PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight kickboxing rules bout between Ozaki Buakaw (ranked 4797 p4p, 24723 weight class) and Hideki Suzuki (ranked 254 p4p, 291 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Buakaw
vs
Suzuki

180 cm
21
140
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
21
135
4 - 4 - 0

Good kicks
Good chin

Basic striking
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ozaki Buakaw!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Hideki Suzuki!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Frank Antenori and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Suzuki wants to clinch up but Buakaw keeps it at a distance.
Suzuki drops his hands momentarily and Buakaw takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.

Buakaw gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Suzuki is trying to break the clinch but Buakaw has him pressed against the ropes.

Buakaw breaks from the clinch.
Buakaw plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Suzuki moves out of range of the body kick from Buakaw.
Buakaw throws a right and a left that both miss.
Suzuki tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Nice shot lands for Buakaw.
Suzuki looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Buakaw tries to land a front kick but Suzuki steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Buakaw thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Suzuki if he has to take too many more of those.

Buakaw clinches up against the ropes.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Suzuki is looking to break free of the clinch but Buakaw has double underhooks.

Buakaw pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
A low kick from Buakaw is predictable there
and Suzuki counters with a left and a right that stings Buakaw.
Suzuki lands with a nice combination. Buakaw backs away looking to recover.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Buakaw swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Suzuki.
Suzuki keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Suzuki wants to clinch.
Buakaw is looking to counter punch.
Buakaw throws a big shot that misses.
Buakaw throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.

Suzuki clinches up against the ropes.
Suzuki can't break the clinch.
Buakaw lands a nice elbow.
Suzuki wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Buakaw breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Suzuki tries to close the distance and clinch but Buakaw swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Buakaw circles away from the clinch attempt.
Buakaw avoids the head kick by Suzuki.

Buakaw clinches up with Suzuki and pushes him back against the ropes.
Buakaw really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Buakaw manages to break the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Suzuki lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Buakaw circles away quickly and effectively.

Suzuki has closed the distance and engaged Buakaw in a clinch.

Buakaw breaks the clinch.

Suzuki fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Buakaw, pushing him back against the ropes.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Buakaw escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Buakaw moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Buakaw connects with a right hand. Suzuki shakes it off.
Suzuki is looking to clinch but Buakaw is avoiding it.
Buakaw pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Suzuki takes one on the button.
Nice body punch from Buakaw.
Suzuki throws a right hand that Buakaw ducks under and follows up with a left that Buakaw also avoids with ease.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Suzuki moves out of range of the strikes.
Suzuki misses with a series of wild punches.
Suzuki throws a right and a left that Buakaw avoids nicely.
As Suzuki tries to get set, Buakaw tries to push him back and clinch up but Suzuki manages to avoid the attempt.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Ozaki Buakaw dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Suzuki pushes Buakaw up against the ropes in a clinch.
Suzuki wants to get back to striking at distance but Buakaw won't allow it.

Buakaw breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Suzuki throws a body shot but no joy.
Suzuki tries to clinch up.
Suzuki misses with the combination.
Buakaw is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Suzuki can do to turn this around?
Suzuki swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

Buakaw has taken the fight to the clinch.
Buakaw putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Suzuki in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Suzuki can't break the clinch.
Suzuki's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Buakaw tries to land a knee to the head but Suzuki blocks with his arms.
Suzuki wants to get back to striking at distance but Buakaw won't allow it.
Buakaw tries to land knees in the clinch but Suzuki avoids the damage to the body.

Buakaw breaks the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Suzuki takes the fight into the clinch.
Buakaw prevents Suzuki from breaking the clinch.
Suzuki looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Buakaw lands a hook that snaps the head of Suzuki backwards.

Buakaw breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
A nice combination there by Suzuki.
Buakaw misses with a wild body shot.
Buakaw throws a body shot but no joy.
Suzuki unleashes a big counter combination but Buakaw bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.

Suzuki moves into the clinch.

Buakaw breaks the clinch.
Buakaw tests Suzuki's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Buakaw throws a leg kick
and Suzuki counters with a straight right hand.
Buakaw misses with a low kick.
Buakaw throws out a leg kick but Suzuki moves out of range and Buakaw only half commits.

Suzuki has Buakaw up against the ropes in a clinch.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Buakaw breaks the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Suzuki with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Buakaw to score with a decent uppercut.
Hideki Suzuki seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Buakaw clinches up against the ropes.
Suzuki is looking to break free of the clinch but Buakaw has double underhooks.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Suzuki.

Buakaw breaks the clinch.

Buakaw darts in and clinches Suzuki up against the ropes.

Buakaw manages to break the clinch.
Buakaw avoids the head kick by Suzuki.
Buakaw uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Hideki Suzuki is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Suzuki tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Buakaw paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Suzuki moves out of range as Buakaw throws a body kick.

Suzuki moves into the clinch successfully.

Suzuki manages to break the clinch.
Ozaki Buakaw is winning the standup battle so far.
Suzuki tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. Buakaw manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Buakaw misses with a body kick.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Ozaki Buakaw dominated that second round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Buakaw circles away from the clinch attempt.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Buakaw. Suzuki shrugs it off though.
Suzuki throws a nice inside leg kick.
We've been informed that Suzuki has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.

Suzuki clinches up against the ropes.
Buakaw trying to control the position but instead, Suzuki has worked for underhooks and has pushed Buakaw into the ropes.

Buakaw pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Suzuki moves into the clinch successfully.

Buakaw manages to break the clinch.

Suzuki forces Buakaw back against the ropes and clinches.
Buakaw lands a left hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Buakaw breaks from the clinch.
Suzuki moves out of range of the strikes.
A thudding body kick lands there by Buakaw!
Suzuki is looking to clinch but Buakaw is avoiding it.
Suzuki on the wrong end of a kick to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Buakaw misses with a shot to the body
and Suzuki connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Buakaw tries a head kick but it misses.
Suzuki misses with a jab, cross combination.
Suzuki wants to clinch.
Suzuki doesn't manage to clinch there - Buakaw circles away.

Buakaw closes the distance and pushes Suzuki back into the ropes.
Buakaw tries to land a knee to the head but Suzuki blocks with his arms.
Buakaw throws an elbow but it's blocked.

Buakaw's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Suzuki keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Buakaw.
Buakaw throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Suzuki swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
The fight stays on the outside here - Suzuki looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Suzuki has taken the fight to the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A frustrated look appears on Suzuki's face as he tries to break the clinch.

Suzuki breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Buakaw lands a nice shot that snaps Suzuki's head back.
Ozaki Buakaw is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Suzuki swats away the attempt to clinch by Buakaw.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Suzuki! But no joy.
Suzuki tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. Buakaw manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Suzuki drops his hands momentarily and Buakaw takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Buakaw looks to land a left hand but Suzuki moved out of range nicely.
Buakaw is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Buakaw throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Buakaw is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Suzuki.

Suzuki gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Hideki Suzuki has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Suzuki tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Suzuki missing with knees to the body.

Buakaw breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ozaki Buakaw showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Buakaw, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Don Winkell scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 30:27
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ozaki Buakaw!
Hideki Suzuki was interviewed post fight and said 'It is what it is'.