Fiery Kong

Michaela shows her championship pedigree

The second round begins with the ring of the bell. The two fighters spar over the center of the ring, neither willing to concede ground or take a step back.

Mostly it’s a cold war of feints and near misses, but Michaela is the one with the confidence at the moment, so she leans to her right and snaps an uppercut through Virani’s guard as she fails to account for the unexpected angle of the punch. The Paffen leather catches Virani around the chin and mouth, causing a painful impact for the Canadian.

Virani: “Mhmph!”

Laila: “A lovely uppercut from Queen Kong to open the hostilities in the second round. That one seemed to take some starch from Virani MacVicar. If that had gotten under the chin, that might have been the end of the fight right there.”

Hurt early in the round by that stunning uppercut, Virani knows she needs to delay until she can fully recover from receiving such a blow from the hard punching champion. The middle part of the round involves Virani stepping into Michaela and controlling her physically, usually an array of clinches that keep Michaela from landing with any further leathery bombs.

Sandra thinks: It’s not pretty, but it’s effective. Good adjustment.

Laila: “MacVicar is slowing the pace of this second round, no doubt after getting a dose of leather from Sommer early in the round. It’s a bit of an ugly move and it won’t win any points with the crowd, but it makes sure she’s not getting blasted out by a champion that can more than do just that.”

Virani takes the brunt of the punches in the round, but she makes it a slower paced round than the fast and frantic first round. The Canadian keeps a tight, high guard preventing Michaela from landing the power punches that she is very much known for.

A frustrated Michaela pounds Virani’s mauve gloves many a time during the round, but eventually gives up with that plan and targets the body. Virani decides not to make an adjustment, instead toughing out the incoming body punches from Queen Kong. Not a strategy that you’ll enjoy the next morning, or next week, no doubt.

Laila: “Another strong round for the champion who stunned Virani in the early stages with an uppercut and did not relent. It’s still not a fight that is likely to go the distance, but if it does, Virani MacVicar is trailing both in the scorecards and on damage taken.”

round 3

Virani starts off eagerly in the third round, having recovered from a tough round. The Canadian is the aggressor in the early part and has some success, pushing Michaela back and garnering the upper hand.

But the champion is cool under fire, and when Virani overextends, Queen Kong doesn’t miss her chance, slamming a meat clever of a right hand into Virani’s head, snapping the Canadian’s head to the side.

PAFF!

Laila: “Sommer lands a bomb! I can’t believe Virani is standing after taking such a punch!”

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Virani takes the right hand, but she is hurt, yet again, by another punch from Michaela and goes into survival mode. It’s not something easy to do against Michaela Sommer, and the Queen of the division does get her breakthrough as she gets Virani into the ropes. The Canadian finds defence much harder in this position, as the German fighter isn’t as worried about a reply from the mauve gloves of the challenger.

Michaela also enjoys getting physical with Virani in close quarters – using both hands to keep Virani busy and off guard, before throwing her real attack.

Sandra: “Get off the ropes NOW!”

Laila: “MacVicar is struggling after taking a massive shot early in the third. She’s going to have to get Michaela’s respect, before this becomes a short night.”

The Canadian Cobra does eventually manage to get her bearings back and get out of the danger zone. Michaela is a bit more passive at this point, knowing she has a big lead on the scorecards and knowing that Virani is a very dangerous puncher in her own right.

Forced into a bit of a desperation play, Virani gets into the business of bending the rules. After a missed exchange, Virani uses a free left hand to pull Michaela’s head down, and then with the position of her opponent compromised, she drives a right hand into the jaw of the champion.

Axel: Ref! Holding and hitting.

Virani thinks: Yes it was, but who’s going to stop me? The first step will always be a warning. Until I get told to stop, this is what I need to do.

A late blow

Michaela is incensed at the non-call from the referee, and the fight, while already heated, gets knocked into another level of intensity.

The two trade punches and combinations, but no one makes much of a breakthrough and the round heads to a close.

DING!

As Akane Watanabe steps in between the two fighters, Virani throws another punch after the bell. Having dropped her hands already, Michaela takes the purple leather right on the chin.

The crowd reacts strongly, viewing Virani’s punch as coming intentionally late after the bell.

Laila: “Oh no! That punch was late from the challenger, and the crowd, as well as Michaela’s corner are up in arms.”

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Akane Watanabe understands that this is a key moment in the fight and she must stamp her authority on it.

Akane: “Round’s over! To your corners!”

Michaela: “That was a foul! Deduct a point?”

Virani: “It’s a fight, stop whining, champ.”

Michaela: “Fight fair. Or can you only win the other way?”

Virani replies with a flippant shrug and the Canadian walks to her corner.

Corners

Sandra: “You know, if you didn’t sweet talk me into this fight, I’d throw in the towel right now. But you wanted this fight, I guess you like getting your ass kicked.”

Virani: “I…”

Sandra: “No, shut the hell up. This is my time to talk. Pull your head out of your ass!”

Virani: “It’s hard with these gloves.”

Sandra: “Funny. You told me that this was going to be the best Virani ever! This is the dumbest Virani fight I’ve ever watched. YOU ARE A PUNCHER. Stop being afraid to punch – because if you are afraid to punch, she’s going to walk right through you and leave you out cold on the canvas. And I’ll just say ‘I told you so.”

Virani nods.

Sandra: “I want no fucking fear in this next round. She hits you, fucking hit her right back! This fight is a war. It’s not some sweet science bullshit. Impose yourself on her! None of this patient hunter shit. You aren’t Alesia Schumann. If you are going to lose, at least lose as Virani MacVicar.”

Virani: “I’m not going to lose.”

Sandra: “Show me.”

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Virani MacVicar
Virani MacVicar
Current Featherweight champion. A Canadian puncher known for her knockouts that has developed a more all-round style.
Michaela Sommer
Michaela Sommer
An outspoken German puncher. Pound for pound one of the hardest hitters in the sport. Former Featherweight champion.