PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Leonid Martinyuk (ranked 1107 p4p, 139 weight class) and DeMarcus Cousins (ranked 1042 p4p, 130 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Martinyuk
vs
Cousins

200 cm
24
240 lbs
6 - 4 - 0

211 cm
22
279 lbs
11 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Leonid Martinyuk!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, DeMarcus Cousins!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Frank Dennis and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cousins shoots in looking for a takedown but Martinyuk manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Cousins's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Martinyuk is looking to counter punch.
Martinyuk scores with a decent looking hook.
Martinyuk moves out of range of the strikes.
Martinyuk throws a quick counter kick to the body but Cousins avoids it.
Cousins tries a head kick but it misses.
Cousins walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.

It looks like DeMarcus Cousins has been cut.
Cousins throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Martinyuk looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
A slow jab from Martinyuk misses its intended target.
Cousins fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Cousins tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Martinyuk was well out of range. Poor timing from Cousins.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cousins throws a looping overhand right but Martinyuk ducks down to avoid it.
Martinyuk swinging wildly here.
Cousins misses with a hook to the body

and Martinyuk counters with a head kick that drops Cousins to the mat! Cousins scrambles across the canvas and gets back to his feet, still wobbly!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cousins misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Martinyuk.
Martinyuk swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Cousins punishes Martinyuk's body with a nice straight punch.
Martinyuk connects with a leg kick. Cousins looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
DeMarcus Cousins seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Cousins goes for a double leg but Martinyuk avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the ropes as Martinyuk continues to drive forward.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Cousins.
A counter left hand to the body from Martinyuk misses its target.
Leonid Martinyuk has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of DeMarcus Cousins.

Martinyuk drops Cousins with a hook right on the temple. He thinks about going to the ground but Cousins looks back up at him and smiles so Martinyuk waves him back to his feet - he obviously thinks he can knock him out after that shot landed.
Cousins uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Martinyuk has time to react.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Cousins changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Cousins throws a right hand that misses
and Martinyuk counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Cousins throws a hook but Martinyuk avoids it easily.
Martinyuk throwing a counter right hand but Cousins manages to avoid it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cousins lunges at Martinyuk with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Martinyuk's hand.
Cousins connects with a body shot that sends Martinyuk's belly button to the back.
Martinyuk misses with a looping left.
Cousins misses with a looping right.
Cousins shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Martinyuk as he avoids it easily.
Martinyuk throwing a counter right hand but Cousins manages to avoid it.
Cousins throws a body shot but no joy.
A little feinted left hand from Martinyuk on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Cousins doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Martinyuk cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Martinyuk scores with a shot to the body.

Martinyuk sends Cousins crashing to the mat with a devastating uppercut! Martinyuk is motioning to the referee to let Cousins up. He wants to try and finish this one on the feet!

Cousins is rocked!

That has opened up DeMarcus Cousins's cut even more.
Martinyuk is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Martinyuk scores with a push kick.
Cousins throws a solid leg kick but Martinyuk takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Cousins.
An attempted straight right counter from Martinyuk misses the target.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cousins just misses with a punch to the body.
Cousins misses the shot to the body.
Martinyuk looks to land a combination but Cousins avoids it well.
Cousins slips under a jab.
Cousins works Martinyuk's body with a nice hook.
Cousins throws a leg kick but Martinyuk sees it coming and moves out of range.
Cousins swings for the body but Martinyuk moves out of range.
Martinyuk on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Cousins misses with a body shot.
Martinyuk avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Cousins darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Martinyuk keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cousins looks to score with a jab to the body but Martinyuk is just out of range.
Martinyuk defending well as Cousins loads up on a big left hand.
Cousins misses with a double jab.
Martinyuk takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Cousins throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
It looked like Martinyuk wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Martinyuk moves away from the strike by Cousins.
Martinyuk thinks about countering with a head kick.
Sloppy strikes from Cousins. Those never looked like landing.
Martinyuk avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Martinyuk throwing a counter right hand but Cousins manages to avoid it.
Martinyuk defending well as Cousins loads up on a big left hand.
An attempted straight right counter from Martinyuk misses the target.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Cousins misses the shot to the body.
Cousins fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Cousins throws a body shot but no joy.
A little feinted left hand from Martinyuk on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
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 Leonid Martinyuk will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on DeMarcus Cousins's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Cousins connects with a leg kick. Martinyuk looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Cousins lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Decent striking displayed by Martinyuk there.
Crunch! Cousins slams his shin into Martinyuk's torso.
Cousins misses with a head kick.
Martinyuk slips a jab from Cousins.
Cousins dips to his left and cracks Martinyuk with an uppercut!
Cousins fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Martinyuk seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Nice uppercut there from Martinyuk.
Cousins throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Cousins listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Martinyuk throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cousins misses with a series of wild punches.
Cousins is breathing heavily.
Cousins swinging wildly here.
It looked like Martinyuk wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Cousins waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Martinyuk.
Martinyuk throwing a counter right hand but Cousins manages to avoid it.
Cousins throws a jab but it's blocked by Martinyuk.
Cousins takes a swing at Martinyuk's ribcage but misses.
It looked like Martinyuk was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Cousins.
Cousins shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Martinyuk pinned against the ropes. Martinyuk gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Martinyuk appears to be looking for a big counter.
Martinyuk thuds his shin into the meat of Cousins's side.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Martinyuk connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.

The cut above DeMarcus Cousins's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
Martinyuk misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Cousins bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Martinyuk's head backwards.
Martinyuk keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Cousins.
Cousins throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Martinyuk scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Cousins throws a hook but Martinyuk avoids it easily.
Martinyuk throwing a counter right hand but Cousins manages to avoid it.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Cousins misses with a straight left.
Martinyuk throws a counter high kick but Cousins was just alert enough to avoid it.
Martinyuk takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Martinyuk scores with a shot to the body.
Nice defenses there by Cousins.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Martinyuk keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Martinyuk slips a jab from Cousins.
A shot to the liver by Cousins. Beautiful body shot.
Nice jab there from Martinyuk.

DeMarcus Cousins's cut is absolute horrible now. This looks like something out of a horror film with blood covering both fighters.
Leonid Martinyuk is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Martinyuk cracks Cousins with a big right hand that sees him stumbling back against the ropes! Cousins falls to his knees and Martinyuk doesn't need a second invitatation - he rushes in and fires off several unanswered shots that force the referee to stop the fight! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:29 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Leonid Martinyuk!
In his post fight interview, Leonid Martinyuk started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.