PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Hideo Kono (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kareem Kiram (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Kono
vs
Kiram

168 cm
21
149 lbs
9 - 2 - 0

170 cm
21
155 lbs
9 - 2 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Decent wrestler
Excellent boxer
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Hideo Kono!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Kareem Kiram !
The judges for this bout are Donald Grub, Chris Edwards and Steven Brown.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kono throws an off balance right hand

and Kiram counters by clinching up.
Kono is looking to break free of the clinch but Kiram has double underhooks.
I was talking to Kono's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Kono tries to throw a body punch but Kiram avoids it by throwing Kono back against the cage.
Kiram tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Kono's elbow.
Kono blocks a body shot from Kiram .
Kono goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Kiram fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

Kono's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Kono throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Kono misses with a right hand

and Kiram counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Kiram has Kono pressed against the cage, preventing Kono from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Kono is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Kiram misses with a hook to the ribs.
Kiram misses with some punches.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Kono.
Kiram scores with a nice hook to the head.
Kono prevents a body shot from Kiram .
Kiram swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Kono doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Kiram lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Kono backwards.
Kono blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Kono lands on the inside with an uppercut.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Kono is trying to stall.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kiram lands a body shot in the clinch.
Kiram misses with a hook to the ribs.
Kiram lands with a short shot to the head.
Kono prevents a body shot from Kiram .
Kono content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Kono lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Kiram fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Kiram lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Kono.
Kono lands a hook that snaps the head of Kiram backwards.
Kono goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Kono's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Kiram throws a head punch that misses.

Kono's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Kono pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Sloppy strikes from Kono. Those never looked like landing.
Kono slips under a jab.
Kono throws an overhand right that lands on Kiram 's shoulder, as Kiram tries to avoid the shot.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Kono misses with a few strikes there.
Kono jabbing away but nothing is landing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A right-left combo lands from Kono.
Kono lands a lovely overhand right.
Kono's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Kono duly obliges.
Kiram lands with a shot to the body.
Kono moves away from the strike by Kiram .
Kono throws a solid leg kick but Kiram takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Kono.
Kiram tries to clinch up.
Kiram is looking to clinch but Kono is avoiding it.
Kono looks to land a right hand but Kiram moved out of range.
Kiram looks to score with a jab to the body but Kono is just out of range.
Kono tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Kiram was well out of range. Poor timing from Kono.
Kono throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Kiram stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Hideo Kono seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kono lands a body shot.
Kiram displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Kono throws out the jab.
Kiram moves away from the strike by Kono.
Kono is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Kiram .
Kono looks to score with a jab to the body but Kiram is just out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kono swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Kiram .
Kiram slips under a jab.
Kono's corner calls for a 1-2. Kono obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Kono throws out a loose jab but Kiram uses good head movement to avoid it.
Kono throws a hook but Kiram avoids it easily.
Kono misses with a combination

and Kiram counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Kiram .
Kiram lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Kono blocks a body shot from Kiram .
Kono has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
A shot in the inside from Kiram .
Kono blocks a body shot from Kiram .
Kiram working aggressively here.
Kiram blocks an uppercut.
Kono prevents a body shot from Kiram .
Kono blocks a body shot from Kiram .
Kiram gets through Kono's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Kono takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
This has been an exciting period of action!

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A shot to the liver by Kiram . Beautiful body shot.
Kono misses with a two punch combination.
Kiram blocks a jab.
Kono looks to land a body kick but Kiram moved away.
Kono throws a hook to the side of Kiram 's head but Kiram sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Kiram throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Kono takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Kiram takes one on the button.
Kono missing with a left hand there. Kiram was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Kiram tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Kono misses the shot to the body.
Nice defenses there by Kiram .
Kiram uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Kono.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Kiram slips a straight right by Kono.
Kiram throws a good cross that connects.
Nice shot lands for Kiram .
Kono scores with a body shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hideo Kono dominated that round.
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.

Kono lands a two punch combo.
Kiram shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Kono works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Kono takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Kono scores with a crisp jab that stopped Kiram in his tracks.
Hideo Kono is winning the standup battle so far.
Kono pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Kono swings for the body but Kiram moves out of range.
Kono lands with an uppercut that bounces Kiram off the cage and back into range.

Kiram is rocked!
Kono throws a right hand that misses

and Kiram counters by clinching up.
Kiram is still on wobbly legs! Can Kono finish him?
Kono gets through Kiram 's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Kono is looking to control Kiram 's arms but Kiram gets an underhook and turns him. Now Kono has his back to the cage.

Kono breaks the clinch.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kono is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Kiram .
Kiram seems to have recovered his senses.
Kono cracks Kiram with an open hand slap.
Kiram tries to clinch there but Kono circles away.
Kono cracks Kiram with a nasty uppercut that draws ooohs from the crowd and sends Kiram tumbling backwards onto the mat. He tries to recover but Kono pounces and lands a hail of unanswered strikes that forces the referee to step in to end the fight! Kiram is not happy but he gave the referee no choice!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:52 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Hideo Kono!
Hideo Kono seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.