PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Phil Mcracken (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Damian Nitschke (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Mcracken might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to 10cc - Dreadlock Holiday. Phil Mcracken had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Mcracken
vs
Nitschke

187 cm
32
195 lbs
12 - 4 - 0

181 cm
31
184 lbs
23 - 18 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Excellent grappler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Project Mayhem

BeastMode

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 12 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Phil Mcracken!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 23 - 18 - 1, fighting out of Sydney, Damian Nitschke!
The judges for this bout are Steve Erwin, Summer Carpenter and Darius Henderson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nitschke lands with a hook. Mcracken tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Nitschke blocks a jab.
An inside leg kick lands from Nitschke.
Mcracken lands a jab-cross combination.

It looks like Damian Nitschke has been cut.
Nitschke on the wrong end of a nice jab.

Nitschke drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
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!
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Nitschke in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Nitschke trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Mcracken utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Mcracken pulls Nitschke in close to prevent any damage.
Mcracken avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Nitschke throwing strikes from guard but Mcracken blocks nicely.
Mcracken keeping moving, preventing Nitschke from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mcracken wants to sweep but no luck.
Nitschke throwing strikes but missing.
Nitschke throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Mcracken works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Nitschke throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Mcracken keeping moving, preventing Nitschke from controlling successfully.
Mcracken wants to sweep here but Nitschke controlling him for the moment.
Nitschke with a flurry of punches that miss.
Nitschke has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Mcracken lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Nitschke!
BOOM! Mcracken connects with a massive shot to the dome!
We've been hearing that Mcracken has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mcracken working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Nitschke is squirming around, avoiding Mcracken's attempts to control the action.
Mcracken lands a nice shot to the head.
Nitschke is looking to get to half guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Nitschke is squirming around, avoiding Mcracken's attempts to control the action.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Mcracken takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Mcracken pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Nitschke keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nitschke sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Nitschke tries to get to full guard but Mcracken has control of the leg.
Mcracken is controlling the pace.
Nitschke gets back to full guard.
Mcracken trying to control but Nitschke is working from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Nitschke bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Mcracken's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nitschke trying to control the position from guard on top but Mcracken is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Mcracken working a defensive guard here.
Nitschke throws a big elbow that misses.
Mcracken is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Nitschke controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Mcracken throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Nitschke lands a right hook to the body.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Mcracken lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Nitschke fails with a takedown attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Damian Nitschke will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Damian Nitschke's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Nitschke fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Mcracken, pushing him back against the cage.
Nitschke misses with a punch to the body.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Mcracken.
Mcracken lands a hook to the side of the head.
Mcracken dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Nitschke misses with a punch to the body.
Nitschke misses with a body punch.
Nitschke lands with a light punch inside.
Nitschke misses with a hook from the clinch.
Nitschke can't find room to land a body shot as Mcracken controls the action.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Nitschke blocks an uppercut.
Mcracken softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Mcracken stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Mcracken swings wildly with an uppercut but Nitschke uses good head movement to avoid it.
Nitschke looking to stall.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A short right from Mcracken.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Nitschke creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Mcracken lands with a short shot to the head.
Mcracken scores with a shoulder strike.
Mcracken tries to stall but Nitschke uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Mcracken doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Nitschke takes a shot to the head.
Mcracken tries to throw a body punch but Nitschke avoids it by throwing Mcracken back against the cage.
Mcracken scores with a knee to the head.
Nitschke tries to throw a body punch but Mcracken avoids it by throwing Nitschke back against the cage.
Nitschke taking a breather.
Nitschke scores with a shot to the side of Mcracken's head.
Nitschke is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Nitschke pushes Mcracken back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Nitschke swings away with an uppercut that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mcracken is trying to stall.
Mcracken has a couple of punches blocked by Nitschke.
Mcracken prevents a body shot from Nitschke.
Mcracken lands with a left to the head.
Mcracken goes for a takedown attempt but Nitschke pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Mcracken throws a poor cross that misses
and Nitschke counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Mcracken will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Mcracken moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Mcracken stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.

Nitschke is rocked!
Mcracken walks forward and throws a big overhand right! Nitschke drops to the floor like a sack of potatoes! Mcracken swarms on him with more punches until the referee wrestles him away from Nitschke's unconscious body! Wow, that was brutal!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:54 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Phil Mcracken!
The defeated Damian Nitschke had this to say: 'Curtis was a tough opponent and I respect what he has accomplished in the Sydney fight scene. Best of luck to him in his future fights...he was the better man tonight.'.