PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Joost Van Buren (ranked 205 p4p, 527 weight class) and Fedor Shabanov (ranked 42 p4p, 85 weight class). This should be a great matchup!

Van Buren
vs
Shabanov

188 cm
37
206
33 - 18 - 1

197 cm
32
206
22 - 11 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

Gatoroids

SynCity Fightwear

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 33 - 18 - 1, fighting out of New York, Joost Van Buren!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 22 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Fedor Shabanov!
The judges for this bout are Kenichi Hosakawa, Yasuomi Hirokawa and Hirohito Nitta.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Shabanov has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Van Buren finds it's way round the side to connect with Shabanov's head.

It looks like Fedor Shabanov has been cut.
Van Buren seems to be moving with more speed, compared to his last bout. He must have been working on that in the gym.
Van Buren just misses with a punch to the body.
Shabanov throws out a counter right but Van Buren avoids it with no problem.
Shabanov connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Van Buren's hands.
Van Buren swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
letting Shabanov counter with a right hand.
Van Buren misses with an attempted mid kick.
Shabanov looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Van Buren jabs Shabanov right on the nose. Shabanov blinks but takes it well.
Shabanov moves away from the strike by Van Buren.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Van Buren throws a lazy uppercut
and Van Buren takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Shabanov has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
Van Buren throws a leg kick
and Shabanov counters with a nice uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Van Buren lands with a thumping leg kick.
Van Buren throws a leg kick
and Shabanov counters with a series of strikes. Van Buren will be more careful next time no doubt.
Shabanov blocks a jab.
Van Buren misses with a head kick.
Shabanov swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Van Buren misses the shot to the body.
Van Buren walks into a straight right hand from Shabanov.
Van Buren tests Shabanov's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Van Buren misses the body punch
and Shabanov counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Shabanov has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Van Buren tried to score with a low kick but Shabanov checks it.
Shabanov counters with a body kick.
Shabanov throws a jab when Van Buren was well out of range.
Van Buren throws a front kick that sends Shabanov stumbling back into the cage.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Van Buren misses the body punch
and Shabanov connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Van Buren fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Shabanov manages to avoid it.
Van Buren misses with a body shot.
Shabanov throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Van Buren throws a head kick but Shabanov moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shabanov loads up on a big right hand but Van Buren slips the punch.
Van Buren lands with a shot to the body.
Van Buren misses with a body shot.
Shabanov swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Van Buren moves to clinch but Shabanov breaks away
and Shabanov counters with a series of strikes. Van Buren will be more careful next time no doubt.
Shabanov is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Van Buren connects with a body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Van Buren lands with a hook. Shabanov tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
An inside leg kick from Van Buren misses.
Van Buren looks to score with a jab to the body but Shabanov is just out of range.
Shabanov looks to land a right hand but Van Buren moved out of range.
Van Buren just misses with a punch to the body.
Shabanov looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Van Buren misses the jab.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Van Buren swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Shabanov cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Van Buren throws a jab but it's blocked by Shabanov.
Shabanov looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Van Buren uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Shabanov.
Van Buren is looking to counter with a body kick.
Van Buren misses with an uppercut.
Van Buren throws out a powerful jab.
Van Buren tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Shabanov was well out of range. Poor timing from Van Buren.
Shabanov thinks about the counter body kick.
Shabanov takes a shot to the body in his stride.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Shabanov uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Van Buren.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Shabanov! But no joy.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Van Buren.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Van Buren. Shabanov shrugs it off though.
Van Buren misses with a straight right.
A little jabbing left from Shabanov on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Van Buren lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Van Buren lands a body shot.
Van Buren throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Shabanov takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Van Buren throws out a powerful jab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Van Buren is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Van Buren dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Joost Van Buren seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Shabanov displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Van Buren throws out the jab.
Shabanov swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Shabanov walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Van Buren misses with the body kick
and Shabanov counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Shabanov sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Van Buren ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Shabanov moves away.
A little jabbing left from Shabanov on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Shabanov throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shabanov avoids the body shot from Van Buren.
Shabanov uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Van Buren.
A looping hook to the body misses from Van Buren. Shabanov does a little dance to reset his feet.
A little jabbing left from Shabanov on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Van Buren pivots, looking for a leg kick but Shabanov is out of range and Van Buren settles back down.
Shabanov keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Van Buren.
A low kick from Van Buren misses
and Shabanov counters with a stiff right hand.
Van Buren throws a poor cross that misses
and Shabanov counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Shabanov throws a half hearted mid kick.
Nice body kick there by Van Buren.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Van Buren.
Shabanov steps in looking to counter with the mid kick but it doesn't connect.
Van Buren cracks a nice hook into Shabanov's ribs.
Both these guys seem content to just stand up and trade with each other but Shabanov might want to think about changing up his gameplan a bit because over the course of the fight, Van Buren has got the better of the exchanges.
A big left from Van Buren misses.
Van Buren avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Van Buren thuds his shin into the meat of Shabanov's side.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Joost Van Buren dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Fedor Shabanov's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

A telegraphed right hand from Shabanov misses the target.
A shot to the body from Van Buren misses
and Shabanov counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Shabanov falls off balance throwing a combination
and Van Buren cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Van Buren throws a jab when Shabanov was well out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A clash of legs there as Shabanov blocks the low kick.
Van Buren looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Shabanov looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Van Buren lets loose with a powerful body kick. Shabanov will feel that in the morning.
Joost Van Buren is winning the standup battle so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shabanov drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Shabanov misses with a looping right.
Van Buren lands a nice looking body shot.
Van Buren misses with a hook to the body
letting Shabanov counter with a right hand.
Van Buren looks to land a body kick but Shabanov moved away.
Shabanov throws a hook but Van Buren blocks it.
A little feinted left hand from Van Buren on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Van Buren throws a lazy right hand but Shabanov sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Shabanov counters with a body kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Van Buren takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Van Buren misses with a left hand
and Van Buren takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Shabanov checks the leg kick nicely there.
A big right from Van Buren misses.
Van Buren is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Shabanov can do to turn this around?
Shabanov avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
It seemed like Shabanov was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Shabanov checks the leg kick nicely there.
Van Buren thows a leg kick but Shabanov checks it
and Shabanov cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Van Buren is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Shabanov looks for the body kick but Van Buren saw that one coming.
A decent looking cross lands there for Shabanov.
Van Buren throws a quick inside leg kick.
Shabanov misses with a hook.
Van Buren catches Shabanov with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Van Buren delivers a nice body kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Shabanov on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Van Buren. Van Buren obviously looking to wear him down.
Van Buren misses with a body shot.
Van Buren is looking to land body kicks.
It seemed like Shabanov was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Van Buren with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Van Buren scores with a body shot.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Van Buren bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
A cross from Van Buren lands.

And that's the end of the fight!
Joost Van Buren showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Van Buren has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 29:28
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 30:28
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Joost Van Buren!
Joost Van Buren 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.