PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Nick Golden (ranked 25283 p4p, 0 weight class) and Iron Mike (ranked 5819 p4p, 0 weight class). Nick Golden has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Golden
vs
Mike

202 cm
23
151 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

173 cm
23
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Nick Golden!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Iron Mike!
The judges for this bout are Eliza Hachem, Winston Howard and John Mangel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Golden fails with an attempt to clinch.
Golden shoots for a double leg takedown but Mike sprawls well. He's pushed Golden's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Golden really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Mike closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Mike controlling the pace.
Golden is looking to control Mike's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Golden avoid being mounted?
Mike wants to control but Golden is keeping him busy.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Golden is looking to control Mike's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Golden avoid being mounted?
Mike sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Mike wants to lay and pray for a moment but Golden keeps working.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mike performing his best blanket impression for a moment.

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

Golden fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Mike to the ground. Golden is now in Mike's guard.
Golden is looking to work some ground and pound but Mike has wrist control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mike not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Golden landing some decent shots from guard.
Golden controls from within his opponent's guard.

Mike has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Golden can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Golden tries to stand but Mike is controlling from the bottom.

Golden avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Mike not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Mike striking off his back but it's not causing Golden any problems.
Golden is in close to Mike's body, working some short punches and elbows.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mike managing to control the position.
Golden wants to pass the guard but Mike is keeping the position.
Golden with a flurry of punches that miss.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Mike striking from his own guard.

Golden got a little sloppy there for a moment and Mike has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Golden has managed to get both his arms back between Mike's legs - danger averted.
Mike being controlled here, momentarily.
Golden has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Mike is proving hard to escape from.
Golden will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Golden cracks Mike with a solid left hand.
Golden in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

Mike looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Mike controls Golden momentarily but Golden frees himself.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mike keeping full guard, as Golden tries to pass.

Golden avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Mike looks winded!
Mike 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.
Golden has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Golden trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Golden trying to stand up but can't free himself from Mike's guard.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Mike tries to clinch up but Golden circles away and keeps his distance.
Golden tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Mike manages to circle out of the way.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

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

Golden kicks Mike off and gets to his feet.
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 Nick Golden will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Golden circles away from the clinch attempt.

Golden gets the takedown into side control.

Golden decides to stand back up. Golden steps back and let's Mike get back to his feet.

Mike shoots in for a takedown and gets it.

Golden kicks off Mike and gets to his feet.
Iron Mike seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Golden tries to sprawl but Mike drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Golden keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Golden trying to hold on to Mike's head to control him but Mike postures up.
Mike content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Golden is trying to control but can't.
Mike thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Golden's head.
Mike wants to control but Golden is keeping him busy.
Golden works his way to full guard. Good work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Mike wants to control from the top but Golden keeps moving.
Golden wants to sweep here but Mike controlling him for the moment.

Golden escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Mike gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Mike is in close to Golden's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Mike pushing down on Golden's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Mike is looking to take a break and control but Golden is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Golden flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Mike trying to pass the guard but Golden defending well.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Mike wants to stand but Golden has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Mike jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Golden went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.

Mike pushes Golden up against the cage in a clinch.

Mike breaks from the clinch.

Mike shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Golden's guard.

Golden has managed to wall walk up one of the corner posts to get back to his feet. Mike is pushing him up against the cage, looking to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Mike escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Mike throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Golden's head.
Mike is breathing heavily.

Mike shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Golden wants to get back to full guard.
Mike controlling the action here.

Mike is trying to work for a kimura but Golden is defending well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Nick Golden will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Mike shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Golden's guard.
Golden keeping moving, preventing Mike from controlling successfully.
Mike would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

Golden looking for a guillotine here but Mike defends easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mike trying to control but Golden is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Golden is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Golden stands up and beckons Mike to join him on the feet.

Mike closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.

Mike is trying to trip Golden. He has hold of a leg but Golden is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Mike persists though and gets the takedown into guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mike trying to control the position from guard on top but Golden is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Golden is trying to keep Mike in close.
Mike trying to move into half guard but instead Golden has managed to sweep!

Mike is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Nick Golden overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Golden controls from within his opponent's guard.

Mike looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Mike takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Golden tries to stand but Mike is controlling from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mike trying to keep a closed guard but Golden is proving a slippery customer.
Golden content to stall in guard here.

Golden stands up from guard. Let's bang!

Excellent takedown into side control there by Mike.
Golden tries to improve position but can't.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Golden tries to control but Mike manages to take his back.

Mike is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Golden is defending well though. Mike let's go of the attempt for now.
Golden tries to roll but Mike sticks to his back.
Golden tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Golden gets back to half guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Mike landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Iron Mike has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Nick Golden is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Golden holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.

And that's the end of the fight!
Iron Mike comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Golden 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 Eliza Hachem scores the fight 29:28
Judge Winston Howard scores the fight 27:30
Judge John Mangel scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Nick Golden!