PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Niko Piere (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and The Cabbage Snatcher (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for Niko Piere has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Piere
vs
Cabbage Snatcher

178 cm
23
175 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

190 cm
22
186 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good gas tank

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Niko Piere!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, The Cabbage Snatcher!
The judges for this bout are Robert Douchet, Elvis Blanc and Gregory Folan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Piere tries to clinch but Snatcher moves out of range.
Piere tries to close the distance and clinch but Snatcher swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
No luck for Snatcher with that takedown attempt.
Piere avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Snatcher shoots in and drives through. Piere sprawls well.
Piere slaps away a takedown attempt from Snatcher, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Niko Piere has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of The Cabbage Snatcher.
Snatcher throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Piere scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Snatcher doesn't seem bothered though.
Snatcher looks gassed!

Piere closes the distance and pushes Snatcher back into the cage.
Snatcher tries a body shot but Piere blocks it.

Piere breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Piere tries to clinch up.
The Cabbage Snatcher seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Piere takes the fight into the clinch.
Piere presses Snatcher against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Snatcher wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Piere has him pressed against the cage.
Piere taking a break, stalling in the clinch.

Piere manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Piere tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Snatcher got a little sloppy there for a moment and Piere has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Snatcher has managed to get both his arms back between Piere's legs - danger averted.
Snatcher with a flurry of punches that miss.

Piere has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Snatcher can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Snatcher is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Snatcher slips nicely into half guard.
Piere striking from the bottom.
Snatcher trying to pass the guard but Piere defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Piere wants to control but Snatcher is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Snatcher is trying to control. Piere wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Snatcher trying to pass the guard but Piere defending well.
Snatcher is looking to take a break and control but Piere is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Piere is trying to get back to full guard.
Snatcher looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

The ref stands the fighters back up. The Cabbage Snatcher was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Snatcher shoots for a double leg takedown but Piere sprawls well. He's pushed Snatcher's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Piere tries to clinch but Snatcher is having none of it.

Piere shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Snatcher is trying to defend but Piere finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Snatcher wants to control but Piere is keeping busy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Niko Piere dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Piere fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Snatcher looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Piere darts in and clinches Snatcher up against the cage.
Piere connects with a knee to the head.
Piere is pushing Snatcher up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Snatcher takes an elbow to the forehead.

It looks like The Cabbage Snatcher has been cut.
Piere with a knee to the head.

Snatcher is rocked!
Piere gets through Snatcher's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Snatcher is still on wobbly legs! Can Piere finish him?
Snatcher is breathing heavily.

Piere is trying to trip Snatcher. He has hold of a leg but Snatcher is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Piere persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Piere working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Piere works over Snatcher with some ground and pound from guard.

Snatcher is looking for a triangle but Piere pushes his legs off easily.
Piere postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Snatcher working a defensive guard here.
Snatcher seems to have recovered his senses.
Piere working some strikes from top position.
Piere pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Snatcher is keeping the position for now.
Snatcher trying to keep a closed guard but Piere is proving a slippery customer.
Piere lands a couple of elbows.
Snatcher utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Piere with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Piere working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Piere pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Snatcher is keeping the position for now.
Snatcher managing to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Snatcher is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Piere is aware though and is defending well.
Piere stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Snatcher swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Piere is in close to Snatcher's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Snatcher utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Piere tries to free his leg and advance position but Snatcher is retaining full guard.
Snatcher is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Piere lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Snatcher is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Piere throws a big right hand that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Piere stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Snatcher swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Piere knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Snatcher on the ground.

Snatcher working for a triangle but Piere defends it easily.
Piere working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Snatcher's head.
Piere tries to free his leg and advance position but Snatcher is retaining full guard.
Snatcher wants to sweep but no luck.
Piere makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Piere stopping the sweep attempt from Snatcher.
Snatcher is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Piere loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Piere landing some decent shots from guard.
Piere trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Snatcher looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Piere stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Snatcher swivels though and keeps the full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Snatcher working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Piere.
Piere stands up over Snatcher, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Niko Piere overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Piere cracks Snatcher with a solid left hand.
Piere is fighting to break Snatcher's control of his arms but Snatcher is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Let's hope that Snatcher has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Niko Piere dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on The Cabbage Snatcher's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Piere is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Piere is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Piere shoots in but no luck this time.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Snatcher fails with the takedown.
Nice takedown defense from Piere. No joy for Snatcher on that attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Piere has closed the distance and engaged Snatcher in a clinch.
Snatcher takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Piere gets control of Snatcher's arms and successfully pulls guard. Piere will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Snatcher trying to control the position from guard on top but Piere is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Snatcher might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Piere kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Snatcher works a leg free and moves into half guard.

Piere looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Piere is refusing to be controlled, as Snatcher sits in half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Snatcher wants to pass to mount but Piere is defending the position.
Piere might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Snatcher escapes and gets back to his feet.

Piere darts in and clinches Snatcher up against the cage.
Snatcher wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Piere has him pressed against the cage.
Piere prevents a takedown attempt there.
Niko Piere has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of The Cabbage Snatcher.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Snatcher tries to pull guard but Piere won't allow it.
Piere lands an elbow just above Snatcher 's eye.

Piere drags the fight down to the ground.
Piere is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

Snatcher gets to his feet. Piere looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!

Snatcher changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Piere looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.

Snatcher working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Niko Piere is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Piere on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Piere tries to get out of the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Snatcher wants to stand but Piere has his arm trapped.
Piere struggling a bit here.
Piere is trying to get back to half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
The Cabbage Snatcher comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Piere has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Robert Douchet scores the fight 29:27
Judge Elvis Blanc scores the fight 29:27
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Niko Piere!