PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Clyde Haley (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John McNickles (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Clyde Haley had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Haley
vs
McNickles

165 cm
27
162 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

185 cm
25
160 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Prefers standup

BJJ Purple Belt
Dangerous knees
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Clyde Haley!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, John McNickles!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Stewart Dunkirk and Wesley Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Haley tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
McNickles scores with a head kick.
Haley connects with a high kick.

McNickles closes the distance and clinches.

Haley pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

McNickles drives through and clinches with Haley against the cage.
Haley is looking for a takedown.
Haley is trying to pull guard but McNickles has him pressed against the cage.

Haley breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
McNickles looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Haley is fending him off so far but McNickles persists. Nope, Haley circles away and we're back to standing.
McNickles throws a head kick that misses
and Haley connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

McNickles moves into the clinch successfully.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
McNickles blocking some punches.
Haley is trying to work for a single leg takedown but McNickles pulls him back up using the underhooks.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Clyde Haley. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Haley gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Haley is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Haley looking for a submission but McNickles manages to get full guard, putting an end to that submission attempt.
Haley throwing strikes but missing.
Haley postures up.
Haley preventing the sweep.
Haley might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Haley stands up from McNickles's guard - Haley perhaps looking for a knockout.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Haley is trying to pull guard but McNickles has him pressed against the cage.
Haley could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Haley drops to a knee looking for a takedown but McNickles gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Knees in the clinch landing for McNickles.

Haley breaks the clinch.
McNickles lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.

McNickles drives through and clinches with Haley against the cage.

Haley breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

McNickles clinches with his opponent.

Haley breaks from the clinch.

Haley gets a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Haley has McNickles pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Haley pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending McNickles tumbling to the mat - Haley dives into McNickles's guard.
Haley postures up.
Haley is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
McNickles is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Haley won't allow McNickles to get back to his feet.
McNickles working a defensive guard here.
McNickles looking to hit a scissor sweep but Haley is one step ahead there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
McNickles looks winded!
Haley is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
McNickles wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Haley manages to pass to side control.

Haley decides to stand up.

McNickles closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but John McNickles will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

A head kick by McNickles misses
and Haley counters with a stiff right hand.

McNickles moves into the clinch successfully.
McNickles stops a takedown attempt from Haley.

McNickles has Haley pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. McNickles pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Haley tumbling to the mat - McNickles dives into Haley's guard.

Haley wriggles free and stands up.
McNickles gets cracked there but stands up to it.

Haley tries to keep at a distance but McNickles has taken the fight into the clinch.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Haley manages to break the clinch.
McNickles ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.

McNickles has Haley up against the cage in a clinch.

Haley works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
McNickles wants to get back to his feet but Haley passes into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Haley stalling.
McNickles is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Haley scores with a couple of nice shots.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
McNickles is trying to stand.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Haley lands a nice short elbow.

Haley seems to be looking for submissions.

Haley is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. McNickles doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Haley.
McNickles pushes Haley off looking to stand but Haley dives back in and keeps control.
Haley knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for McNickles on the ground.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Haley seems to be looking for submissions.
McNickles is trying to stand back up but Haley is controlling him

Haley is trying to work for a kimura but McNickles is defending well.
McNickles taking some punishment here, with Haley in his half guard.
McNickles trying to control but Haley postures up.
McNickles wants to get back to full guard.
McNickles is breathing heavily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

McNickles is defending against the submission attempts here by Haley.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

McNickles closes the distance and pushes Haley back into the cage.
John McNickles seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Haley wants a takedown.

Haley's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Haley chopping away at his opponent's legs.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
McNickles fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Haley avoids it really well and circles away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Clyde Haley dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

McNickles misses with a takedown attempt - Haley sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Clyde Haley is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Haley buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
McNickles is looking to land body kicks.
Haley throws a big counter combination but McNickles scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Haley looks to land a combination but McNickles avoids it well.
Haley takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Clyde Haley is winning the standup battle so far.

Haley gets tackled into the cage by McNickles. McNickles maintains the clinch.

Haley breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Haley misses with the combination.
Haley pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Haley moves into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McNickles wants to stall.
Haley wants a takedown.
Haley is looking for a takedown up against the cage. McNickles gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Haley is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. McNickles can't fight it off and eventually Haley manages to take the fight to the floor. McNickles looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
McNickles is looking to stand up but Haley isn't so interested in that idea.
Haley throwing strikes but missing.
McNickles is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Haley dives into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
McNickles is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Haley is controlling him well.

Haley decides to stand back up.
McNickles shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Haley counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Haley misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
McNickles throws a head kick but Haley moves out of range.
A head kick misses from McNickles.
Haley misses with a series of wild punches.
McNickles drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Haley defends it well.
Haley is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that McNickles can do to turn this around?
Nice straight punches there by Haley. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Haley.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
McNickles shoots in for a takedown but Haley shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Clyde Haley has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of John McNickles.

Haley instigates a clinch.

Haley breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Haley pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces McNickles back to the cage. Haley follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
John McNickles seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Some wild striking there from Haley.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Haley, right into the meat.
McNickles goes for a double leg but Haley avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Haley continues to drive forward.
Haley throws a quick head kick that skims the top of McNickles's head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Haley stuns McNickles with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Haley throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

McNickles closes the distance and clinches.
McNickles wants to break the clinch but can't.

Haley turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Haley lands a decent elbow from side control.
Haley prevents McNickles from escaping the position.

Haley stands up and beckons McNickles to his feet.
McNickles is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
McNickles throws a lazy head kick
and Haley counters with a nice uppercut.

And that's the end of the fight!
Clyde Haley showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Haley has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Franklin scores the fight 29:28
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 29:28
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Clyde Haley!