PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Evangelista Nunes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tony Hendricks (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Nunes comes into the arena with Never Be Alone blaring out of the sound system. Rumors backstage are that the fighters have been paid to keep it standing but we know that would never happen in MMA!

Nunes
vs
Hendricks

185 cm
29
194 lbs
10 - 5 - 0

190 cm
31
171 lbs
8 - 7 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Lethal high kicks
Cardio machine

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

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 10 - 5 - 0, fighting out of New York, Evangelista Nunes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 7 - 0, fighting out of New York, Tony Hendricks!
The judges for this bout are John Kavanagh, Eddie Farnsworth and Jonathan Paton.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Hendricks closes the distance and clinches.
Nunes is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Hendricks misses with an elbow strike.
Hendricks swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Nunes looking to throw knees to the head but Hendricks is blocking nicely.
Nunes dodges an elbow strike from Hendricks.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Nunes throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Hendricks blocks it with crossed arms.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Hendricks working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Nunes dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Hendricks lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Nunes managing to block the knees to the body from Hendricks.
Nunes taking a breather.
Nunes blocks the elbow strike.
Nunes on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nunes tries to stall but Hendricks uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Nunes is pressed up against the cage. Hendricks has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Nunes down to the mat. Nunes avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Nunes swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Nunes stalks Hendricks and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Hendricks's face. Hendricks staggers backwards, shaken.
Hendricks tests Nunes's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Hendricks jabbing away but nothing is landing.

Hendricks gets a takedown into half guard.
Hendricks stalling away here and it's allowed Nunes to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Hendricks throwing strikes but missing.
Nunes avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nunes looking for a sweep. Not yet Nunes, not yet.
Hendricks throws an elbow that misses. Nunes uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Hendricks's guard. Nice move by Nunes!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Hendricks tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Hendricks keeping moving, preventing Nunes from controlling successfully.
Nunes postures up in Hendricks's guard and throws a big left but Hendricks blocks it.
Nunes wants to control from the top but Hendricks keeps moving.
Hendricks controls Nunes momentarily but Nunes frees himself.
Nunes missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hendricks is trying to control the position but Nunes postures up.

Hendricks has his foot on Nunes's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Nunes works his way back into a safe position though.
Hendricks keeping moving, preventing Nunes from controlling successfully.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Hendricks preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hendricks looking for a sweep. Not yet Hendricks, not yet.

Hendricks looking for a guillotine here but Nunes defends easily.

Hendricks has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Nunes can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Nunes passes Hendricks's left leg - he's now in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Hendricks looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Nunes lands with a punch from half guard.
Nunes trying to mount his opponent but Hendricks defends it.
Hendricks is trying to control but Nunes passes into side control!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Nunes trying to control the action but Hendricks is working from the bottom.
Nunes lands an elbow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Tony Hendricks will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Nunes tried to score with a low kick but Hendricks checks it.
Nunes swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Nunes pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Nunes chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Nunes throws a leg kick but Hendricks moved away.
Jab by Nunes.
Nunes throws a push kick but Hendricks slaps the foot to one side.
A slapping body kick lands there for Nunes.
Nunes misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Hendricks ducks under a wild hook from Nunes.
Nunes connects with a jab.
Nunes rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Hendricks moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Nunes will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

Hendricks shoots in and bounces Nunes off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hendricks trying to control but Nunes is working from the bottom.
Hendricks preventing the sweep.
Hendricks stays in close to Nunes's body and controls the position.
Hendricks is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Hendricks missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Hendricks in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Hendricks throwing strikes from guard but Nunes blocks nicely.
Hendricks distracts Nunes with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nunes is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Hendricks throws a big elbow that misses.
Hendricks preventing the sweep.
Hendricks trying to control but Nunes is working from the bottom.
Nunes not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Nunes working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Hendricks doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Hendricks manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Hendricks postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Hendricks throws a big right hand that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hendricks loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Nunes is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Hendricks looking to sit in guard and control but Nunes gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Nunes preventing the sweep.
Nunes looking to pass the guard.
Nunes trying to control but Hendricks is working from the bottom.

Hendricks is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Nunes defends well.
Hendricks is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nunes trying to control from the bottom.
Hendricks tries to pass to full mount but Nunes defends it.

Hendricks is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

Nunes looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Nunes regains full guard. Nicely done.
Nunes trying to keep a closed guard but Hendricks is proving a slippery customer.
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 Evangelista Nunes will probably get the nod.
That's time! Nunes's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Nunes.
Nunes tries a head kick but it misses.
Hendricks shoots in for a double leg but Nunes sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Nunes tries a head kick but it misses.
Nunes thumps Hendricks with a low kick.
Nunes circles away from the clinch attempt.
Hendricks uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Nunes.
Hendricks takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Evangelista Nunes is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Hendricks shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Hendricks throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Hendricks is stalling here but it's allowed Nunes to get half guard.
Hendricks missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hendricks looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Nunes with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Hendricks works his way into side control.

Hendricks thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Hendricks in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Hendricks cracks Nunes with a big elbow.
Tony Hendricks has got the better of the ground game so far.
Hendricks is looking to take a break and control but Nunes is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Hendricks tries to score with some ground and pound. Nunes controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nunes is trying to escape and get back to his feet.

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

Hendricks tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Hendricks is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Nunes knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Nunes is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Hendricks's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nunes tries to get to full guard but Hendricks has control of the leg.

Hendricks looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

Hendricks is looking for a kimura but Nunes is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Hendricks to get the leverage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Hendricks working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Nice strikes from Hendricks there.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Nunes is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Hendricks's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Hendricks's back!
Nunes is trying to stick to Hendricks's back but Hendricks is turning into Nunes. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Nunes's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Hendricks.
Nunes looking to hit a scissor sweep but Hendricks is one step ahead there.
Hendricks trying to control the position from guard on top but Nunes is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hendricksis looking to pass into half guard but Nunes pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Nunes is in guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Nunes wants to control from the top but Hendricks keeps moving.
Hendricks doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tony Hendricks comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Hendricks 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 John Kavanagh scores the fight 29:29
Judge Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 29:29
Judge Jonathan Paton scores the fight 29:29

The fight is ruled a draw!