PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Nick Powell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Diego Sanchez (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.

Powell
vs
Sanchez

178 cm
20
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
18
150 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Inexperienced

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Nick Powell!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Diego Sanchez!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Powell clinches up against the cage.
Sanchez keeps control of Powell as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Sanchez tightens his grip and picks Powell up, before dumping him to the ground. Powell manages to land in guard.
Sanchez trying to control the position from guard on top but Powell is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sanchez looking to pass the guard.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Powell holds on and takes a little breather.
Powell striking off his back but it's not causing Sanchez any problems.
Powell is trying to control the position but Sanchez postures up.
Powell keeping moving, preventing Sanchez from controlling successfully.
Powell trying to control the position here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Powell shoots in but Sanchez avoids the takedown attempt easily.

Powell clinches.
Powell can't get the takedown.

Sanchez breaks the clinch.
Sanchez misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Powell fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nick Powell. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Powell decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Powell controlling the action here.
Powell scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez trying to control here.
Powell stops Sanchez from getting back to his feet.
Powell moves into full mount! Sanchez won't be happy about that!
Sanchez can't escape the position.
Sanchez wants to hold on but Powell pushes him away.
Sanchez looks gassed!
Sanchez tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Sanchez tries to hold on but Powell pushes him away.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Powell punishing his opponent with strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Powell takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Powell has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Powell landing punches.
Powell controlling the pace for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Powell lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.

Powell wants to finish this one by submission but Sanchez is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Powell.
Powell with the ground and pound from mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nick Powell dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Powell closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Sanchez is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Powell performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Powell lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Powell throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Sanchez is trying to maintain the position but Powell is very close to passing his half guard.
Powell is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Nick Powell just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Sanchez stuffs the takedown attempt from Powell. Powell gets slowly back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanchez shoots and misses

and Powell counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Still in half guard, Powell seems content to control.

Powell is working for a kimura but Sanchez is defending it quite comfortably.
Sanchez is trying to stand up here but Powell is controlling him well.
Sanchez is looking to improve his position.
Powell is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Sanchez is looking for a sweep. Powell is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Still in half guard, Powell seems content to control.

Sanchez looking for submissions off his back.

Powell escapes and gets back to his feet.

Powell scores a takedown into full mount!
Powell lands a heavy elbow.

Sanchez is rocked!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Powell controlling from the full mount.
Sanchez is in a horrible position here. Powell smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Sanchez is still in real trouble! Can Powell finish him?

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Powell working Sanchez over with strikes here.
Powell controlling from mount.
Sanchez seems to have recovered his senses.

Powell is standing up, even though he is in mount.

Powell moves into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez has Powell pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Powell manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Sanchez looking to slow down the pace here.
Sanchez tries to pull guard but Powell won't allow it.
Nick Powell has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Diego Sanchez.

Powell drags the fight down to the ground.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Powell is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
Sanchez fails to pull guard.
Powell manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Sanchez looking to slow down the pace here.

Powell has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Sanchez clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Powell really has the hooks in deep now - there seems like no escape for Sanchez.
Powell not allowing Sanchez to control his hands.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nick Powell dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Sanchez gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Powell decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Sanchez's guard.
Sanchez can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Powell controls the pace.
Powell passes Sanchez's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Powell in particular looking to stall.
Powell's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Powell tries to pass to full mount but Sanchez defends it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanchez tries to roll over but Powell keeps him under control.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Powell is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Sanchez wants to get back to full guard.
Powell lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Sanchez slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Sanchez controls Powell momentarily but Powell frees himself.

Sanchez working for a triangle but Powell defends it easily.
Sanchez tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's two 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.

Sanchez is working an open guard so Powell takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Sanchez tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Powell counters with a nice double leg into side control. Sanchez won't be happy with that.
Sanchez is looking for a sweep.
Powell is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Sanchez can do to turn this around?

Powell decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Sanchez doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Powell counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Powell is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

Powell 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 three minutes gone in the round.

Powell gets to his feet - Sanchez follows without any prompting.

Powell clinches up with Sanchez and pushes him back against the cage.
Sanchez looking to slow down the pace here.
Powell will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Sanchez up against the cage.
Sanchez drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Powell gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Nick Powell has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Diego Sanchez.
Powell wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Sanchez has him pressed against the cage.
Powell drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Sanchez gets the underhooks and prevents it.

Powell breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Sanchez looks for a takedown but Powell sprawls well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez throws a push kick but Powell slaps the foot to one side.
Sanchez fails with the takedown

and Powell moves into the clinch.
Sanchez blocks an uppercut.
Powell pushes Sanchez back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.

Powell drags the fight down to the ground.
Nick Powell overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Sanchez has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Powell is proving hard to escape from.
Sanchez really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Powell. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Sanchezis looking to pass into half guard but Powell pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Powell is in guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Powell pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Sanchez is keeping the position for now.
Powell preventing the sweep.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nick Powell showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Powell, 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 30:26
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 30:26
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 30:25

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nick Powell!