PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Dylan Nicholson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Carl Sarmients (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Nicholson
vs
Sarmients

196 cm
18
193 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

183 cm
18
185 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Dylan Nicholson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Carl Sarmients!
The judges for this bout are Ryoma Takatsuka, Jeff Smith and Chris Saunders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sarmients swinging wildly here.
Sarmients rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Nicholson moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
It looked like Nicholson was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Sarmients falls off balance throwing a combination

and Nicholson holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Nicholson gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

Nicholson pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Carl Sarmients seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sarmients dives in and grabs Nicholson's left leg, looking for a takedown. Nicholson pushes down on Sarmients's head and hops out.

Nicholson shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Sarmients napping and manages to drive through into side control!

Nicholson goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Sarmients has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Nicholson but great work by Sarmients.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Nicholson can't do much from the bottom here.
Sarmients lands a decent elbow from side control.
Nicholson is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nicholson won't allow Sarmients to pass to mount.
Sarmients looks winded!
Nicholson keeps control of the position for the meantime.
Sarmients has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Nicholson regains full guard. Nicely done.
Nicholson manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Sarmients manages to get himself to full guard.

Nicholson stands up and waves to Sarmients to follow him.
Sarmients scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Nicholson darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Still in half guard, Nicholson seems content to control.
Nicholson's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

Nicholson is looking for a kimura but Sarmients is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Nicholson to get the leverage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nicholson sitting and controlling from the half guard.

Nicholson is looking for a kimura but Sarmients is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Nicholson to get the leverage.
Sarmients wants to get back to his feet.

Nicholson decides to return to a standing position.

Nicholson decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Nicholson stalling.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sarmients wants to control but Nicholson passes into side.

Nicholson tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Sarmients can't do much from the bottom here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dylan Nicholson dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Sarmients swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Sarmients throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Nicholson counters with a big head kick but Sarmients shrugs it off.

Nicholson is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Sarmients's half guard.

Nicholson stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
Sarmients fails with the takedown.

Nicholson gets the takedown into side control.

Nicholson stands up.

Nicholson drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Sarmients is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Nicholson tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Nicholson has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

Nicholson tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Sarmients wants to control but Nicholson postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Nicholson is looking to take a break and control but Sarmients is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Nicholson stands up.
Sarmients shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Nicholson counters with a head kick.

Nicholson closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Sarmients to the mat! Sarmients manages to get full guard.
Dylan Nicholson overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Nicholson stands up from guard. Let's bang!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Nicholson closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Sarmients's guard.
Nicholson 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.

Nicholson thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Nicholson trying to control the position from guard on top but Sarmients is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Nicholson stands and steps away. Sarmients gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Nicholson.
Nicholson is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Sarmients can do to turn this around?

Nicholson stands up.
Some wild striking there from Sarmients.

Nicholson bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.

Nicholson decides to stand back up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Nicholson looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Nicholson wants to take a breather but Sarmients is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dylan Nicholson dominated that second round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Sarmients shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Nicholson as he jumps to the side.
As Sarmients looks to move away, Nicholson throws a big counter combo bu Sarmients just gets out of the way.

Sarmients gets tackled into the cage by Nicholson. Nicholson maintains the clinch.

Nicholson pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Dylan Nicholson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Nicholson shoots in and gets a takedown into Sarmients's guard.

Nicholson gets to his feet. Sarmients looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!

Nicholson has closed the distance and engaged Sarmients in a clinch.

Nicholson successfully pulls guard.
Nicholson utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Sarmients preventing the sweep.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Sarmients is working Nicholson over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nicholson keeping moving, preventing Sarmients from controlling successfully.
Nicholson is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Sarmients wants to control the action here but instead Nicholson manages to pass to full mount!
Nicholson controlling from mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sarmients is desperately trying to improve his position but Nicholson has a good base and remains in mount.

Nicholson stands up from the dominant position, so we're back on the feet.

Nicholson shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Sarmients is trying to defend but Nicholson finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Nicholson not landing any meaningful shots this time.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Nicholson is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Sarmients defends it well.

Nicholson is looking for a kimura here.
Carl Sarmients has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Sarmients gets back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Sarmients can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Nicholson controls the pace.

Nicholson decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Nicholson moves into the clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dylan Nicholson showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Nicholson 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 Ryoma Takatsuka scores the fight 30:25
Judge Jeff Smith scores the fight 30:26
Judge Chris Saunders scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dylan Nicholson!