movement to avoid it.
Zadeer lands a shoulder strike.
Kuti blocking some punches.
Zadeer lands a nice uppercut.
Zadeer misses with a short punch on the inside.
Kuti throws a punch but it's blocked by Zadeer.
Kuti tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Kuti blocking some punches.
Zadeer blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Zadeer softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Kuti lands a left hand.
A short right from Zadeer.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Kuti.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A shot in the inside from Kuti.
Kuti lands a hook that snaps the head of Zadeer backwards.
Zadeer misses with some punches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kuti works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Kuti.
Zadeer tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Kuti's elbow.
Kuti has a couple of punches blocked by Zadeer.
Zadeer swings wildly with an uppercut but Kuti uses good head movement to avoid it.

Zadeer breaks the clinch.
Zadeer misses with a body shot.
Zadeer scores with a hook to the body. Kuti takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Zadeer misses with a lunging right hand
and Kuti cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

It looks like Zion Zadeer has been cut.
Kuti throws a hook but Zadeer blocks it.
Kuti tests Zadeer's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Kuti walks into a stiff left hand from Zadeer.
Decent striking displayed by Kuti there.
Zadeer looks to land a right hand but Kuti moved out of range.
Zadeer throws a right hand that misses

and Kuti counters with a crisp right hand that drops Zadeer! Kuti lets Zadeer back up to his feet, looking for a finish!
Zadeer takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.

Zadeer is rocked!
A jab from Zadeer misses.
Zadeer looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Oh Zadeer is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Zadeer throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kuti misses with a hook. Zadeer ducked under it nicely.
Zadeer seems to have got his legs back now.
Zadeer scores with the left hand. Kuti knows he should have avoided that one.
Good standup being displayed there by Zadeer as he connects with a hook.

Kuti sends Zadeer crashing to the mat with a devastating uppercut! Kuti is motioning to the referee to let Zadeer up. He wants to try and finish this one on the feet!
Kuti slips under a jab from Zadeer.
A little jabbing left from Kuti on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Nice defenses there by Kuti.
Zadeer misses with an uppercut. Kuti saw that one coming.
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!
Zadeer misses with a looping right.
Zadeer fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Kuti on the side of the head.
Zadeer takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Zadeer swings away with a body shot that misses

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

Zion Zadeer's cut is getting worse.
Zadeer bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Zadeer looks up at the clock. Bad move! Kuti lands a right hand from hell, dropping Zadeer. Kuti pounces and finishes the fight with a flurry of punches and elbows.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:46 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Fela Kuti!