PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight kickboxing rules bout between Hunter Maximillian (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alex Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hunter Maximillian had a look across the ring there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Maximillian
vs
Cruz

199 cm
20
262 lbs
2 - 4 - 0

200 cm
19
245 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

Excellent MT
Granite chin

Basic striking
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 2 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, Hunter Maximillian!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Alex Cruz!
The judges for this bout are Valeri Chadov, Aleksei Zolotukhin and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Cruz rushes Maximillian and pushes him back against the ropes in a clinch.
Maximillian has had enough of the clinch but Cruz keeps him there for the moment.
Cruz tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Maximillian avoids it.
Cruz looking to throw knees to the head but Maximillian is blocking nicely.
Maximillian is trying to force a seperation but Cruz has the dominant position.
Maximillian is trying to break the clinch but Cruz is controlling him.
Cruz tries to work over Maximillian's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Cruz tries a knee to the head but Maximillian blocks it.
Maximillian trying to control the position but instead, Cruz has worked for underhooks and has pushed Maximillian into the ropes.
Cruz lands a nice elbow.
Cruz missing with knees to the body.
Maximillian is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the ropes.
Cruz has a couple of punches blocked by Maximillian.
Cruz misses with a punch on the inside.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Maximillian goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Maximillian tries to break the clinch but Cruz is controlling the position.
Maximillian tries to circle away but Cruz has him pinned against the ropes.
Maximillian wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
A bit of stalling here from Maximillian.
A shot in the inside from Maximillian.
Cruz throws an elbow but it misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Cruz.
Cruz trying to land knees to the body.
Maximillian struggles to land a body shot inside as Cruz controls his hands.
Maximillian blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Cruz tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Maximillian's elbow.
Cruz with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Maximillian lands a body shot.
Maximillian tries to break the clinch but Cruz is controlling the position.
Cruz tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Maximillian's elbow.
Maximillian dodges an elbow strike from Cruz.
Cruz throws a head punch that misses.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Cruz.
Cruz tries to throw a body punch but Maximillian avoids it by throwing Cruz back against the ropes.
Maximillian on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Maximillian taking a breather.
Maximillian blocking some punches.
Cruz throws a head punch that misses.
Cruz tries to land a knee to the head but Maximillian blocks with his arms.
Cruz misses with a hook to the ribs.
Cruz has Maximillian pressed against the ropes, preventing Maximillian from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Cruz working aggressively here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maximillian stalling in the clinch but Cruz improves position.
A nice left hand lands by Maximillian.
Maximillian lands a shot to the body.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Maximillian.
Maximillian misses with a hook to the ribs.
Maximillian prevents a body shot from Cruz.
Cruz throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Cruz trying to land knees to the body.
Cruz struggles to land a body shot inside as Maximillian controls his hands.
Maximillian blocking some punches.
Maximillian is working Cruz over against the ropes.
Cruz looks winded!

Maximillian pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Cruz closes the distance but Maximillian moves to the side
and Maximillian counters with a nice leg kick.
Cruz wants to clinch up but Maximillian keeps it at a distance.
As Cruz tries to get set, Maximillian tries to push him back and clinch up but Cruz manages to avoid the attempt.
Cruz closes the distance but Maximillian moves to the side
and Maximillian counters with a nice leg kick.

Cruz clinches up against the ropes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz tries a body shot but Maximillian blocks it.
Still in the clinch, Cruz scores with a nice short uppercut.
Maximillian softening up his opponent with strikes, against the ropes.
Maximillian blocking some punches.
Cruz using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Cruz keeps control of Maximillian as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Maximillian is leaning against Cruz and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Maximillian has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
A head punch on the inside from Cruz fails to land.
Cruz with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Cruz misses with a body punch.
Cruz lands a knee to the head.
Maximillian tries to break free but Cruz pushes him back against the ropes.
Maximillian tries to break free but Cruz pushes him back against the ropes.
Cruz gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Cruz misses with a punch to the body.
Maximillian looking to slow down the pace here.
A right hook to the body lands for Maximillian.
A right handed body shot lands from Maximillian.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Maximillian breaks from the clinch.
Cruz wants to clinch but Maximillian slips to the side
and Maximillian counters with a nice leg kick.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Cruz wants to clinch but Maximillian slips to the side
and Maximillian counters with a low kick, right behind Cruz 's knee.
Maximillian swats away the attempt to clinch by Cruz.
Maximillian wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Maximillian circles away from the clinch attempt
and Maximillian makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Cruz wants to clinch.
And Maximillian counters with a quick kick to the body but Cruz blocks it.
Cruz tries to clinch but Maximillian moves away
and Maximillian counters with an outside leg kick.
Cruz misses with a jab to the body
and Maximillian counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Cruz is looking to clinch.
Maximillian seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Cruz doesn't manage to clinch there - Maximillian circles away.
Maximillian wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Cruz tries to clinch but Maximillian moves away
and Maximillian counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Cruz is looking to clinch but Maximillian is avoiding it.
Maximillian swats away the attempt to clinch by Cruz.
Maximillian tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Cruz manages to circle out of the way.
Maximillian keeps the fight on the outside.
Maximillian seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Cruz moves to clinch but Maximillian breaks away
and Maximillian counters with a leg kick.
Cruz looks to clinch
and Maximillian connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Cruz tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Alex Cruz seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Cruz is looking to clinch but Maximillian is avoiding it.
Maximillian is looking to counter with head kicks.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Cruz lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Maximillian has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Maximillian and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Cruz tries to clinch up.
Cruz is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Cruz tries to close the distance and clinch up but Maximillian swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Maximillian seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Maximillian circles away from the clinch attempt.
Maximillian is looking to counter with a body kick.
Cruz wants to clinch
and Maximillian counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

It looks like Alex Cruz has been cut.
Cruz is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Maximillian half committed to a counter leg kick.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Cruz is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Cruz wants to clinch

and Maximillian counters with a really nice, stiff jab that drops Cruz onto his ass. He'll have to take the mandatory count from the referee but he's back on his feet and he seems OK to continue.
Cruz looks to clinch
and Maximillian counters with a good low kick that Cruz was not able to check.
Maximillian circles away from the clinch attempt
and Maximillian counters with an outside leg kick.
Cruz is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
As Cruz tries to get set, Maximillian tries to push him back and clinch up but Cruz manages to avoid the attempt.
A low kick from Cruz misses
and Maximillian counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Cruz tries to clinch there but Maximillian circles away.
Maximillian is looking to counter with head kicks.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Cruz tries to clinch but Maximillian moves out of range.
Cruz is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Cruz tries to bum rush Maximillian with a series of wild strikes but Maximillian uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Maximillian thinks about countering with a body kick.
Cruz tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Maximillian counters with an inside leg kick.
Cruz tries to clinch up.
Maximillian seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Cruz is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Maximillian is looking to counter the offense by Cruz and move into the clinch.
Cruz closes the distance but Maximillian moves to the side
and Maximillian counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Cruz thinking.
Cruz wants to clinch
and Maximillian counters with an outside leg kick.
Cruz fails with an attempt to clinch.
Maximillian seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Cruz doesn't manage to clinch there - Maximillian circles away.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Cruz looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Cruz rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Maximillian counters with a solid body kick.
Maximillian circles away from the clinch attempt
and as Cruz loses concentration momentarily, Maximillian counters with a picture perfect head kick! Cruz goes down, out cold! The referee rushed in to check on his condition - I'm sure he'll be ok but that was a massive knockout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 9:24 of round 1, we have a winner by way of KO (Head Kick). Hunter Maximillian!