PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Jakob Kruth (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kebra Kabessa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 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.

Kruth
vs
Kabessa

177 cm
22
154 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

180 cm
21
158 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Jakob Kruth!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Kebra Kabessa!
The judges for this bout are Aleksandr Martynov, Illya Tyunina and Fedor Mirinova.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kabessa avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Kruth sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Kruth is breathing heavily.
Kabessa throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Kruth sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Kabessa lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Kabessa steps into range and cracks Kruth with a monster punch that buckles his knees! Kruth flops backwards and Kabessa dives into his guard looking to finish!

Kruth is rocked!

Kabessa gets to his feet. Kruth looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Oh Kruth is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
A head kick misses from Kabessa.
Kruth seems to have got his legs back now.
Kruth blocks a jab.
Kruth avoids the head kick by Kabessa.
Kabessa pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Kabessa throws a hook but Kruth blocks it.
Kabessa misses with a head kick.
Kruth takes a kick to the side of the head.
Kruth moves out of range of the strikes.
Kruth shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Kabessa pinned against the cage. Kabessa gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Kruth blocks a head kick by Kabessa.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Kabessa lands a high kick to the side of Kruth's head that stuns him and send him tumbling down to the canvas! Kabessa dives into guard, looking to finish.
Kabessa would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Kabessa stopping the sweep attempt from Kruth.
Kruth has control of Kabessa's left arm, preventing Kabessa from doing any damage.
Kabessa wants to get up but he can't break Kruth's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kruth lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Kabessa!
Kruth controlling from mount.
Kabessa trying desperately to get to his feet.
Kabessa avoids a series of strikes thrown by Kruth.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kruth tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Kruth postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Kabessa looks a forlorn figure.
Kabessa avoids a series of strikes thrown by Kruth.
Kabessa wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Kruth.
You get the feeling that Kabessa really doesn't like being in this position too much.
Kruth throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Kruth get's back to his feet.
Kruth fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Kabessa throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Kabessa keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jakob Kruth. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kruth tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Kabessa swivels and escapes.
Kabessa throws a head kick but Kruth moves out of range.
Kruth looks for a takedown but Kabessa sprawls well.
Kebra Kabessa seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kabessa pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Kruth shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Kabessa as he avoids it easily.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Kruth avoids the head kick by Kabessa.
Kabessa tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Kabessa throws a head kick but Kruth moves out of range.
Kabessa pulls out of a head kick attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kebra Kabessa dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Kruth misses with a body kick.
Kruth blocks a head kick by Kabessa.
Jakob Kruth is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Kabessa tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Kruth shoots in looking for a takedown. Kabessa tries to sprawl out of it but Kruth keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Kabessa manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Kruth slips a straight right by Kabessa.
Kabessa throws a head kick that misses.
Kabessa keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Kabessa swats away the attempt to clinch by Kruth.
This is turning into a torrid day at the office for Kruth. He's trying desperately to land a takedown but he's failing miserably and getting slapped silly on the feet to compound his misery.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kabessa pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Kabessa throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Kruth throws a head kick but Kabessa moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Kruth closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Kruth fails to pull guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jakob Kruth. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kabessa blocks the elbow strike.
Kruth is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Kabessa gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Kabessa breaks from the clinch.
Kruth shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Kabessa as he jumps to the side.
Kabessa tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Kruth wants to clinch.
Kabessa lands with a kick to the temple. Kruth shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
A head kick misses from Kabessa.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Kabessa stuffs the takedown attempt from Kruth. Kruth gets slowly back to his feet.
Kabessa cracks Kruth with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
A head kick misses from Kabessa.
Kruth tries for a takedown but Kabessa sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Kruth on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Kabessa. Kabessa obviously looking to wear him down.
A head kick misses from Kabessa.
Kruth wants to clinch.
Kabessa throws a jab but it's blocked by Kruth.
Kabessa pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Kruth tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Kabessa swivels and escapes.
Kruth doesn't manage to clinch there - Kabessa circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kabessa tries a head kick but it misses.
Kruth avoids the head kick by Kabessa.
Kruth throws a leg kick but Kabessa sees it coming and moves out of range.
Kruth closes this distance looking for a takedown but Kabessa circles away.
Kabessa tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Kabessa avoids the head kick by Kruth.
Kruth shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Kabessa sprawls well. Kabessa wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Kruth gets slowly back to his feet.
Kabessa is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Kruth tries to score a power double leg takedown but Kabessa sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Kruth somewhat.
Kabessa misses with a head kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Kruth wants to clinch up but Kabessa keeps it at a distance.
Kabessa 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.
Kabessa stuffs the takedown.
Kruth takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Kabessa throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Kabessa throws a head kick but Kruth moves out of range.
Kruth dives in and grabs Kabessa's left leg, looking for a takedown. Kabessa pushes down on Kruth's head and hops out.
Kebra Kabessa seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Kabessa throws a head kick that misses.
Kebra Kabessa is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Kruth blocks a head kick by Kabessa.
Kruth fails with an attempt to clinch.
Kabessa tries a head kick but it misses.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Kruth wants to clinch up but Kabessa keeps it at a distance.
Kruth has a takedown stuffed.
Kabessa connects with a looping right hand.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kebra Kabessa showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Kabessa drops his hands momentarily and Kruth takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Kruth shoots in but Kabessa avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Kabessa throws a sloppy head kick and Kruth moves out of range easily.
Kabessa misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Kruth is looking to clinch.
Kruth is looking to clinch but Kabessa is avoiding it.
Kabessa throws a head kick but Kruth moves out of range.
Kabessa throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Kruth is looking to clinch but Kabessa is avoiding it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kruth shoots in but no luck this time.
Kabessa avoids a kick to the body.
Kruth blocks a head kick by Kabessa.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Kruth bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Kabessa is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Kruth has just dragged him back down to the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Kruth stands up and beckons Kabessa to his feet.
Kruth fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Kabessa avoids it really well and circles away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jakob Kruth. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kabessa waving his hands out infront of him, looking to distract Kruth.
Kruth tries to clinch but Kabessa is having none of it.
Kabessa displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Kruth.
Kruth fails with a takedown attempt.
Kabessa fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kabessa tries a head kick but it misses.
Kruth avoids the head kick by Kabessa.
Kabessa defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Kruth.
Kruth fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Kabessa avoids it really well and circles away.
Kabessa pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Kabessa tries a head kick but it misses.
Kruth fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Kruth shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Kabessa as he avoids it easily.
Kabessa pulls out of a head kick attempt.
A head kick misses from Kabessa.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kabessa lunges at Kruth with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Kruth's hand.
Kruth blocks a head kick by Kabessa.
Kruth shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Kabessa as he avoids it easily.
Kruth avoids the head kick by Kabessa.
Kruth avoids the head kick by Kabessa.
Kruth misses with a takedown attempt - Kabessa sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Kabessa lands a nice looking kick to the body. Kruth takes a step back to recover.
Kabessa tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Kabessa misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Kruth is defended easily by Kabessa.
Kabessa misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Kruth fails with a takedown attempt.
Kruth looking to land some kicks to the body here.
A head kick from Kabessa lands but Kruth takes it in his stride.
Kabessa throws a head kick that misses.
Kruth wants to clinch.
Kruth avoids the head kick by Kabessa.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Kruth fails with a takedown attempt.
Jakob Kruth has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Kebra Kabessa is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Kruth takes a head kick and keeps coming.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kebra Kabessa comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Kabessa winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 27:30
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 27:30
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kebra Kabessa!