PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight kickboxing rules bout between Zheko Mladenov (ranked 3507 p4p, 346 weight class) and David Tua (ranked 24429 p4p, 579 weight class). I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Mladenov
vs
Tua

180 cm
19
251 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

180 cm
28
265 lbs
12 - 5 - 0

Solid boxing
Good chin

Great elbows
Good gas tank

Urban Fighter
Condemned

Dr Zoidberg Office

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 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Zheko Mladenov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, David Tua!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Yamamoto, Yuuki Gou and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tua throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Mladenov was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.

Mladenov moves into range and clinches up with Tua.
Mladenov misses with the head strike.
Mladenov scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Tua is trying to maintain a safe position but Mladenov gets an underhook and turns Tua into the ropes.
Tua is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the ropes.
Tua blocking some punches.
Tua misses with a short punch on the inside.
Mladenov lands a nice uppercut.
Tua lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Mladenov lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Mladenov lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Tua backwards.
Tua tries to throw a body punch but Mladenov avoids it by throwing Tua back against the ropes.
A nice right hand lands inside from Mladenov.
Mladenov gets through Tua's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Mladenov pushes Tua back against the ropes and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Tua blocks a punch to the side of the head.
With the fighters clinched against the ropes, Tua creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Mladenov misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Tua throws an elbow but it misses.
Mladenov swings away with an uppercut that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mladenov tries to throw a body punch but Tua avoids it by throwing Mladenov back against the ropes.
A head punch on the inside from Tua fails to land.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Tua.
Tua misses with an elbow strike.
Mladenov lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.

Mladenov's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Mladenov rushes Tua and pushes him back against the ropes in a clinch.
Tua can't find room to land a body shot as Mladenov controls the action.
Tua blocks a body shot from Mladenov.
Mladenov lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Mladenov doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Tua prevents a body shot from Mladenov.
Mladenov lands a left hand that snaps the head of Tua backwards.
Tua misses with a punch to the body.
Tua lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Mladenov scores with a nice hook to the head.
Mladenov misses with a punch to the body.
Mladenov lands a right hand that snaps the head of Tua backwards.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Mladenov prevents a body shot from Tua.
Tua looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Tua wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Mladenov lands an uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tua looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Tua tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Mladenov misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Tua blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Tua can't break the clinch.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Mladenov.
Mladenov lands a body shot in the clinch.
Tua tries to work over Mladenov's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Mladenov tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Mladenov lands a body punch.
A hook to the body from Mladenov.
Tua looks winded!
Mladenov working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Mladenov lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Mladenov lands a body punch in the clinch.
Tua is trying to maintain a safe position but Mladenov gets an underhook and turns Tua into the ropes.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Mladenov.
Tua looking to slow down the pace here.
Mladenov lands a body punch.
A right hook to the body lands for Mladenov.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Zheko Mladenov dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Mladenov darts in and clinches Tua up against the ropes.
Mladenov lands a right hand that snaps the head of Tua backwards.
Tua looking to stall.
A right handed body shot lands from Mladenov.

Mladenov breaks the clinch.
David Tua seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Tua misses with a left hand
and Mladenov connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Tua throws the left hand but Mladenov avoids the punch easily.
Mladenov's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Tua connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Mladenov scrambles back to his feet.
Mladenov avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Tua cracks Mladenov with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the ropes.
Tua throws the left hand but Mladenov avoids the punch easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tua lands a really nice looking cross but Mladenov seems unphased.

It looks like Zheko Mladenov has been cut.

Tua tries to keep at a distance but Mladenov has taken the fight into the clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Tua tries to throw a body punch but Mladenov avoids it by throwing Tua back against the ropes.
Mladenov is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Tua can do to turn this around?
Mladenov scores with a shot to the side of Tua's head.
Zheko Mladenov has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Mladenov scores with a shot to the side of Tua's head.
Still in the clinch, Mladenov scores with a nice short uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mladenov lands a shoulder strike.
A shot in the inside from Mladenov.
Mladenov struggles to land a body shot inside as Tua controls his hands.

Mladenov breaks from the clinch.

Mladenov pushes Tua up against the ropes in a clinch.

Mladenov's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Tua misses the jab.

Mladenov moves into range and clinches up with Tua.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Mladenov lands a shot to the body.
Mladenov scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Mladenov lands an uppercut.
Tua has a couple of punches blocked by Mladenov.
Mladenov scores with a shoulder strike.
Mladenov scores with a shoulder strike.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Tua misses with a body punch.
Tua wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Mladenov has him pressed against the ropes.
Mladenov pushes Tua back against the ropes and unloads with a body punch.
Tua is breathing heavily.
A short left from Mladenov.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A short left from Mladenov.
Mladenov lands a body punch.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Mladenov.
Mladenov lands with a right to the head.

Mladenov manages to break the clinch.

Mladenov closes the distance and clinches.
Mladenov lands a right hand that snaps the head of Tua backwards.
Mladenov blocks a body shot from Tua.
A right handed body shot lands from Mladenov.

Mladenov breaks the clinch.

Mladenov has taken the fight to the clinch.
Tua can't break the clinch.
Tua lands a nice elbow.
A short right from Mladenov.
A left hand lands to the body for Mladenov.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Mladenov lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Mladenov scores with a nice hook to the head.
Mladenov is working Tua over against the ropes.
Mladenov lands on the inside with an uppercut.
A right handed body shot lands from Mladenov.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Zheko Mladenov dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Zheko Mladenov's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Mladenov has Tua up against the ropes in a clinch.
Mladenov working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Mladenov works on Tua's body with a couple of short punches.
Tua prevents a body shot from Mladenov.
Mladenov lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Mladenov lands a body punch.

Mladenov's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Mladenov clinches up with Tua and pushes him back against the ropes.
Mladenov lands a left hand that snaps the head of Tua backwards.
Mladenov lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Tua or not.
Mladenov lands a body shot.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Mladenov.
Mladenov lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Mladenov lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Mladenov breaks the clinch.

Mladenov pushes Tua up against the ropes in a clinch.
Tua takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Mladenov lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Mladenov scores with a shot to the side of Tua's head.
Mladenov lands a hook that snaps the head of Tua backwards.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mladenov tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Tua's elbow.
Mladenov scores with a nice hook to the head.
Mladenov lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Nice body punch from Mladenov - that landed with a thud.
Mladenov lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Tua or not.
Mladenov digs a right hand into Tua's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Tua's gas tank.
Mladenov lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Tua backwards.
Mladenov lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
With the fighters clinched against the ropes, Mladenov creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Mladenov lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Mladenov keeps control of Tua as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Mladenov scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Mladenov lands with a right to the head.

Mladenov breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Mladenov drives through and clinches with Tua against the ropes.
Mladenov tries a body shot but Tua blocks it.
A short body shot lands from Mladenov as the two fighters clinch.
Tua's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Still in the clinch, Mladenov scores with a nice short uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mladenov throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Mladenov lands with a right to the head.
Tua wants to break the clinch but can't.
Mladenov scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Mladenov misses with a body punch.
Mladenov lands a shot to the body.
Mladenov works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Mladenov lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the ropes.
Mladenov blocks an uppercut.
Still in the clinch, Mladenov scores with a nice short uppercut.
Still in the clinch, Mladenov scores with a nice short uppercut.
Mladenov lands with a left to the head.
Mladenov cracks Tua with a nice body shot.
Mladenov gets through Tua's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.

Tua is rocked!
Mladenov lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Tua backwards.
Tua is still on wobbly legs! Can Mladenov finish him?
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Mladenov lands a left hand.
Mladenov lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Mladenov cracks Tua with a nice body shot.
David Tua has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
A right handed body shot lands from Mladenov.
Good body shot from Mladenov.

And that's the end of the fight!
Zheko Mladenov showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Mladenov has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 30:26
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 30:26
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Zheko Mladenov!