PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Suren Nazarethyan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gichin Funakoshi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Nazarethyan comes to the cage accompanied by Brennan Heart & Wildstylez - Lose My Mind. Funakoshi is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by War Pimp Renaissance. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Nazarethyan
vs
Funakoshi

155 cm
24
150 lbs
16 - 2 - 0

168 cm
31
159 lbs
24 - 11 - 1

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Perkele!
Conviction

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 16 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Suren Nazarethyan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 24 - 11 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Gichin Funakoshi!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Don Winkell and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Funakoshi tries a head kick but it misses.
Funakoshi throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Nazarethyan's head.
Nazarethyan misses with a low kick as Funakoshi jumps back.
Nazarethyan attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Funakoshi misses with a body kick.
Nazarethyan getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Nazarethyan lands a nice leg kick that just misses Funakoshi's sensitive parts.
Nazarethyan scores with a jab to the jaw.

Funakoshi is rocked!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Nazarethyan throws a leg kick but Funakoshi moved away.
Funakoshi checks the leg kick.
Nazarethyan looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Funakoshi swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Nazarethyan looks to throw the jab but Funakoshi is out of range.
Funakoshi with a nice cross.
Nazarethyan throws a solid leg kick but Funakoshi takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Nazarethyan.
Nazarethyan tries to clinch but Funakoshi moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nazarethyan misses with an uppercut. Funakoshi saw that one coming.
A bone on bone clash there as Funakoshi blocks the leg kick.
Nazarethyan tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Funakoshi manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Nazarethyan misses with a hook. Funakoshi ducked under it nicely.
Funakoshi misses with a head kick.
Nazarethyan jabs Funakoshi to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Nice shot lands for Funakoshi.
A jab from Funakoshi finds it's way through Nazarethyan's defenses.
A head kick misses from Funakoshi.
A looping hook to the body misses from Funakoshi. Nazarethyan does a little dance to reset his feet.
Suren Nazarethyan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nazarethyan ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Funakoshi moves away.
Funakoshi pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Nazarethyan defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Funakoshi.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nazarethyan looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Nice defenses there by Funakoshi.
Nazarethyan tries to close the distance and clinch but Funakoshi swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Funakoshi avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Funakoshi scores with a hook.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Nazarethyan ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Funakoshi moves away.
Nazarethyan ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Funakoshi moves away.
Funakoshi uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Nazarethyan.
Nazarethyan tries a low kick but Funakoshi avoids it.
Nazarethyan throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Funakoshi scores with a crisp jab that stopped Nazarethyan in his tracks.
Funakoshi misses with a body shot.
Funakoshi has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Nazarethyan misses with a low kick.
A nice leg kick lands there from Nazarethyan.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nazarethyan misses with an uppercut
and Funakoshi counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Nazarethyan takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Nazarethyan throws a body punch but Funakoshi moves out of range.
Funakoshi lands a nice shot to the body.
Funakoshi moves out of range of the leg kick from Nazarethyan.
Nazarethyan moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Nazarethyan lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Funakoshi misses with a kick to the body.
Nazarethyan drops his hands momentarily and Funakoshi takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Funakoshi avoids the body shot from Nazarethyan.
Nazarethyan misses with an uppercut

and Funakoshi counters with a nice double leg into side control. Nazarethyan won't be happy with that.
Nazarethyan might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Funakoshi is trying to move to mount but Nazarethyan reverses beautifully and ends up in Funakoshi's guard.
Nazarethyan has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Nazarethyan postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nazarethyan throws a big elbow that misses.
Nazarethyan wants to control from the top but Funakoshi keeps moving.
Funakoshi controls Nazarethyan momentarily but Nazarethyan frees himself.
Funakoshi keeping moving, preventing Nazarethyan from controlling successfully.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Nazarethyan looking to pass the guard.
Nazarethyan with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Funakoshi avoids the head kick by Nazarethyan.

Nazarethyan takes the fight into the clinch.
Stalling in the clinch from Nazarethyan.
Nazarethyan doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Nazarethyan lands an uppercut.
Funakoshi misses with the head strike.
Nazarethyan swings wildly with an uppercut but Funakoshi uses good head movement to avoid it.
Nazarethyan tries to throw a body punch but Funakoshi avoids it by throwing Nazarethyan back against the cage.
Nazarethyan lands a shot to the body.
Nazarethyan pressing his opponent against the cage.
Funakoshi misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Funakoshi blocks a body shot from Nazarethyan.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Funakoshi swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Funakoshi lands with a light punch inside.
Nazarethyan tries a body shot but Funakoshi blocks it.
Funakoshi lands a shoulder strike.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Funakoshi tries a body shot but Nazarethyan blocks it.
Funakoshi blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Nazarethyan misses with a short punch on the inside.
Nazarethyan lands a body punch in the clinch.
Funakoshi goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Nazarethyan can't find room to land a body shot as Funakoshi controls the action.
Nazarethyan presses Funakoshi against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Nazarethyan pushes Funakoshi back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Nazarethyan misses with a body punch.
Nazarethyan working aggressively here.
Nazarethyan is trying to maintain a safe position but Funakoshi gets an underhook and turns Nazarethyan into the cage.
Nazarethyan blocks a body shot from Funakoshi.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nazarethyan taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Nazarethyan tries to work over Funakoshi's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Nazarethyan working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Stalling in the clinch from Nazarethyan.
Nazarethyan gets a warning from the ref for wasting time.
Nazarethyan lands a nice uppercut.
Funakoshi misses with some punches.
Nazarethyan throws a head punch that misses.
Nazarethyan can't find room to land a body shot as Funakoshi controls the action.
Nazarethyan tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Nazarethyan misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Nazarethyan misses with a shot to the kidneys.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Funakoshi wants to stall.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Funakoshi as Nazarethyan tries to tie him up.
A nice left hand lands by Nazarethyan.
Funakoshi misses with a short punch on the inside.
Nazarethyan lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Nazarethyan misses with the head strike.
Nazarethyan blocking some punches.
Nazarethyan tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Funakoshi's elbow.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Nazarethyan.
Funakoshi blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Nazarethyan swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Funakoshi throws an elbow but it's blocked.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Funakoshi lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Nazarethyan backwards.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nazarethyan presses Funakoshi against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Nazarethyan scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Nazarethyan throws a head punch that misses.
Nazarethyan tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Funakoshi's elbow.
Suren Nazarethyan has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Nazarethyan lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Funakoshi backwards.
Nazarethyan lands with a light punch inside.
Funakoshi is still on wobbly legs! Can Nazarethyan finish him?
Nazarethyan lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Nazarethyan tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Funakoshi's elbow.
Nazarethyan creates some distance for himselfand unleashes a massive uppercut that sends Funakoshi's eyes rolling into the back of his head! Funakoshi drops to his knees and Nazarethyan pours it on with more strikes until the referee steps in to end the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:50 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Suren Nazarethyan!
During a confident post fight interview, Suren Nazarethyan thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.