PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jun Liu (ranked 1647 p4p, 2529 weight class) and Krisko Kurtev (ranked 224 p4p, 335 weight class). The key to victory for Jun Liu has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Liu
vs
Kurtev

192 cm
26
199
7 - 8 - 0

189 cm
26
193
8 - 10 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

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 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jun Liu!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Krisko Kurtev!
The judges for this bout are Steve Erwin, John Mangel and Hugh Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kurtev has his takedown stuffed
enabling Liu to counter with a crisp jab.
Kurtev on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Kurtev takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Liu circles away from the clinch attempt.
Liu bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Kurtev doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Liu looks to land a body kick but Kurtev moved away.
Horrible takedown attempt by Kurtev or perhaps it was just good defense by Liu, which made it look bad.

Kurtev clinches with his opponent.
Kurtev is looking for a takedown.
Jun Liu has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Krisko Kurtev.
Liu scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Liu lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Liu is pressed up against the cage. Kurtev has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Liu down to the mat. Liu avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Kurtev drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.

Kurtev bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Liu dodges the ground and pound from Kurtev.
Liu is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Liu struggling a bit here.
Kurtev is looking to take a break and control but Liu is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Kurtev working away.
Kurtev in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Kurtev throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Liu takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Kurtev misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Liu's coaches at Roosters Coop have been working on his defensive grappling in preparation for this fight so let's see if he can get out of this tricky position.
Liu is not content to let Kurtev control the position.
Liu is not in a great position here, taking some shots.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Liu is looking for a sweep.
Kurtev misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Kurtev misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Liu is in a bad spot here and he knows it... just holding on for now.
Liu is trying to improve his position.
Liu is holding Kurtev down, trying to stall.
You can see the frustration on Liu's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Liu tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Liu can't do much from the bottom here.
Liu is looking to reverse the position.
Liu is trying to control Kurtev's posture but Kurtev avoids it.
Liu is trying to improve his position.
Kurtev working away.
Kurtev fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Kurtev is putting a hurting on Liu here, landing some big shots from side control.
Liu takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Liu regains half guard.
Liu is staying active underneath Kurtev, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Kurtev takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Kurtev has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Liu is controlling Kurtev's position as best he can from this difficult position.
Kurtev thows a huge punch but Liu dodges it nicely.
Liu trying to control but Kurtev postures up.
Kurtev thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Liu is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Kurtev prevents Liu from improving his position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Kurtev trying to pass the guard but Liu defending well.
Liu tries to get to full guard but Kurtev has control of the leg.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Krisko Kurtev will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Kurtev tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Liu paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Liu throws an off balance right hand
and Liu takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

Kurtev looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Liu!

Liu explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
Liu wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Good exchange - Liu coming out on top.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kurtev fails with a takedown attempt.
Liu keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Kurtev takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Krisko Kurtev seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kurtev is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Liu.

Kurtev drives through and clinches with Liu against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Liu prevents the takedown attempt.
Jun Liu has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Krisko Kurtev.
Liu lands a right hand that snaps the head of Kurtev backwards.
Liu tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Kurtev's elbow.
A short uppercut from Liu.
A shot in the inside from Liu.
Liu lands with a right to the head.
Kurtev is looking to take this one to the mat.
Kurtev wants to take the fight to the mat but Liu manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.

Liu breaks from the clinch.
Horrible takedown attempt by Kurtev or perhaps it was just good defense by Liu, which made it look bad.
Jun Liu is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Kurtev shoots and misses
and Liu connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Liu bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Kurtev tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Liu swivels and escapes.
Liu throwing a counter right hand but Kurtev manages to avoid it.
Liu swats away the attempt to clinch by Kurtev.
Liu is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Kurtev can do to turn this around?
Liu throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Kurtev closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Liu's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Liu looking to control.
Liu seems keen to control Kurtev's posture.
Liu not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Kurtev is in close to Liu's body, working some short punches and elbows.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Liu holds on and takes a little breather.
Both fighters have adopted an aggressive gameplan on the ground!
Krisko Kurtev has got the better of the ground game so far.
Liu continues to stall.
Kurtev postures up and lands a big shot to Liu's brow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Liu keeping moving, preventing Kurtev from controlling successfully.
Liu pulls Kurtev in close to prevent any damage.
Liu is looking to stand up but Kurtev isn't so interested in that idea.
Kurtev scoring with punches to the head and body.
Liu not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Liu wants to stand up but Kurtev is controlling him.
Kurtev trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Kurtev works over Liu with some ground and pound from guard.
Liu has momentary wrist control but Kurtev slips an elbow through the middle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kurtev trying to control but Liu is working from the bottom.
Kurtev might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Liu haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Liu utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Liu pulls Kurtev in to control the position.
Liu controls Kurtev momentarily but Kurtev frees himself.
Liu controlling Kurtev's posture.
Kurtev scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Liu preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Liu holds on and takes a little breather.
Kurtev wants to control from the top but Liu keeps moving.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Jun Liu dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Kurtev shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Liu sprawls well. Liu wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Kurtev gets slowly back to his feet.
Liu scores with a kick to the body.
Kurtev cracks a nice hook into Liu's ribs.
Kurtev shoots in but Liu avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Jun Liu is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Liu just misses with a punch to the body.
Nice sprawl there from Liu as Kurtev shoots in.
Jun Liu has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Krisko Kurtev.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kurtev walks into a jab.
Kurtev scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.

Kurtev drives through with a takedown into Liu's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.

Liu has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Kurtev off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Liu with a body punch. A glancing blow.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kurtev gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Liu connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Kurtev on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Kurtev has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Liu.
Kurtev is looking to clinch but Liu is avoiding it.
Kurtev wants to clinch up but Liu keeps it at a distance.
Liu looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Nice uppercut lands for Liu. That snapped Kurtev's head back.
Liu connects with a crisp jab.
Kurtev tries to clinch but Liu is having none of it.
Kurtev shoots for a double leg takedown but Liu sprawls well. He's pushed Kurtev's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Kurtev is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Liu was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Liu misses with a series of wild punches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Liu throws a push kick but Kurtev slaps the foot to one side.
Liu moves into range and lands a nice body kick.

Kurtev manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Liu on his heels. He'll look to pass Liu's guard now, I'm sure.
Liu is looking to stand back up but Kurtev counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Liu.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Kurtev prevents Liu from standing back up.
Kurtev lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Liu is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Liu trying to hold on to Kurtev's head to control him but Kurtev postures up.
Liu is not content to let Kurtev control the position.
Liu is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Liu trying to control but Kurtev postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Liu keeping control of the position.
Liu moves into full guard.
Kurtev trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Kurtev throws a big elbow that misses.
Liu pulls Kurtev in close to prevent any damage.
Liu is trying to keep Kurtev in close.
Liu is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Kurtev dives into side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Liu defending against the ground and pound.
Liu wants to control but Kurtev postures up.
Liu wants to get back to his feet.
Kurtev lands some shots froms side control.
Liu is trying to buck Kurtev off.
Kurtev lands an elbow.

It looks like Jun Liu has been cut.
Liu can't do much from the bottom here.
Kurtev works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.

Liu is rocked!

And that's the end of the fight!
Jun Liu showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Liu has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Steve Erwin scores the fight 29:28
Judge John Mangel scores the fight 29:28
Judge Hugh Johnson scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jun Liu!
Jun Liu decided to hype himself up post fight. It was going well but he went on about it a bit too long and the crowd turned on him a little.