PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between William Walker (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Oupa Nieminen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Walker
vs
Nieminen

192 cm
22
245 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

188 cm
21
225 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, William Walker!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Oupa Nieminen!
The judges for this bout are Winston Howard, Eliza Hachem and Summer Carpenter.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A head kick misses from Walker.
Walker swats away the attempt to clinch by Nieminen.
Nieminen is looking to clinch but Walker is avoiding it.
A big right from Nieminen misses.

Nieminen instigates a clinch.
The referee calls for Nieminen to work.
Walker stalling.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nieminen lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Nieminen scores with a shot to the side of Walker's head.

Nieminen decides to pull guard.
Walker landing some decent shots from guard.
Nieminen will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Walker trying to control the position from guard on top but Nieminen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Walker throws a big right hand that misses.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Nieminen trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Walker preventing the sweep.
Walker trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Walker won't allow Nieminen to sweep him here.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Nieminen misses with a two punch combination.
A lazy left from Nieminen finds it's target.

Walker is rocked!
Walker tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Nice takedown defense from Nieminen. No joy for Walker on that attempt.
Nieminen is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
William Walker seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nieminen thows a left - swing and a miss!
Walker misses with a low kick.
Nieminen has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Walker moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Walker stuns Nieminen with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Nieminen is looking to clinch.
Nieminen fails with an attempt to clinch.
Walker throws a series of punches but Nieminen moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Walker lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Nieminen misses with a jab, cross combination.
Walker lands with a right hand.
Walker throws a low kick but Nieminen avoids it.
Walker fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Walker changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Nieminen tries to avoid it but Walker manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Nieminen to the ground. Nieminen escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Nieminen throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Walker wants to land a leg kick but Nieminen is out of range.
Walker attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Nieminen stalks Walker and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Walker's face. Walker staggers backwards, shaken.
Nieminen wants to clinch.

Walker drives through with a takedown into guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Nieminen manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Walker manages to get himself to full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

William Walker dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Nieminen throws an overhand right that lands on Walker's shoulder, as Walker tries to avoid the shot.
Walker fails with a takedown attempt.
Nieminen misses with a body shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A head kick misses from Walker.
Nieminen stuffs the takedown attempt from Walker. Walker gets slowly back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Walker throws a head kick that misses.
William Walker is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Walker misses with a telegraphed body shot

and Nieminen moves into the clinch.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Nieminen.
With the fighters up against the cage, Nieminen throws an elbow but misses.
Nieminen tries for a takedown. No joy.
Walker wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

Nieminen gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Nieminen takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Nieminen takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Nieminen lands a nice short elbow.
Nieminen scoring with strikes to the body and head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Walker is pressing down on Nieminen's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

Walker escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Nieminen gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Nieminen stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Walker swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Nieminen is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Nieminen is breathing heavily.
Nieminen wants to control from the top but Walker keeps moving.

Walker looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Nieminen has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Walker is proving hard to escape from.

Walker is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Walker trying to keep a closed guard but Nieminen is proving a slippery customer.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nieminen works a leg free and moves into half guard.

Walker looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Nieminen takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Nieminen is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Nieminen is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Walker!
Nieminen dominating with strikes here.
Nieminen lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Nieminen scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Walker is looking to get to half guard.
Nieminen avoids the attempt from Walker to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Nieminen cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
A nice elbow there by Nieminen.
Walker is looking to get to half guard.
Walker wants to get back to his feet.
Walker is wriggling around trying to escape.

Nieminen with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Walker wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Nieminen.
Nieminen punishing his opponent with strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Oupa Nieminen showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Nieminen fakes the leg kick and cracks Walker in the body.
Nieminen with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Nieminen tries to clinch there but Walker circles away.
Nieminen lands a glancing blow to the side of Walker's head.
Walker throws a leg kick that is checked
and Nieminen counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Oh Walker is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Nieminen blocks a low kick nicely.
Walker seems to have got his legs back now.
Walker with a poor takedown

and Nieminen counters with a beautiful punch that sends Walker to the canvas!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Walker is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Nieminen trying to control but Walker is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Walker looking to hit a scissor sweep but Nieminen is one step ahead there.
Nieminen postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Nieminen postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Walker working a defensive guard here.
Nieminen trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Nieminen slips nicely into half guard.
Nieminen is controlling the pace.
Walker is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Nieminen scores with a couple of nice shots.
Walker tries to get to full guard but Nieminen has control of the leg.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Walker moves into full guard.
Walker wants to stand and escape but Nieminen is having none of it.
Nieminen with a nice head shot there.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Nieminen trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Walker looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Nieminen scoring with punches to the head and body.
Nieminen stopping the sweep attempt from Walker.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Nieminen postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Nieminen landing with the ground and pound.

Walker looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Nieminen passes into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nieminen drops an elbow to the side of Walker's head.
Nieminen takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Nieminen frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Nieminen scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Walker?
Nieminen lands a big elbow.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Walker is wriggling around trying to escape.
Walker gets back to half guard.
Nieminen drops an elbow to the side of Walker's head.
Walker trying to hold on to Nieminen's head to control him but Nieminen postures up.
Walker wants to sweep but Nieminen has passed to side control!
Walker wants to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nieminen lands some shots froms side control.
Walker prevents Nieminen from moving into mount.
Walker tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Walker sneaks back into half guard.
Ground and pound from Nieminen.
Nieminen takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Nieminen missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Nieminen thows a huge punch but Walker dodges it nicely.
Nieminen wants to take a breather but Walker is having none of it.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Nieminen tries to clinch there but Walker circles away.

And that's the end of the fight!
Oupa Nieminen comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Nieminen 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 Winston Howard scores the fight 28:29
Judge Eliza Hachem scores the fight 28:29
Judge Summer Carpenter scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Oupa Nieminen!