PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Kendo Hirigushi (ranked 264 p4p, 2134 weight class) and Larson Picker (ranked 4 p4p, 81 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.

Hirigushi
vs
Picker

181 cm
35
160
28 - 15 - 0

180 cm
39
165
33 - 19 - 1

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 28 - 15 - 0, fighting out of London, Kendo Hirigushi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 33 - 19 - 1, fighting out of St Petersburg, Larson Picker!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Stewart Dunkirk and Robert Twigg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hirigushi misses with a straight left.
Picker takes one on the button.
Picker throws a leg kick but Hirigushi sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Picker misses with a right hand
and Hirigushi counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Picker misses with an uppercut
and Picker takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

It looks like Larson Picker has been cut.
Hirigushi tries to bum rush Picker with a series of wild strikes but Picker uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Picker throws a hook but Hirigushi avoids it easily.
Hirigushi went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Hirigushi throws a nice looking combination but Picker bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Picker swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
The fighters circling - Picker throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Hirigushi closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Picker connects with a crisp jab.
Hirigushi blocks a jab.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A left and a right from Hirigushi both land. Nice combination.
Picker with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Picker lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Picker lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Picker misses with a hook.
Hirigushi bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Hirigushi lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Picker circles away quickly and effectively.
Hirigushi looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Hirigushi throws a right and a left that both miss.
Hirigushi misses with a hook. Picker ducked under it nicely.
Jab, jab by Picker - just one landing.
Picker looks to land a right hand but Hirigushi moved out of range.
Picker pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Picker missing with a left hand there. Hirigushi was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Picker looks to throw the jab but Hirigushi is out of range.
Hirigushi is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Picker throws a right hand that misses
and Hirigushi counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Larson Picker seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Picker uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Hirigushi.
Good standup being displayed there by Hirigushi as he connects with a hook.
Picker 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.
Picker throws a jab but it's blocked by Hirigushi.
Hirigushi looks to score with a jab to the body but Picker is just out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hirigushi ducks under a wild hook from Picker.
Picker fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Picker uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Hirigushi.
Picker throws a hook to the side of Hirigushi's head but Hirigushi sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Picker is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Hirigushi.
Picker throws out a loose jab but Hirigushi uses good head movement to avoid it.
Hirigushi throwing a counter right hand but Picker manages to avoid it.
Hirigushi looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Picker looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Picker paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Hirigushi ducks under a wild hook from Picker.
Hirigushi throws a looping overhand right but Picker ducks down to avoid it.
Picker throws a shot from downtown. Hirigushi moves away and avoids it.
Picker misses with a looping left.
Picker throws a right hand that misses
and Hirigushi counters with a nice body shot.
Picker lands an overhand right.
A combination from Hirigushi does no damage.
Picker scores with a nice strike.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Picker blocks a jab.
Hirigushi takes a swing at Picker's ribcage but misses.
Hirigushi scores with a body shot.
Picker connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Hirigushi's hands.
Picker misses with a straight left.
Picker lands a jab.
Picker misses with a hook
and Hirigushi counters with a left to the body.
A jab from Picker misses.
Picker throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Hirigushi counters with a right hand to the body.
Hirigushi just misses with a punch to the body.
A swing and a miss from Hirigushi.
Picker lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Picker misses with a straight left.
Picker throws a poor cross that misses
and Hirigushi counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Picker looks to throw the jab but Hirigushi is out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hirigushi staying out of range there.
Picker misses with a hook.
A little feinted left hand from Hirigushi on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Picker dodges the punch combination from Hirigushi.
Hirigushi throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Picker.
Picker misses with an uppercut.
Picker is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Hirigushi had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into mush.
Hirigushi throws a series of punches but Picker avoids them all with ease.
Picker scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Picker misses the shot to the body.
Picker tests Hirigushi's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Picker dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Picker misses the jab.
Hirigushi on the wrong end of a nice jab.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Larson Picker will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Larson Picker's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

The fighters circling - Picker throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
An attempted straight right counter from Hirigushi misses the target.
A combination from Hirigushi does no damage.
Picker uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Hirigushi.
The fighters circle momentarily. Picker darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Picker throws a lazy right hand but Hirigushi sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Hirigushi throws a big counter combination but Picker scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Hirigushi walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Picker lunges at Hirigushi with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Hirigushi's hand.
Picker throws a lazy uppercut
and Hirigushi counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Picker takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Picker fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Hirigushi on the side of the head.
Picker takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Hirigushi avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
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!
Picker with a body punch. A glancing blow.
A cross from Picker lands.
Picker misses with a straight right.
Hirigushi lands with a good body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hirigushi looks to land a left hand but Picker moved out of range nicely.
Picker throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Hirigushi avoids a punch combination nicely.
Hirigushi lands a two punch combo.
Picker stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Hirigushi on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Picker misses with an uppercut.
Picker throws a right and a left that both miss.
Hirigushi misses the jab.
Picker is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Hirigushi with a body shot.
Picker lands a head shot.
Picker bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Picker throws a hook but Hirigushi avoids it easily.
Larson Picker seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Hirigushi takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hirigushi throws a hook to the side of Picker's head but Picker sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Picker lands with an uppercut that bounces Hirigushi off the cage and back into range.
Picker pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Jab, jab by Picker - just one landing.
The fighters circling - Picker throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Hirigushi looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Hirigushi pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Picker pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Hirigushi tests Picker's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Hirigushi connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Picker momentarily.
Hirigushi on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Kendo Hirigushi is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Picker misses with a looping right.
Picker misses with a right hand
and Hirigushi counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Picker cracks Hirigushi with a good jab.
Picker throws a hook but Hirigushi avoids it easily.
Hirigushi misses with a wild combination.
Hirigushi cracks Picker with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Picker connects with a crisp jab.
Hirigushi throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Picker on the side of the head.
Picker tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Hirigushi was well out of range. Poor timing from Picker.
Picker misses with a double jab.
Picker takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Picker throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Picker moves out of range of the strikes.
Picker appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Picker misses with a series of wild punches.
It looked like Hirigushi wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Hirigushi looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hirigushi bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Hirigushi throws a body shot but no joy.
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!
A big left from Picker misses.
Picker throws a jab when Hirigushi was well out of range.
It looked like Hirigushi was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Picker.
Picker lands with a straight right. Hirigushi didn't see that one coming.
Picker falls off balance throwing a combination
and Picker takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Hirigushi misses with a wild body shot.
Picker misses with a looping right.
Hirigushi is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
The fighters circling - Picker throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Hirigushi misses with a straight left.
Hirigushi stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.

That has opened up Larson Picker's cut even more.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Picker lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Picker works the jab nicely.
Picker throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Larson Picker showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Larson Picker'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. This is the final round!

Picker looks to throw the jab but Hirigushi is out of range.
Picker throws a shot to the body.
Picker misses with a left hand
and Hirigushi counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Picker scores with a hook to the body. Hirigushi takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Hirigushi uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Picker.
Hirigushi takes one to the side of the head.
Picker cracks Hirigushi with a right hand to the side of the head.
Hirigushi takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Good standup being displayed there by Hirigushi as he connects with a hook.
Hirigushi tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Picker was well out of range. Poor timing from Hirigushi.
A punch lands to the side of Hirigushi 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Hirigushi with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Picker to score with a decent uppercut.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Hirigushi rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Picker counters with a nice uppercut.
Hirigushi misses with a looping left.
Hirigushi misses the jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Picker missing with a left hand there. Hirigushi was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Picker misses with a right hand
and Hirigushi counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Hirigushi smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Hirigushi is pawing at Picker, trying to feel the distance before throwing out a cross that crashes into Picker's nose. Picker is badly hurt! Hirigushi pounces, throwing wild strikes as both fighters end up on the ground! Picker tries desperately to hold on but Hirigushi is relentless in his assault! As Picker receives an ever increasing number of unanswered strikes the referee pulls Hirigushi away and this one is in the books!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:19 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Kendo Hirigushi!
Kendo Hirigushi bigged himself up after the win. The crowd seemed to love it.