PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Azumah Nelson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jacque Sirven (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). On his way into the cage it seems that Azumah Nelson has been attacked by a crazed fan! It looks like it might have been the just bleed guy! Luckily Azumah Nelson seems to be OK! I thought that lunatic was in prison!?

Nelson
vs
Sirven

178 cm
22
154 lbs
9 - 1 - 0

168 cm
21
145 lbs
5 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the featherweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Azumah Nelson!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jacque Sirven!
The judges for this bout are David Schapiro, Eddie Farnsworth and Dean Styles.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sirven misses with an uppercut. Nelson saw that one coming.
Sirven doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Nelson cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Nelson takes one on the chin but keeps coming.

Sirven shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Sirven showed some decent athleticism there.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.

Sirven is looking for a kimura but Nelson is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Sirven to get the leverage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sirven lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Nelson is not content to let Sirven control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sirven throwing shots but Nelson is blocking nicely.
Nelson tries to get to full guard but Sirven has control of the leg.
Still in half guard, Sirven seems content to control.
Sirven thows a huge punch but Nelson dodges it nicely.
Nelson wants to get back to full guard.
Sirven tries to pass the half guard into mount. Nelson knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Nelson is staying active underneath Sirven, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Nelson on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Sirven stalling.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Sirven seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Sirven with the ground and pound but Nelson uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Sirven is stalling in the full guard.
Sirven cracks Nelson with a solid left hand.
Sirven throws a big right hand that misses.
Sirven trying to control the position from guard on top but Nelson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Nelson fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Nelson misses with a straight left.

Sirven shoots in and bounces Nelson off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Sirven tries to free his leg and advance position but Nelson is retaining full guard.
Sirven in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sirven connects with a couple of short punches.
Sirven looking to pass the guard.
Sirven throws a big right hand that misses.
Sirven tries to free his leg and advance position but Nelson is retaining full guard.
Nelson avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Nelson looking to hit a scissor sweep but Sirven is one step ahead there.
Sirven postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Sirven looking to pass the guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jacque Sirven dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Good standup being displayed there by Sirven as he connects with a hook.
Nelson misses with a hook.
Sirven shoots and misses
and Nelson counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
A jab from Nelson does it's job there.
Sirven throws the left hand but Nelson avoids the punch easily.
Sirven misses with a jab, cross combination.
Nelson jabs Sirven right on the nose. Sirven blinks but takes it well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nelson bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Nelson gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Nelson scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nelson cracks Sirven with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Nelson uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Sirven shoots in for a takedown but Nelson shows good takedown defense.
Sirven digs a good body shot into Nelson's ribs.
Nelson uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Sirven.
It looks like Nelson has been trying to sharpen up his punching technique, as it looks crisper than last time we saw him.
Nelson works Sirven's body with a nice hook.
Nelson throws a body punch but Sirven moves out of range.
Sirven fails to land the takedown.
Azumah Nelson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jacque Sirven.
Nelson looks to land a left hand but Sirven moved out of range nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nelson takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Sirven ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Sirven takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Sirven lands a nice shot to the body.
Nelson misses with a body shot.
Nelson avoids a punch combination nicely.
Nelson throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Jacque Sirven seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nelson rushes in with a sloppy looking punch

and Sirven counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Sirven not doing much here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sirven is trying to control. Nelson wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Nelson is concentrating on defense, preventing Sirven from advancing position.
Sirven looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Nelson with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Nelson blocking the ground and pound attempt from Sirven.
Sirven has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Sirven trying to pass the guard but Nelson defending well.
Sirven throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Sirven wants to take a breather but Nelson is having none of it.
Nelson trying to hold on to Sirven's head to control him but Sirven postures up.
Sirven is keen to just control but Nelson is a slippery customer.
Jacque Sirven has got the better of the ground game so far.

Sirven seems to be working for a kimura but Nelson defends the submission attempt.
Sirven thows a huge punch but Nelson dodges it nicely.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Azumah Nelson is winning the standup battle so far.
Sirven defending well as Nelson loads up on a big left hand.
Sirven finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Jacque Sirven will probably get the nod - 10:9.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Nelson gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Nelson working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Sirven.
Sirven with a nice head shot there.
Sirven trying to control but Nelson is working from the bottom.
Sirven showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Sirven missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nelson looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sirven working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Sirven wants to control from the top but Nelson keeps moving.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Sirven throws a strike but Nelson rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sirven working a defensive guard here.
Sirven seems keen to control Nelson's posture.
Sirven keeping full guard, as Nelson tries to pass.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Sirven is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Sirven tries to land a sweep but no joy.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Nelson missing with a left hand there. Sirven was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Sirven takes one to the chin there.
Nelson bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Sirven's head backwards.
Sirven throws a leg kick but Nelson sees it coming and moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sirven swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Sirven takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Sirven misses with an uppercut.

Sirven closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Sirven lands in his opponent's guard.
Sirven wants to control from the top but Nelson keeps moving.
Sirven engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Sirven throws a strike but Nelson rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sirven is controlling Nelson's posture.
Nelson preventing the sweep.
Nelson is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Sirven controlling Nelson's posture.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Sirven 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 round but Azumah Nelson did the better work so I'd imagine he'll take it.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Nelson staying out of range there.
Sirven blocks a jab.
Nelson uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Sirven.
Nelson is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Sirven looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Nelson is fending him off so far but Sirven persists. Nope, Nelson circles away and we're back to standing.
Sirven throws a leg kick that is checked
and Nelson counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Nelson slips under a jab.
Sirven swings and misses with a hook to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nelson keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Sirven takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sirven dives in for a single leg takedown but Nelson sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Azumah Nelson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jacque Sirven.
Sirven lands with a hook. Nelson tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Sirven shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Sirven throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Nelson on the side of the head.
Nelson misses the jab.
Nelson lands a body shot.
Sirven shoots in and drives through. Nelson sprawls well.
Nelson stuffs the takedown attempt from Sirven. Sirven gets slowly back to his feet.
Nelson was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fighters circling - Nelson throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Nelson connects with a jab.
Sirven with a lazy takedown attempt
and Nelson counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Nelson lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Sirven shoots in for a takedown but Nelson shows good takedown defense.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Sirven shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Nelson counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Nelson swings and misses with a hook to the body.
A jab from Sirven misses.
A head kick misses from Sirven.
Nelson appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Azumah Nelson is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sirven fails with a takedown attempt.
Sirven closes the distance and clinches up with Nelson, looking for a takedown. Sirven pushes Nelson against the cage but Nelson circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Sirven doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Sirven moves out of range of the strikes.
Nelson throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Sirven fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Nelson manages to avoid it.
Sirven moves away from the strike by Nelson.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sirven swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Sirven moves away from the strike by Nelson.
A looping hook to the body misses from Nelson. Sirven does a little dance to reset his feet.
Nelson gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Sirven looks to score with a jab to the body but Nelson is just out of range.
Sirven is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Nelson.
Nelson leaves Sirven with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sirven falls off balance throwing a combination
and Nelson counters with a nice uppercut.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Azumah Nelson had his way with Jacque Sirven in 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. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Nelson misses with a body shot.
Nelson lands a nice looking body shot.
Sirven uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Nelson.
And Sirven tries to counter it with a takedown but Nelson pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Nelson steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Sirven.
Sirven swinging wildly here.
Sirven clobbers Nelson with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nelson takes one on the button.
Sirven shoots in but no luck this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sirven misses with a takedown
and Nelson counters with a right hand to the body.
Sirven fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Nelson avoids it really well and circles away.
Azumah Nelson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jacque Sirven.
Sirven shoots in looking for a takedown. Nelson tries to sprawl out of it but Sirven keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Nelson manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Nelson throws a body punch but Sirven moves out of range.
Sirven gets cracked there but stands up to it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nelson lands a slapping body shot.
Decent striking displayed by Sirven there.
Nelson swings for the body but Sirven moves out of range.
Nelson throws a big shot that misses.
Sirven misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Nelson.
Sirven misses with a takedown
and Nelson counters with a straight right hand.
Sirven uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Nelson.
Sirven throws out a counter right but Nelson avoids it with no problem.
Nelson loads up on a big right hand but Sirven slips the punch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nelson misses with a body shot.
Nelson throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Sirven sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Sirven throws out a powerful jab.
Sirven fails with a takedown attempt.
Nelson throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Sirven, as that shot connected.
Nelson throws a looping overhand right but Sirven ducks down to avoid it.
Sirven appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Sirven closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Nelson quickly recovers to half guard.

Sirven is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Nelson avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Sirven.
Nelson avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Sirven.
Sirven lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Nelson taking some punishment here, with Sirven in his half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sirven thows a huge punch but Nelson dodges it nicely.

Sirven looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Jacque Sirven.
I think Sirven has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 5 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge David Schapiro scores the fight 47:49
Judge Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 47:49
Judge Dean Styles scores the fight 49:48

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Jacque Sirven!
Jacque Sirven is the new featherweight champion!
After winning the bout, Jacque Sirven thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.
The defeated Azumah Nelson had this to say: 'the slowest learner I have ever had. lol had no chance'.