PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Nigel Burling (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and James Howlett (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Burling kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genuis that is Iron Maiden - Aces High. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Burling
vs
Howlett

172 cm
20
185 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

165 cm
22
195 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Prefers ground

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Determined

Attliction

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Nigel Burling!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, James Howlett!
The judges for this bout are James Ackerman, Steven Brown and James Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Burling gets a takedown into half guard.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Howlett looks like he's trying to stand up.
Burling missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Howlett wants to get back to his feet.
Burling thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Burling lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Burling working the head and body with strikes.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ground and pound from Burling.
Ground and pound from Burling.

Burling postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Howlett to stand up.

Burling clinches up with Howlett and pushes him back against the cage.
Burling is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Howlett pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Howlett ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Howlett no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Burling pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Howlett is keeping the position for now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Burling is looking to work some ground and pound but Howlett has wrist control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Burling chips away with some ground and pound.
Burling cracks Howlett with a solid left hand.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Burling accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Howlett wants to sweep here but Burling controlling him for the moment.
Burling with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Burling tries to free his leg and advance position but Howlett is retaining full guard.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.

Burling shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Burling lands a big shot there that rocks Howlett but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Burling connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Howlett wants to control but Burling is having none of it.
Burling trying to control but Howlett is having none of it.
Burling is breathing heavily.
Howlett is looking to get to half guard.
Burling lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Howlett hang on?

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Burling unloading with bombs!
Howlett is working to get back to half guard.
Burling tries to control but Howlett wriggling away.
Howlett gets back to half guard.
Howlett wants to get back to his feet.
Howlett regains full guard. Nicely done.
Burling working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Burling trying to control but Howlett is working from the bottom.
Burling controlling from the top position.
Howlett wants to get back to his feet but Burling is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Burling preventing the sweep.
Howlett throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Burling trying to control but Howlett is working from the bottom.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Howlett clinches up with Burling and pushes him back against the cage.
Burling is pressed up against the cage. Howlett has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Burling down to the mat. Burling avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Burling scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Burling scoring with punches and elbows.
Howlett is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Burling off and has taken his back!
Howlett tries to keep control of the position but Burling is staying busy.
Howlett scores with strikes from the back.
Howlett cracks Burling with a big shot to body and one to the head - really punishing Burling from the back mount here, looking to soften him up.
Howlett has Burling flattened out and is raining down punches.
Burling grimaces as he takes a shot to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Howlett trying to control momentarily.
Howlett is hanging on to Burling's back as he tries to escape.

Howlett working for a RNC but it's not happening just yet.
Howlett lands punches and elbows.
The referee is taking a good look at Burling as he is on the wrong end of some big shots from Howlett!

Howlett working for a RNC but it's not happening just yet.
Howlett lands a punch to the side of the head from the back.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Howlett lands shots from the back.
Howlett has Burling flattened out and is raining down punches.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Howlett tries to keep control of the position but Burling is staying busy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nigel Burling dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Howlett shoots and misses

and Burling counters with a nice double leg into side control. Howlett won't be happy with that.
Burling working the ground and pound.
Burling working the ground and pound.
Burling working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Burling scores with punches from side control.
Burling lands a decent elbow from side control.
Burling 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.
Howlett tries to bench press Burling off him but Burling keeps the position.
Burling looks up at the clock and then as Howlett takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Burling smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Howlett takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Howlett tries to improve position but can't.
Howlett is working to avoid the ground and pound but Burling connects with a decent elbow.
Burling wants to control but Howlett is keeping him busy.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Howlett throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Burling scores with a nice strike.

Burling shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Howlett's guard.
Burling looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Burling chips away with some ground and pound.
Burling prevents Howlett from getting back to his feet.
Burling makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Burling connects with a couple of short punches.
Burling prevents Howlett from getting back to his feet.
Burling not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Howlett wants to get back to his feet but Burling is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Howlett has his foot on Burling's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Burling works his way back into a safe position though.
Burling is pushing down on Howlett's leg trying to pass to half guard. Howlett is fighting to maintain full guard but Burling has managed to sneak the leg through.
Howlett is breathing heavily.

That's two 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.
Burling wants to control but Howlett is keeping him busy.
Burling blocks the strikes from Howlett.
Howlett is not content to let Burling control the position.
Howlett wants to improve his position but Burling is controlling well.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Burling closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Howlett is refusing to be controlled, as Burling sits in half guard.
Howlett is in trouble now - Burling has advanced to mount!
Burling working the ground and pound effectively.
Burling lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Burling lands a heavy elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Burling tries to control but Howlett wriggling away.
Howlett taking shots to the head.
Burling landing strikes from the mount and Howlett is in trouble!
Burling with a couple of short strikes.
Howlett is squirming around, avoiding Burling's attempts to control the action.
Howlett taking shots to the head.
Howlett is working to get back to half guard.
Burling tries to control but Howlett wriggling away.
Howlett tries to hold on but Burling pushes him away.
Howlett is looking to improve his position but Burling isn't that keen on the idea.
Burling looking to control but Howlett is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Nigel Burling overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Howlett throwing hammer fists to the chest of Burling. What's that going to do exactly?

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.
Howlett tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Howlett is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Burling lands a big elbow.
Howlett keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Burling landing strikes, looking to finish!
Howlett is trying to escape the mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nigel Burling dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Howlett throws an off balance right hand

and Burling counters with a takedown into side control.
A lull in the action here.
Burling misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Burling fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Howlett wants to control but Burling postures up.
Howlett is not content to let Burling control the position.
Howlett tries to bench press Burling off him but Burling keeps the position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Burling landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Burling with a poor takedown
and Howlett counters with a low kick, right behind Burling 's knee.
Howlett shoots for a takedown but Burling saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Nigel Burling is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Burling bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Burling is looking to take a break and control but Howlett is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Burling works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Howlett is looking for a sweep.
Howlett is trying to work for a sweep but Burling has mounted him!
Howlett trying desperately to get to his feet.
A nice elbow there by Burling.
Burling lands a nice shot to the head.

Howlett is rocked!
Burling with shots to the head and body - Howlett looks very uncomfortable down there.
Howlett is still in real trouble! Can Burling finish him?
Burling with the ground and pound from mount.
Burling landing strikes from the mount and Howlett is in trouble!
Burling landing shots from mount.
Burling lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Howlett is trying to escape the mount.
Burling working Howlett over with strikes here.
Burling scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Howlett?

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Burling takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Howlett taking shots to the head.
Howlett keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Howlett takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Howlett is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Burling lands a heavy elbow.
Burling has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Howlett's face.
Burling pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Howlett keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Burling is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Howlett can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Burling blocks Howlett's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Howlett is looking to get to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howlett bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Howlett seems to have recovered his senses.
Howlett connects with a couple of short punches.
Howlett throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Howlett has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Burling is proving hard to escape from.
Burling wants to improve his position but instead Howlett has moved into half guard.

Howlett is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Burling defends it well.
Burling connecting with a few gentle strikes.
Burling missing with punches from the bottom.
Burling makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Burling.
Burling bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Howlett's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Burling slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Burling lands an elbow.
Burling in side control, just content to control the action for now.
Burling working the head with strikes.
Howlett is trying to buck Burling off.
Burling wants to control but Howlett is keeping him busy.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Burling working the ground and pound from side control.
Burling passes to full mount! That's big trouble for Howlett!
James Howlett has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Burling has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Howlett's face.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nigel Burling showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Burling 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 James Ackerman scores the fight 30:27
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 30:26
Judge James Glass scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nigel Burling!