PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Vladimir Kovalev (ranked 632 p4p, 27 weight class) and Tetsuya Shiroo (ranked 3330 p4p, 140 weight class). Shiroo has chosen The Gazette / Filth In The Beauty as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Kovalev
vs
Shiroo

207 cm
27
260 lbs
14 - 6 - 0

204 cm
36
265 lbs
27 - 19 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
World class MT
Good gas tank

HELLBENT
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 14 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Vladimir Kovalev!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 27 - 19 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Tetsuya Shiroo!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Robert Twigg and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kovalev swats away the attempt to clinch by Shiroo.
Shiroo fails with the takedown
and Kovalev counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

It looks like Tetsuya Shiroo has been cut.
Shiroo's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Kovalev connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Shiroo scrambles back to his feet.
Shiroo darts in trying to clinch
and Kovalev counters with a three punch combo that has Shiroo backing up. Shiroo nods at Kovalev to acknowledge the strikes.
Shiroo shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Kovalev as he avoids it easily.
Kovalev lands a nice looking body shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Shiroo closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Kovalev did well to prevent Shiroo getting side control.

Kovalev manages to escape and get back to his feet!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Shiroo closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Shiroo takes a shot to the head.
Kovalev manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Kovalev breaks the clinch.
Kovalev lands a jab to the nose.

Kovalev gets caught flat footed, as Shiroo shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Kovalev on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Kovalev tries to get out of the position.
Shiroo controls from within his opponent's guard.
Kovalev wants to sweep but no luck.
Shiroo tries to free his leg and advance position but Kovalev is retaining full guard.
Kovalev wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Shiroo sitting in guard here, content to control.
Kovalev knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Shiroo on the ground.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shiroo wants to control from the top but Kovalev keeps moving.
Shiroo postures up in Kovalev's guard and throws a big left but Kovalev blocks it.
Kovalev is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Shiroo is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Kovalev tries to land a sweep but no joy.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Kovalev holds on and takes a little breather.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Shiroo is looking to clinch but Kovalev is avoiding it.
Tetsuya Shiroo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kovalev misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Shiroo.
Kovalev throws out a loose jab but Shiroo uses good head movement to avoid it.
Shiroo wants to counter with a clinch but Kovalev pushes him away.
Shiroo tries to close the distance and clinch but Kovalev swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Shiroo closes the distance and clinches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kovalev swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Kovalev blocks an uppercut.
Kovalev tries to work over Shiroo's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

Kovalev escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Kovalev misses with a hook. Shiroo ducked under it nicely.
We've been informed that Shiroo has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
Shiroo is looking to clinch.

Shiroo rushes Kovalev and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Kovalev tries to break the clinch but Shiroo is controlling the position.
Kovalev is pushing Shiroo up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.

Kovalev breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Shiroo tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
It looked like Kovalev wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.

Shiroo rushes Kovalev and presses him up against the cage.
Kovalev misses with a short punch on the inside.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Kovalev breaks the clinch.
Shiroo looks to clinch
and Kovalev counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Kovalev loads up on a big right hand but Shiroo slips the punch.
Shiroo moves in looking to clinch but Kovalev pushes him off.
Shiroo bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Kovalev pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Shiroo darts in trying to clinch
and Kovalev counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kovalev misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Shiroo.
Shiroo will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
A quick step to the side and Kovalev tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
Vladimir Kovalev has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tetsuya Shiroo.
Shiroo tries to clinch up but Kovalev circles away and keeps his distance.
Shiroo closes the distance but Kovalev moves to the side
and Shiroo takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vladimir Kovalev dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Tetsuya Shiroo's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Kovalev scores with a head kick.

Shiroo moves into the clinch.
I was talking to Kovalev's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.

Shiroo has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Kovalev regains guard immediately.
Kovalev wants to stand and escape but Shiroo is having none of it.
Shiroo tries to free his leg and advance position but Kovalev is retaining full guard.
Shiroo won't allow Kovalev to sweep him here.
Shiroo sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Shiroo wants to control from the top but Kovalev keeps moving.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Shiroo won't allow Kovalev to sweep him here.
Shiroo postures up in Kovalev's guard and throws a big left but Kovalev blocks it.
Shiroo postures up in Kovalev's guard and throws a big left but Kovalev blocks it.
Shiroo controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shiroo trying to control but Kovalev is working from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
The fight stays on the outside here - Shiroo looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Kovalev is looking to counter punch.

Shiroo clinches with his opponent.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Shiroo takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Shiroo lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Kovalev backwards.
Nice body punch from Kovalev.
Shiroo taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Kovalev looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

Kovalev breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Shiroo tries to clinch there but Kovalev circles away.
Shiroo moves away from the strike by Kovalev.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shiroo blocks a jab.
Kovalev sets himself, and Shiroo steps forward looking for the clinch! Kovalev avoids it this time.
Shiroo thows a leg kick but Kovalev checks it
and Kovalev cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Shiroo doesn't manage to clinch there - Kovalev circles away.
Kovalev throwing a counter right hand but Shiroo manages to avoid it.
Kovalev with a hook.

That has opened up Tetsuya Shiroo's cut even more.

Shiroo gets a clinch.
Kovalev struggles to land a body shot inside as Shiroo controls his hands.
Kovalev lands with a light punch inside.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Kovalev swings wildly with an uppercut but Shiroo uses good head movement to avoid it.
Kovalev tries to throw a body punch but Shiroo avoids it by throwing Kovalev back against the cage.
Kovalev lands a shoulder strike.
Shiroo gets through Kovalev's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Kovalev tries to work over Shiroo's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Tetsuya Shiroo seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shiroo looking for a takedown.
Shiroo misses with a punch to the body.
A head punch on the inside from Kovalev fails to land.
Kovalev working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Kovalev misses with a hook to the ribs.
Kovalev trying to stall but Shiroo improves his position.
Come on Shiroo - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.

Kovalev breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Shiroo fails with an attempt to clinch.
Shiroo ducks under a wild hook from Kovalev.
Shiroo avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
A telegraphed right hand from Kovalev misses the target.
Shiroo tries to counter with a clinch but Kovalev shakes him off and moves away.
Shiroo closes the distance and clinches up with Kovalev, looking for a takedown. Shiroo pushes Kovalev against the cage but Kovalev circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Shiroo moves in looking to clinch but Kovalev pushes him off.
An attempted straight right counter from Kovalev misses the target.
A telegraphed right hand from Kovalev misses the target.

Shiroo closes the distance and clinches.

Kovalev manages to break the clinch.
Kovalev throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Shiroo tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Kovalev counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Shiroo gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Kovalev.

Shiroo shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Shiroo was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Shiroo trying to control the action but Kovalev is working from the bottom.

Shiroo working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vladimir Kovalev dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Tetsuya Shiroo's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Shiroo fails in his attempt to clinch.
Kovalev swats away the attempt to clinch by Shiroo.
An attempted straight right counter from Kovalev misses the target.

Shiroo has taken the fight to the clinch.
Kovalev tries to work over Shiroo's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Kovalev letting Shiroo take a breather here.
Kovalev working aggressively here.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Kovalev takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
A short left from Kovalev.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Kovalev is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A nice right hand lands inside from Kovalev.
Kovalev has a couple of punches blocked by Shiroo.
Shiroo has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Kovalev after a bit of a struggle.
Kovalev misses with a punch to the body.
Shiroo takes a shot to the head.
Kovalev goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Kovalev lands with a short shot to the head.

The cut above Tetsuya Shiroo's eye is starting to cause him problems now.

Kovalev pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Shiroo shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Shiroo showed some decent athleticism there.

Kovalev kicks Shiroo off and gets back to his feet.
Tetsuya Shiroo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Kovalev is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Shiroo wants to clinch up but Kovalev keeps it at a distance.
Shiroo tries to clinch up.
Shiroo is looking to clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Shiroo looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Kovalev throws an overhand right that lands on Shiroo's shoulder, as Shiroo tries to avoid the shot.
Shiroo moves in looking to clinch but Kovalev pushes him off.
Shiroo keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Kovalev.
Kovalev swings for the body but Shiroo moves out of range.
Shiroo tries to clinch up but Kovalev circles away and keeps his distance.
Kovalev slaps away a takedown attempt from Shiroo, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Kovalev throws a counter high kick but Shiroo was just alert enough to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shiroo tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Kovalev manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Shiroo clinches up with Kovalev and pushes him back against the cage.

Kovalev breaks from the clinch.
Kovalev lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
The fight stays on the outside here - Shiroo looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Shiroo tries to clinch up but Kovalev circles away and keeps his distance.
Nice jab there from Shiroo.
The fight stays on the outside here - Shiroo looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Kovalev throwing a counter right hand but Shiroo manages to avoid it.

Shiroo drives through and clinches with Kovalev against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Shiroo looking for a takedown.
Vladimir Kovalev has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tetsuya Shiroo.
Shiroo prevents a body shot from Kovalev.
A short left from Kovalev.
Kovalev tries to break free but Shiroo pushes him back against the cage.
Kovalev holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Shiroo tries to work over Kovalev's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Kovalev wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Kovalev presses Shiroo against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Nice body punch from Kovalev - that landed with a thud.
Shiroo working aggressively here.
Shiroo looking to stall.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Vladimir Kovalev is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Shiroo tries a body shot but Kovalev blocks it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Vladimir Kovalev showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Kovalev, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Tiny Johnson scores the fight 30:27
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 30:27
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Vladimir Kovalev!
Tetsuya Shiroo spoke after the fight, saying 'I was prepared to die in this cage tonight. The opponent was the better man today but I will be back stronger.'.