PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Gronk Groenhud (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Drazen Nitrovic (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Groenhud comes to the cage accompanied by Sometime Lonely by Kelly Chen. Nitrovic has chosen Children (Dream version) by Robert Miles as his entrance music. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Groenhud
vs
Nitrovic

225 cm
25
135 lbs
11 - 5 - 0

170 cm
24
130 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Vandal fight Boutique -ACME- *$3 SHIRTS!*

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 11 - 5 - 0, fighting out of London, Gronk Groenhud!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, Drazen Nitrovic!
The judges for this bout are James Glass, Sam Margolis and Colin Fotheringham.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Groenhud misses with a few strikes there.
Nitrovic swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Groenhud decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Nitrovic's guard.
Nitrovic is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Groenhud tries to free his leg and advance position but Nitrovic is retaining full guard.
Groenhud is looking to work some ground and pound but Nitrovic has wrist control.
Groenhud wants to control from the top but Nitrovic keeps moving.
Groenhud passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Groenhud will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Groenhud throws a strike aimed at the side of Nitrovic's head but Nitrovic avoids it well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Groenhud working away.

Groenhud wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Nitrovic, who protects the arm well.

Groenhud goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Nitrovic has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Groenhud but great work by Nitrovic.
Groenhud has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Nitrovic working away.
Groenhud tries to improve position but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Groenhud can't do much from the bottom here.
Groenhud trying his best to control but Nitrovic has mounted him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Groenhud tries to hold on but Nitrovic pushes him away.
Nitrovic controlling his opponent.
Groenhud tries to hold on but Nitrovic postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Groenhud tries to reverse the position but Nitrovic maintains control.
Groenhud really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Groenhud regains half guard.
Groenhud makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Groenhud.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Groenhud wants to sweep but no luck.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gronk Groenhud dominated that round.
That's time! Groenhud's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Nitrovic throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Groenhud counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Groenhud.
Groenhud pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Nitrovic is keeping the position for now.
Groenhud trying to control but Nitrovic is working from the bottom.
Groenhud sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Nitrovic's guard.
Groenhud lands strikes from half guard.

Groenhud is looking for a kimura but Nitrovic is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Groenhud to get the leverage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Groenhud missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Groenhud trying to mount his opponent but Nitrovic defends it.
Groenhud seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Nitrovic does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Nitrovic is trying to stand.
Groenhud is looking to stall here but Nitrovic recovers full guard.
Groenhud trying to control the position from guard on top but Nitrovic is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Groenhud misses with a head kick.
Groenhud shoots in but no luck this time.
Nitrovic throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Groenhud moves into the clinch.
Groenhud pushes off an throws an elbow but Nitrovic leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Nitrovic blocks an elbow strike from Groenhud.
Groenhud misses with a knee to the head.
Groenhud tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Groenhud misses with an elbow over the top.
Nitrovic blocks an elbow strike.
Groenhud tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
With the fighters up against the cage, Groenhud throws an elbow but misses.
Nitrovic stalling in the clinch.
Nitrovic tries to circle away but Groenhud has him pinned against the cage.
Groenhud pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Groenhud throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Nitrovic is looking to break free of the clinch but Groenhud has double underhooks.
Groenhud tries to land a knee to the head but Nitrovic blocks with his arms.
Groenhud tries to land a knee to the head but Nitrovic blocks with his arms.
Groenhud tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Groenhud throws an elbow that misses.
Groenhud throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Groenhud throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Groenhud tries to land a knee to the head but Nitrovic blocks with his arms.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Nitrovic is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Nitrovic tries to break the clinch but Groenhud is controlling the position.
Nitrovic avoids a wild elbow strike from Groenhud.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Nitrovic wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Groenhud throws an elbow but it misses.
Groenhud creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Groenhud tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Groenhud throws an elbow but it's blocked.
With the fighters up against the cage, Groenhud throws an elbow but misses.
Groenhud throws an elbow but it misses.
Nitrovic stalling in the clinch.
Groenhud misses with a knee strike.
Groenhud with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Groenhud throws an elbow but it misses.
Nitrovic dodges an elbow strike from Groenhud.
Groenhud tries to land a knee to the head but Nitrovic blocks with his arms.
Nitrovic has had enough of the clinch but Groenhud keeps him there for the moment.
Groenhud throws an elbow but it's blocked.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Groenhud tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Groenhud misses with a knee to the head.
Groenhud with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Nitrovic breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Groenhud misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gronk Groenhud dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Nitrovic stuffs the takedown.
Groenhud ducks under a wild hook from Nitrovic.
Gronk Groenhud seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Groenhud fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Nitrovic avoids it really well and circles away.
A punch combination from Nitrovic misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Groenhud avoids a punch combination nicely.
Nitrovic circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A head kick misses from Groenhud.
Groenhud misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Nitrovic throws a series of punches but Groenhud avoids them all with ease.
Drazen Nitrovic is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Nitrovic scores with a three punch combo!
Nitrovic stuffs the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Gronk Groenhud. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Groenhud shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Nitrovic as he jumps to the side.
Nitrovic falls off balance throwing a combination
and Groenhud counters with a big head kick but Nitrovic shrugs it off.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
No luck for Groenhud with that takedown attempt.
Groenhud shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Nitrovic but Nitrovic pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Nitrovic swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Groenhud counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Nitrovic thinking.
Nitrovic misses with a double jab.
Groenhud is looking to clinch but Nitrovic is avoiding it.
Left hook, right uppercut from Nitrovic.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A big right from Nitrovic misses.
Drazen Nitrovic has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Groenhud tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Nitrovic paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Nitrovic swinging wilding here.
Groenhud shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Nitrovic but Nitrovic pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Nitrovic falls off balance throwing a combination
and Groenhud counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Nitrovic displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Groenhud throws out the jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Groenhud misses with a double jab.
Gronk Groenhud is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Nitrovic stuffs the takedown attempt from Groenhud. Groenhud gets slowly back to his feet.
Some wild striking there from Nitrovic.
Nitrovic throws a right and a left that Groenhud avoids nicely.
Groenhud will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Groenhud fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

And that's the end of the fight!
Drazen Nitrovic comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Groenhud has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 James Glass scores the fight 29:28
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight 29:28
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gronk Groenhud!