PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight kickboxing rules bout between Ross Buchanan (ranked 25165 p4p, 444 weight class) and Kassim Suluhu (ranked 4822 p4p, 371 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Buchanan might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Roy Buchanan's Train Blues. Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Buchanan
vs
Suluhu

169 cm
37
147 lbs
15 - 16 - 0

165 cm
31
145 lbs
15 - 20 - 1

Excellent MT
Cardio machine

Lethal high kicks
Good gas tank

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 15 - 16 - 0, fighting out of New York, Ross Buchanan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 20 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Kassim Suluhu!
The judges for this bout are Nard Betker, Patrick Alders and Wagner Zegers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Buchanan misses with a double jab.
Buchanan throws a jab when Suluhu was well out of range.
Suluhu has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Buchanan is landing a low percentage of strikes.
Buchanan misses with a body shot.
Suluhu ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Buchanan moves away.
An attempted straight right counter from Buchanan misses the target.
Buchanan moves out of range of the body kick from Suluhu.
Suluhu looks to land a body kick but Buchanan moved away.
Buchanan misses with a leg kick.
Suluhu misses the shot to the body.
Suluhu throws a body punch but Buchanan moves out of range.
Suluhu misses the shot to the body.
Suluhu fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Suluhu circles away from the clinch attempt.
Buchanan swings for the body but Suluhu moves out of range.
Buchanan throws a nice looking combination but Suluhu bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Suluhu explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Suluhu fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Buchanan manages to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Suluhu throws a push kick but Buchanan slaps the foot to one side.
Suluhu looks to land a body kick but Buchanan moved away.
Suluhu misses with a low kick.
Suluhu is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Buchanan rather than just go for the knockout.
Buchanan closes the distance but Suluhu moves to the side
and Suluhu cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Ross Buchanan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Suluhu scores with a kick to the body.
Suluhu keeps Buchanan at a distance using the push kick.
Buchanan looks to land a body kick but Suluhu moved away.
Buchanan throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Buchanan misses with a body shot.
Buchanan scores with a hook.
Nice body kick from Suluhu.
Ross Buchanan is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
The fighters circling - Buchanan throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
A looping hook to the body misses from Suluhu. Buchanan does a little dance to reset his feet.
Suluhu moves away from the strike by Buchanan.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Buchanan swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Suluhu tries to land a front kick but Buchanan steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Buchanan walks into a left hand.
Buchanan blocks the body kick.
Suluhu just misses with a punch to the body.
Suluhu throws a body shot but no joy.
Suluhu avoids the body shot from Buchanan.
Nice defenses there by Suluhu.
Suluhu tries to land a body kick
and Buchanan counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Buchanan ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Suluhu moves away.
Suluhu rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Buchanan counters with a two punch combo.
Buchanan misses with a two punch combination.
Buchanan scores with a leg kick.
Suluhu ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Buchanan looks to land a right hand but Suluhu moved out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Kassim Suluhu will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Buchanan looks to score with a jab to the body but Suluhu is just out of range.
Suluhu scores with a kick to the body.
Suluhu uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Buchanan.
Suluhu throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Both fighters circling a little - Buchanan finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Suluhu looks to score with a jab to the body but Buchanan is just out of range.
It looked like Buchanan was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
A looping hook to the body misses from Buchanan. Suluhu does a little dance to reset his feet.
Buchanan tries to clinch
and Suluhu counters with a thumping low kick.
Suluhu goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Suluhu swings for the body but Buchanan moves out of range.
Buchanan was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Buchanan throws a body punch but Suluhu moves out of range.
Buchanan buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Suluhu.
Suluhu buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Buchanan with a nice cross.
Ross Buchanan is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Buchanan throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Suluhu slips a jab and a cross from Buchanan.
Buchanan connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Buchanan tries to clinch
and Suluhu counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Buchanan throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Suluhu.
A low kick from Buchanan is predictable there
and Suluhu counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Buchanan tries to clinch there but Suluhu circles away.
Suluhu keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Suluhu jabs at Buchanan's body.
Buchanan swings for the body but Suluhu moves out of range.
Buchanan uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Suluhu.
Suluhu throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Buchanan takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Suluhu misses with a body kick.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Suluhu scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Suluhu looks for the body kick but Buchanan saw that one coming.
Suluhu is looking to land body kicks.
Suluhu throws a body kick that misses.
Suluhu ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Suluhu scores with a push kick.
Suluhu scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Buchanan doesn't seem bothered though.
Buchanan staying out of range there.
Buchanan walks forward, straight into a front kick from Suluhu.
Buchanan swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Buchanan jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Kassim Suluhu seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Suluhu throws a front kick that sends Buchanan stumbling back into the ropes.
Suluhu is looking to land body kicks.
Suluhu scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Suluhu blocks a leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kassim Suluhu showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Suluhu misses with a body kick.
Buchanan tries a head kick but it misses.
Buchanan misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Suluhu.
Buchanan dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Suluhu. That did some damage!
Suluhu misses the shot to the body.
Buchanan misses the shot to the body.
Buchanan tries to close the distance and clinch but Suluhu swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Suluhu keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

Suluhu gets tackled into the ropes by Buchanan. Buchanan maintains the clinch.
Suluhu tries to break free but Buchanan pushes him back against the ropes.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Suluhu breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Buchanan moves out of range of the body kick.
Buchanan with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Suluhu throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Buchanan throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Buchanan moves out of range of the body kick.
Suluhu thuds a left hand into Buchanan's body.
Suluhu on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Nice body kick there by Suluhu.
Buchanan checks the leg kick.
Ross Buchanan has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Suluhu tries to keep at a distance but Buchanan has taken the fight into the clinch.
Buchanan working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Suluhu is trying to push Buchanan away but Buchanan has him pressed against the ropes, so he's going nowhere.
Suluhu wants to break free but Buchanan has control.
Suluhu wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
A frustrated look appears on Suluhu's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Buchanan misses with a hook to the ribs.
Buchanan misses with some punches.
A frustrated look appears on Suluhu's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Suluhu tries to break the clinch but Buchanan is controlling the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Suluhu can't break the clinch.
Suluhu wants to break the clinch but can't.
Suluhu has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Suluhu tries to break free but Buchanan pushes him back against the ropes.
Buchanan has a couple of punches blocked by Suluhu.
Buchanan misses with a punch on the inside.
Buchanan tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
A right hook to the body lands for Buchanan.
Buchanan keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Suluhu's efforts to push away.
Buchanan tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Suluhu wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Suluhu breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Buchanan lands a head kick!
Buchanan takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Suluhu jabs Buchanan right on the nose. Buchanan blinks but takes it well.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ross Buchanan showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Suluhu 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 Nard Betker scores the fight 28:29
Judge Patrick Alders scores the fight 29:28
Judge Wagner Zegers scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Kassim Suluhu!
In his post fight interview, Kassim Suluhu started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.