PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Joel Nicola (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Akau Umaga (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Joel Nicola could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Akau Umaga's chin.

Nicola
vs
Umaga

175 cm
26
214 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

188 cm
26
215 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Big right hand

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Joel Nicola!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Akau Umaga!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Bart Greer and Michael Johnstone.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nicola thows a left - swing and a miss!
Akau Umaga seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Umaga throws a lazy head kick
and Nicola counters with an outside leg kick.
Umaga finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Nicola scores with a body shot.
Nicola scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Umaga throws a push kick but Nicola slaps the foot to one side.
Nicola swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Nicola checks a low kick from Umaga.
Nicola looks to land a body kick but Umaga moved away.

Nicola lands a left and a right that send Umaga crashing to the mat, dazed. Nicola thinks about following him to the mat but decides to wave him back up to his feet!

It looks like Akau Umaga has been cut.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Nicola tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Umaga was well out of range. Poor timing from Nicola.
Umaga is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Umaga pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Nicola looks to score with a jab to the body but Umaga is just out of range.
Umaga throws a leg kick that is checked

and Nicola counters with a crisp right hand that drops Umaga! Nicola lets Umaga back up to his feet, looking for a finish!

Umaga is rocked!
A big left from Umaga misses.
And Nicola counters with a quick kick to the body but Umaga blocks it.
Umaga is still on wobbly legs! Can Nicola finish him?
Umaga fails with an attempt to clinch.
Nicola throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Umaga seems to have recovered his senses.
Umaga moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Nicola is looking to wear down Umaga with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A head kick misses from Umaga.
Umaga moves out of range of the body kick from Nicola.
Umaga throws a sloppy head kick and Nicola moves out of range easily.
Umaga scoring well with a low kick there.
Nicola ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Umaga moves away.
Umaga tries a head kick but it misses.
Nicola loads up on a big right hand but Umaga slips the punch.
Decent striking displayed by Nicola there.
Umaga keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Nicola swings for the body but Umaga moves out of range.
Umaga misses with a leg kick
and Nicola makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Umaga misses with a low kick as Nicola jumps back.
Joel Nicola is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
A shot to the liver by Nicola. Beautiful body shot.
Nicola swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Nicola tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Umaga was well out of range. Poor timing from Nicola.
Nicola misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Umaga.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Umaga connects with a high kick.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Nicola stuns Umaga with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Umaga connects with a high kick.
Nicola thows a body kick. Umaga tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Umaga takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Umaga looks winded!
Nicola digs a good body shot into Umaga's ribs.
Umaga looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
A punch combination from Umaga misses.
Nicola lands a front kick.
Nicola throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
A shot to the liver by Nicola. Beautiful body shot.
A solid leg kick lands there for Nicola.
Thud! ouch! good body kick from Nicola - that will leave a mark!
Nicola throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Nicola misses the shot to the body.
Nicola thuds a left hand into Umaga's body.
Nicola uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Umaga.
A quick step to the side and Nicola tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nicola misses with a jab, cross combination.
Umaga is looking for the big counter here.
Umaga connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Umaga showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Nicola.
Umaga needs to keep his hands up - Nicola had a free shot at his head there.
Umaga misses with a hook.
Umaga moves in looking to clinch but Nicola pushes him off.
Umaga throws a low kick, looking for Nicola's leg but Nicola calmly moves out of range.
Nicola takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Nicola ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Umaga moves away.
Nicola blocks a head kick by Umaga.
Nicola pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Nicola swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Nice body kick from Umaga.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
No joy there for Umaga, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Nicola was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Umaga throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Nicola.
Umaga takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Umaga takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Nicola looks to score with a jab to the body but Umaga is just out of range.
Nicola ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Nicola uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Umaga.
Nicola lands with a good body shot.
Nicola scoring well with a low kick there.
Nicola takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
A jab lands there for Nicola.
Nicola throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Nicola tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Umaga was well out of range. Poor timing from Nicola.
Umaga moves out of range of the body kick.
Nicola explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Nicola pushes Umaga away with a front kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joel Nicola dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Akau Umaga's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Nicola throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Umaga connects with a leg kick. Nicola looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Nicola is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Umaga can do to turn this around?
Nicola lands with a shot to the body.
Umaga misses with a few strikes there.
Umaga walks into a straight right hand from Nicola.
Nicola connects with a body shot.
Nicola throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Umaga on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Nicola moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Umaga uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Nicola.
Umaga looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Nice body punch from Nicola.
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!
Nicola fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Umaga on the side of the head.
Joel Nicola is winning the standup battle so far.
Nicola fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Umaga manages to avoid it.
A solid body kick from Nicola.
Nicola drops Umaga with a naaaaasty hook - Umaga is in real trouble here! Nicola dives in to side control and pounds out his opponent for a TKO victory! The crowd goes nuts!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:57 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Joel Nicola!