PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Leon Henry (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sung Kim (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Kim's choice of entrance music: Ode to General Kim Il Sung. 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?

Henry
vs
Kim

183 cm
32
188 lbs
14 - 15 - 0

190 cm
28
200 lbs
13 - 7 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Very strong

Good wrestler
Dangerous knees
Powerful

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Legion of Pain Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 14 - 15 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Leon Henry!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 7 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Sung Kim!
The judges for this bout are Aleksandr Martynov, Vladimir Khabensky and Fedor Mirinova.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kim bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Kim lands a nice looking body shot.
Henry fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Kim gets a clinch.
Kim lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Henry avoiding damage as Kim throws knees to the body.
Henry on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Kim wants to take the fight to the mat but Henry manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Kim unloads a knee to the mid-section. Henry lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.

Kim breaks from the clinch.
Kim shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Henry pinned against the cage. Henry gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Kim fails with a takedown attempt.
Leon Henry has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Sung Kim.
Henry is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Kim.
Kim closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Kim throws a leg kick which misses Henry's front leg but catches the back leg as Henry tries to avoid it.
Kim has a takedown stuffed.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henry keeps the fight on the outside.
Kim wants to clinch
and Henry cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Kim moves in looking to clinch but Henry pushes him off.
Henry on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Kim scores with a decent looking hook.

Henry feints and as Kim raises his hands in defense, Henry changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Henry postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Henry throwing strikes but missing.
Henry is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Kim wants to sweep but no luck.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Henry with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Henry throwing strikes from guard but Kim blocks nicely.
Kim keeping full guard, as Henry tries to pass.
Henry throws a strike but Kim rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Henry is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Kim is controlling him.
Henry has a closed guard, preventing Kim from standing up.
Henry keeping moving, preventing Kim from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Kim drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Henry manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Kim has Henry in his guard.
Henry lands a couple of elbows.
Henry throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Kim pulls Henry in close to his closed guard and prevents Henry from doing any damage or advancing position.
Henry prevents Kim from getting back to his feet.
Henry throws a strike but Kim rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Henry preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Kim landing with the ground and pound.
Henry keeping moving, preventing Kim from controlling successfully.
Kim throwing strikes from guard but Henry blocks nicely.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Kim sitting in guard here, content to control.
Henry wants to stand and escape but Kim is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Sung Kim will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Henry throws a hook but Kim avoids it easily.
Kim has a takedown stuffed.

Kim closes the distance and clinches.
Henry wants to get back to striking at distance but Kim won't allow it.
Kim scores with a knee to the head.
Henry tries to break free but Kim pushes him back against the cage.
A short left from Kim.

Henry escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Kim keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Kim shoots in for a takedown but Henry shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Henry circles away from the clinch attempt.
Kim is looking to clinch but Henry is avoiding it.

Kim closes the distance and clinches.

Henry has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Kim regains guard immediately.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Kim is looking to stand up but Henry isn't so interested in that idea.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henry works over Kim with some ground and pound from guard.
Henry throwing strikes from guard but Kim blocks nicely.
Henry scoring with punches to the head and body.
Henry throwing strikes but missing.

Kim has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Henry is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Kim.
Kim dodges the ground and pound from Henry.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kim can't do much from the bottom here.
Kim parries the strikes from Henry easily there. Henry is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Kim to escape.
Henry working the ground and pound.

Henry stands up.
Kim wants to clinch up but Henry keeps it at a distance.
Kim tries to clinch but Henry is having none of it.
Good exchange - Kim coming out on top.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Henry lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Henry uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Kim.
Henry thows a body shot but no joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henry takes a kick to the side of the head.

Kim shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Henry is trying to stand up here but Kim is controlling him well.
Kim misses with a head shot. Henry uses the momentum to regain guard.
Henry working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Kim.
Kim is working Henry over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Kim wants to control from the top but Henry keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Henry wants to get back to his feet but Kim is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Kim postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Henry avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
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!
Kim wants to stand but Henry has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

Henry has his feet on Kim's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Henry avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Kim clinches up with Henry and pushes him back against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Sung Kim will probably get the nod - 10:9.
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!

Henry tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Kim swivels and escapes.
Kim moves in looking to clinch but Henry pushes him off.
Henry throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Nice straight punches there by Henry. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Henry.
A jab from Henry misses.
Kim is trying hard to land a takedown here. Henry sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Kim tries to clinch up.
Kim avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Kim lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Sung Kim seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Henry circles away from the clinch attempt.
Kim closes the distance looking to clinch
and Kim takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Henry moves out of range as Kim throws a body kick.
Henry lands a body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Henry shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Kim manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Henry throws a strike but Kim rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Kim trying to control but Henry is working from the bottom.
Henry is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Henry keeping moving, preventing Kim from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kim throws a big right hand that misses.
Kim throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Henry works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Leon Henry has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Kim tries to free his leg and advance position but Henry is retaining full guard.

Henry has his foot on Kim's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Kim works his way back into a safe position though.
Leon Henry overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Kim is in close to Henry's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Kim throws a strike but Henry rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Kim preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Kim working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Henry.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kim looking to control.
Kim wants to stand and escape but Henry is having none of it.
Henry throws a big right hand that misses.
Kim looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Henry throws a strike but Kim rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Kim accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Kim in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Kim won't allow Henry to get back to his feet.
Kim lands a couple of digs.
Kim wants to control from the top but Henry keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kim throwing strikes from guard but Henry blocks nicely.
Kim postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Sung Kim is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Kim wants to control from the top but Henry keeps moving.
Kim is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Henry keeping moving, preventing Kim from controlling successfully.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Sung Kim was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Kim thumps Henry with a low kick.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sung Kim comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Kim 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 Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 27:30
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sung Kim!
An out of breath and clearly excited Sung Kim thanked Legion of Pain Nutrition for their help and support (and free stuff they sent him).