Anatoly Moiseev set a blistering pace in the opening fight of the Superfight Series card, wasting no time in getting to work with Croatian opponent Teo Mikelic and looking to take him out in quick and spectacular fashion.
The sound of Moiseevâs hard punches and left kick drew gasps from the crowd but it was his spinning head-kick effort which really woke Milanâs attendees up, so fast and savage was it. Had it landed, the fight would have been ended quickly and in âKnockout of the Yearâ fashion.
As it was, it missed by millimeters. Mikelic stayed in the fight but under heavy pressure and that continued at the start of the second round. Halfway into the round both fighters went for left hooks; Moiseevâs landed harder and staggered Mikelic, forcing him to take a count from the referee.
Moiseev pushed hard for the finish but couldnât find it. They went into the third round and for the first minute of that round Mikelic had control for the first time in the fight, Moiseev possibly having burned a little too much gas at the end of the second.
Mikelic kept looking for a spin kick of his own but Moiseev read it and side-stepped it with ease. The Russian took back control of the fight, doing some good work to the body, but the last thirty seconds were a dogfight in which Mikelic landed probably his best shots of the encounter.
Still, it wasnât enough, and when the final bell sounded it was obvious who the winner would be . Sure enough the judges returned a unanimous decision in Moiseevâs favor, retaining his undefeated record - now 15-0 - and putting him 2-0 in GLORY.
Anatoly Moiseev def. Teo Mikelic, Unanimous Decision, R3, (29-27, 30-26, 30-26)
