PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Liwa Kursiwa (ranked 1493 p4p, 2622 weight class) and Tahboule Alawi (ranked 116 p4p, 187 weight class). Alawi has chosen The Ruler of Everything as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Kursiwa
vs
Alawi

165 cm
26
145
8 - 6 - 0

170 cm
30
147
9 - 5 - 1

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Powerful

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 8 - 6 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Liwa Kursiwa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 5 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Tahboule Alawi!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Roosa Järviläinen and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Alawi shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Kursiwa trying to keep hold of his opponent's head but Alawi manages to pass to mount!
Alawi controlling the position easily from mount.

Alawi is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Kursiwa has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Kursiwa!
Alawi is pulling down on Kursiwa's head to control his posture.
Kursiwa tries to free his leg and advance position but Alawi is retaining full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Kursiwa won't allow Alawi to sweep him here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alawi working a defensive guard here.
Kursiwa is looking to work some ground and pound but Alawi has wrist control.
Kursiwa scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Kursiwa has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Kursiwa is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Kursiwa trying to control the position from guard on top but Alawi is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Kursiwa working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Kursiwa advances position into side control!
Alawi tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Kursiwa wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Alawi takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Alawi is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Kursiwa's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Alawi is trying to maintain the position but Kursiwa is very close to passing his half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Alawi actively working from the bottom here.
Alawi trying to control but Kursiwa postures up.
Kursiwa wants to lay and pray for a moment but Alawi keeps working.
Kursiwa sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Alawi defending well though.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Alawi moves into full guard.
Kursiwa throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Alawi works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Alawi looking for a sweep. Not yet Alawi, not yet.
Kursiwa trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Alawi keeping moving, preventing Kursiwa from controlling successfully.
Alawi seems keen to control Kursiwa's posture.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Alawi looking to control.
Alawi wants to sweep but no luck.
Kursiwa wants to control from the top but Alawi keeps moving.
Alawi not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Alawi managing to control the position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Kursiwa throws a right hand that misses

and Alawi counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Kursiwa manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Liwa Kursiwa seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Alawi stuffs the takedown attempt from Kursiwa. Kursiwa gets slowly back to his feet.
Alawi changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Kursiwa tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Alawi swivels and escapes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Alawi circles away from the clinch attempt.
Kursiwa scores with a jab.
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!

Alawi drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

Kursiwa explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
Kursiwa looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Kursiwa throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Alawi counters with a single leg into guard. Kursiwa didn't expect that.
Kursiwa is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Alawi slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Liwa Kursiwa dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Alawi fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Kursiwa is looking to counter the offense by Alawi and move into the clinch.
Alawi slips under a jab.
Alawi tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.

Kursiwa clinches up against the cage.
Alawi tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Kursiwa smiles and moves away.
Alawi fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Liwa Kursiwa has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tahboule Alawi.
Kursiwa looks for a takedown but Alawi sprawls well.
Alawi with the counter takedown but Kursiwa avoids it easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kursiwa defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Alawi.
Kursiwa feinted with a counter takedown.
Alawi fails with the takedown.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kursiwa throws a right hand that Alawi ducks under and follows up with a left that Alawi also avoids with ease.
Alawi is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.

Kursiwa shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Alawi napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Alawi tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Kursiwa is working to tighten his grip on Alawi's neck. He's isolated an arm and is working for an arm triangle. Alawi has recognised the danger and is trying to turn with the submission but Kursiwa is really squeezing tight and eventually Alawi passes out! Kursiwa breaks the hold and jumps onto the cage to celebrate! Submission of the night, I'd say!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:58 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Arm Triangle). Liwa Kursiwa!
A victorious Liwa Kursiwa thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.