PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight kickboxing rules bout between Paul Niche (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Roberto Sanchez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Roberto Sanchez has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Niche
vs
Sanchez

180 cm
20
190 lbs
2 - 4 - 0

190 cm
20
190 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

Lethal high kicks
Very quick

Dangerous knees
Fast

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 2 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Paul Niche!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Roberto Sanchez!
The judges for this bout are Paul Gruel, Roger Salmon and Jeff Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Niche misses with a body kick.
Sanchez tries to close the distance and clinch but Niche swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Niche has been working on his boxing with his coaches at . . . in the buildup to the fight.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Good work by Sanchez as he checks the leg kick.
Sanchez tries to clinch but Niche is having none of it.
The fight stays on the outside here - Sanchez looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
A little feinted left hand from Niche on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.

Niche takes the fight into the clinch.

Niche pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Niche lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Sanchez tries to close the distance and clinch up but Niche swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Sanchez wants to clinch up but Niche keeps it at a distance.
A bone on bone clash there as Niche blocks the leg kick.
As Sanchez backs away, Niche returns fire with a leg kick that just misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sanchez is looking to clinch but Niche is avoiding it.
Nice defenses there by Sanchez.
Niche throws a low kick but Sanchez avoids it.

Sanchez clinches up against the ropes.
Niche gets through Sanchez's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Niche takes a knee to the side of the body.
Sanchez trying to land knees to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Niche connects with a nasty looking knee right to Sanchez's face.
Sanchez tries a knee to the head but Niche blocks it.
A nice left hand lands by Niche.
Sanchez takes a shot to the head.
Niche lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Niche misses with the head strike.
Niche managing to block the knees to the body from Sanchez.
Sanchez tries to land a knee to the head but Niche blocks with his arms.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Niche.
Sanchez missing with knees to the body.
Niche tries to land knees in the clinch but Sanchez avoids the damage to the body.
Niche scores with a nice hook to the head.
Sanchez tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Niche avoids it.
Niche blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Sanchez looking to throw knees to the head but Niche is blocking nicely.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Sanchez trying to control the position but instead, Niche has worked for underhooks and has pushed Sanchez into the ropes.
Niche working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Knees to the body from Niche.
Sanchez blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Niche lands a hook to the side of the head.
Sanchez tries a knee to the head but Niche blocks it.
Sanchez utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Niche lands a left hand.
Niche stalling.
Niche throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Sanchezs head.
Niche lands a nice shot to the body.
Niche with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Niche lands a body punch in the clinch.
Sanchez looks winded!
Niche is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Niche misses with a hook to the ribs.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Niche pushes Sanchez back against the ropes and unloads with a body punch.
Niche misses with a knee strike.
Niche works on Sanchez's body with a couple of short punches.
Niche lands a body shot in the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paul Niche dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Niche connects with a solid leg kick.
Niche shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Niche throws the kick towards the body but Sanchez avoids it.
Niche misses with a two punch combination.
Niche is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Sanchez can do to turn this around?
Niche throws a leg kick but Sanchez sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Sanchez tries to clinch
and Niche counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Niche throws a body shot but no joy.
Niche throws a front kick aimed at Sanchez's knee but Sanchez avoids it well.
Sanchez wants to counter the offense by Niche and move into the clinch position.
The fight stays on the outside here - Sanchez looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Sanchez wants to clinch up but Niche keeps it at a distance.
Niche throws a body shot but no joy.
Niche moves out of the way of the counter high kick fromSanchez.
Sanchez moves in looking to clinch but Niche pushes him off.
Niche looked to counter that last move with a leg kick but didn't pull the trigger.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Sanchez pushes Niche up against the ropes in a clinch.
Sanchez trying to land knees to the body.
Sanchez tries to land a knee to the head but Niche blocks with his arms.
Paul Niche has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Niche managing to block the knees to the body from Sanchez.
Sanchez with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Sanchez tries a knee to the head but Niche blocks it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Niche misses with a hook to the ribs.
A knee to the head by Sanchez.
Sanchez throws a knee to the head but misses.
Niche scores with a nice hook to the head.
Sanchez misses with a knee strike.
Niche scores with a shot to the side of Sanchez's head.
Sanchez looking to throw knees to the head but Niche is blocking nicely.
Niche lands with a left to the head.

Niche escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Niche fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Sanchez manages to avoid it.
Sanchez is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Sanchez keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Niche scores with a hook.
Roberto Sanchez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sanchez is looking to clinch.
Sanchez tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Niche closes the distance and pushes Sanchez back into the ropes.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Niche makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A body shot lands from Niche.
Sanchez scores a nice knee to the body.
Niche struggles to land a body shot inside as Sanchez controls his hands.
A right hand to the body from Niche.
Sanchez with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Sanchez stalling in the clinch but Niche improves position.
Sanchez is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Niche is defending well for now.
Niche lands with a right to the head.
Niche is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Sanchez is breathing heavily.
Niche misses with a knee strike.
Niche lands an uppercut.
Sanchez tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Niche lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Sanchez or not.
Sanchez has been looking to improve his clinch game in recent weeks. Niche seems to have the measure of him in the clinch so far, so let's see if Sanchez can turn it around.
Niche stalling the fight.
Sanchez is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Niche is defending well for now.
Niche landing some nice looking knees to the body.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Niche.
Niche lands a shoulder strike.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paul Niche dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the ring so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Niche lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Sanchez wants to clinch up but Niche keeps it at a distance.
Niche throws a hook but Sanchez blocks it.
A punch combination from Niche misses.
Sanchez throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Sanchez wants to land a leg kick but Niche is out of range.

Sanchez moves into the clinch.
Sanchez putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Niche in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Sanchez misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Niche.
Sanchez tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

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

Sanchez clinches.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Niche with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

Niche manages to break the clinch.
Sanchez darts in trying to clinch
and Niche makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A looping hook to the body misses from Niche. Sanchez does a little dance to reset his feet.
Sanchez takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sanchez pushes Niche up against the ropes in a clinch.
Niche gets through Sanchez's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
A right hand to the body from Niche.
Niche avoiding damage as Sanchez throws knees to the body.
Niche works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Niche avoiding damage as Sanchez throws knees to the body.
Niche lands with a short shot to the head.
Niche lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Sanchez backwards.
Niche misses with a punch to the body.
With the fighters clinched against the ropes, Niche creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Niche tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Niche on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Sanchez landing knees to the body.
Sanchez takes a knee to the side of the body.
A right hand to the body from Niche.
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!
Niche landing knees to the head.
A right handed body shot lands from Niche.

Niche breaks from the clinch.
Roberto Sanchez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez fails in his attempt to clinch.
Sanchez walks forward, straight into a front kick from Niche.
Niche with a hook.
Niche lands a nice shot to the body.
Niche throws a good cross that connects.
Sanchez avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Sanchez on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Paul Niche is winning the standup battle so far.
A solid leg kick lands there for Niche.
Niche pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Sanchez tries to clinch but Niche moves out of range.
Sanchez tries to clinch there but Niche circles away.
It looked like Niche wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Niche lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Sanchez backs up against the ropes.

Sanchez is rocked!
Niche avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Sanchez is still on wobbly legs! Can Niche finish him?
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Sanchez throws a head kick but Niche moves out of range.
Niche seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Niche lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Niche is looking to slow Sanchez down with leg kicks.
Niche misses with a body shot.
Paul Niche is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Sanchez darts in trying to clinch
and Niche makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Sanchez really felt that one!

And that's the end of the fight!
Paul Niche showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Niche 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 Paul Gruel scores the fight 30:27
Judge Roger Salmon scores the fight 30:27
Judge Jeff Smith scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Paul Niche!
Our winner, Paul Niche, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.