PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Irshaad Sayed (ranked 1461 p4p, 152 weight class) and Kim Duk Koo (ranked 2616 p4p, 225 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.

Sayed
vs
Duk Koo

173 cm
29
150 lbs
9 - 4 - 0

179 cm
22
157 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
World class MT
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Freebok (85% Laundry)

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 9 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Irshaad Sayed!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Kim Duk Koo!
The judges for this bout are Aleksandr Martynov, Sergei Dronov and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sayed tries to close the distance and clinch up but Duk Koo swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Duk Koo looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Irshaad Sayed seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sayed lands a head kick. Duk Koo smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Sayed moves in looking to clinch but Duk Koo pushes him off.
Duk Koo is looking for the big counter here.
Sayed tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Duk Koo counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

It looks like Irshaad Sayed has been cut.
Sayed wants to clinch
and Duk Koo counters with a two punch combo.
Sayed throws a sloppy head kick
and Duk Koo counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

Sayed moves into range and clinches up with Duk Koo.
Sayed gets underhooks to prevent Duk Koo's takedown attempt.
Sayed swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Duk Koo can't break the clinch.
A hook to the body from Sayed.
Sayed keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Duk Koo's efforts to push away.
Sayed makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sayed tries to work over Duk Koo's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Sayed makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Duk Koo is trying to break free.
I was talking to Sayed's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Sayed taking a breather.
Duk Koo lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
A head punch on the inside from Sayed fails to land.
Sayed misses with a punch on the inside.
Duk Koo blocking some punches.
Sayed can't find room to land a body shot as Duk Koo controls the action.
Sayed scores with a shoulder strike.
Duk Koo blocks an uppercut.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Sayed struggles to land a body shot inside as Duk Koo controls his hands.
Sayed tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Duk Koo blocks an uppercut.
Sayed is working Duk Koo over against the cage.
Duk Koo tries to break the clinch but Sayed is controlling the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sayed pushes Duk Koo back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Sayed taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
A short uppercut from Sayed.
Sayed swings wildly with an uppercut but Duk Koo uses good head movement to avoid it.
Duk Koo blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Duk Koo looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Sayed working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Duk Koo lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Sayed or not.
Sayed misses with a punch on the inside.
Duk Koo blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Duk Koo scores with a shot to the side of Sayed's head.
Sayed working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Sayed struggles to land a body shot inside as Duk Koo controls his hands.
A shot in the inside from Sayed.
Sayed keeps control of Duk Koo as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Sayed misses with the head strike.
A frustrated look appears on Duk Koo's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Sayed prevents Duk Koo from breaking the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Duk Koo lands a body punch.
Sayed blocks a body shot from Duk Koo.

Duk Koo manages to break the clinch.
Sayed tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Duk Koo counters with a three punch combo that has Sayed backing up. Sayed nods at Duk Koo to acknowledge the strikes.
Duk Koo avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Duk Koo circles away from the clinch attempt.
As Sayed backs off Duk Koo throws a huge counter combo but Sayed manages to avoid it all.
Sayed fails with an attempt to clinch.
Despite the aggression on Duk Koo's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Sayed tries to clinch up
and Sayed takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Sayed stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Sayed wants to clinch but Duk Koo slips to the side
and Duk Koo cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sayed tries to clinch up.
Duk Koo is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Sayed tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Duk Koo paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Sayed is looking to clinch but Duk Koo is avoiding it.
The fight stays on the outside here - Sayed looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Duk Koo wants to counter the offense by Sayed and move into the clinch position.
Sayed fails in his attempt to clinch.
Duk Koo lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Sayed tries to close the distance and clinch up but Duk Koo swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Duk Koo is looking for the big counter here.
Sayed is looking to slow Duk Koo down with leg kicks.
Duk Koo looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
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!
Sayed tries to close the distance and clinch but Duk Koo swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Duk Koo throws out a counter right but Sayed avoids it with no problem.
Sayed fails in his attempt to clinch.
Duk Koo throws a counter combo.
Sayed tries to clinch but Duk Koo moves away
and Duk Koo counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Sayed thinking.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Irshaad Sayed will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Irshaad Sayed's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Sayed wants to clinch
letting Duk Koo counter with a right hand.
Sayed throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Sayed tries to clinch
and Duk Koo counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Sayed closes the distance but Duk Koo moves to the side
and Duk Koo counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Sayed doesn't manage to clinch there - Duk Koo circles away.
Sayed tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Duk Koo counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sayed is looking to clinch but Duk Koo is avoiding it.
Despite the aggression on Duk Koo's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Sayed bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.

Sayed closes the distance and pushes Duk Koo back into the cage.
Duk Koo tries to circle away but Sayed has him pinned against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sayed lands a left hand that snaps the head of Duk Koo backwards.
Sayed swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Sayed looking to stall.
Sayed misses with a punch on the inside.
Sayed tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Duk Koo is trying to break free.
Sayed lands on the inside with an uppercut.

Duk Koo breaks from the clinch.
Sayed closes the distance but Duk Koo moves to the side
and Duk Koo counters with a straight right hand.
Sayed looks to clinch
and Duk Koo counters with a nice uppercut.
Sayed tries to clinch up
and Duk Koo counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sayed sizes up Duk Koo with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Sayed moves to clinch but Duk Koo breaks away

and Duk Koo counters with a crisp one two that drops Sayed! Duk Koo thinks about following him to the mat for a moment but instead steps back and waves Sayed to his feet! Sayed is in big trouble!

Sayed is rocked!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sayed wants to clinch
and Duk Koo counters with a big right hand! Oh Sayed is in trouble here! Duk Koo follows up with more strikes and that's it! The ref has stopped it!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:27 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Kim Duk Koo!
Kim Duk Koo looked relieved post fight as he said the following; 'BAD BOY MMA.....Dont sleep on us'.