PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight kickboxing rules bout between William Tate (ranked 23296 p4p, 23103 weight class) and Righteous Crusader (ranked 542 p4p, 553 weight class). Righteous Crusader looks lathargic as he enters the arena. Wake up son, you're about to have a fight!

Tate
vs
Crusader

180 cm
28
210
11 - 29 - 2

182 cm
35
200
8 - 28 - 1

Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

World class boxer
Powerful

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 11 - 29 - 2, fighting out of Las Vegas, William Tate!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 28 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Righteous Crusader !
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Tiny Johnson and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tate tries to bum rush Crusader with a series of wild strikes but Crusader uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

Tate closes the distance and pushes Crusader back into the ropes.
A battle for position here, against the ropes.
Crusader keeps control of Tate as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Crusader tries to work over Tate's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Crusader will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Tate up against the ropes.

Crusader breaks from the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tate takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Crusader has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Tate finds it's way round the side to connect with Crusader 's head.
Tate fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Crusader manages to avoid it.

Tate rushes Crusader and presses him up against the ropes.
The referee is keeping an eye on Tate - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Crusader working Tate over with knees to the body.
Tate wants to get back to striking at distance but Crusader won't allow it.
Tate wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Tate trying to land knees to the body.
Crusader lands a good knee to the midsection. Tate won't want to take too many of those.
Crusader stalling in the clinch but Tate improves position.
Crusader prevents Tate from breaking the clinch.
Crusader lands a damaging elbow.

It looks like William Tate has been cut.
Tate is trying to push Crusader away but Crusader has him pressed against the ropes, so he's going nowhere.
Tate stalling in the clinch but Crusader improves position.

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

Crusader gets in close and instigates a clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Crusader lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Tate looks to be in better condition than last time we saw him fight. Obviously he's been working hard on his cardio.
Crusader leaning his opponent against the ropes.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.

Crusader manages to break the clinch.
Tate sizes up Crusader with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.

Tate tries to keep at a distance but Crusader has taken the fight into the clinch.
Tate blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Crusader keeps control of Tate as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Crusader tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Tate avoids it.

Crusader escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Tate tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. Crusader manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Crusader clinches with his opponent.
Tate tries to land knees in the clinch but Crusader avoids the damage to the body.
Crusader controlling the action here for a moment.

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

Tate has taken the fight to the clinch.

Crusader breaks from the clinch.
Tate looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
The fight stays on the outside here - Tate looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Crusader misses with a body punch
and Tate connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Crusader throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tate misses with a wild body shot.
Tate misses the jab.
Tate lands with a nice combination. Crusader backs away looking to recover.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A telegraphed right hand from Tate misses the target.
Crusader wants to counter with a clinch but Tate pushes him away.
Crusader looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Crusader avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Crusader throws a nice looking combination but Tate bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Tate tries to clinch up but Crusader circles away and keeps his distance.
Crusader stuns Tate with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Crusader looks to land a combination but Tate avoids it well.

Tate rushes Crusader and pushes him back against the ropes in a clinch.
Crusader controlling the action here for a moment.
A battle for position here, against the ropes.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Righteous Crusader will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on William Tate's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Tate lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Tate.

Tate clinches with his opponent.
Tate manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.

Crusader breaks the clinch.
Tate tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Crusader paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Tate cracks Crusader with a good jab.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Crusader rushes Tate and presses him up against the ropes.
Tate wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Crusader is trying to stall.
Crusader lands an elbow just above Tate 's eye.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Crusader escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
A right-left combo lands from Tate.

Crusader moves into the clinch.
Crusader stalling in the clinch but Tate improves position.
Crusader unloads a knee to the mid-section. Tate lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Tate manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Righteous Crusader seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Tate is trying to break free.
Knees in the clinch landing for Crusader .
Crusader goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Crusader is trying to maintain a safe position but Tate gets an underhook and turns Crusader into the ropes.
A hook to the body from Crusader .

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Crusader prevents Tate from breaking the clinch.

Crusader breaks from the clinch.
A looping hook to the body misses from Crusader . Tate does a little dance to reset his feet.
Tate displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
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!
Crusader is pinned up against the ropes taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Tate changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Crusader swats away the attempt to clinch by Tate.

Tate tries to keep at a distance but Crusader has taken the fight into the clinch.

Crusader breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Crusader throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tate tries to bum rush Crusader with a series of wild strikes but Crusader uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Some wild striking there from Tate.
Crusader tries to clinch but Tate moves out of range.
Tate is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Tate throws a series of strikes that have Crusader backpedaling.
Crusader rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Tate moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Crusader clinches up with Tate and pushes him back against the ropes.
Crusader prevents Tate from breaking the clinch.
Crusader gets through Tate's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Crusader is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the ropes.
Crusader works on Tate's body with a couple of short punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Crusader pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Tate throws a right hand that Crusader ducks under and follows up with a left that Crusader also avoids with ease.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Crusader fails to land with a series of punches.
Tate is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Tate throws a one two combo.
Tate looks to land a combination but Crusader avoids it well.
Tate misses with a double jab.
Tate tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Tate's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Tate duly obliges.
Tate keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Crusader misses with an uppercut.
Tate wants to clinch up but Crusader keeps it at a distance.

Crusader clinches up with Tate and pushes him back against the ropes.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

William Tate dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on William Tate'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. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Tate tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. Crusader manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Crusader tries to counter with a clinch but Tate shakes him off and moves away.
Crusader swings away with a body shot that misses
and Tate counters with a three punch combo that has Crusader backing up. Crusader nods at Tate to acknowledge the strikes.
William Tate is winning the standup battle so far.

Crusader has closed the distance and engaged Tate in a clinch.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
A frustrated look appears on Tate's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Crusader tries a body shot but Tate blocks it.

Crusader breaks from the clinch.
Tate throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Crusader tries to counter with a clinch but Tate shakes him off and moves away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tate scores with a sloppy right hand. Crusader should have avoided that one.
Tate looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Crusader is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Tate fails to land with a series of punches.

Crusader fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Tate, pushing him back against the ropes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Crusader taking a breather.
The referee is keeping an eye on Crusader - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.

Tate breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Tate scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Tate tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Crusader paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Crusader slips a jab and a cross from Tate.

Tate darts in and clinches Crusader up against the ropes.
Tate tries to break the clinch but Crusader is controlling the position.
Tate has had enough of the clinch but Crusader keeps him there for the moment.
Tate is trying to push Crusader away but Crusader has him pressed against the ropes, so he's going nowhere.
Tate is trying to break the clinch but Crusader has him pressed against the ropes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tate is trying to break the clinch but Crusader is controlling him.
Tate tries to break the clinch but Crusader is controlling the position.
Tate using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Crusader has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Tate is trying to break free.

Tate breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Tate misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Crusader .
Crusader misses with a jab, cross combination.

Crusader clinches up with Tate and pushes him back against the ropes.
Tate wants to break the clinch but can't.
Crusader keeps control of Tate as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Tate is trying to force a seperation but Crusader has the dominant position.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Crusader instigates a clinch.
Crusader is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Tate is keeping busy.
Crusader tries a knee to the head but Tate blocks it.
A short body shot lands from Crusader as the two fighters clinch.
Crusader is struggling to control the position.
Tate wants to break free but Crusader has control.
Tate tries to circle away but Crusader has him pinned against the ropes.
Crusader lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Tate is looking to break free of the clinch but Crusader has double underhooks.
Tate looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Crusader pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Crusader lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Crusader takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Sloppy strikes from Tate. Those never looked like landing.
Tate throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
A nice side step and Crusader releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.
Crusader circles away from the clinch attempt.
Crusader just misses with a punch to the body.
The fight stays on the outside here - Crusader looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Tate went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Tate digs a good hook to Crusader 's body.
Crusader tries to clinch but Tate moves out of range.
Tate appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.

Crusader pushes Tate up against the ropes in a clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to William Tate.
I think Tate 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 Wesley Smith scores the fight 29:29
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 29:28

The fight is ruled a draw!