PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Nick Shields (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Leonardo Florentino Ernesto Alvarez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Shields
vs
Florentino Ernesto Alvarez

170 cm
24
157 lbs
12 - 1 - 0

180 cm
24
155 lbs
8 - 0 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Solid boxing
Insanely flexible

TWGC Champion
Counter fighter
Granite chin

Conviction
Sex Panther Supplements!

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Nick Shields!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Leonardo Florentino Ernesto Alvarez!
The judges for this bout are Josh West, Paul Gruel and Chris Saunders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Shields shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Alvarez as he avoids it easily.
Alvarez just misses with a punch to the body.

Alvarez shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Shields manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.

Shields working for a triangle but Alvarez defends it easily.
Alvarez lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Shields wants to control but Alvarez passes easily into half guard.
Alvarez thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Shields wants to control but Alvarez is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Alvarez misses with a head shot. Shields uses the momentum to regain guard.
Shields controlling the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alvarez lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Alvarez preventing the sweep.
Alvarez trying to control but Shields is working from the bottom.
Alvarez tries to free his leg and advance position but Shields is retaining full guard.
Alvarez throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Shields keeping full guard, as Alvarez tries to pass.

Alvarez got a little sloppy there for a moment and Shields has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Alvarez has managed to get both his arms back between Shields's legs - danger averted.
Alvarez tries to free his leg and advance position but Shields is retaining full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Alvarez scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Shields wants to sweep here but Alvarez controlling him for the moment.
Alvarez working some strikes from top position.
Alvarez looking to sit in guard and control but Shields gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Shields postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Alvarez throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Shields connects with a couple of short punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shields tries to free his leg and advance position but Alvarez is retaining full guard.
Shields preventing the sweep.
Shields advances to half guard.

Shields is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Shields wants to control but Alvarez is keeping him busy.

Shields is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Alvarez won't allow Shields to pass to mount.
Alvarez is concentrating on defense, preventing Shields from advancing position.

Shields is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Shields is just content to waste time from the top position. Alvarez takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Alvarez wants to sweep but no luck.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Leonardo Florentino Ernesto Alvarez will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Alvarez wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Shields fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Alvarez manages to avoid it.
Shields lands a body shot.

Alvarez looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.

Alvarez is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Alvarez is looking to take a break and control but Shields is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Shields taking some punishment here, with Alvarez in his half guard.
Alvarez trying to pass the guard but Shields defending well.

Shields with the active half guard here but Alvarez passes nicely into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shields is not content to let Alvarez control the position.
Alvarez is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Shields will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Alvarez cracks Shields with a big right hand but Shields just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Shields tries to bench press Alvarez off him but Alvarez keeps the position.
Alvarez cracks Shields with a big elbow.
Alvarez wants to control but Shields is keeping him busy.
Alvarez creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Alvarez working the ground and pound.
Alvarez wants to control but Shields is keeping him busy.
Alvarez tries to score with some ground and pound. Shields controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Alvarez trying to control the action but Shields is working from the bottom.
Shields is trying to get back to half guard.
Leonardo Florentino Ernesto Alvarez has got the better of the ground game so far.
The ground and pound from Alvarez seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Shields taking punishment in the form of punches.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Alvarez trying to control the position but Shields is working away.
Alvarez is putting a hurting on Shields here, landing some big shots from side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Alvarez sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Shields is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Alvarez working the ground and pound but Shields is defending the strikes.
Shields tries to bench press Alvarez off him but Alvarez keeps the position.

Alvarez working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

Alvarez wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Shields, who protects the arm well.
Alvarez working away.
The strikes coming from Alvarez are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Alvarez controls the position from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Alvarez trying to control the position but Shields is working away.
Shields struggling a bit here.
Alvarez connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Shields some visible discomfort.
Shields is looking for a sweep.
Shields takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Shields sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Alvarez is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Alvarez working the head and body with strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Leonardo Florentino Ernesto Alvarez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! 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.

Shields scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Alvarez doesn't seem bothered though.
Alvarez just misses with a punch to the body.
Alvarez fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Shields manages to avoid it.
Alvarez connects with a right hand. Shields shakes it off.
Horrible takedown by Shields or perhaps it was just good defense by Alvarez which made him look bad.
Alvarez swings and misses with a hook to the body.
A telegraphed right hand from Shields misses the target.
A jab from Alvarez misses.
Nick Shields seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Shields bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Alvarez avoids a low kick by using good footwork.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alvarez scores with a jab to the body.
Shields misses with a low kick.
Shields ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.

Alvarez shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Alvarez lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Alvarez is stalling here. Shields is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Alvarez seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Shields has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Alvarez is looking to regain half guard here but Shields keeps moving and retains side control.
Nick Shields has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Alvarez is working to avoid the ground and pound but Shields connects with a decent elbow.

Shields tries for a kimura but Alvarez is defending well.
Alvarez struggling a bit here.
Alvarez has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Shields misses with the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Alvarez takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Alvarez is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.

Shields is looking for a kimura but Alvarez is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Shields to get the leverage.
Alvarez tries to get to full guard but Shields has control of the leg.

Shields is looking for a kimura but Alvarez is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Shields to get the leverage.
Shields thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Alvarez taking some punishment here, with Shields in his half guard.
Leonardo Florentino Ernesto Alvarez is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Shields wants to work for an arm triangle but Alvarez is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Alvarez is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Shields wants to control but Alvarez is keeping him busy.
Shields with the ground and pound but Alvarez uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Shields slips nicely into half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Alvarez has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Shields is working away from the top position though.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nick Shields showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Alvarez 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 Josh West scores the fight 29:29
Judge Paul Gruel scores the fight 28:29
Judge Chris Saunders scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Leonardo Florentino Ernesto Alvarez!
Leonardo Florentino Ernesto Alvarez decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.