PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Marshall Artz (ranked 4933 p4p, 486 weight class) and Joel Nielson (ranked 5269 p4p, 513 weight class). Nielson comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Enter Sandman by Metallica kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Joel Nielson has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Artz
vs
Nielson

200 cm
20
270 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

188 cm
26
270 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Marshall Artz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Joel Nielson!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Cecil Peabody and Chris Downing.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A jab lands there for Artz.

Nielson drops Artz with a beautiful combination! Artz stares up at his opponent, who ushers him back to his feet - Nielson is looking for the KO!

Artz is rocked!

It looks like Marshall Artz has been cut.
Artz displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Nielson.
Nielson lands with a nice body punch.
Artz stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Artz wants it to stay on the feet.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Nielson rushes Artz and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Nielson works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Artz is breathing heavily.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Nielson takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.

Nielson escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Artz stalks Nielson and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Nielson's face. Nielson staggers backwards, shaken.
Artz connects with a high kick.

Nielson drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.

The fighters are working up against the cage. Artz manages to wriggle his way back to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nielson lands with a right to the head.

Artz breaks the clinch.
Artz connects with a leg kick. Nielson looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Artz misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Nielson with the counter takedown but Artz avoids it easily.

Nielson instigates a clinch.
Artz prevents a takedown attempt there.
Marshall Artz has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Joel Nielson.
Nielson keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Artz's efforts to push away.

Nielson decides to pull guard.
Artz sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Nielson is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Artz looking to pass the guard.
Nielson wants to get back to his feet but Artz is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Artz controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Nielson wants to sweep here but Artz controlling him for the moment.
Artz content to stall in guard here.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Nielson is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Artz dives into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nielson is trying to get back to his feet.
Nielson can't do much from the bottom here.
The ground and pound from Artz seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Nielson is trying to get back to half guard.

Artz is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Nielson has escaped the position, nice work there.
Nielson being controlled for a moment.
Nielson looks to move to half guard but instead Artz has passed into mount! Damn!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Nielson is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Nielson tries to lock up and control but Artz gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Artz lands a nice shot to the head.
Nielson blocking the ground and pound.
Nielson wants to get back to his feet.
Artz avoids the attempt from Nielson to control.
Artz controlling his opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Marshall Artz will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Marshall Artz's cut.
That's time! Artz's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Artz defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Nielson.
Artz lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Artz.
Artz throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Joel Nielson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nielson tries to score with a low kick but Artz moves his leg out of the way.
Nielson tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Artz manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Nielson will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Nielson closes the distance looking to clinch
and Artz counters with a nice low kick that buckles Nielson's knee momentarily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Nielson darts in and clinches Artz up against the cage.
Artz manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.

Artz breaks from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nielson fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Marshall Artz has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Joel Nielson.
Nielson closes this distance looking for a takedown but Artz circles away.
Artz thinks about countering with a body kick.
Nielson takes a kick to the side of the head.
A good leg kick by Artz.
Artz moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Nielson tries to clinch
and Artz counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Nielson is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Artz lands with a kick to the temple. Nielson shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Nielson with a poor takedown
and Artz makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Nielson is breathing heavily.
Nielson tries to score a power double leg takedown but Artz sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Nielson somewhat.
Artz lands with a cross.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Artz's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Artz duly obliges.
Marshall Artz is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Nielson shoots in but no luck this time.
Marshall Artz is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Artz throws a combination. Nielson tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Nielson wants to clinch.
Artz is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Nielson can do to turn this around?
Nielson tries to clinch up but Artz circles away and keeps his distance.
Artz slaps away a takedown attempt from Nielson, before circling back to the center of the mat.
We've been told by Artz's head coaches at Boomerang!! PURE ELITE COACHES and Sparring Center that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Artz misses with a head kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Nielson forces Artz back against the cage and clinches.
A shot in the inside from Artz.
Artz wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Nielson has him pressed against the cage.
Nielson has a couple of punches blocked by Artz.

Artz's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Artz moves out of range of the strikes.
Artz went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Nielson throws a left and a right that both miss
and Artz counters with a big head kick but Nielson shrugs it off.
Marshall Artz is winning the standup battle so far.
A slapping leg kick lands for Artz.
Artz lands with a nice body punch.
Artz lands a jab to Nielson's midsection.
Horrible takedown attempt by Nielson or perhaps it was just good defense by Artz, which made it look bad.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nielson wants to clinch
and Artz counters with a head kick.
Artz lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.

Nielson is rocked!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Crack! A monster head kick from Artz and Nielson falls like a tree - timbeeeeeeeeeeerrrr! A highlight reel knockout by Artz!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:22 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Head Kick). Marshall Artz!
An out of breath Marshall Artz thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.