The second round began.
"From the last round, I think we can draw up what to expect," one commentator said as the fighters stood. "Ivan's striking has clearly improved since his fight with Caige."
"I agree," the other replied. "In fact, it's been improving steadily since his debut. That first fight, he only showed judo and wrestling. Now he's mixing things up."
They met in the center once again, tapping gloves out of respect.
The cutmen had done their jobs. No more blood. The marks were there, but neither fighter looked worse for wear.
Sharim struck first, again.
He opened with a spinning back kick to the body. It landed shallow but forced Ivan to step back and reset. Sharim stayed on him, throwing a hook, then a high kick off the same side.
Ivan blocked both, then stepped in behind a short jab to reestablish pressure.
"Sharim's trying to set a tone early," the analyst noted. "He wants Ivan reacting instead of stalking like he did last round."
