PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight kickboxing rules bout between Drew Tate (ranked 4495 p4p, 5329 weight class) and Aleksandr Borisov (ranked 512 p4p, 543 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Tate
vs
Borisov

186 cm
18
205
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
18
215
0 - 1 - 0

Excellent MT
Self confident

Excellent MT
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Drew Tate!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Aleksandr Borisov!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Bishop, Richard Clark and James Ackerman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Borisov uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Tate.
Borisov tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. Tate manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Tate steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Borisov.
Borisov tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Tate throws a quick counter kick to the body but Borisov avoids it.
Tate throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Borisov tries to close the distance and clinch but Tate swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
A big right from Borisov misses.
Tate gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Tate with the inside leg kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Borisov tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. Tate manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Tate throws a big shot that misses.
Borisov thows a left - swing and a miss!
A counter left hand to the body from Tate misses its target.
Borisov lands with a nice body punch.
Borisov bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Borisov looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Borisov fails with an attempt to clinch.
A slapping leg kick lands for Tate.
Tate defending well as Borisov loads up on a big left hand.
Borisov lands a jab.
Borisov thows a left - swing and a miss!
Tate drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Tate walks into a stiff left hand from Borisov.
Borisov scores with a jab to the jaw.
Tate throws a hook to the side of Borisov's head but Borisov sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Borisov tries to clinch up
letting Tate counter with a right hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Borisov scores with a nice right hand.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Borisov smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Tate throws a sloppy head kick and Borisov moves out of range easily.
A looping hook to the body misses from Borisov. Tate does a little dance to reset his feet.
Borisov 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.
Tate steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Borisov.
Borisov misses with an uppercut. Tate saw that one coming.
Tate feinted there with a counter leg kick.
Borisov fails with an attempt to clinch.
Borisov misses with a looping left.
Borisov throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Tate sees it coming and avoids it easily.
A leg kick checked by Borisov.
Borisov scores with a jab to the jaw.
Borisov tries to close the distance and clinch but Tate swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Aleksandr Borisov 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.

Borisov lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Tate misses with a looping right.
Tate tries a head kick but it misses.
Borisov tries to counter with a clinch but Tate shakes him off and moves away.
Tate fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Borisov tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. Tate manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
It looked like Tate wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Borisov misses with a body shot.
Tate is looking for a counter combo.
Borisov tries to close the distance and clinch but Tate swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Tate keeps the fight on the outside.
Tate thinks about countering with a head kick.
Borisov misses with a straight left.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Good leg kick by Tate.
Borisov connects with a good right hand that stumbles Tate. Tate circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Borisov is looking to clinch.
A thudding body kick lands there by Tate!

That's one minute gone in the round.
A telegraphed right hand from Borisov misses the target.
Aleksandr Borisov seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Tate slips a straight right by Borisov.
Tate thinks about countering with a body kick.
Borisov waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Tate.
Borisov moves out of range of the leg kick from Tate.
A big right from Tate misses.
Borisov throws a hook but Tate blocks it.
Tate is looking to counter punch.
Borisov fails in his attempt to clinch.
Borisov moves out of range as Tate throws a body kick.
Tate moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Tate lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Borisov misses with a wild body shot.
Borisov tries to clinch up but Tate circles away and keeps his distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Borisov misses with a wild body shot.
Borisov will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
It looked like Tate wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Tate loads up on a big right hand but Borisov slips the punch.
Borisov looks to score with a jab to the body but Tate is just out of range.
Tate throws a head kick that half lands.
Borisov moves out of range of the body kick from Tate.
Borisov moves in looking to clinch but Tate pushes him off.
An attempted straight right counter from Tate misses the target.
Borisov swings and misses with a hook to the body.
An attempted straight right counter from Tate misses the target.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Tate takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Borisov throws a good cross that connects.
Tate swats away the attempt to clinch by Borisov.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Drew Tate dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action!

A jab lands there for Borisov.
Borisov tries to clinch but Tate is having none of it.
Borisov wants to clinch.
Borisov falls off balance throwing a combination

and Tate counters with a lead uppercut that lands right on the button! Borisov goes down! Will Borisov beat the count? 3,4,5 - he's up! No problem. Let's get back to the action!
Tate throws a hook but Borisov avoids it easily.
Borisov cracks Tate with a good jab.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Borisov connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Tate momentarily.
Borisov misses with a lunging right hand
and Tate counters with a big right hand that sends Borisov crashing to the mat! He's very wobbly - can he beat the count?! 5,6,7,8... he's up! No, he's down again! 9,10! He's done! The referee calls an end to the bout - Tate takes it!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:59 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punch). Drew Tate!
Drew Tate decided to go for the less than humble approach in his post fight interview, telling everyone how he is going to conquer the world. The crowd seemed to like it when really that sort of approach could have gone either way.