PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Drew Mcnichol (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Silo Dezba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Mcnichol
vs
Dezba

196 cm
18
240 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

198 cm
22
285 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Drew Mcnichol!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Silo Dezba!
The judges for this bout are Elvis Blanc, William Peck and Alec Ball.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Dezba shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Mcnichol wants to get back to his feet but Dezba is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Mcnichol utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Mcnichol avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Dezba stays in close to Mcnichol's body and controls the position.
Mcnichol is looking to stand up but Dezba isn't so interested in that idea.
Dezba throwing strikes from guard but Mcnichol blocks nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Dezba gets to his feet - Mcnichol follows without any prompting.
Dezba throws a right and a left that Mcnichol avoids nicely.
Mcnichol stuffs the takedown attempt from Dezba. Dezba gets slowly back to his feet.
Dezba throws a series of punches but Mcnichol moves out of range.
Decent striking displayed by Dezba there.
A telegraphed right hand from Mcnichol misses the target.
Drew Mcnichol is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Mcnichol keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Mcnichol tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Dezba paws at him with a jab and circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dezba looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Drew Mcnichol has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Silo Dezba.
Dezba looks gassed!
Mcnichol cracks Dezba with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Dezba on the wrong end of a nice jab.

Mcnichol has taken the fight to the clinch.
Mcnichol landing knees to the head.

It looks like Silo Dezba has been cut.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Dezba is looking to break free of the clinch but Mcnichol has double underhooks.
Dezba tries for a takedown but Mcnichol manages to get underhooks.
Mcnichol looking to stall.
Dezba is trying to drag Mcnichol to the mat but Mcnichol just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Mcnichol leaning his opponent against the cage.
Knees in the clinch landing for Mcnichol.
Mcnichol doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

Mcnichol breaks the clinch.
Mcnichol wants to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dezba looks to clinch

and Mcnichol holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
A hook to the body from Mcnichol.

Mcnichol escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Mcnichol drives through and clinches with Dezba against the cage.
Dezba has had enough of the clinch but Mcnichol keeps him there for the moment.

Mcnichol escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Dezba tries to keep at a distance but Mcnichol has taken the fight into the clinch.
Dezba fails to pull guard.
Mcnichol scores a nice knee to the body.
Mcnichol lands a body punch.
Mcnichol with a knee to the head.
Mcnichol lands a knee to the body.
Mcnichol unloads a knee to the mid-section. Dezba lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Mcnichol pushes Dezba back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.

Mcnichol breaks the clinch.
Dezba swats away the attempt to clinch by Mcnichol.
Dezba tries to clinch but Mcnichol moves away

and Mcnichol moves into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dezba blocks an uppercut.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Mcnichol controlling the action here for a moment.

Mcnichol breaks the clinch.

Dezba scores a takedown into full mount!
Mcnichol wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Dezba misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Drew Mcnichol dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Silo Dezba's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Mcnichol looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Dezba throws a combination that misses
and Mcnichol counters with a low kick, right behind Dezba 's knee.
Mcnichol tries to clinch but Dezba is having none of it.
Dezba thows a body shot but no joy.

Mcnichol moves into range and clinches up with Dezba.
Mcnichol stalling in the clinch but Dezba improves position.
Knees to the body from Mcnichol.
Mcnichol trying to control the position but instead, Dezba has worked for underhooks and has pushed Mcnichol into the cage.
Mcnichol lands a nice knee to the body.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Mcnichol throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Mcnichol lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Dezba should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Mcnichol is trying to maintain a safe position but Dezba gets an underhook and turns Mcnichol into the cage.

Mcnichol breaks the clinch.

Dezba bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dezba wants to lay and pray for a moment but Mcnichol keeps working.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Mcnichol here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
Dezba tries to move to mount but Mcnichol blocks the move with his legs.
Dezba tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Dezba with the ground and pound but Mcnichol regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Dezba not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Dezba wants to lay and pray for a moment but Mcnichol keeps working.
Mcnichol is trying to stand up here but Dezba is controlling him well.
Dezba is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Dezba is keen to just control but Mcnichol is a slippery customer.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Dezba tries to close the distance and clinch but Mcnichol swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Dezba clinches up with Mcnichol and pushes him back against the cage.
Dezba wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Dezba wants to break free but Mcnichol has control.

Mcnichol pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Mcnichol looks to clinch

and Dezba counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Dezba takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Dezba with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Mcnichol blocking the ground and pound attempt from Dezba.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dezba keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Dezba scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Dezba misses with a head shot. Mcnichol uses the momentum to regain guard.
Dezba working some strikes from top position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Silo Dezba showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Silo Dezba's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Dezba throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Mcnichol counters with a stiff right hand.
The fight stays on the outside here - Mcnichol looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Mcnichol clinches.
A short uppercut from Dezba.
Mcnichol wants to stall.
Dezba stalling against the cage.
Knees to the body from Mcnichol.

Mcnichol escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
A left and a right from Dezba both land. Nice combination.
Mcnichol tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Mcnichol throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.

Mcnichol forces Dezba back against the cage and clinches.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Mcnichol looking to stall.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Mcnichol escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Mcnichol closes the distance but Dezba moves to the side
and Dezba counters with a left to the body.
Dezba tries to clinch
and Mcnichol counters with a straight right hand.
Silo Dezba seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Mcnichol moves in looking to clinch but Dezba pushes him off.

Dezba instigates a clinch.
Mcnichol has had enough of the clinch but Dezba keeps him there for the moment.

Mcnichol's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Dezba looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Dezba sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Mcnichol defending well though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mcnichol blocking the ground and pound attempt from Dezba.
Dezba wants to lay and pray for a moment but Mcnichol keeps working.
Dezba drops an elbow to the side of Mcnichol's head.
Mcnichol blocking the ground and pound attempt from Dezba.
Dezba throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Mcnichol is trying to stand up here but Dezba is controlling him well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dezba missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Dezba gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Mcnichol tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Dezba slowing the pace effectively.
Dezba works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Dezba wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Dezba fails to pull guard.
Good body shot from Dezba.

Dezba turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Dezba manages to end up in side control.
Dezba wants to control but Mcnichol is keeping him busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dezba looks up at the clock and then as Mcnichol takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Dezba smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Silo Dezba has got the better of the ground game so far.
Mcnichol is working to avoid the ground and pound but Dezba connects with a decent elbow.
Mcnichol wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Dezba looks up at the clock and then as Mcnichol takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Dezba smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!

And that's the end of the fight!
Silo Dezba comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Dezba 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 Elvis Blanc scores the fight 28:29
Judge William Peck scores the fight 28:29
Judge Alec Ball scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Silo Dezba!