PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Ari Birmiski (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Neo Nova (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Birmiski might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to I'm Back - T.I. The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Birmiski
vs
Nova

170 cm
26
140 lbs
13 - 6 - 0

171 cm
28
137 lbs
21 - 8 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very strong

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Milwaukee's Best 159's - $75

Broken Halo Pride Nutrition
Firebird Designs

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 13 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Ari Birmiski!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 21 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Neo Nova!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nova fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Birmiski is out of range.

Birmiski gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Birmiski is looking for a takedown.

Birmiski breaks from the clinch.
Nova throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Birmiski sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Birmiski tries a low kick but Nova avoids it.
Nova throws the kick towards the body but Birmiski avoids it.
Birmiski comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Nova fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Nova fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Birmiski slips under a jab from Nova.
Nova wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Nova lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Birmiski has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Birmiski and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.

Nova closes the distance and clinches.
Birmiski scores with an uppercut up the middle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nova wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Birmiski has him pressed against the cage.
Nova doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Nova throws a head punch that misses.
Birmiski is trying to break free.
Nova tries to work over Birmiski's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Nova swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Nova pushes Birmiski back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Good body shot from Nova.
A nice right hand lands inside from Nova.
Nova tries to throw a body punch but Birmiski avoids it by throwing Nova back against the cage.
Nova tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Birmiski's elbow.
Nova tries to work over Birmiski's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Nova tries to work over Birmiski's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Nova doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Nova gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Birmiski.
Birmiski is working Nova over against the cage.
Birmiski blocks an uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Birmiski blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Birmiski blocks a body shot from Nova.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Nova.
Nova swings wildly with an uppercut but Birmiski uses good head movement to avoid it.
Nova misses with a body punch.
Birmiski lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Birmiski gets through Nova's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Birmiski throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Stalling in the clinch from Birmiski.
A frustrated look appears on Birmiski's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Nova tries to throw a body punch but Birmiski avoids it by throwing Nova back against the cage.
Birmiski is trying to break the clinch but Nova has him pressed against the cage.
Birmiski blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Birmiski drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Nova gets the underhooks and prevents it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ari Birmiski. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A head punch on the inside from Nova fails to land.
Nova throws a punch but it's blocked by Birmiski.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nova can't find room to land a body shot as Birmiski controls the action.

Birmiski breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Nova throws a leg kick
enabling Birmiski to counter with a crisp jab.
Nova throws a sloppy head kick and Birmiski moves out of range easily.
Nova looks to throw the jab but Birmiski is out of range.
Nova misses with a low kick.
Nova swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Birmiski thows a body shot but no joy.
A slow jab from Birmiski misses its intended target.
Birmiski misses the jab.
Nice uppercut lands for Nova. That snapped Birmiski's head back.
Nova cracks Birmiski with an open hand slap.
Nova misses with the combination.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nova throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Nova scores with a head kick. Birmiski tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Nova fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Nova misses with a hook. Birmiski ducked under it nicely.
Nova cracks Birmiski with a good jab.
Birmiski throws a jab but it's blocked by Nova.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Birmiski tries a low kick but Nova avoids it.
Birmiski uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Nova.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Birmiski ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
A head kick misses from Nova.
Birmiski misses with a wild combination.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Neo Nova dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Nova fails to land with a series of punches.
Nova scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Birmiski throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Nova counters with an inside leg kick.
Birmiski misses with a body shot.
Nova is looking to chop away at Birmiski's legs.
Birmiski misses with a wild combination.
Nova throws a head kick that misses.
Nova chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Nova connects with a body shot.
Nova throws a looping overhand right but Birmiski ducks down to avoid it.
Nova takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A low kick from Nova misses
and Birmiski counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Nova checks a leg kick.
Birmiski scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Nova doesn't seem bothered though.
Left hook, right uppercut from Birmiski.
Nova scores with a leg kick.
Nova misses with a head kick.
Nova defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Birmiski.
Birmiski cracks Nova with a right hand to the side of the head.
Nova on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Nova cracks Birmiski with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Birmiski moves away from the strike by Nova.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Birmiski avoids a punch combination nicely.
Birmiski stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Nova.
Nova lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Birmiski ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Nova moves away.
Nova misses with a wild body shot.
Nova stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Nova looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Nova throws a sloppy head kick and Birmiski moves out of range easily.
Nova tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Nova avoids the body shot from Birmiski.
Nova fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Birmiski works the jab nicely.
Birmiski moves out of range of the leg kick from Nova.
Nova lands with a good body shot.
A cross from Birmiski lands.
Nova fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Birmiski is out of range.
Neo Nova is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Birmiski shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Nova cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

Birmiski pushes Nova up against the cage in a clinch.
Nova misses with a hook to the ribs.
Nova throws a head punch that misses.
A right hook to the body lands for Nova.
Birmiski managing to block the knees to the body from Nova.
Birmiski lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nova tries a body shot but Birmiski blocks it.
Nova goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Birmiski swings wildly with an uppercut but Nova uses good head movement to avoid it.
Nova throws a punch but it's blocked by Birmiski.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Birmiski goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Nova goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Nova is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Nova lands a body shot.
Nova throws a punch but it's blocked by Birmiski.
Birmiski is looking to control Nova's arms but Nova gets an underhook and turns him. Now Birmiski has his back to the cage.
Nova tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Birmiski's elbow.
Birmiski throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Nova breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Birmiski motions for Nova to come forward. Birmiski throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Nice shot lands for Birmiski.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Neo Nova will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Nova misses with a head kick.
Nova throws a sloppy head kick and Birmiski moves out of range easily.
Birmiski on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Birmiski ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Nova moves away.
Birmiski takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Nova ducks under a wild hook from Birmiski.
Birmiski moves out of range of the strikes.
Nova scores with a head kick.
Birmiski misses the shot to the body.

Birmiski has managed to clinch.
Nova misses with the head strike.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Birmiski creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Birmiski swings away with an uppercut that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A short right from Birmiski on the inside.
Nova misses with some punches.
Nova misses with a short punch on the inside.
Birmiski blocks an uppercut.
Birmiski tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Nova fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Birmiski has Nova pushed against the cage.
Nova digs a right hand underneath Birmiski's ribcage. Birmiski let out a lung full of air as it connected.
A short body shot lands from Nova as the two fighters clinch.
Nova swings away with an uppercut that misses.

Birmiski's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Birmiski forces Nova back against the cage and clinches.
Nova misses with a hook from the clinch.
A head punch on the inside from Nova fails to land.
A right hook to the body lands for Birmiski.
Birmiski pushes Nova back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Birmiski blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Birmiski is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Nova working aggressively here.
Birmiski working hard to break the clinch.
Nova misses with a hook to the ribs.
Nova misses with a body punch.
Nova lands a nice shot to the body.
Nova blocks a body shot from Birmiski.
Nova misses with a hook from the clinch.
Nova misses with the head strike.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Nova creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Birmiski managing to block the knees to the body from Nova.
Birmiski blocks a body shot from Nova.
Birmiski blocking some punches.

Birmiski pulls Nova into guard.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

Birmiski is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Birmiski is on top in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nova manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

Nova get's back to his feet.
Birmiski avoids the body shot from Nova.
Some bone on bone action there as Birmiski checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Birmiski walks into a left hand.
Birmiski takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.

Birmiski clinches up with Nova and pushes him back against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Birmiski misses with a hook from the clinch.
Neo Nova is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Birmiski tries to throw a body punch but Nova avoids it by throwing Birmiski back against the cage.
Birmiski is looking to take this one to the mat.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Birmiski blocks a body shot from Nova.
Nova doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
A short body shot lands from Nova as the two fighters clinch.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Nova wants to break free but Birmiski has control.
Ari Birmiski has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Nova has a couple of punches blocked by Birmiski.

And that's the end of the fight!
Neo Nova comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Nova has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 27:30
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Neo Nova!
A determined Neo Nova didn't want to dwell on this fight in his post fight interview. Instead he was more keen to state he wants a title shot. Let's see if he gets it!