PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Vladimir Kovalev (ranked 121 p4p, 6 weight class) and Bjorn Ragnarsson (ranked 217 p4p, 8 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Kovalev
vs
Ragnarsson

207 cm
26
260 lbs
13 - 4 - 0

209 cm
27
278 lbs
16 - 2 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Sin City Allstars

HELLBENT
KOMBAT KLOTHING

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 13 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Vladimir Kovalev!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Bjorn Ragnarsson!
The judges for this bout are Stewart Dunkirk, Tiny Johnson and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kovalev gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Ragnarsson darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Kovalev keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Kovalev has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Just Scrap MMA and BJJ in the buildup to the fight.
Kovalev moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.

It looks like Bjorn Ragnarsson has been cut.
Ragnarsson throws a nice outside leg kick.
Ragnarsson cracks Kovalev with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Kovalev avoids the body shot from Ragnarsson.
A counter left hand to the body from Kovalev misses its target.
Kovalev misses the jab.
Kovalev keeps the fight on the outside.
Kovalev was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Ragnarsson tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Bjorn Ragnarsson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nice defenses there by Ragnarsson.
Kovalev looks to land a right hand but Ragnarsson moved out of range.
Ragnarsson misses with a looping right.
It looked like Kovalev wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ragnarsson takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Ragnarsson lands a lovely overhand right.
Ragnarsson keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Kovalev.
Ragnarsson is looking for the big counter here.
Ragnarsson looks to throw the jab but Kovalev is out of range.
Kovalev was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Ragnarsson tries to clinch up but Kovalev circles away and keeps his distance.
Kovalev has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Ragnarsson.
Ragnarsson misses with a hook.
Kovalev swats away the attempt to clinch by Ragnarsson.
Kovalev is looking for a counter combo.
Ragnarsson steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Kovalev.
Ragnarsson throws out a leg kick but Kovalev moves out of range and Ragnarsson only half commits.
Kovalev misses with an uppercut.
Ragnarsson tries to counter with a clinch but Kovalev shakes him off and moves away.
Kovalev avoids the body shot from Ragnarsson.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A low kick from Ragnarsson is predictable there
and Kovalev cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Kovalev throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Ragnarsson.
Kovalev throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Ragnarsson swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Kovalev makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
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!
Ragnarsson throws the left hand but Kovalev avoids the punch easily.
Ragnarsson moves to clinch but Kovalev breaks away
and Kovalev counters with a nice uppercut.
Ragnarsson throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
It looked like Kovalev was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Kovalev moves out of range as Ragnarsson strikes.
Kovalev circles away from the clinch attempt.
Kovalev appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
A swing and a miss from Ragnarsson.
It looked like Kovalev wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Ragnarsson throws a lazy uppercut
and Kovalev counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ragnarsson doesn't manage to clinch there - Kovalev circles away.
Ragnarsson tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Kovalev was well out of range. Poor timing from Ragnarsson.
Ragnarsson throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

Ragnarsson clinches with his opponent.

Kovalev breaks from the clinch.
Ragnarsson jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Kovalev avoids the body shot from Ragnarsson.
Kovalev swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Ragnarsson throws a leg kick
and Kovalev connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

That has opened up Bjorn Ragnarsson's cut even more.

Kovalev gets tackled into the cage by Ragnarsson. Ragnarsson maintains the clinch.

Kovalev pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Kovalev works Ragnarsson's body with a nice hook.
Kovalev throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Ragnarsson sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Ragnarsson tries to close the distance and clinch up but Kovalev swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A slow jab from Ragnarsson misses its intended target.
Kovalev throws a big counter combination but Ragnarsson scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Kovalev tries to move into range but Ragnarsson moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Ragnarsson closes the distance but Kovalev moves to the side
and Ragnarsson takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Ragnarsson throws a nice outside leg kick.
Ragnarsson misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Kovalev.
An attempted straight right counter from Kovalev misses the target.
Ragnarsson misses with a hook
enabling Kovalev to counter with a crisp jab.
Ragnarsson closes the distance but Kovalev moves to the side
and Kovalev counters with a lovely straight right hand!

The cut above Bjorn Ragnarsson's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
Kovalev takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Ragnarsson lands a lovely overhand right.
Ragnarsson throws a body shot but no joy.
It looked like Kovalev wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
An inside leg kick lands from Ragnarsson.
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 Vladimir Kovalev will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Bjorn Ragnarsson's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Ragnarsson swings for the body but Kovalev moves out of range.
Ragnarsson throws a lazy uppercut
and Kovalev counters with a straight right hand.
Ragnarsson pushes Kovalev away with a front kick.
Ragnarsson throws a big shot that misses.
Ragnarsson misses with a lunging right hand
enabling Kovalev to counter with a crisp jab.
Ragnarsson tries to clinch up
and Kovalev counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Ragnarsson misses the jab.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ragnarsson throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Ragnarsson lands a glancing blow to the side of Kovalev's head.
A big right from Ragnarsson misses.
Ragnarsson misses with a looping right.
As Ragnarsson looks to move away, Kovalev throws a big counter combo but Ragnarsson just gets out of the way.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A decent looking cross lands there for Ragnarsson.
Ragnarsson slips under a jab from Kovalev.
A cross from Ragnarsson lands.
Ragnarsson throws a poor cross that misses
and Kovalev cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Ragnarsson goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Ragnarsson with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
A looping hook to the body misses from Ragnarsson. Kovalev does a little dance to reset his feet.
Kovalev takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.

Bjorn Ragnarsson's cut is absolute horrible now. This looks like something out of a horror film with blood covering both fighters.
Bjorn Ragnarsson seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Ragnarsson is looking to chop away at Kovalev's legs.
Kovalev keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
It looked like Kovalev wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Kovalev blocks a jab.
Kovalev was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Ragnarsson takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Ragnarsson throws a low kick, looking for Kovalev's leg but Kovalev calmly moves out of range.
Ragnarsson lands with an overhand left.
A big left from Kovalev misses.
Ragnarsson ducks under a wild hook from Kovalev.
Kovalev throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Ragnarsson looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Ragnarsson misses with a jab, cross combination.
Ragnarsson swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
A big left from Kovalev misses.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Ragnarsson in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
Ragnarsson bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Ragnarsson swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Ragnarsson doesn't manage to clinch there - Kovalev circles away.
Ragnarsson walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kovalev ducks under a wild hook from Ragnarsson.
Kovalev clobbers Ragnarsson with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at Bjorn Ragnarsson's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:19 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Vladimir Kovalev!