PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Drake Tillman (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nolan Millner (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Nolan Millner has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Tillman
vs
Millner

177 cm
21
158 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

178 cm
23
165 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Knockout power

aKua

Xotic Fruits

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Drake Tillman!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Nolan Millner!
The judges for this bout are Viktor Lagutenko, Fedor Mirinova and Vladimir Khabensky.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Millner wants to clinch up but Tillman keeps it at a distance.

Millner changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Tillman looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Tillman tries to bench press Millner off him but Millner keeps the position.
Tillman manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Tillman is thwarting Millner's attempts to control the position.
Tillman thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Millner trying to hold on to Tillman's head to control him but Tillman postures up.
Tillman with the ground and pound but Millner uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Tillman slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Millner is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Tillman is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
Tillman avoids the attempt from Millner to control.
Tillman tries to control but Millner wriggling away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tillman throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Millner is looking to get to half guard.
Tillman throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Tillman lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Tillman scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Millner?
Millner wants to control but Tillman is having none of it.
Tillman looking to finish with strikes here!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Millner is looking to get to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tillman throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.

Tillman jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Millner manages to avoid the submission attempt.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Tillman wants to control but Millner is keeping him busy.

Tillman tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Tillman has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Millner wants to get back to his feet.
Millner wants to control but Tillman postures up.
Tillman sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Millner is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.

Tillman tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Millner tries to control the position but he's not in luck - Tillman easily slips into full mount!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Tillman get's back to his feet.
Millner circles away from the clinch attempt

and Millner counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Tillman works his way to full guard. Good work.
Tillman is controlling Millner's posture.
Millner trying to control but Tillman is working from the bottom.

Tillman working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Millner has passed into half guard!
Tillman is trying to stand.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Nolan Millner will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Tillman misses with a series of wild punches.
Millner circles away from the clinch attempt

and Millner counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Millner.

Tillman manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Tillman tries to clinch

and Millner decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Tillman's guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Millner postures up in Tillman's guard and throws a big left but Tillman blocks it.
Millner looking to pass the guard.
Tillman will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.

Tillman throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Millner is looking to work some ground and pound but Tillman has wrist control.
Millner is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Tillman escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Millner gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Tillman preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

Millner stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Tillman wants to clinch

and Millner counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Tillman!
Tillman really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Tillman slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.

Tillman pushes Millner off and gets back to his feet.
Tillman fails in his attempt to clinch.
Millner shoots in but no luck this time.
Nolan Millner seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tillman tries to clinch but Millner is having none of it.
Tillman wants to clinch up but Millner keeps it at a distance.
Tillman misses with a body shot.
Tillman darts in trying to clinch
and Millner counters with a big head kick but Tillman shrugs it off.

Tillman closes the distance and clinches.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Tillman is trying to break free.
Tillman goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Tillman misses with a short punch on the inside.
Millner blocks an uppercut.
Millner tries to break the clinch but Tillman is controlling the position.
Tillman pushes Millner back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Tillman gets through Millner's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Millner stalls.
Millner has had enough of the clinch but Tillman keeps him there for the moment.
Tillman lands an uppercut.
Tillman wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Tillman wants to break free but Millner has control.
Tillman lands a hook to the side of the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tillman tries to work over Millner's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Tillman scores with a knee to the head.

It looks like Nolan Millner has been cut.
Millner is trying to break free.
Tillman misses with a hook to the ribs.
Tillman fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Millner is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Millner is working for takedown but Tillman is calmly controlling the position for now.
Millner blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Tillman working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Millner letting Tillman take a breather here.
A right hook to the body lands for Tillman.
Tillman misses with the head strike.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Millner.
Millner wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Tillman missing with knees to the body.
Tillman missing with knees to the body.
Millner fails to pull guard.
Drake Tillman has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Nolan Millner.

Tillman breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Tillman tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Millner counters by moving into the clinch.
Millner avoiding damage as Tillman throws knees to the body.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Tillman.
Tillman can't get the takedown.
Millner prevents Tillman from breaking the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tillman scores with a nice hook to the head.
Tillman misses with a punch to the body.
Tillman lands a hook that snaps the head of Millner backwards.
Tillman wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Millner has him pressed against the cage.
Tillman digs a right hand underneath Millner's ribcage. Millner let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Tillman wants to stall.

Tillman manages to break the clinch.
Millner moves in looking to clinch but Tillman pushes him off.
Tillman tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Tillman tries to close the distance and clinch up but Millner swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Tillman has taken the fight to the clinch.
Millner tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Tillman misses with a body punch.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Tillman.

Tillman breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Millner keeps the fight on the outside.
Tillman tries to clinch but Millner moves out of range.
Tillman closes the distance looking to clinch
and Millner counters with a nice kick to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nolan Millner showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Nolan Millner's cut.
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.

Tillman doesn't manage to clinch there - Millner circles away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Tillman looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Millner throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Tillman's waist but Tillman gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Millner off to one side.
Tillman closes the distance but Millner moves to the side

and Millner counters by clinching up.
Tillman scores with a shot to the side of Millner's head.
Tillman is looking to control Millner's arms but Millner gets an underhook and turns him. Now Tillman has his back to the cage.
Millner blocks a body shot from Tillman.
Tillman stalling in the clinch but Millner improves position.

Millner jumps guard.

Millner looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Tillman has picked Millner up and slammed him! Millner can't keep hold of the triangle and Tillman manages to pass to side control!
Tillman creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Millner sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Tillman is looking to take a break and control but Millner is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Tillman working the ground and pound.
Millner takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Tillman is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Millner is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

Tillman is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Millner knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Tillman decides to stand back up.
Tillman throws a right and a left that Millner avoids nicely.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Millner.
Tillman tries to clinch but Millner moves away
and Millner counters with a body kick that stops Tillman in his tracks momentarily.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Millner.
Drake Tillman has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Nolan Millner.
Millner tries to clinch up but Tillman circles away and keeps his distance.

Tillman changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Millner looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Tillman blocks the strikes from Millner.

Tillman decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Drake Tillman has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Tillman moves into the clinch successfully.
Tillman will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Millner up against the cage.
Tillman working aggressively here.
Millner blocks a body shot from Tillman.
Millner struggles to land a body shot inside as Tillman controls his hands.
Tillman misses with a punch to the body.
Tillman pushes Millner back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Millner missing with knees to the body.
Millner's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Tillman is looking to break free of the clinch but Millner has double underhooks.
Millner tries to work over Tillman's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Millner takes a shot to the head.
Tillman digs a right hand underneath Millner's ribcage. Millner let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Tillman trying to land knees to the body.
Tillman lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Millner or not.

Tillman breaks the clinch.
Tillman fails in his attempt to clinch.
Millner misses with a takedown

so Tillman counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tillman postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Tillman trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Tillman pushes down on Millner's leg and manages to get into half guard.

Millner is defending against the submission attempts here by Tillman.
Tillman is nestled in close to Millner, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Tillman slips a nice elbow through Millner's hands, connecting with Millner's forehead.
This has been an exciting period of action!
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Tillman connects with a nice short shot to Millner's temple.

And that's the end of the fight!
Drake Tillman showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Millner 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 Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 28:29
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 28:29
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nolan Millner!