PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Alan Sharpe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ivan Nikolaev (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sharpe comes to the cage accompanied by Fleetwood Mac - Albatross. Ivan Nikolaev has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Alan Sharpe's chin.

Sharpe
vs
Nikolaev

182 cm
21
197 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

185 cm
20
196 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter fighter
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Good kicks
Granite chin

FinnFighter Nutrition (Five 160Q supps!)

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 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Alan Sharpe!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ivan Nikolaev!
The judges for this bout are James Atkins, Sam Margolis and Andrew Berry.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sharpe avoids the head kick by Nikolaev.
Nikolaev uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Sharpe.
A jab from Sharpe misses.
Sharpe throws a hook but Nikolaev avoids it easily.
Nikolaev's jab looks to have found its range, popping Sharpe under the eye.
A telegraphed right hand from Sharpe misses the target.
Nikolaev looks to land a right hand but Sharpe moved out of range.
Sharpe avoids the head kick by Nikolaev.
Nikolaev misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Sharpe uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Nikolaev.
Nikolaev looks to throw the jab but Sharpe is out of range.
Nikolaev looks to land a combination but Sharpe avoids it well.
Sharpe misses with a hook
and Nikolaev counters with a thumping low kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sharpe keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Nikolaev.
Nice defenses there by Nikolaev.
Nikolaev fails with an attempt to clinch.
Sharpe waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Nikolaev.
Sharpe shoots for a takedown but Nikolaev saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

Sharpe looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Nikolaev tries to kick Sharpe off but Sharpe keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Well, if Sharpe 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.
Sharpe throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sharpe trying to pass the guard but Nikolaev defending well.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Nikolaev can do anything to dispel that myth.
Sharpe is looking to take a break and control but Nikolaev is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Sharpe is pressing down on Nikolaev's thigh, looking to free his foot. Nikolaev is holding on for now.
Nikolaev told us pre-fight that he has been working on his escapes in training. Let's see if he can call on some of his new skills to get back to his feet.
Nikolaev wants to get back to his feet.
Nikolaev won't allow Sharpe to pass to mount.
Nikolaev tries to kick Sharpe off but Sharpe keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Nikolaev is defending against the submission attempts here by Sharpe.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Sharpe sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Nikolaev defending well though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nikolaev is trying to stand back up but Sharpe is controlling him
Nikolaev really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Sharpe. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Nikolaev wants to stand back up but Sharpe manages to pass into side control.
Nikolaev gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Sharpe lands a heavy elbow.

It looks like Ivan Nikolaev has been cut.
Sharpe lands with some strikes.
Sharpe throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Sharpe jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Nikolaev manages to avoid the submission attempt.

Sharpe is trying to get an arm triangle but Nikolaev is defending well.
Nikolaev wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!

Nikolaev bucks up and manages to escape back to his feet!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
A bone on bone clash there as Sharpe blocks the leg kick.
Ivan Nikolaev is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Nikolaev has Sharpe up against the cage in a clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alan Sharpe dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Ivan Nikolaev's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Nikolaev misses with a leg kick.
Nikolaev tries to clinch up but Sharpe circles away and keeps his distance.
Sharpe swings widly with a right hand
and Nikolaev counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Sharpe ducks under a wild hook from Nikolaev.
Sharpe swats away the attempt to clinch by Nikolaev.

Nikolaev has closed the distance and engaged Sharpe in a clinch.
Nikolaev lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Nikolaev looking to throw knees to the head but Sharpe is blocking nicely.
Nikolaev missing with knees to the body.
Nikolaev softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee is keeping an eye on Nikolaev - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Sharpe prevents a body shot from Nikolaev.
Nikolaev swings wildly with an uppercut but Sharpe uses good head movement to avoid it.
Nikolaev creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Nikolaev doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Nikolaev tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Nikolaev lands with a light punch inside.
Nice body punch from Nikolaev - that landed with a thud.
A body shot lands from Nikolaev.
Nikolaev misses with a hook to the ribs.
A nice left hand lands by Nikolaev.
Nikolaev throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nikolaev looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Sharpe tries to pull guard but Nikolaev won't allow it.
Nikolaev doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Sharpe fails to pull guard.
Sharpe blocks a body shot from Nikolaev.
Nikolaev misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Sharpe on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Nikolaev throws a punch but it's blocked by Sharpe.
Nikolaev lands with a left to the head.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Nikolaev breaks from the clinch.
Sharpe blocks a leg kick.
Sharpe blocks a jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nikolaev misses with a wild body shot.
Nikolaev scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Nikolaev tries a low kick but Sharpe avoids it.
Sharpe misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alan Sharpe. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sharpe misses with a straight right.
Nikolaev changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Nikolaev throws a sloppy head kick and Sharpe moves out of range easily.
Nikolaev tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Sharpe paws at him with a jab and circles away.
The fighters circling - Sharpe throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Nikolaev tries to land a leg kick but Sharpe saw it coming and moves away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A jab from Nikolaev misses.
Nikolaev scores with a three punch combo!
Sharpe misses the jab.
Ivan Nikolaev seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Nikolaev throws a sloppy head kick and Sharpe moves out of range easily.
Sharpe keeps the fight on the outside.
Nikolaev misses with a looping right.
Ivan Nikolaev seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A clash of legs there as Sharpe blocks the low kick.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Sharpe looks to throw the jab but Nikolaev is out of range.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Nikolaev uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Sharpe.
Sharpe is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Nikolaev buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Sharpe shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Sharpe was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Nikolaev takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
The strikes coming from Sharpe are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Nikolaev takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Sharpe is staying tight to Nikolaev's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Sharpe looking to control but instead Nikolaev has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.
Nikolaev is trying to escape back to his feet but Sharpe uses the scramble to pass into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sharpe lands a decent elbow from side control.
Nikolaev is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Nikolaev is being controlled here.
Sharpe misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Sharpe misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Sharpe is looking to take a break and control but Nikolaev is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Sharpe misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Sharpe scores with a couple of short elbows.
Sharpe works to advance to full mount. Nikolaev defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sharpe fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Sharpe sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Sharpe landing punches.
Nikolaev is trying to stand up.
Alan Sharpe overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Sharpe with the ground and pound from mount.

That has opened up Ivan Nikolaev's cut even more.
Sharpe won't let Nikolaev get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
Sharpe with a couple of short strikes.

The cut above Ivan Nikolaev's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
Sharpe lands a nice shot to the head.
Nikolaev's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Nikolaev takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Sharpe postures up and throws a couple of big shots that have Nikolaev in real trouble here! The ref calls for Nikolaev to improve his position which he doesn't do, so the referee has no choice but to end the fight due to the strikes!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:58 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Alan Sharpe!
During a confident post fight interview, Alan Sharpe thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.