PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Gabrielius Nieves (ranked 7113 p4p, 636 weight class) and Stephen Halliday (ranked 7125 p4p, 638 weight class). The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Nieves
vs
Halliday

190 cm
18
205 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

194 cm
18
215 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

The Juice

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Gabrielius Nieves!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Stephen Halliday!
The judges for this bout are Anthony Taglia, Lou da Vinci and Columbo Gatti.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Halliday throws a sloppy head kick and Nieves moves out of range easily.
Nieves fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Nieves shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Halliday wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Nieves manages to pass to side control.

Nieves is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Halliday is trying to get back to full guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nieves is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Halliday keeping hold of Nieves's head, controlling as best he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nieves is looking to advance position but Halliday won't allow it.
Halliday is not content to let Nieves control the position.
Halliday holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.

Nieves is looking for a kimura here.
Halliday is trying to control but can't.

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.
Nieves stops Halliday from getting back to his feet.
Halliday is looking to improve his position.
Nieves is thwarting Halliday's attempts to control the position.
Halliday is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Nieves is staying active.
Halliday is trying to stand.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Halliday lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Nieves circles away quickly and effectively.
Nieves seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.

Nieves shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Halliday manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.

Nieves got a little sloppy there for a moment and Halliday has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Nieves has managed to get both his arms back between Halliday's legs - danger averted.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Halliday trying to control the position here.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Nieves passes Halliday's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Nieves is trying to control. Halliday wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Nieves thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Halliday's head.
Nieves seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Halliday does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Halliday is trying to stand up here but Nieves is controlling him well.

Nieves postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Halliday to stand up.

That's four 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.
Nieves takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Stephen Halliday seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nieves tries to clinch up
and Halliday counters with a slapping leg kick.
Nieves pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Nieves takes the fight into the clinch.
Halliday is trying to break the clinch but Nieves is controlling him.
Nieves tries a knee to the head but Halliday blocks it.
Nieves is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Halliday has had enough of the clinch but Nieves keeps him there for the moment.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Nieves tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Halliday managing to block the knees to the body from Nieves.
Halliday is trying to break the clinch but Nieves is controlling him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gabrielius Nieves dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Nieves moves in looking to clinch but Halliday pushes him off.
Nieves is looking to clinch.
Nieves lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.

It looks like Stephen Halliday has been cut.
Halliday cracks the inside of Nieves's front leg.
Nieves is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Nieves fails with an attempt to clinch.
Nieves scores with a kick to the midsection.
Some wild striking there from Halliday.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nieves fails in his attempt to clinch.
Halliday misses with a wild combination.
Halliday defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Nieves.
Halliday throws a counter combo.
A head kick misses from Halliday.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nieves tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
A combination from Halliday does no damage.

Halliday gets tackled into the cage by Nieves. Nieves maintains the clinch.
Halliday wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Nieves has Halliday pressed against the cage, preventing Halliday from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Nieves comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Nieves throws a knee to the head but misses.
Nieves with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Nieves lands a right hand.
Halliday blocks an uppercut.
Nieves pushes Halliday back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Halliday dodges an elbow strike from Nieves.
Halliday tries to break free but Nieves pushes him back against the cage.
Nieves is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Halliday can do to turn this around?
Halliday has had enough of the clinch but Nieves keeps him there for the moment.
Nieves misses with a knee to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nieves looks to throw an elbow but misses.

Halliday breaks from the clinch.
Some wild striking there from Nieves.
Halliday throws a head kick that half lands.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Nieves darts in and clinches Halliday up against the cage.
Nieves working aggressively here.
Nieves lands a body punch.
Nieves with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Halliday is trying to break the clinch but Nieves has him pressed against the cage.
A short left from Nieves.
Nieves looking to throw knees to the head but Halliday is blocking nicely.
A knee to the head by Nieves.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Halliday wants to break the clinch but can't.
Halliday is trying to break the clinch but Nieves has him pressed against the cage.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Halliday in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
Nieves landing knees to the head.
Nieves landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Nieves with a knee to the head.
Nieves throws a knee to the head but misses.
Halliday is trying to force a seperation but Nieves has the dominant position.
Halliday scores with a nice hook to the head.
Nieves lands an uppercut.
Nieves lands a hook to the side of the head.
Nieves with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Nieves throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Halliday blocks it with crossed arms.
Nieves misses with a knee to the head.

Halliday escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Halliday looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Nieves circles away from the clinch attempt.
Nieves swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Nieves doesn't manage to clinch there - Halliday circles away.
Nieves tries to clinch there but Halliday circles away.
Stephen Halliday seems to be getting the better of the standup.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Halliday throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Halliday throws the left hand but Nieves avoids the punch easily.
Nieves tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Halliday manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Nieves moves out of range of the leg kick from Halliday.
Nieves ducks under a wild hook from Halliday.
Nieves keeps the fight on the outside.
Gabrielius Nieves is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Nieves doesn't manage to clinch there - Halliday circles away.
Nieves blocks a head kick by Halliday.
Nieves shoots in for a takedown but Halliday shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gabrielius Nieves dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Stephen Halliday's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Halliday tries to clinch there but Nieves circles away.
Halliday lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Nieves circles away quickly and effectively.
Nieves throws a head kick that misses.
Halliday is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Halliday is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Nieves.
A head kick misses from Halliday.
Halliday lands with a straight right. Nieves didn't see that one coming.
Nieves avoids the head kick by Halliday.
Sloppy strikes from Nieves. Those never looked like landing.
Halliday is looking for the big counter here.
Halliday throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Nieves on the side of the head.

Nieves clinches up with Halliday and pushes him back against the cage.
Nieves tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Halliday wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Nieves working aggressively here.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Nieves pushes off an throws an elbow but Halliday leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nieves taking a breather.
Nieves looking to throw knees to the head but Halliday is blocking nicely.
Nieves throws a knee to the head but misses.
Nieves throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Halliday blocks it with crossed arms.
Nieves misses with a punch on the inside.
Halliday on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Nieves with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

That has opened up Stephen Halliday's cut even more.
Nieves prevents Halliday from breaking the clinch.
Nieves misses with the head strike.

Halliday's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Nieves fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Sloppy strikes from Halliday. Those never looked like landing.

Halliday lands a big head kick that sends Nieves tumbling to the mat! Halliday takes a step backwards and waves Nieves back to his feet - he wants the finish!

Nieves is rocked!

It looks like Gabrielius Nieves has been cut.
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!
Nieves shoots and misses
and Halliday counters with a nice body shot.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nieves throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Halliday.
Halliday tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Halliday scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Halliday lands a brutal head kick. Nieves looks out on his feet and Halliday throws more strikes until the ref is forced to stop the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:20 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Kick and Punches). Stephen Halliday!