PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Howard Duck (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nicky Salita (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Salita's choice of entrance music: Lose Yourself by Eminem. 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.

Duck
vs
Salita

188 cm
23
215 lbs
11 - 4 - 0

194 cm
23
220 lbs
15 - 6 - 0

Good wrestling
Great elbows
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Rivers Edge Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 11 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, Howard Duck!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 6 - 0, fighting out of New York, Nicky Salita!
The judges for this bout are Wagner Zegers, Aafke Stam and Albert Achterberg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A punch combination from Duck misses.
Nice shot by Duck.
Duck throws a hook but Salita blocks it.
Duck thows a leg kick but Salita checks it
and Salita counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Salita misses with an uppercut
and Duck counters with a left and a right that stings Salita.
A big left from Duck misses.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Salita checks a leg kick.
Duck tries to move into range but Salita moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Howard Duck seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Duck scores with a leg kick.
Duck fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Duck is looking to chop away at Salita's legs.
A lazy body kick from Duck
and Salita counters with a nice body shot.
Salita slips a jab from Duck.
Salita tries for a takedown but Duck circles away easily
and Duck counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
The fighters circling - Duck throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Duck connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Duck misses with a double jab
and Salita counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Duck throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Salita throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
letting Duck counter with a right hand.
Salita throws a head kick that misses.
Salita throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Duck stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Duck tries to close the distance and clinch up but Salita swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Duck tries to close the distance and clinch but Salita swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Salita throws a hook but Duck blocks it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Duck goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Salita swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Duck uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Salita.
Duck connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Duck tests Salita's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Salita avoids a punch combination nicely.
Salita takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Duck keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Salita.
Duck misses with a wild combination.
Duck throws a body kick, spinning off balance
and Salita counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Salita takes a swing at Duck's ribcage but misses.
A telegraphed right hand from Duck misses the target.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Duck lands a nice looking body shot.
Salita chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Duck can pounce on him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Nicky Salita will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Duck misses with a left hand
and Salita counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Duck thinking.
Duck misses with a few strikes there.
Duck misses the jab.
Duck connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Duck looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
A big right from Duck misses.
Duck paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Duck fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Salita on the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Duck scores with a sloppy right hand. Salita should have avoided that one.
Salita misses with a looping right.
Duck misses with a hook
and Salita counters with a low kick, right behind Duck 's knee.
Duck throws a series of punches but Salita avoids them all with ease.
Salita misses with a lunging right hand
and Duck counters with an outside leg kick.
Salita throws an ugly left hook that misses
enabling Duck to counter with a crisp jab.
Duck swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Duck looks to score with a jab to the body but Salita is just out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Duck works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Duck throws a leg kick but Salita checks it.
Salita lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Salita misses with a hook
and Duck counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Duck swings and misses with a shot to the body

and Salita counters with a shoot takedown. Duck fights it but they end up in guard.
Duck keeping moving, preventing Salita from controlling successfully.
Duck is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Salita throwing strikes but missing.
Salita throws a strike but Duck rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Duck in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Duck tries to free his leg and advance position but Salita is retaining full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Duck thows a big elbow that misses.
Salita lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Duck!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Salita throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Duck because Salita loaded up on that one.
Salita throws some wild stikes that Duck manages to avoid easily.
Duck tries to reverse the position but Salita maintains control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nicky Salita showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Salita tries to keep at a distance but Duck has taken the fight into the clinch.
Duck lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Salita is working Duck over against the cage.
With the fighters up against the cage, Duck throws an elbow but misses.
Duck misses with an elbow strike.
Salita fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Duck pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Salita dodges an elbow strike from Duck.
Salita goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
A short right from Salita on the inside.
Salita lands a shoulder strike.
With the fighters up against the cage, Duck throws an elbow but misses.
Salita lands a body punch in the clinch.
Salita tries to break free but Duck pushes him back against the cage.
Duck lands a body punch in the clinch.
Salita tries to score a body lock takedown but Duck shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Salita wants to break the clinch but can't.
Salita wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Salita lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Duck backwards.
Salita misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Duck connects with a nasty looking knee right to Salita's face.
Salita misses with a hook from the clinch.
Salita lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Duck.
Salita has had enough of the clinch but Duck keeps him there for the moment.
Duck trying to land knees to the body.
Duck gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Salita wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Duck throws an elbow that misses.
Duck scores a nice knee to the body.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Salita blocks an elbow strike from Duck.
Duck displaying some good clinch control by pressing Salita up against the cage.
Salita managing to block the knees to the body from Duck.

Salita breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Duck moves in looking to clinch but Salita pushes him off.
Duck throws a head kick but Salita moves out of range.
Salita keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Salita misses with a hook to the body
and Duck counters with a left to the body.
Duck throws out a loose jab but Salita uses good head movement to avoid it.

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.
Duck thows a body kick. Salita tries to catch it but that hurt him.
That kick from Duck tenderised Salita's leg. Salita is trying to keep his angry face on.
A combination from Duck does no damage.
Duck lands a head kick. Salita smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Duck keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Salita takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Duck fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Salita manages to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Duck throws a leg kick but Salita sees it coming and moves out of range.
Duck wants to clinch up but Salita keeps it at a distance.
Duck connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Salita's hands.
Duck tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Salita was well out of range. Poor timing from Duck.
Nicky Salita is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Duck throws a leg kick

and Salita counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Salita is trying to advance to mount but he's lost his balance and Duck reverses the position - he's now on top in Salita's guard.

Salita has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Duck off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Duck misses with a hook.
Duck misses with a wild body shot.
Duck scores with the left hand. Salita knows he should have avoided that one.
Duck pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Salita back to the cage. Duck follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Salita slips under a jab.
Duck scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.

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 Howard Duck.
I think Salita has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Wagner Zegers scores the fight 27:30
Judge Aafke Stam scores the fight 28:29
Judge Albert Achterberg scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nicky Salita!