PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight kickboxing rules bout between Neymar Santos (ranked 3871 p4p, 120 weight class) and Artem Irhin (ranked 3757 p4p, 119 weight class). 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.

Santos
vs
Irhin

175 cm
38
170 lbs
28 - 25 - 0

180 cm
35
191 lbs
15 - 16 - 0

World class boxer
Insanely flexible

World class MT
Powerful

Pit Bull Development
Sin City Allstars

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 28 - 25 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Neymar Santos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 16 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Artem Irhin!
The judges for this bout are Saam Ante, Nard Betker and Paulsen Ambrosius.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Santos moves in looking to clinch but Irhin pushes him off.
We've been informed that Irhin has been sparring a lot of Muay Thai in the buildup to this fight so let's see if that has an impact on the result.

Santos closes the distance and pushes Irhin back into the ropes.
Santos is leaning against Irhin and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
I was talking to Santos's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Santos lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

It looks like Artem Irhin has been cut.
Santos swings wildly with an uppercut but Irhin uses good head movement to avoid it.
Irhin goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

Irhin breaks the clinch.
Santos tries to clinch up but Irhin circles away and keeps his distance.
Santos is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
As Santos backs off Irhin throws a huge counter combo but Santos manages to avoid it all.
Irhin thuds his right hand into Santos's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Irhin throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Santos tries to close the distance and clinch up but Irhin swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Irhin misses with an uppercut.

Santos gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Santos lands a knee to the head.
Irhin misses with a punch on the inside.
Irhin tries to break free but Santos pushes him back against the ropes.

Irhin breaks the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Irhin circles away from the clinch attempt
and Irhin counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
No joy there for Irhin, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Irhin scores with a nice head shot.

Santos clinches with his opponent.
A short right from Irhin on the inside.
Santos scores with a shoulder strike.
Irhin throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Santoss head.
Irhin lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Santos tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Irhin tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Irhin avoids the elbow strike from Santos, against the ropes.
A right hand to the body from Santos.

Irhin manages to break the clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Santos tries to close the distance and clinch but Irhin swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Santos moves into the clinch.
Irhin gets through Santos's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Irhin.
Irhin tries to circle away but Santos has him pinned against the ropes.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Irhin.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Irhin blocks it with crossed arms.
Santos prevents a body shot from Irhin.
Santos keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Irhin's efforts to push away.
Santos gets through Irhin's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Santos.
Santos tries to land knees in the clinch but Irhin avoids the damage to the body.
With the fighters up against the ropes, Santos throws an elbow but misses.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Santos.

Irhin breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Irhin jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Santos doesn't manage to clinch there - Irhin circles away.
Irhin slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Neymar Santos seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Irhin connects with a jab.
Irhin throws a series of punches but Santos avoids them all with ease.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Irhin misses with a two punch combination.
Santos keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Irhin lands a nice looking body shot.
Santos uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Irhin.
The fight stays on the outside here - Santos looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Artem Irhin dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Artem Irhin's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

A big right from Irhin misses.
Santos tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Irhin has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Santos has closed the distance and engaged Irhin in a clinch.
Santos lands an elbow that stopped Irhin in his tracks for a moment.

Irhin pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Irhin swats away the attempt to clinch by Santos.
Santos tries to clinch but Irhin is having none of it.
Irhin cracks Santos with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Santos tries to clinch up but Irhin circles away and keeps his distance.
A little jabbing left from Irhin on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Santos moves in looking to clinch but Irhin pushes him off.
The fight stays on the outside here - Santos looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Santos looks to clinch
enabling Irhin to counter with a crisp jab.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Irhin throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
An attempted straight right counter from Santos misses the target.

Santos clinches with his opponent.
Santos lands a damaging elbow.
Santos lands a nice elbow.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Santos misses with an elbow over the top.
Santos throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.

That's one minute gone in the round.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Santos.
Irhin is breathing heavily.
Irhin misses with a short punch on the inside.
Santos throws an elbow but it's blocked.
A right hook to the body lands for Irhin.

Irhin manages to break the clinch.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Santos lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Santos creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Irhin's defenses.
Santos lands a shoulder strike.
Santos has a couple of punches blocked by Irhin.
A shot in the inside from Santos.
Santos cracks Irhin with a nice body shot.
Santos lands an elbow just above Irhin 's eye.
Santos throws an elbow but it misses.
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!
Santos works on Irhin's body with a couple of short punches.
Neymar Santos has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Santos looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Santos pushes Irhin back against the ropes and unloads with a body punch.
Irhin blocks an elbow strike from Santos.
Santos lands an elbow just above Irhin 's eye.
Santos scores with a knee to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
A knee to the head by Santos.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Santos.
Santos pushes off an throws an elbow but Irhin leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the ropes.
Santos tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Good body shot from Santos.
Santos throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Santos lands a right hand.
Irhin's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Irhin dodges an elbow strike from Santos.
Irhin misses with a punch on the inside.
Santos makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Irhin blocks the elbow strike.
Santos lands a damaging elbow.
Irhin working aggressively here.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Irhin avoids the elbow strike from Santos, against the ropes.
Irhin misses with some punches.
Irhin misses with a short punch on the inside.
Santos misses with an elbow over the top.
Santos blocks a punch to the side of the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Neymar Santos dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Artem Irhin's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Irhin avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Irhin cracks Santos with a right hand to the side of the head.
Irhin 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.
Santos uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Irhin.
Santos is looking to counter the offense by Irhin and move into the clinch.

Santos has closed the distance and engaged Irhin in a clinch.
Santos lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Irhin gets through Santos's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
A knee to the head by Santos.
With the fighters up against the ropes, Santos throws an elbow but misses.
Santos with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Nice elbow from Santos.
Santos lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Santos pushes off an throws an elbow but Irhin leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the ropes.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Santos.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Santos missing with knees to the body.
Irhin swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Irhin misses with a body punch.
Irhin takes a shot to the head.

Irhin is rocked!
Santos pushes Irhin back against the ropes and unloads with a body punch.
Santos lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Irhin is still on wobbly legs! Can Santos finish him?
Irhin takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Irhin breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Santos doesn't manage to clinch there - Irhin circles away.
A little jabbing left from Irhin on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Irhin seems to have recovered his senses.
Santos tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Irhin counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Irhin tries a head kick but it misses.
Irhin swats away the attempt to clinch by Santos.
Irhin throws a counter combo.
Irhin scores with a three punch combo!
Irhin avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Santos darts in trying to clinch
and Irhin counters with a lovely straight right hand!

Santos clinches with his opponent.
Santos lands an elbow just above Irhin 's eye.
With the two fighters working up against the ropes, Santos just misses with a elbow thrown towards Irhin's brow.

Irhin breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Santos moves in looking to clinch but Irhin pushes him off.
A jab from Irhin misses.
Irhin cracks Santos with a good jab.
Santos closes the distance but Irhin moves to the side
and Irhin counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Santos thinking.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos wants to clinch up but Irhin keeps it at a distance.
Irhin sizes up Santos with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Santos tries to close the distance and clinch but Irhin swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Santos has taken the fight to the clinch.
A short uppercut from Santos.
Irhin fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
A short left from Santos.

Irhin manages to break the clinch.
Santos slips under a jab from Irhin.
Artem Irhin has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Santos is looking to clinch but Irhin is avoiding it.
Santos tries to clinch up.
Santos tries to clinch there but Irhin circles away.
Santos wants to clinch up but Irhin keeps it at a distance.
Irhin throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Santos sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Santos wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Santos moves in looking to clinch but Irhin pushes him off.
Santos darts in trying to clinch
and Irhin connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Artem Irhin.
I think Irhin has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Saam Ante scores the fight for Neymar Santos!
Judge Nard Betker scores the fight for Neymar Santos!
Judge Paulsen Ambrosius scores the fight for Neymar Santos!

Neymar Santos wins by unanimous decision!
Neymar Santos bigged himself up after the win. The crowd seemed to love it.