PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Abubak Al Zahari (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and PO Statsny (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Statsny is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by BIgger Than Me - Game. Abubak Al Zahari could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to PO Statsny's chin.

Al Zahari
vs
Statsny

190 cm
25
215 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

190 cm
20
208 lbs
1 - 0 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Abubak Al Zahari!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 1, fighting out of Montreal, PO Statsny!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Fedor Mirinova and Igor Prikhodko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Statsny stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Al Zahari.

Statsny forces Al Zahari back against the cage and clinches.
A knee to the head by Al Zahari.
Statsny's coach down at Canadian Dragon MMA was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Statsny's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
Al Zahari is leaning against Statsny and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.

Statsny breaks the clinch.
Al Zahari tries to clinch but Statsny moves away
and Statsny counters with a nice uppercut.
Al Zahari tries a head kick but it misses.
A punch combination from Statsny misses.
Al Zahari thinks about countering with a body kick.
Al Zahari lands a front kick.
Statsny looks winded!
Statsny tries a head kick but it misses.
A head kick by Statsny misses

and Al Zahari counters by moving into the clinch.
Al Zahari throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Statsnys head.
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!
Al Zahari misses with a knee strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Al Zahari tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Statsny avoids it.
Statsny blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Statsny wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Statsny on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Al Zahari throws a knee to the head but misses.
Statsny avoiding damage as Al Zahari throws knees to the body.
Al Zahari blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Statsny pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.

Statsny escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Al Zahari swings widly with a right hand
enabling Statsny to counter with a crisp jab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Al Zahari ducks under a wild hook from Statsny.
Statsny getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Statsny misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
A head kick from Statsny lands but Al Zahari takes it in his stride.
Al Zahari lands with a nice body kick.
Statsny doesn't manage to clinch there - Al Zahari circles away.
Al Zahari lifts his leg as if looking to counter with a high kick.
Al Zahari throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Al Zahari swinging wildly here.
Statsny tries to clinch but Al Zahari is having none of it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Al Zahari lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Al Zahari closes the distance and pushes Statsny back into the cage.
Statsny comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Statsny is trying to push Al Zahari away but Al Zahari has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Al Zahari is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Al Zahari lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Statsny misses with an elbow over the top.
Al Zahari unloads a knee to the mid-section. Statsny lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Al Zahari lands a left hand that snaps the head of Statsny backwards.
Al Zahari lands a right hand that snaps the head of Statsny backwards.
Al Zahari controlling the action here for a moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Al Zahari tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Statsny avoids it.
Al Zahari tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Statsny avoids it.
Statsny takes a knee to the side of the body.
A bit of stalling here from Al Zahari.
Al Zahari missing with knees to the body.
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!
A short uppercut from Al Zahari.
A short uppercut from Al Zahari.
Statsny is trying to break free.
Al Zahari softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Abubak Al Zahari dominated that round.
That's time! Al Zahari's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Al Zahari looks to land a combination but Statsny avoids it well.
Statsny is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Statsny slips under a jab.
Al Zahari throws a head kick but Statsny moves out of range.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Al Zahari.
Abubak Al Zahari is winning the standup battle so far.
Al Zahari moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Al Zahari pivots, looking for a leg kick but Statsny is out of range and Al Zahari settles back down.
Al Zahari is looking light on his feet compared to last time was saw him fight.
Statsny tries a head kick but it misses.
Statsny moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Statsny uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Al Zahari.
Statsny misses with a head kick.
Al Zahari tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Statsny manages to circle out of the way.
Statsny throws a head kick that misses.
Statsny is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Al Zahari wants to clinch but Statsny slips to the side
and Statsny counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Statsny tries to land a body kick
and Al Zahari counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

Al Zahari lands a big head kick that sends Statsny tumbling to the mat! Al Zahari takes a step backwards and waves Statsny back to his feet - he wants the finish!

Statsny is rocked!
Al Zahari moves out of range as Statsny throws a body kick.
Al Zahari moves away from the strike by Statsny.
Al Zahari swings for the body but Statsny moves out of range.

Statsny closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Statsny wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Al Zahari has him pressed against the cage.
Al Zahari tries to throw a body punch but Statsny avoids it by throwing Al Zahari back against the cage.
Statsny managing to block the knees to the body from Al Zahari.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Statsny throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Statsny letting Al Zahari take a breather here.
Al Zahari misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Statsny.
Al Zahari blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Statsny has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Al Zahari breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Statsny avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Al Zahari throws a head kick but Statsny moves out of range.
Al Zahari takes a head kick and shrugs it off.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Al Zahari ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Statsny moves away.
Al Zahari moves out of the way of the counter high kick fromStatsny.
Al Zahari wants to slow Statsny down by chopping away at his legs.
Al Zahari tries to clinch up.
Statsny drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Al Zahari defends it well.
Al Zahari takes one to the side of the head.
The fighters circle momentarily. Statsny darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Al Zahari misses with a straight left.
Al Zahari takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Al Zahari tries to close the distance and clinch but Statsny swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Statsny misses with a few strikes there.
A big left from Statsny misses.
Statsny throws a head kick that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Statsny throws a hook to the side of Al Zahari's head but Al Zahari sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Statsny throws a leg kick that is checked
and Al Zahari counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Al Zahari has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Al Zahari misses with a body kick.
Statsny misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Al Zahari appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Statsny throws a head kick but Al Zahari moves out of range.
Al Zahari scores with a spinning back kick!
Al Zahari throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Statsny misses with a left hand
letting Al Zahari counter with a right hand.
Al Zahari fakes the leg kick and cracks Statsny in the body.

Al Zahari clinches up against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Abubak Al Zahari dominated that second round.
That's time! Al Zahari's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Al Zahari tries to clinch up.
Statsny throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Statsny throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Al Zahari throws a head kick that misses
and Statsny connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Al Zahari throws a head kick that misses.
A looping hook to the body misses from Statsny. Al Zahari does a little dance to reset his feet.
Statsny throws a series of strikes that have Al Zahari backpedaling.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Al Zahari uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Statsny.
Al Zahari half committed to a counter leg kick.
Al Zahari bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Statsny swats away the attempt to clinch by Al Zahari.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Al Zahari works Statsny's body with a nice hook.
Al Zahari avoids a kick to the body.
And Al Zahari counters with a quick kick to the body but Statsny blocks it.
PO Statsny seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Al Zahari gets a clinch.
With the fighters up against the cage, Statsny throws an elbow but misses.
Al Zahari misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Statsny.

Al Zahari escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Al Zahari throws a push kick but Statsny slaps the foot to one side.
Statsny circles away from the clinch attempt.
Abubak Al Zahari is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Statsny shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Statsny avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Al Zahari blocks a head kick by Statsny.
Al Zahari half committed to a counter leg kick.
Statsny throws a combination that misses
and Al Zahari makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Statsny really felt that one!
Al Zahari scores with a kick to the body.
Al Zahari lands a head shot.
Al Zahari is looking to clinch but Statsny is avoiding it.

Statsny tries to keep at a distance but Al Zahari has taken the fight into the clinch.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Al Zahari obliges.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Al Zahari crunches a lovely knee into Statsny's ribcage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Al Zahari lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Al Zahari unloads a knee to the mid-section. Statsny lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Al Zahari lands a hook to the side of the head.
Al Zahari misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Statsny.
Al Zahari gets through Statsny's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Al Zahari lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Al Zahari tries to land knees in the clinch but Statsny avoids the damage to the body.
Al Zahari tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Statsny avoids it.

Al Zahari manages to break the clinch.
Statsny throws a leg kick but Al Zahari moved away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A left and a right from Statsny both land. Nice combination.
Statsny has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Al Zahari.
Statsny checks a low kick from Al Zahari.
Statsny is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Al Zahari with a body shot.
Al Zahari looks to land a right hand but Statsny moved out of range.
Statsny now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Statsny is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Al Zahari keeps the fight on the outside.
Abubak Al Zahari is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Al Zahari throws a series of punches but Statsny avoids them all with ease.
Al Zahari throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Statsny misses with a double jab.
Al Zahari throws a leg kick but Statsny moved away.
PO Statsny has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Al Zahari feints and then cracks Statsny's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Statsny down.

And that's the end of the fight!
Abubak Al Zahari showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Al Zahari has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 30:27
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 30:27
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Abubak Al Zahari!
PO Statsny spoke after the fight, saying '$'.