PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Nick Folignus (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Shinichi Onizuka (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Folignus's entrance music is Laces Out. A fine choice. Onizuka comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Nate Dogg - First We Pray kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Folignus
vs
Onizuka

186 cm
31
193 lbs
17 - 15 - 0

185 cm
31
185 lbs
22 - 12 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Fury Nutrition Inc.

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 17 - 15 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Nick Folignus!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 22 - 12 - 1, fighting out of New York, Shinichi Onizuka!
The judges for this bout are Dean Styles, John Kavanagh and Jorge Garcia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Onizuka lands with a cross.
Folignus misses with a body kick.
Folignus takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Folignus throws a low kick but it's checked well by Onizuka.
Onizuka swings for the body but Folignus moves out of range.
Onizuka lands a nice shot to the body.
Onizuka jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Folignus throws a head kick but Onizuka moves out of range.
Onizuka tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Folignus was well out of range. Poor timing from Onizuka.
A punch lands to the side of Onizuka 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Folignus walks into a straight right hand from Onizuka.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A big left from Onizuka misses.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Onizuka checks a leg kick.
Onizuka misses with a series of wild punches.
A head kick misses from Folignus.
Folignus shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Folignus throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Good shot there by Onizuka.
Onizuka pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Onizuka takes a head kick and keeps coming.

It looks like Shinichi Onizuka has been cut.
Folignus slips under a jab from Onizuka.
Folignus throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Folignus on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Folignus takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Folignus uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Onizuka.
Folignus throws a hook but Onizuka avoids it easily.
Onizuka ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Folignus moves away.
Nick Folignus seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Onizuka takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Onizuka misses with a hook. Folignus ducked under it nicely.
Onizuka cracks Folignus with a right hand to the side of the head.

Onizuka shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Onizuka pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Folignus is keeping the position for now.
Onizuka is stalling in the full guard.
Onizuka wants to control from the top but Folignus keeps moving.
Folignus working a defensive guard here.
Onizuka wants to control from the top but Folignus keeps moving.
Onizuka throws a strike but Folignus rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Folignus is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Folignus got a little sloppy there for a moment and Onizuka has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Folignus has managed to get both his arms back between Onizuka's legs - danger averted.
Folignus wants to pass the guard but Onizuka is keeping the position.
Folignus wants to control from the top but Onizuka keeps moving.
Folignus is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Onizuka is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

Onizuka looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Folignus pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Onizuka is keeping the position for now.

Onizuka looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Folignus wants to control from the top but Onizuka keeps moving.
Onizuka 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.
Folignus pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Onizuka is keeping the position for now.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

Onizuka is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Folignus's corner is telling him to maintain position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shinichi Onizuka dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Shinichi Onizuka's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

A head kick misses from Folignus.
Onizuka uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Folignus.
Folignus misses with a low kick.
Onizuka lands an overhand right.
Folignus's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Onizuka connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Folignus scrambles back to his feet.
Folignus misses with a low kick.
Shinichi Onizuka seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Folignus fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Onizuka on the side of the head.
Onizuka swings for the body but Folignus moves out of range.
Folignus throws a sloppy head kick and Onizuka moves out of range easily.
Folignus will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Onizuka pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Onizuka swings for the body but Folignus moves out of range.
Onizuka scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Folignus moves out of range of the strikes.
Folignus takes a swing at Onizuka's ribcage but misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Onizuka misses the jab.
Folignus thuds his shin into the meat of Onizuka's side.
Onizuka misses with a wild body shot.
Onizuka misses with an uppercut.
Folignus is looking to chop away at Onizuka's legs.
Onizuka fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Folignus throws a half hearted mid kick.
Folignus takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Folignus lands a nice leg kick that just misses Onizuka's sensitive parts.
Folignus misses with a body punch
and Onizuka counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Onizuka throws an overhand right that lands on Folignus's shoulder, as Folignus tries to avoid the shot.
Folignus throws a head kick but Onizuka moves out of range.
Folignus with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Onizuka to score with a decent uppercut.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Onizuka scores to the head and body with a nice combination!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Folignus tries a head kick but it misses.
Onizuka scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Onizuka fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.

Folignus is rocked!
Folignus throws a head kick that misses
and Onizuka counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Oh Folignus is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Onizuka misses the shot to the body.
Folignus seems to have got his legs back now.
Folignus throws a leg kick that misses.
Nice body punch from Onizuka.
Onizuka misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Folignus.
Folignus throws a head kick that misses
and Onizuka counters with a nice uppercut.
Folignus misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Folignus tries a head kick but it misses.
Onizuka throws a body punch but Folignus moves out of range.
Folignus tries a head kick but it misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Onizuka swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Folignus tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Folignus tries to work over Onizuka's front leg with a kick but Onizuka checks it.
Onizuka has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Folignus.
Crunch! Folignus slams his shin into Onizuka's torso.
Onizuka scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
A big left from Onizuka misses.
Onizuka scores with a nice right hand.
Onizuka avoids the head kick by Folignus.
Folignus on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Onizuka swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Onizuka blocks the body kick.
Nick Folignus is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Folignus connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Folignus misses with a body kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nice defenses there by Folignus.
Folignus lands a nice looking body kick.
Folignus throws a low kick but it's checked well by Onizuka.
Folignus throws a leg kick which misses Onizuka's front leg but catches the back leg as Onizuka tries to avoid it.
Onizuka misses with a series of wild punches.
A telegraphed right hand from Onizuka misses the target.
Onizuka tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Folignus was well out of range. Poor timing from Onizuka.
Folignus fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Onizuka.
A head kick from Folignus lands but Onizuka takes it in his stride.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Folignus lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Onizuka takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Folignus lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Shinichi Onizuka will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Shinichi Onizuka's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Folignus keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

Onizuka shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Onizuka trying to control from half guard but Folignus is working away.
Folignus won't allow Onizuka to pass to mount.
Folignus trying to control here.
Onizuka prevents Folignus from improving his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Folignus is doing well to control the position and prevent Onizuka from advancing to side control.
Onizuka lands with a punch from half guard.
Onizuka wants to advance to full mount but Folignus doesn't think that's going to happen and regains full guard instead.
Shinichi Onizuka has got the better of the ground game so far.
Onizuka showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Folignus tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Onizuka trying to control but Folignus is working from the bottom.
Folignus working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Onizuka.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Onizuka trying to control the position from guard on top but Folignus is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Folignus controls Onizuka momentarily but Onizuka frees himself.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Folignus walks into a stiff left hand from Onizuka.
Folignus has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Folignus there as he acknowledges the shot.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Folignus uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Onizuka.
Onizuka takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Folignus takes a swing at Onizuka's ribcage but misses.
An inside leg kick from Folignus misses.

Onizuka fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Folignus to the ground. Onizuka is now in Folignus's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Onizuka stays in close to Folignus's body and controls the position.
Onizuka's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Onizuka trying to control but Folignus is working from the bottom.

Folignus escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Onizuka gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Onizuka is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Folignus seems to have improved his submission grappling technique since last time we saw him. Let's see if he can pull off a submission.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Onizuka throwing strikes but missing.
Folignus working a defensive guard but Onizuka manages to pass into side control anyway.
Nick Folignus has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Onizuka wants to control but Folignus is keeping him busy.
Shinichi Onizuka is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Folignus is letting Onizuka control him for a moment.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Onizuka trying to control the position but Folignus is working away.
Onizuka works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.

And that's the end of the fight!
Shinichi Onizuka comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Onizuka 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 Dean Styles scores the fight 27:30
Judge John Kavanagh scores the fight 27:30
Judge Jorge Garcia scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Shinichi Onizuka!
A relieved looking Shinichi Onizuka thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.