PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ernest Natura (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hooligan Nick (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.

Natura
vs
Nick

178 cm
19
181 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

181 cm
20
175 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Ernest Natura!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Hooligan Nick!
The judges for this bout are Ben Zyskovitsi, Tarja Halkonen and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nick throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Natura's waist but Natura gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Nick off to one side.

Nick tries to keep at a distance but Natura has taken the fight into the clinch.
Nick is working for takedown but Natura is calmly controlling the position for now.
Nick blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Nick pulls guard effortlessly.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
Natura won't allow Nick to sweep him here.

Nick has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Natura can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Nick trying to keep a closed guard but Natura is proving a slippery customer.
Natura knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Nick on the ground.
Nick keeping moving, preventing Natura from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nick looking to hit a scissor sweep but Natura is one step ahead there.
Nick can't keep his opponent in guard - Natura advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Natura prevents Nick from improving his position.
Nick is trying to control but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nick is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Nick gets back to full guard.
Natura wants to control from the top but Nick keeps moving.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Natura fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A head kick misses from Nick.
Good shot there by Natura.
Nick staying out of range there.
Nick tries to clinch but Natura moves out of range.
Good shot there by Natura.
Nick staying out of range there.
Nick looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Ernest Natura has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Hooligan Nick.
Natura lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Nick backs up against the cage.

It looks like Hooligan Nick has been cut.
Natura scores with a nice head shot.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A jab lands there for Natura.
Nick takes one to the chin there.
Natura listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Nick lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Nick takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Jab from Natura.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nick tries to close the distance and clinch up but Natura swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Natura throws a good cross that connects.
Natura throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Nick tries for a takedown but Natura sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Nick looks gassed!
Nick shoots for a takedown but Natura saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Natura pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Nick back to the cage. Natura follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Natura connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Ernest Natura is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Natura lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Nick circles away quickly and effectively.
Natura doesn't manage to clinch there - Nick circles away.
Natura moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Natura lands a nice hook to Nick's body. Nick takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Donk. Natura catches Nick right on the button with a cross.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

Nick gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Natura breaks the clinch.
Nick shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Natura but Natura pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Natura lands with an uppercut that bounces Nick off the cage and back into range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ernest Natura dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Hooligan Nick's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Natura swinging wildly here.
No joy there for Natura, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Nick ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Nick shoots in for a takedown but Natura shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Natura slaps away a takedown attempt from Nick, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Natura listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Natura is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Natura throws a right and a left that both miss.
Natura throws a one two combo.
Nick dodges the punch combination from Natura.
Natura uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Natura lands a right hook to the body.
Natura stalks Nick and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Nick's face. Nick staggers backwards, shaken.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Nick doesn't manage to clinch there - Natura circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
No joy there for Natura, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Nick scores with a body shot.
A left and a right from Natura both land. Nice combination.
Natura lands a head shot.
A cross from Natura lands.
Natura throws an ugly left hook that misses

and Nick counters by clinching up.
A nice right hand lands inside from Natura.
Nick wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Nick blocking some punches.
Nick prevents a body shot from Natura.
Nick has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Natura lands with a short head shot on the inside.

Nick pulls guard successfully.
Nick has a closed guard, preventing Natura from standing up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nick striking off his back but it's not causing Natura any problems.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Nick pushes Natura off and scrambles back to his feet.
Natura keeps the fight on the outside.
Natura keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Ernest Natura has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Hooligan Nick.
Nick is breathing heavily.
Nick takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Natura takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Natura's corner calls for a 1-2. Natura obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.

That has opened up Hooligan Nick's cut even more.

Nick throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Natura was covering up waiting for the punch and Nick finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Nick trying to control but Natura is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nick wants to stand but Natura is controlling his posture from full guard.
Natura keeping moving, preventing Nick from controlling successfully.
Nick slips nicely into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Natura wants to get back to full guard.

Nick stands up and beckons Natura to join him on the feet.
Ernest Natura is winning the standup battle so far.
Natura throws a right and a left that both miss.
Natura throws a combination that misses
and Nick counters with a left and a right that stings Natura.

Nick fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Natura sprawls well initially but Nick persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Nick wants to control but Natura is keeping him busy.
Natura on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Natura tries to get out of the position.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Natura is trying to control but can't.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Ernest Natura will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Hooligan Nick's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. 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.

Nick moves away from the strike by Natura.
Nick slips a jab and a cross from Natura.
Natura throws out a powerful jab.
Ernest Natura seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Natura tries to clinch up but Nick circles away and keeps his distance.
Natura is looking to clinch.
Natura throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Nick.
Nick lands a jab to the nose.
Nick on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Natura tries to clinch but Nick moves out of range.
Nick shoots for a double leg takedown but Natura sprawls well. He's pushed Nick's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
A punch combination from Natura misses.
Natura throws a poor cross that misses
and Natura takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Nick throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Natura closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Ernest Natura is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Natura's corner calls for a 1-2. Natura obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Nick shoots in and gets a takedown into Natura's guard.
Nick takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Nick throws a strike but Natura rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Natura is fighting to break Nick's control of his arms but Nick is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Nick wants to sweep here but Natura controlling him for the moment.
Nick is looking to sweep but instead, Natura has passed into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Natura is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Nick trying to control from the bottom.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Hooligan Nick hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Nick shoots in but no luck this time.
Sloppy strikes from Natura. Those never looked like landing.
Natura works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Natura lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Nick at a distance.
Natura connects with a crisp jab.
Nick will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Ernest Natura has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Hooligan Nick.
Natura connects with a good right hand that stumbles Nick. Nick circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
A lazy left from Natura finds it's target.
Nick gets cracked there but stands up to it.

Natura forces Nick back against the cage and clinches.
Natura swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Nick takes a shot to the head.
Natura misses with a hook from the clinch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Natura.
Natura lands with a short shot to the head.
Natura swings wildly with an uppercut but Nick uses good head movement to avoid it.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Natura lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nick's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Nick looking to slow down the pace here.
Natura fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Nick's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Natura.
Natura misses with a short punch on the inside.
Natura tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Nick tries to pull guard but Natura won't allow it.
Nick jumps guard but Natura turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Nick blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Nick wants a takedown.
Natura tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Hooligan Nick has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Ernest Natura is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Nick can't find room to land a body shot as Natura controls the action.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ernest Natura showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Natura, 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 Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 30:27
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ernest Natura!