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So ever since the fight between Vakhitov and Pereira ended at Glory 77 my plan was to go back and rescore it at some point to see with the sound muted and the ability to pause and rewind if i'd see the fight differently to my 48-47 Pereira on the night scorecard.
Here's my take.
Round 1
A lot of Pereira's punches are either just missing or getting blocked with the occasional punch getting through. Both are landing a few leg kicks, nothing major but i'd say Vakhitov's kicks seem more impactful, and Pereira is landing knees when they clinch up.
About 1 minute in things are pretty close so far and then Vakhitov throws a quick head kick after Pereira is off balance from throwing a straight right and Pereira only just gets his left forearm up to block it, very close to landing. For the next minute and 10 seconds Vakhitov and Pereira trade low kicks but Vakhitov doesn't land a punch, opting instead to throw kicks while using the high guard. This allows Pereira to throw a few combos including a nice hook to the body.
After this they both open up with punches which only seem to graze each other with most getting blocked. Vakhitov again having success with a beautiful leg kick but he's not throwing enough. Pereira finds a nice right hook around Vakhitov's guard that doesn't seem to hurt him but moves him nonetheless.
Last 20 seconds Vakhitov stops throwing again and Pereira is throwing to the head and body with mixed success.
10-9 Pereira. Vakhitov loses an otherwise close round by not doing anything for 1 minute and 30 seconds of Round 1.
Round 2
Both open the round with kicks, Pereira's head kick is blocked, Vakhitov's body kick lands. Pereira tries a body kick of his own but it whacks into the underarm of Vakhitov (very lucky he didn't hit the elbow). Vakhitov lands another great body kick that Pereira answers with a weak leg kick, which Vakhitov in turn answers with 2 brutal leg kicks.
Pereira is having little to no success this round with most of his punches looking slow and being blocked. At almost the same time as round 1 Vakhitov throws a head kick from his lead leg that isn't even close to landing. Stats pop up on screen to show Pereira's lead over Vakhitov in the "punches, kicks and knees landed" departments with 23 punches landed which is completely false as most punches are hitting nothing but gloves.
A minute to go and Pereira lands a beautiful jumping knee that splits Vakhitov's guard and rocks his head back which he follows with a left hook and then a right hook that both land, biggest moment of the fight so far. Pereira goes for another jumping knee but the camera angle would suggest Vakhitov stopped it this time. For the next 20 seconds or so Vakhitov retreats into his shell and Pereira throws multiple punches that all seem to get blocked.
Pereira gets a bit giddy and thinks knees are his only weapon and Vakhitov catches him coming in for a knee with a beautiful left hook.
The rest of round is Pereira throwing hard punches that mostly miss or hit gloves and throwing weak kicks, whereas Vakhitov is stalking, landing clean punches to Pereira's head, and another nasty body kick at the close of the round.
10-9 Vakhitov. Pereira had a great moment in the middle of the round but Vakhitov landed the better punches and kicks overall.
Round 3
First minute of the round comes and goes with not much to talk about. Both land a few punches and kicks with Vakhitov still looking better when it comes to the leg kicks, but this round Pereira is throwing a few straights to the body so far that are making Vakhitov rethink his advance.
15 seconds later Vakhitov lands a great right hand but neither react to it so nothing comes from it. For nearly the next minute both trade body jabs, leg kicks and the occasional punch to the head until Pereira curls a great hook around Vakhitov's guard like earlier in the fight, followed by a knee that gets blocked.
Getting near to the end of a close round here with Pereira snapping a few jabs out there and Vakhitov landing another two great kicks.
10-9 Vakhitov. Very hard round to score but Vakhitov landed the better shots for me.
Round 4
Vakhitov opens the round with another nasty body kick and Pereira tries to answer with two head kicks that get blocked.
A minute goes by with most strikes getting blocked apart from Pereira's jab to the body and Vakhitov's leg kicks. Vakhitov again not very active with his hands so Pereira has free reign and has mixed success.
A minute and 30 seconds left in the round and Vakhitov lands two more great leg kicks, and then after a few moments lands another kick to the inside of the same leg. Pereira tries to answer back with a leg kick but it's just a point-fight style kick and then with a step-up knee but it's blocked. Seconds later Pereira throws a jumping knee and then another step-up knee that Vakhitov sees coming and blocks.
Pereira lands a beautiful left hook to the body followed by a right hook around Vakhitov's guard. Not a moment later Pereira lands a beautiful jumping knee that sends Vakhitov's head almost into orbit and then sneaks a left hook in just before moving outside the range of Vakhitov's retaliation.
With 22 seconds left in the round Pereira lands a left hook right before Vakhitov lands a straight right that makes Pereira retreat into the corner. A few seconds of caution before Vakhitov lands a great leg kick followed by an overhand right and left hook that Pereira doesn't react to.
10-9 Pereira. Both had a great moment but Pereira's knee looked a lot more impactful, whereas Vakhitov's end of the round assault didn't seem to faze Pereira.
Round 5
Vakhitov starts the round with a nice leg kick that Pereira answers with a jab and two hooks that all get blocked. Next few seconds consist of both missing punches and having kicks blocked and then with 2 minutes and 34 seconds on the clock Vakhitov lands his best punch of the fight, a beautiful overhand right that seems to hurt Pereira. Vakhitov lands two hooks to the body and then another overhand right, the biggest moment of the fight without a doubt.
Vakhitov whether tired or cautious (probably both) doesn't press further and they go back to trading strikes. Both are visibly tired and are only able to land occasionally due to the lower and slower output. The ref is having break up multiple clinches now. Pereira goes for the slowest spinning back kick and falls over.
Suddenly with less than a minute to go both start finding success with jabs and body shots, taking turns on who should land next.
10-9 Vakhitov. Close round overall but you have to give it to Vakhitov after what he did to Pereira.
So there's my rescoring of the fight, 48-47 Vakhitov but, and i cannot stress this enough, i could have easily scored 1 or 2 rounds differently.
Here's my take.
Round 1
A lot of Pereira's punches are either just missing or getting blocked with the occasional punch getting through. Both are landing a few leg kicks, nothing major but i'd say Vakhitov's kicks seem more impactful, and Pereira is landing knees when they clinch up.
About 1 minute in things are pretty close so far and then Vakhitov throws a quick head kick after Pereira is off balance from throwing a straight right and Pereira only just gets his left forearm up to block it, very close to landing. For the next minute and 10 seconds Vakhitov and Pereira trade low kicks but Vakhitov doesn't land a punch, opting instead to throw kicks while using the high guard. This allows Pereira to throw a few combos including a nice hook to the body.
After this they both open up with punches which only seem to graze each other with most getting blocked. Vakhitov again having success with a beautiful leg kick but he's not throwing enough. Pereira finds a nice right hook around Vakhitov's guard that doesn't seem to hurt him but moves him nonetheless.
Last 20 seconds Vakhitov stops throwing again and Pereira is throwing to the head and body with mixed success.
10-9 Pereira. Vakhitov loses an otherwise close round by not doing anything for 1 minute and 30 seconds of Round 1.
Round 2
Both open the round with kicks, Pereira's head kick is blocked, Vakhitov's body kick lands. Pereira tries a body kick of his own but it whacks into the underarm of Vakhitov (very lucky he didn't hit the elbow). Vakhitov lands another great body kick that Pereira answers with a weak leg kick, which Vakhitov in turn answers with 2 brutal leg kicks.
Pereira is having little to no success this round with most of his punches looking slow and being blocked. At almost the same time as round 1 Vakhitov throws a head kick from his lead leg that isn't even close to landing. Stats pop up on screen to show Pereira's lead over Vakhitov in the "punches, kicks and knees landed" departments with 23 punches landed which is completely false as most punches are hitting nothing but gloves.
A minute to go and Pereira lands a beautiful jumping knee that splits Vakhitov's guard and rocks his head back which he follows with a left hook and then a right hook that both land, biggest moment of the fight so far. Pereira goes for another jumping knee but the camera angle would suggest Vakhitov stopped it this time. For the next 20 seconds or so Vakhitov retreats into his shell and Pereira throws multiple punches that all seem to get blocked.
Pereira gets a bit giddy and thinks knees are his only weapon and Vakhitov catches him coming in for a knee with a beautiful left hook.
The rest of round is Pereira throwing hard punches that mostly miss or hit gloves and throwing weak kicks, whereas Vakhitov is stalking, landing clean punches to Pereira's head, and another nasty body kick at the close of the round.
10-9 Vakhitov. Pereira had a great moment in the middle of the round but Vakhitov landed the better punches and kicks overall.
Round 3
First minute of the round comes and goes with not much to talk about. Both land a few punches and kicks with Vakhitov still looking better when it comes to the leg kicks, but this round Pereira is throwing a few straights to the body so far that are making Vakhitov rethink his advance.
15 seconds later Vakhitov lands a great right hand but neither react to it so nothing comes from it. For nearly the next minute both trade body jabs, leg kicks and the occasional punch to the head until Pereira curls a great hook around Vakhitov's guard like earlier in the fight, followed by a knee that gets blocked.
Getting near to the end of a close round here with Pereira snapping a few jabs out there and Vakhitov landing another two great kicks.
10-9 Vakhitov. Very hard round to score but Vakhitov landed the better shots for me.
Round 4
Vakhitov opens the round with another nasty body kick and Pereira tries to answer with two head kicks that get blocked.
A minute goes by with most strikes getting blocked apart from Pereira's jab to the body and Vakhitov's leg kicks. Vakhitov again not very active with his hands so Pereira has free reign and has mixed success.
A minute and 30 seconds left in the round and Vakhitov lands two more great leg kicks, and then after a few moments lands another kick to the inside of the same leg. Pereira tries to answer back with a leg kick but it's just a point-fight style kick and then with a step-up knee but it's blocked. Seconds later Pereira throws a jumping knee and then another step-up knee that Vakhitov sees coming and blocks.
Pereira lands a beautiful left hook to the body followed by a right hook around Vakhitov's guard. Not a moment later Pereira lands a beautiful jumping knee that sends Vakhitov's head almost into orbit and then sneaks a left hook in just before moving outside the range of Vakhitov's retaliation.
With 22 seconds left in the round Pereira lands a left hook right before Vakhitov lands a straight right that makes Pereira retreat into the corner. A few seconds of caution before Vakhitov lands a great leg kick followed by an overhand right and left hook that Pereira doesn't react to.
10-9 Pereira. Both had a great moment but Pereira's knee looked a lot more impactful, whereas Vakhitov's end of the round assault didn't seem to faze Pereira.
Round 5
Vakhitov starts the round with a nice leg kick that Pereira answers with a jab and two hooks that all get blocked. Next few seconds consist of both missing punches and having kicks blocked and then with 2 minutes and 34 seconds on the clock Vakhitov lands his best punch of the fight, a beautiful overhand right that seems to hurt Pereira. Vakhitov lands two hooks to the body and then another overhand right, the biggest moment of the fight without a doubt.
Vakhitov whether tired or cautious (probably both) doesn't press further and they go back to trading strikes. Both are visibly tired and are only able to land occasionally due to the lower and slower output. The ref is having break up multiple clinches now. Pereira goes for the slowest spinning back kick and falls over.
Suddenly with less than a minute to go both start finding success with jabs and body shots, taking turns on who should land next.
10-9 Vakhitov. Close round overall but you have to give it to Vakhitov after what he did to Pereira.
So there's my rescoring of the fight, 48-47 Vakhitov but, and i cannot stress this enough, i could have easily scored 1 or 2 rounds differently.
