PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between DJ Boom (ranked 3251 p4p, 264 weight class) and Kantemir Khashukaev (ranked 3777 p4p, 286 weight class). DJ Boom could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Kantemir Khashukaev's chin.

Boom
vs
Khashukaev

170 cm
31
118 lbs
21 - 14 - 0

166 cm
26
157 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
KO power

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Milwaukee's Best Nutrition

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 21 - 14 - 0, fighting out of New York, DJ Boom!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Kantemir Khashukaev!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Robert Twigg and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A jab from Khashukaev misses.
Boom gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Khashukaev.
Kantemir Khashukaev seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Boom avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Boom has been working on his boxing with his coaches at The Beast in the buildup to the fight.
Khashukaev misses with an uppercut.
A looping hook to the body misses from Khashukaev. Boom does a little dance to reset his feet.
Boom ducks under a wild hook from Khashukaev.
Boom swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Khashukaev throws a hook but Boom blocks it.
Boom was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Boom uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Khashukaev.
Boom was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Khashukaev throws an off balance right hand
and Boom counters with a nice uppercut.
Boom misses with a hook.
Khashukaev scores with a jab.
Boom takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
The crowd cheers as Khashukaev lands an impressive looking overhand right. Boom doesn't seem phased though.
Boom moves out of range of the strikes.

Khashukaev gets a takedown into half guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Khashukaev looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Boom is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Boom really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Khashukaev missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

Khashukaev is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Boom is just riding it out for now. Khashukaev eventually gives up the hold.
Khashukaev throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Boom avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Khashukaev.
Boom avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Khashukaev.

Khashukaev is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Boom avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Khashukaev.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Khashukaev thows a huge punch but Boom dodges it nicely.
Khashukaev working Boom over with strikes.
Khashukaev missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Boom is refusing to be controlled, as Khashukaev sits in half guard.
Boom is looking to improve his position.
Boom trying to hold on to Khashukaev's head to control him but Khashukaev postures up.
Boom tries to get to full guard but Khashukaev has control of the leg.
Khashukaev throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Khashukaev is looking for a kimura here.
Khashukaev landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Khashukaev is trying to control. Boom wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Khashukaev drops an elbow to the side of Boom's head.
Khashukaev prevents Boom from improving his position.
Khashukaev is thwarting Boom's attempts to control the position.
Ground and pound from Khashukaev.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Khashukaev lands a nice short elbow.
Khashukaev throwing shots but Boom is blocking nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Khashukaev missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Boom keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Khashukaev prevents Boom from improving his position.
Khashukaev missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Boom taking some punishment here, with Khashukaev in his half guard.
Khashukaev content to control rather than advance.
Boom keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Khashukaev thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Boom's head.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Khashukaev thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Boom's head.
Boom is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Boom is breathing heavily.
Khashukaev misses with a head shot. Boom uses the momentum to regain guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kantemir Khashukaev dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Khashukaev looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
It looked like Boom wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.

Khashukaev scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Khashukaev is trying to ground and pound but Boom uses the momentary lack of control by Khashukaev to regain half guard.
Khashukaev looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Boom with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Boom on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Khashukaev working Boom over with strikes.
Khashukaev has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Khashukaev prevents Boom from improving his position.
Khashukaev throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Khashukaev lands strikes from half guard.
Boom keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Khashukaev throwing shots but Boom is blocking nicely.
Khashukaev perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Khashukaev is stalling here. Boom is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Khashukaev seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Boom has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Khashukaev is trying to escape the position but Boom is controlling the position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Khashukaev tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Boom wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Khashukaev keeps trying to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Khashukaev being controlled for a moment.
Khashukaev is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Khashukaev wants to control but Boom postures up.
Boom trying to control the position but Khashukaev is working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Boom is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Khashukaev is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Khashukaev manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Boom slows the pace down in half guard.
Khashukaev tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Boom has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
Khashukaev is trying desperately to improve position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Boom looking to control but Khashukaev is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Khashukaev has given up his back here.
Khashukaev trying to control the position but Boom manages to sink in the hooks.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Boom tries to keep control of the position but Khashukaev is staying busy.
Khashukaev is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Kantemir Khashukaev will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Boom takes a swing at Khashukaev's ribcage but misses.
Boom with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Khashukaev to score with a decent uppercut.
Khashukaev swings widly with a right hand
and Boom counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Khashukaev slips a jab from Boom.
Boom displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Khashukaev throws out the jab.
Kantemir Khashukaev seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Khashukaev scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Boom doesn't seem bothered though.
Khashukaev throws a big shot that misses.
Khashukaev blocks the body kick.
The fighters circling - Khashukaev throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Boom looked to counter that last move with a leg kick but didn't pull the trigger.
Khashukaev misses with a leg kick
and Boom counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Khashukaev has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Khashukaev swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Khashukaev swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Khashukaev misses with an uppercut. Boom saw that one coming.
Khashukaev tries a head kick but it misses.
The fighters circle momentarily. Khashukaev darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Boom looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Khashukaev throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Boom on the side of the head.
Khashukaev pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Khashukaev swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Boom swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Boom throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Khashukaev throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Boom was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Khashukaev misses with a hook to the body
and Boom counters with a straight right hand.
A slow jab from Khashukaev misses its intended target.
Khashukaev might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Boom misses with a kick to the body.
Boom misses with an uppercut.
Khashukaev lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.

Khashukaev manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Boom on his heels. He'll look to pass Boom's guard now, I'm sure.
Boom not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Khashukaev stands and throws Boom's legs to the side, diving into side control.
The ground and pound from Khashukaev seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Boom wants to control but Khashukaev postures up.
Boom taking punishment in the form of punches.
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!
Khashukaev throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Khashukaev throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Khashukaev landing strikes.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Khashukaev working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
Khashukaev taking a breather here.
Boom defending against the ground and pound.
Khashukaev trying to control the action but Boom is working from the bottom.
Kantemir Khashukaev has got the better of the ground game so far.
Boom is looking to reverse the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Boom can't do much from the bottom here.
Khashukaev lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Boom down.
Khashukaev working the ground and pound.
Boom managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Khashukaev.
Khashukaev wants to lay and pray for a moment but Boom keeps working.
Khashukaev working the head with strikes.
Check out the look on Khashukaev's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Boom prevents Khashukaev from moving into mount.
Khashukaev scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Boom to see if he's OK.
Khashukaev tries to score with some ground and pound. Boom controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Khashukaev misses with the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Khashukaev lands some shots froms side control.
Khashukaev scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Boom to see if he's OK.

Boom is rocked!
Khashukaev working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Oh Boom is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Khashukaev trying to control the position but Boom is working away.
Khashukaev throws a strike aimed at the side of Boom's head but Boom avoids it well.
Boom is trying to control Khashukaev's posture but Khashukaev avoids it.
Kantemir Khashukaev is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Boom tries to buck Khashukaev off but Khashukaev is having none of it.
DJ Boom has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Boom seems to have got his legs back now.
Khashukaev is staying tight to Boom's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Khashukaev wants to control but Boom is keeping him busy.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kantemir Khashukaev comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Khashukaev has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Wesley Smith scores the fight 28:30
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 27:30
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kantemir Khashukaev!
Kantemir Khashukaev decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.