PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Nick Briggs (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Simo Solmu (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Briggs
vs
Solmu

183 cm
27
175 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

175 cm
25
172 lbs
7 - 2 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Basic striking
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
Decent boxing
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Nick Briggs!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Simo Solmu!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Blasius, Paulsen Ambrosius and Albert Achterberg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Briggs dives in and scores a takedown into Solmu's guard.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

Solmu is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Solmu throws his legs up looking for a submission but Briggs uses it to pass to side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Solmu is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Briggs in side control, just content to control the action for now.
Briggs wants to control but Solmu is keeping him busy.
Solmu is looking to reverse the position.
Briggs just content to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Solmu is looking for a sweep.
Solmu felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.
Briggs content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Briggs gets to mount! Solmu was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Briggs takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Solmu is wriggling around trying to escape.
Solmu is still trying to improve position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee warns Solmu that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Briggs sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Solmu is trying to escape the mount.
Briggs controlling from the full mount.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Solmu is in all sorts of trouble here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Briggs tries to control but Solmu wriggling away.
Briggs controlling the position easily from mount.

Nick Briggs has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Nice sprawl there from Briggs as Solmu shoots in.
No luck for Solmu with that takedown attempt.

Briggs gets a takedown into half guard.
Briggs working Solmu over with strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Briggs not doing much here.
Solmu wants to get back to full guard.
Solmu moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

Solmu looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Briggs trying to control but Solmu is working from the bottom.

Solmu looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Briggs has picked Solmu up and slammed him! Solmu can't keep hold of the triangle and Briggs manages to pass to side control!
Solmu tries to improve position but can't.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Briggs taking a breather here.
Solmu is looking for a sweep.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nick Briggs dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Briggs closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Solmu trying to get back to full guard but Briggs takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!
Solmu can't escape the position.
Briggs controlling the pace for now.
Solmu tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Briggs working for a guillotine from mount but Solmu is in no mood to give up.
Solmu really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Briggs controlling the position easily from mount.
Briggs prevents Solmu from getting the reversal.
Solmu is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Briggs tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Solmu sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.

Solmu looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
The fighters are battling for position here. Solmu manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Solmu wants to sweep here but Briggs controlling him for the moment.
Solmu being controlled here, momentarily.
Briggs is in close to Solmu's body, working some short punches and elbows.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Solmu tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Solmu has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Briggs can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Briggs trying to control but Solmu is working from the bottom.
Solmu tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Solmu is looking to sweep but instead, Briggs has passed into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Briggs wants to control but Solmu is keeping him busy.
Briggs not doing much here.
Briggs passes to side control.
Solmu is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Briggs off and has taken his back!
Briggs has hold of Solmu's arm. He needs to escape this position sooner or later but for now he's happy enough to control the position and prevent the submission attempts.

Solmu is persistently looking for the submission but Briggs is defending it well.
Briggs wants to control his opponent's hands but Solmu gets his hands free.
Nick Briggs overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Solmu is trying to stick to Briggs's back but Briggs is turning into Solmu. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Solmu's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Briggs.
Briggs slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Briggs wants to control from the top but Solmu keeps moving.
Briggs controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Briggs looks to be in better condition than last time we saw him fight. Obviously he's been working hard on his cardio.

Solmu has his foot on Briggs's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Briggs works his way back into a safe position though.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Briggs won't allow Solmu to sweep him here.
Briggs tries to free his leg and advance position but Solmu is retaining full guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Solmu is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Nick Briggs will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Solmu fails with a takedown attempt.
Briggs throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Solmu fails with a takedown attempt.
Solmu tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Briggs swivels and escapes.
Nick Briggs has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Simo Solmu.
Solmu shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Briggs defends it nicely.
Solmu fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

Briggs looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Briggs passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Solmu!
Solmu tries to reverse the position but Briggs maintains control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Briggs cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Solmu keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Briggs tries to control but Solmu wriggling away.
Briggs unloading with bombs!
Solmu gets back to half guard.

Solmu looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Briggs perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Nick Briggs wasn't doing enough on the ground.

Briggs closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Solmu's guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Briggs is stalling in the full guard.
Solmu is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

Solmu working for a triangle but Briggs defends it easily.
Briggs sitting in guard, not really doing much.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Briggs tries to free his leg and advance position but Solmu is retaining full guard.
Briggs stands and throws Solmu's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Check out the look on Briggs's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!

Briggs is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Solmu has escaped the position, nice work there.
Solmu is trying to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Solmu tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Briggs wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Solmu takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Briggs controls the position.
Briggs has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Solmu tries to reverse the position but Briggs maintains control.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Briggs tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Solmu is in all sorts of trouble here.
Briggs postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Solmu looks a forlorn figure.
Simo Solmu has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Nick Briggs is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Briggs tries to control but Solmu wriggling away.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nick Briggs showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Briggs has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Daniel Blasius scores the fight 30:27
Judge Paulsen Ambrosius scores the fight 30:27
Judge Albert Achterberg scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nick Briggs!