PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Leonard Garcia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alex Nizami (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Nizami has chosen Bad Company as his entrance music. The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Garcia
vs
Nizami

176 cm
24
158 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

178 cm
18
155 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Leonard Garcia!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Alex Nizami!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Lombardi, Steve Montenegro and Dean Styles.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Garcia misses with a double jab.

Nizami darts in and clinches Garcia up against the cage.
Garcia wants a takedown but no success here.

Nizami pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Nizami pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Garcia moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Nizami shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Garcia but Garcia pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Garcia lands a two punch combo.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Garcia throws a right and a left that Nizami avoids nicely.

Nizami rushes Garcia and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Garcia tries to score a body lock takedown but Nizami shows good agility there to stay on his feet.

Nizami successfully pulls guard.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

Nizami is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Garcia postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nizami avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Garcia tries to free his leg and advance position but Nizami is retaining full guard.
Nizami keeping moving, preventing Garcia from controlling successfully.

Nizami is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Garcia wants to control from the top but Nizami keeps moving.
Nizami working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Garcia.
Garcia trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Nizami controls Garcia momentarily but Garcia frees himself.
Garcia working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Garcia chips away with some ground and pound.
Garcia trying to control but Nizami is working from the bottom.
Garcia would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

Nizami is looking for a triangle but Garcia pushes his legs off easily.
Garcia throwing strikes but missing.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Garcia landing some decent shots from guard.
Nizami looking to control.
Garcia trying to control the position from guard on top but Nizami is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Nizami preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Garcia sitting in guard, not really doing much.

Nizami throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Garcia has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Garcia scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

Garcia gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Garcia stuffs the takedown.
Nizami shoots in looking for a takedown but Garcia manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Nizami's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Leonard Garcia has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Alex Nizami.
Garcia misses with a jab, cross combination.
Garcia misses with a jab, cross combination.

Nizami moves into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Nizami has Garcia pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Nizami pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Garcia tumbling to the mat - Nizami dives into Garcia's guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Nizami prevents Garcia from getting back to his feet.
Garcia keeping moving, preventing Nizami from controlling successfully.
Nizami passes Garcia's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Nizami prevents Garcia from improving his position.
Garcia is breathing heavily.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Garcia has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Nizami is working away from the top position though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Leonard Garcia will probably get the nod.
That's time! Garcia's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Nizami fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Garcia swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Garcia throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Nizami.
Garcia misses with a few strikes there.
Garcia rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Nizami moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Garcia misses with a double jab.
Nizami showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Garcia.

Nizami closes the distance and clinches.
Nizami wants a takedown.
Nizami is pressed up against the cage. Garcia has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Nizami down to the mat. Nizami avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Nizami throws a series of punches but Garcia moves out of range.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Garcia swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Nizami counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Nizami with a flurry of punches that miss.
Nizami trying to control but Garcia is working from the bottom.
Garcia knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Nizami on the ground.

Nizami thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Nizami trying to control but Garcia is working from the bottom.
Nizami thows a big elbow that misses.
Nizami trying to control the position from guard on top but Garcia is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Nizami 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.
Nizami controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nizami connects with a couple of short punches.
Nizami works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Garcia tries to get to full guard but Nizami has control of the leg.
Alex Nizami has got the better of the ground game so far.
Nizami trying to pass the guard but Garcia defending well.
Nizami missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Garcia manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Garcia seems keen to control Nizami's posture.
Nizami passes easily into side control. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nizami wants to lay and pray for a moment but Garcia keeps working.
Nizami working the ground and pound but Garcia is defending the strikes.
Nizami throwing shots but missing, from side control.

Garcia throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!

Nizami fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Garcia to the ground. Nizami is now in Garcia's guard.
Nizami tries to free his leg and advance position but Garcia is retaining full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Garcia keeping moving, preventing Nizami from controlling successfully.
Nizami is standing up over Garcia. Garcia looks to escape but Nizami dives into side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Nizami working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Garcia is looking to reverse the position.
Garcia is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Nizami has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Nizami scores with punches from side control.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Garcia tries to improve position but can't.
Nizami wants to control but Garcia is keeping him busy.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Nizami has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Nizami shoots in but no luck this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alex Nizami showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Nizami shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Garcia defends it nicely.
Nizami throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Garcia.
Garcia fails to land with a series of punches.
Garcia looks to land a combination but Nizami avoids it well.

Nizami closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Garcia has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Nizami avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Garcia prevents the takedown attempt.
Garcia fails to pull guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Nizami pulls guard successfully.

Garcia stands and steps away. Nizami gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Garcia looks to score with a jab to the body but Nizami is just out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Garcia throws a combination that misses

and Nizami counters with a takedown into side control.
Nizami controls the position.
Nizami working the ground and pound.

Nizami goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Garcia has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Nizami but great work by Garcia.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
You can see the frustration on Nizami's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Nizami is looking to reverse the position.
Nizami manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Garcia not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

Nizami looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Garcia is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Garcia wants to free his trapped foot but Nizami is holding on for dear life with his legs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Garcia is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Nizami!
Garcia wants to control the action but instead Nizami gets a body lock and reverses into Garcia's guard! Nice work!
Garcia keeping moving, preventing Nizami from controlling successfully.
Nizami throws a big right hand that misses.
Garcia looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Garcia is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Nizami advances position into side control!
Nizami wants to lay and pray for a moment but Garcia keeps working.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Garcia is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Nizami cracks Garcia with an elbow. That is naaassty.

Nizami wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Garcia, who protects the arm well.

Nizami working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Garcia throws a couple of punches but he's in a bad position and they don't land.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Garcia is trying to get back to half guard.
Garcia wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Garcia is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Nizami is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
Nizami with shots to the head and body - Garcia looks very uncomfortable down there.
Nizami trying to control but Garcia is having none of it.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Garcia is trying to escape the mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Alex Nizami comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Nizami 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 Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 28:29
Judge Steve Montenegro scores the fight 28:29
Judge Dean Styles scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Alex Nizami!