PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight kickboxing rules bout between Red Bush (ranked 22250 p4p, 679 weight class) and Pascal Henry (ranked 23109 p4p, 700 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.

Bush
vs
Henry

165 cm
24
162 lbs
9 - 9 - 0

170 cm
22
165 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

World class MT
Very quick

Excellent MT
Good gas tank

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 9 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Red Bush!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Pascal Henry!
The judges for this bout are Taro Takaoka, Sosuke Kotani and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bush throws a poor cross that misses
and Henry counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Henry tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Henry displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Bush throws out the jab.
Bush has been working on his boxing with his coaches at The Furnace in the buildup to the fight.
Bush moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Bush fakes the leg kick and cracks Henry in the body.
Bush misses with the combination.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Bush fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Henry manages to avoid it.
Bush misses with a hook. Henry ducked under it nicely.
Henry steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Bush.
Bush throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Henry on the side of the head.
Henry doesn't manage to clinch there - Bush circles away.
Henry moves out of range as Bush strikes.
A little jabbing left from Henry on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
A slow jab from Bush misses its intended target.
Bush fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Bush looks to land a left hand but Henry moved out of range nicely.
Bush connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Bush throws a hook but Henry avoids it easily.
Henry tries to move into range but Bush moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Bush tries to work over Henry's front leg with a kick but Henry checks it.
Bush throws a right and a left that Henry avoids nicely.
Bush is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Bush throws a lazy body kick
and Henry counters with a right hand to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henry throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Bush on the side of the head.
Henry walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Henry tries to clinch up but Bush circles away and keeps his distance.
Bush lands with a thumping leg kick.
Henry tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. Bush manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Henry connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Henry displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Henry tries to clinch but Bush is having none of it.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Bush, as that shot connected.
Henry throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Henry tries to close the distance and clinch but Bush swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Henry works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Bush misses with an uppercut. Henry saw that one coming.
Henry looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Henry throws a good cross that connects.
Bush walks into a straight right hand from Henry.
Henry has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Bush slips a jab from Henry.
Henry connects with a single shot there.
Bush takes a swing at Henry's ribcage but misses.
Henry keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Bush misses with a hook
and Henry counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Bush tries to bum rush Henry with a series of wild strikes but Henry uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Henry tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Bush gets off balance looking for a body kick
and Henry counters with a nice leg kick.
Henry jabs Bush right on the nose. Bush blinks but takes it well.
Bush loads up on a big right hand but Henry slips the punch.
Henry takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Henry fails with an attempt to clinch.
Henry scores with a jab to the body.
Bush misses with a straight left.
Bush misses the jab.
Henry moves out of range as Bush strikes.
Henry tries to clinch but fails miserably
letting Bush counter with a right hand.
Bush scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
A jab from Bush misses.
Henry swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Henry tries to clinch but Bush is having none of it.
Henry lands the left hand.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Henry bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Henry misses with a body shot.
Henry slips under a jab from Bush.
Henry jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Henry moves in looking to clinch but Bush pushes him off.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Red Bush will probably get the nod.
That's time! Bush's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

A jab from Bush misses.
Bush throws a leg kick

and Henry counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Bush working aggressively here.
Bush working hard to break the clinch.
Henry lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Bush or not.
Henry working aggressively here.
Henry has a couple of punches blocked by Bush.
Henry lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

Bush breaks the clinch.
Henry tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Bush paws at him with a jab and circles away.
A jab from Bush misses.
Bush throws a shot from downtown. Henry moves away and avoids it.
Bush displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Henry throws out the jab.
Nice jab there from Henry.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Henry ducks under a wild hook from Bush.

Henry clinches with his opponent.
Henry lands a nice uppercut.
A right handed body shot lands from Henry.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Henry lands with a light punch inside.
Henry tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Bush's elbow.
Bush lands an elbow inside that Henry shrugs off.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henry blocks an elbow strike from Bush.
Henry blocks the elbow strike.
With the two fighters working up against the ropes, Bush just misses with a elbow thrown towards Henry's brow.
Bush lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Henry.
Bush blocking some punches.
Henry fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Bush blocking some punches.
Bush misses with an elbow strike.
With the fighters up against the ropes, Bush throws an elbow but misses.
Henry lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Bush backwards.
Henry fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Henry fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Henry lands with a short shot to the head.
Henry works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Bush throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Henry avoids the elbow strike from Bush, against the ropes.
A short left from Henry.
Bush misses with an elbow strike.
Henry misses with some punches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Henry lands a body punch in the clinch.
Henry tries to work over Bush's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Henry dodges an elbow strike from Bush.
A short right from Henry on the inside.
Henry keeps control of Bush as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Henry lands a left hand.
Henry tries to throw a body punch but Bush avoids it by throwing Henry back against the ropes.
Henry blocks an elbow strike from Bush.
Henry has a couple of punches blocked by Bush.
Bush blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Henry throws a punch but it's blocked by Bush.

Bush breaks the clinch.
Bush swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Henry counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Bush throws a leg kick which misses Henry's front leg but catches the back leg as Henry tries to avoid it.
Henry tries to close the distance and clinch up but Bush swats him away and circles back towards the center.
And Bush counters with a quick kick to the body but Henry blocks it.
Red Bush is winning the standup battle so far.
Bush misses the jab.
Henry avoids the body shot from Bush.
Henry lands a nice shot to the body.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Henry scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Bush throws a shot from downtown. Henry moves away and avoids it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pascal Henry showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Bush throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
It seemed like Henry was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Bush fails to land with a series of punches.
Henry misses with a looping right.
Henry moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Bush connects with a jab.
Henry tries to clinch but Bush is having none of it.
Bush throws a jab when Henry was well out of range.
Bush misses the shot to the body.
Henry is trying to counter with his kicks.
Bush throws a big shot that misses.
Henry jabs Bush right on the nose. Bush blinks but takes it well.
Henry tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. Bush manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Henry fails with an attempt to clinch.
Bush takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Bush takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Henry uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Bush.
Bush takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A looping hook to the body misses from Henry. Bush does a little dance to reset his feet.
Henry misses with an attempted mid kick.
Henry wants to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henry clobbers Bush with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Bush takes a body punch but keeps moving.
A good leg kick by Henry.
Henry scores with a punch to the head.
A slow jab from Bush misses its intended target.
Bush turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Henry tries to clinch but Bush moves out of range.
Bush throws a body punch but Henry moves out of range.
Henry thumps Bush with a low kick.
Henry throws a hook but Bush blocks it.
Henry with a nice cross.
Henry tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. Bush manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Henry uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Bush.
Bush is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Henry.
Bush looks to land a right hand but Henry moved out of range.
Henry tries to close the distance and clinch up but Bush swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Henry lands with a nice body punch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Henry instigates a clinch.
Henry swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Bush lands a damaging elbow.
Bush looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Bush misses with an elbow over the top.
Henry swings away with an uppercut that misses.

Bush breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Bush walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Bush scores with a kick to the midsection.
Bush uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Henry has time to react.
Henry connects with a leg kick. Bush looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Bush scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Bush lands with a kick to the ribs.
Bush steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Henry.
Bush just misses with a punch to the body.
Bush fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Henry looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Bush swats away the attempt to clinch by Henry.
Henry avoids the head kick by Bush.
Henry looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
The fighters circle momentarily. Bush darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
The fighters circling - Henry throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Pascal Henry.
I think Henry has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Taro Takaoka scores the fight 29:28
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 28:29
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Pascal Henry!
A relieved looking Pascal Henry thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.