PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Vuvu Zela (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Arana Nguyen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Zela
vs
Nguyen

173 cm
22
178 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

177 cm
19
180 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good gas tank

Australian Xtreme - NEW 159 Energy!
Ka-POW Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Vuvu Zela!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Arana Nguyen!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Hogan, Skip Squint and Summer Carpenter.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Zela circles away from the clinch attempt.
Nguyen fails in his attempt to clinch.
Nguyen tries to clinch there but Zela circles away.
Nguyen tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Zela paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Nguyen tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Zela paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Nguyen fails in his attempt to clinch.
Zela shoots in for a takedown but Nguyen shows good takedown defense.
Nguyen tries to clinch but Zela moves out of range.
Nguyen tries to close the distance and clinch but Zela swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Nguyen stuffs the takedown.
Nguyen tries to clinch up.
Nguyen fails with an attempt to clinch.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Zela.
Zela sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Nguyen is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Zela cracks Nguyen with a big right hand but Nguyen just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
An elbow from Zela crashes against the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zela in side control lands a decent elbow.
Zela tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Zela taking a breather here.
Nguyen is trying to control Zela's posture but Zela avoids it.
Zela in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Nguyen wants to control but Zela postures up.
Zela looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Nguyen is avoiding damage well.

Zela is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Nguyen is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Zela 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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Zela working away.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Left hook, right uppercut from Nguyen.
Zela swats away the attempt to clinch by Nguyen.
Nguyen fails in his attempt to clinch.
Arana Nguyen is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Zela shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Nguyen napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Zela fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Zela wants to control but Nguyen is keeping him busy.
Zela in side control, throwing shots but Nguyen defends.
Zela working the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nguyen manages to work his way to half guard, despite Zela's best efforts.
Nguyen wants to improve his position but Zela is controlling well.
Nguyen looks like he's trying to stand up.

Zela is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Nguyen has managed to free his arm - good work.
Nguyen looks like he's trying to stand up.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.

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.
Zela has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Zela wants to control the pace but Nguyen is squirming around nicely.
Nguyen is working to get back to half guard.
Nguyen tries to lock up and control but Zela gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Nguyen wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Zela.
Zela landing strikes from the mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Some wild striking there from Nguyen.
Zela takes a swing at Nguyen's ribcage but misses.
Nguyen moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.

Zela gets a takedown into half guard.
Nguyen is trying to control but can't.
Nguyen keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Nguyen keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Zela not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Nguyen is staying active underneath Zela, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Zela stops Nguyen from getting back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zela seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Nguyen does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Zela working Nguyen over with strikes.
Zela not landing any meaningful shots this time.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Zela scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Zela tries to score with some ground and pound. Nguyen controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Zela working away.
Nguyen manages to get back to half guard.
Zela thows a huge punch but Nguyen dodges it nicely.
Zela prevents Nguyen from standing back up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Zela is looking for a kimura here.
Nguyen keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nguyen is refusing to be controlled, as Zela sits in half guard.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Zela shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Nguyen pinned against the cage. Nguyen gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

Zela tries to keep at a distance but Nguyen has taken the fight into the clinch.
Zela has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Nguyen avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Nguyen lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Zela doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zela drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Nguyen gets the underhooks and prevents it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Vuvu Zela. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Zela can't get the takedown.
Stalling in the clinch from Nguyen.
Zela takes a knee right on the jaw!
Nguyen landing knees to the body.
Nguyen lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Zela looking for a takedown.
Zela being controlled against the cage.
Nguyen lands a knee to the head.

It looks like Vuvu Zela has been cut.
Zela jumps guard but Nguyen stands there with Zela around his waist. Zela gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Nguyen working some nice short punches in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nguyen using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Zela has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Nguyen lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Nguyen leaning against his opponent.
Zela tries to stall but Nguyen uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Knees in the clinch landing for Nguyen.
Nguyen lands a left hand.
Zela is working for takedown but Nguyen is calmly controlling the position for now.
With the fighters up against the cage, Nguyen throws an elbow but misses.
Nguyen is struggling to control the position.
Zela has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Nguyen is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Zela is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Nguyen gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Zela drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Nguyen gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Nguyen stalling.
Nguyen creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Nguyen prevents the takedown attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Arana Nguyen showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Vuvu Zela's cut.
That's time! Zela's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Zela throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Nguyen's waist but Nguyen gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Zela off to one side.
Nguyen is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Nguyen rushes Zela and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Nguyen landing knees to the head.
Zela takes a knee to the side of the body.
Nguyen scores with a knee to the head.
Zela dodges an elbow strike from Nguyen.
Zela trying to control the position but instead, Nguyen has worked for underhooks and has pushed Zela into the cage.
Nguyen putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Zela in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
A knee to the head by Nguyen.
Zela tries for a takedown but Nguyen manages to get underhooks.
Nguyen stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Nguyen receives a warning from the referee for stalling.
The crowd are getting on Nguyen's back here. They're not happy about his lack of aggression in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zela wants a takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Vuvu Zela. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Stalling in the clinch from Nguyen.
Zela is trying to maintain a safe position but Nguyen gets an underhook and turns Zela into the cage.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Arana Nguyen.
Nguyen tries to clinch up but Zela circles away and keeps his distance.
Nguyen tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Zela paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Nguyen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Zela closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Zela missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Nguyen tries to roll over but Zela keeps him under control.
Nguyen blocking the ground and pound attempt from Zela.
Zela looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Nguyen with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zela throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Zela thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Nguyen's head.
Zela is looking to take a break and control but Nguyen is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Nice strikes from Zela there.
Zela lands with a punch from half guard.
Nguyen is trying to maintain the position but Zela is very close to passing his half guard.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Zela connects with a nice short shot to Nguyen's temple.
Zela is taking a breather. Nguyen says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nguyen taking some punishment here, with Zela in his half guard.
Nguyen manages to get to full guard.
Zela slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Nguyen trying to keep a closed guard but Zela is proving a slippery customer.
Zela won't allow Nguyen to sweep him here.

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.
Zela postures up in Nguyen's guard and throws a big left but Nguyen blocks it.
Zela working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Zela thows a big elbow that misses.
Zela throws a big right hand that misses.
Zela is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Zela landing some decent shots from guard.
Nguyen looking to control.
Zela trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Nguyen utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Vuvu Zela.
I think Zela 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 Bruno Hogan scores the fight 29:28
Judge Skip Squint scores the fight 29:28
Judge Summer Carpenter scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Vuvu Zela!