PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Steve Drake (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lukas Nicitel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Drake
vs
Nicitel

200 cm
22
307 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

205 cm
25
309 lbs
9 - 3 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

FinnFighters Nutrition
FinnFighters Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Steve Drake!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Lukas Nicitel!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Marco Blurström and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nicitel tries to clinch but Drake moves out of range.
Drake dodges the punch combination from Nicitel.

Nicitel gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Nicitel is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Drake tries to break free but Nicitel pushes him back against the cage.
Drake is trying to force a seperation but Nicitel has the dominant position.
Nicitel lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Nicitel putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Drake in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Nicitel with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Drake is trying to break the clinch but Nicitel has him pressed against the cage.
Nicitel throws an elbow that misses.
Nicitel scores with a nice hook to the head.
Nicitel stalling.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Nicitel breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Drake lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Nicitel is looking to clinch.
Nicitel fails with an attempt to clinch.
Drake has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Drake there as he acknowledges the shot.
Nicitel wants to clinch up but Drake keeps it at a distance.
Drake misses with a two punch combination.
Drake misses with an attempted mid kick.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Drake, as that shot connected.
Drake pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Drake swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Drake stalks Nicitel and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Nicitel's face. Nicitel staggers backwards, shaken.
Drake throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Drake throws a left and a right that both miss
and Nicitel connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Drake is breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Nicitel tries to close the distance and clinch but Drake swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Drake throws a leg kick

and Nicitel counters by clinching up.
Nicitel keeps control of Drake as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Nicitel breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Drake fails to land with a series of punches.
Drake keeps the fight on the outside.
Nicitel dodges the punch combination from Drake.
Drake looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Drake throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Nicitel moves into the clinch successfully.

Nicitel breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Drake uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Nicitel.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Drake tries to bum rush Nicitel with a series of wild strikes but Nicitel uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Nicitel tries to close the distance and clinch but Drake swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Nicitel fails with an attempt to clinch.
Drake uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Nicitel.
Nicitel shoots in but no luck this time.
Nicitel clobbers Drake with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Steve Drake is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Nicitel misses with a body shot.
Drake misses with a double jab.
Drake lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.

It looks like Lukas Nicitel has been cut.
Drake lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Nicitel backs up against the cage.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Drake misses with a series of wild punches.
Drake misses with a two punch combination.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nicitel shoots for a takedown but Drake saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Drake fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Drake dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Nicitel. That did some damage!
Drake throws a right and a left that Nicitel avoids nicely.
Drake buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Drake falls off balance throwing a combination

and Nicitel holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Drake avoids the elbow strike from Nicitel, against the cage.
Nicitel keeps control of Drake as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Nicitel wants to break the clinch but can't.
Drake is trying to break the clinch but Nicitel is controlling him.
Drake wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Steve Drake dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Lukas Nicitel's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Nicitel fails in his attempt to clinch.
Drake misses with the combination.
Steve Drake is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Drake lands with a kick to the temple. Nicitel shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
A slow jab from Nicitel misses its intended target.
Drake bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Drake tries to bum rush Nicitel with a series of wild strikes but Nicitel uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Nicitel throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Drake tries a head kick but it misses.
Nicitel throws a hook but Drake blocks it.
Nicitel misses with a hook.
Nicitel steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Drake. That one must have hurt.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Drake throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Drake's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Drake duly obliges.
Drake throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Drake throws the kick towards the body but Nicitel avoids it.
Drake throws a head kick that misses.
Steve Drake is winning the standup battle so far.
A chopping leg kick lands by Drake.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Drake.
Drake scores with a shot to the body.
Drake scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Drake keeps Nicitel at a distance using the push kick.
Drake lands a jab-cross combination.
A head kick misses from Drake.
Nicitel misses with a looping left.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Drake connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Drake throws a right hand that Nicitel ducks under and follows up with a left that Nicitel also avoids with ease.
Nicitel is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Nicitel avoids a punch combination nicely.
Nicitel shoots in looking for a takedown. Drake tries to sprawl out of it but Nicitel keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Drake manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Nicitel might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
A punch combination from Drake misses.
Drake lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Nicitel circles away quickly and effectively.
Drake keeps the fight on the outside.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Drake connects with a single shot there.
Drake throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Drake misses with a series of wild punches.
Nicitel shoots in for a double leg but Drake sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Left hook, right uppercut from Drake.
Drake pushes Nicitel away with a front kick.
Drake throws a combination. Nicitel tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Drake misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Nicitel shoots in but Drake avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Steve Drake has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Lukas Nicitel.
Drake looks to land a combination. Nicitel sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Drake lands an overhand right.
Nicitel tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Drake scores with a nice head shot.
Drake ducks under a wild hook from Nicitel.
Crunch! Drake slams his shin into Nicitel's torso.
Nicitel takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Drake is working the combinations to good effect here.
Drake throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Drake misses with a low kick.
A punch combination from Drake misses.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Drake avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Drake rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Nicitel moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Nicitel tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Steve Drake dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Lukas Nicitel's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Nicitel thows a body shot but no joy.
Nicitel tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Drake paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Nicitel pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Drake displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Nicitel avoids a punch combination nicely.
Drake throws a head kick but Nicitel moves out of range.
Drake throws a right hand that Nicitel ducks under and follows up with a left that Nicitel also avoids with ease.
Nicitel closes the distance and clinches up with Drake, looking for a takedown. Nicitel pushes Drake against the cage but Drake circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Drake lands a nice looking kick to the body. Nicitel takes a step back to recover.
Drake throws a quick inside leg kick.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Drake swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Drake avoids the body shot from Nicitel.
Drake lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Drake throws a right and a left that both miss.
The fighters circling - Nicitel throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Drake throws a combination. Nicitel tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Nicitel has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Drake.
Nicitel takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Nicitel lands a slapping body shot.
Nicitel dodges the punch combination from Drake.
Drake lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Nicitel tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Nicitel misses with a looping left.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Drake throws a right hand that Nicitel ducks under and follows up with a left that Nicitel also avoids with ease.
Drake looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Nicitel slips a jab and a cross from Drake.
Nicitel tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Drake paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Drake lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Nicitel circles away quickly and effectively.
Drake throws a right hand that Nicitel ducks under and follows up with a left that Nicitel also avoids with ease.
Nicitel bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Drake's head.
Nicitel drops his hands momentarily and Drake takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Nicitel wants to clinch.
Drake avoids the body shot from Nicitel.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Drake lands a front kick.
Drake pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Nicitel takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Drake lands a jab.
Drake goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Nicitel throws a hook but Drake avoids it easily.
Drake lands a glancing blow to the side of Nicitel's head.
Drake swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Nicitel tries to close the distance and clinch up but Drake swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Drake looks for the body kick but Nicitel saw that one coming.
Drake is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Nicitel can do to turn this around?
Drake lands with a slapping head kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Drake throws a sloppy head kick and Nicitel moves out of range easily.
Drake avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Drake bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Drake tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Drake swats away the attempt to clinch by Nicitel.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Drake.
Drake throws a head kick that misses.
Lukas Nicitel has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Drake keeps the fight on the outside.
Drake fakes the leg kick and cracks Nicitel in the body.
Drake misses with a jab, cross combination.
Nicitel dodges the punch combination from Drake.

And that's the end of the fight!
Steve Drake showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Drake, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 30:26
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 30:26
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Steve Drake!