PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Ryan Gelfand (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nikola Nishi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for Ryan Gelfand has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Gelfand
vs
Nishi

188 cm
18
180 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

183 cm
18
170 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ryan Gelfand!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nikola Nishi !
The judges for this bout are Stewart Dunkirk, Chris Downing and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nishi tries to score with a low kick but Gelfand moves his leg out of the way.
Gelfand throws a solid leg kick but Nishi takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Gelfand.
Gelfand shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Nishi gets tackled into the cage by Gelfand. Gelfand maintains the clinch.

Gelfand lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Nishi can do anything to dispel that myth.

Gelfand is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Nishi has managed to free his arm - good work.
Gelfand performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Gelfand trying to control from Nishi 's half guard. Nishi has other ideas though and has regained full guard.

Nishi working for a triangle but Gelfand defends it easily.
Gelfand wants to pass the guard but Nishi is keeping the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Nishi is looking for a triangle but Gelfand pushes his legs off easily.
Gelfand looking to sit in guard and control but Nishi gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gelfand wants to sweep but no luck.
Nishi has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Gelfand is proving hard to escape from.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nishi is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Gelfand looking to control.
Nishi looking to pass the guard.

Gelfand looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gelfand is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Nishi 's corner is telling him to maintain position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gelfand wants to stand but Nishi is controlling the position.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Nishi tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Gelfand moves into the clinch.
Nishi is trying to pull guard but Gelfand turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.

Nishi breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Nishi fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Gelfand to the ground. Nishi is now in Gelfand's guard.

Gelfand has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Nishi is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Gelfand.
Nishi working the body and head with strikes.
Gelfand tries to improve position but can't.
Gelfand struggling a bit here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nishi trying to control the action but Gelfand is working from the bottom.
Gelfand is working to avoid the ground and pound but Nishi connects with a decent elbow.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Nishi moves into full mount!

Nishi is working for a guillotine from mount but Gelfand frees his head quite easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nikola Nishi dominated that round.
That's time! Gelfand's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Nishi shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Gelfand sprawls well. Gelfand wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Nishi gets slowly back to his feet.
Nishi tries to clinch there but Gelfand circles away.
Nishi throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Nishi drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Gelfand knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Nishi on the ground.
Gelfand struggling a bit here.
Gelfand tries to buck Nishi off but Nishi is having none of it.
Nishi wants to stand but Gelfand is controlling his arm.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nishi has control of an arm but Gelfand manages to advance to Nishi 's back!
Oooh a big shot gets through from Gelfand. Many more shots like that and the referee will have to think about stepping in!
Gelfand gets his hands free as Nishi looks to control.
Gelfand is working the ground and pound. Can Nishi escape?
Gelfand is trying to stick to Nishi 's back but Nishi is turning into Gelfand. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Gelfand's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Nishi .
Gelfand keeping moving, preventing Nishi from controlling successfully.

Gelfand working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Nishi has passed into half guard!
Nishi sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Gelfand defending well though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gelfand has a hand on Nishi 's thigh, trying to get back to full guard. Nishi takes advantage of the position though and mounts him!

Nishi working for a submission but Gelfand is keeping him at bay.
Nishi lands a big elbow.
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!
Gelfand in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Nishi landing strikes from the mount.
Gelfand keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Nishi is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Gelfand has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Gelfand!
Gelfand wanted to stand there but Nishi had control of the position.
Nishi throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Gelfand in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Gelfand wants to stand and escape but instead Nishi has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Gelfand striking off his back but it's not causing Nishi any problems.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nishi is pushing down on Gelfand's leg trying to pass to half guard. Gelfand is fighting to maintain full guard but Nishi has managed to sneak the leg through.
Well, if Nishi is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Nishi wants to stand up but Gelfand is controlling the position.
Gelfand wants to get back to his feet.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gelfand avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Nishi .
Gelfand wants to get back to full guard.
Nishi controlling the pace.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nikola Nishi showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Nishi shoots in and drives through. Gelfand sprawls well.
Gelfand tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Gelfand tries to close the distance and clinch but Nishi swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Nishi misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Gelfand looks to land a left hand but Nishi moved out of range nicely.
A head kick misses from Gelfand.
Gelfand fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Nice sprawl there from Nishi as Gelfand shoots in.
Gelfand shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Nishi as he avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ryan Gelfand. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gelfand stuffs the takedown attempt from Nishi . Nishi gets slowly back to his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Gelfand scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nishi is trying to control Gelfand's posture but Gelfand avoids it.
Nishi gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Gelfand is thwarting Nishi 's attempts to control the position.
Gelfand seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Nishi does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Gelfand thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nishi is looking to escape.
Nishi regains full guard. Nicely done.
Nishi looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Nishi keeping moving, preventing Gelfand from controlling successfully.
Gelfand won't allow Nishi to sweep him here.

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

Nishi gets caught flat footed, as Gelfand shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Gelfand is stalling in the full guard.
Nishi working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Gelfand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nishi bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Gelfand's guard.
Gelfand tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Gelfand doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Nishi slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Nishi wants to stand but Gelfand is controlling his posture from full guard.
Gelfand trying to keep a closed guard but Nishi is proving a slippery customer.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nishi seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Nikola Nishi wasn't active enough on the ground.
Gelfand changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Nishi tries to avoid it but Gelfand manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Nishi to the ground. Nishi escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gelfand slaps away a takedown attempt from Nishi , before circling back to the center of the mat.

Gelfand instigates a clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Ryan Gelfand.
I think Nishi 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 Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight for Nikola Nishi !
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight for Nikola Nishi !
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight for Nikola Nishi !

Nikola Nishi wins by unanimous decision!