PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight kickboxing rules bout between Filip Mirkovic (ranked 5551 p4p, 426 weight class) and Juan Escobar (ranked 5025 p4p, 401 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Mirkovic
vs
Escobar

178 cm
18
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

165 cm
18
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Solid Muay Thai
Cuts easily

Excellent MT
Solid chin

Groove Gear
Altitude Clothing

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Filip Mirkovic!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Juan Escobar!
The judges for this bout are Yuuki Gou, Shirou Masuda and Kenichi Hosakawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Escobar scores with a one two! Mirkovic had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Escobar scores with a three punch combo!
Escobar lands a nice hook to Mirkovic's body. Mirkovic takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Escobar throws a lazy right hand but Mirkovic sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Mirkovic fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Escobar looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Escobar looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Mirkovic was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Escobar stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Escobar pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Mirkovic back to the ropes. Escobar follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Escobar smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Escobar lands with a straight right. Mirkovic didn't see that one coming.
Mirkovic takes a swing at Escobar's ribcage but misses.
Escobar misses with a straight left.
Mirkovic appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Escobar lands with an uppercut that bounces Mirkovic off the ropes and back into range.
Mirkovic takes a jab right on the kisser.
Escobar connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Mirkovic's hands.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Escobar throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Mirkovic counters with a straight right hand.
Mirkovic on the wrong end of a nice jab.
A shot to the liver by Escobar. Beautiful body shot.
Juan Escobar seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Escobar scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Escobar dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Escobar scores with a hook.
Mirkovic moves forwards but Escobar connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Escobar fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Mirkovic manages to avoid it.
Mirkovic is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Escobar ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Escobar works Mirkovic's body with a nice hook.
Escobar swings and misses with a hook to the body.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Escobar lands with an uppercut that bounces Mirkovic off the ropes and back into range.
Escobar swinging wildly here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Escobar fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Mirkovic on the side of the head.
A punch combination from Escobar misses.
Mirkovic on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Nice shot lands for Escobar.
Escobar lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Mirkovic swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Escobar throws out a powerful jab.
Escobar tries to bum rush Mirkovic with a series of wild strikes but Mirkovic uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Escobar thows a left - swing and a miss!
Mirkovic slips a straight right by Escobar.
A counter left hand to the body from Mirkovic misses its target.
Escobar throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Juan Escobar dominated that round.
That's time! Mirkovic's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Mirkovic misses with an uppercut. Escobar saw that one coming.
Escobar connects with a good right hand that stumbles Mirkovic. Mirkovic circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Mirkovic throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Escobar scores with a jab. Mirkovic acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Mirkovic connects with a good right hand that stumbles Escobar. Escobar circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Escobar scores with the left hand. Mirkovic knows he should have avoided that one.
Escobar connects with a body shot that sends Mirkovic's belly button to the back.
The crowd cheers as Escobar lands an impressive looking overhand right. Mirkovic doesn't seem phased though.
Escobar swings for the body but Mirkovic moves out of range.
Mirkovic was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Mirkovic moves forwards but Escobar connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Escobar lands with a straight right. Mirkovic didn't see that one coming.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Escobar lands with an uppercut that bounces Mirkovic off the ropes and back into range.
Escobar jabs at Mirkovic's body.
Mirkovic takes a jab right on the kisser.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Escobar displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Mirkovic takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Escobar connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Juan Escobar is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Escobar slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Escobar lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Escobar.

Mirkovic is rocked!
Escobar dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Escobar misses with a series of wild punches.
Escobar rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Mirkovic moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Mirkovic swings for the body but Escobar moves out of range.
Escobar fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Escobar misses with a few strikes there.
Escobar has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Escobar throws a poor cross that misses
and Mirkovic counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Escobar thinking.
Escobar cracks Mirkovic with a good jab.
Escobar lands a jab.
Mirkovic throws a big shot that misses.
A telegraphed right hand from Escobar misses the target.
Mirkovic swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Sloppy strikes from Escobar. Those never looked like landing.
Escobar throws a good cross that connects.
Mirkovic dodges the punch combination from Escobar.
Escobar fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Mirkovic takes one to the chin there.
Mirkovic ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Escobar moves away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Juan Escobar 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!

Escobar lands a lovely overhand right.
Escobar fails to land with a series of punches.
Nice cross by Escobar.
Mirkovic takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Mirkovic takes one to the chin there.
Escobar lands with a straight right. Mirkovic didn't see that one coming.
Escobar misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Mirkovic moves out of range of the strikes.
Escobar stalks Mirkovic and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Mirkovic's face. Mirkovic staggers backwards, shaken.
Mirkovic takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Escobar misses with an uppercut
and Mirkovic counters with a right hand to the body.
Mirkovic on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Mirkovic slips under a jab from Escobar.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Escobar uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Mirkovic.
Escobar throws a series of punches but Mirkovic moves out of range.
Mirkovic was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Mirkovic looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Escobar listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Nice uppercut lands for Escobar. That snapped Mirkovic's head back.
Escobar connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
No joy there for Escobar, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Mirkovic appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Sloppy strikes from Escobar. Those never looked like landing.
A jab from Escobar misses.
Escobar lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
A nice combination there by Escobar.
Mirkovic lands an overhand right.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Escobar uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Mirkovic.
Escobar catches Mirkovic with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mirkovic loads up on a big right hand but Escobar slips the punch.
Escobar lands with a hook. Mirkovic tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Escobar uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Mirkovic has time to react.
Mirkovic misses with a shot to the body
and Escobar connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Mirkovic keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Escobar.
A little feinted left hand from Mirkovic on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Escobar fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Mirkovic throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Mirkovic on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Filip Mirkovic has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Escobar keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Juan Escobar seems to be getting the better of the standup.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Jab from Escobar.
Escobar misses with a straight right.
It looked like Mirkovic was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Escobar.
Juan Escobar is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Mirkovic takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.

And that's the end of the fight!
Juan Escobar comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Escobar 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 Yuuki Gou scores the fight 27:30
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 27:30
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Juan Escobar!
In his post fight interview, Juan Escobar started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.