PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Akoni Gray (ranked 9 p4p, 3 weight class) and Harold Nicolas (ranked 85 p4p, 16 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Gray
vs
Nicolas

189 cm
37
210 lbs
42 - 5 - 1

187 cm
34
211 lbs
30 - 14 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

KOMBAT KLOTHING
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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the light heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 42 - 5 - 1, fighting out of New York, Akoni Gray!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 30 - 14 - 0, fighting out of London, Harold Nicolas!
The judges for this bout are , Don Winkell and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nicolas missing with a left hand there. Gray was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Gray keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Gray was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Nicolas fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Gray quickly followed up with a counter body kick but doesn't connect.
Nicolas swings widly with a right hand
letting Gray counter with a right hand.
Harold Nicolas seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nicolas misses with a wild body shot.
Gray swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Nicolas misses with a lunging right hand
enabling Gray to counter with a crisp jab.

It looks like Harold Nicolas has been cut.
Gray walks into a straight right hand from Nicolas.

It looks like Akoni Gray has been cut.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nicolas paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Nicolas falls off balance throwing a combination
and Gray counters with a nice uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nicolas misses with a left hand
and Gray counters with an inside leg kick.
Gray chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Gray has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Gray there as he acknowledges the shot.
Gray has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Gray there as he acknowledges the shot.

Nicolas lands a left and a right that send Gray crashing to the mat, dazed. Nicolas thinks about following him to the mat but decides to wave him back up to his feet!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Nicolas misses with a hook
and Gray counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Nice defenses there by Gray.
Gray tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nicolas scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Gray doesn't seem bothered though.
Nicolas throws a lazy right hand but Gray sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Nicolas throws a body shot but no joy.
Gray blocks a leg kick.
Nicolas lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.

Gray clinches up with Nicolas and pushes him back against the cage.
Gray blocking some punches.
Nicolas lands a body shot.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Gray.
Nicolas blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Still in the clinch, Gray scores with a nice short uppercut.
Gray tries to throw a body punch but Nicolas avoids it by throwing Gray back against the cage.
Gray prevents a body shot from Nicolas.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nicolas lands an uppercut.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Nicolas creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Gray blocks a body shot from Nicolas.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Nicolas.
Nicolas prevents a body shot from Gray.
Gray tries to throw a body punch but Nicolas avoids it by throwing Gray back against the cage.
Gray lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Nicolas lands a body punch.
Gray tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Gray goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Nicolas misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Gray pushes Nicolas back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Gray misses with a hook to the ribs.
Gray definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Nicolas tries to circle away but Gray has him pinned against the cage.
A short right from Gray.
A short left from Nicolas.
Nicolas lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Nicolas tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
A nice left hand lands by Nicolas.
Gray tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Nicolas misses with some punches.
Nicolas softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Nicolas.

Akoni Gray's cut is getting worse.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nicolas doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Gray tries a body shot but Nicolas blocks it.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Gray creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Gray tries to work over Nicolas's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Nicolas tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Nicolas has a couple of punches blocked by Gray.
Gray lands a nice uppercut.
Gray scores with a shot to the side of Nicolas's head.
Gray blocks an uppercut.
Gray tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Nicolas's elbow.
Gray fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Nicolas scores with a shoulder strike.
Nicolas lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Gray backwards.
Gray working aggressively here.
Nicolas has a couple of punches blocked by Gray.
Gray doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gray throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Nicolass head.
Nicolas lands with a light punch inside.
Nicolas tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
A right handed body shot lands from Nicolas.
Gray swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Gray goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Harold Nicolas dominated that round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Nicolas ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Gray moves away.
Gray is looking to counter punch.
Nicolas changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.

Gray closes the distance and clinches.
Gray blocks an uppercut.
Gray works on Nicolas's body with a couple of short punches.
Gray can't find room to land a body shot as Nicolas controls the action.
Gray misses with a hook from the clinch.
Nicolas tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Gray misses with a short punch on the inside.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Gray.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A short body shot lands from Gray as the two fighters clinch.
Gray tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Gray lands a hook that snaps the head of Nicolas backwards.

Gray breaks the clinch.
Nicolas swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Nicolas takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Nicolas misses with a wild combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nicolas misses with a double jab
and Gray counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Nicolas cracks a nice hook into Gray's ribs.
Gray has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Nicolas throws a sloppy head kick and Gray moves out of range easily.
Nicolas cracks Gray with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Nicolas, right into the meat.
A punch lands to the side of Gray 's head but he takes it in his stride.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nicolas misses with a wild body shot.
Gray swings widly with a right hand
and Nicolas counters with a straight right hand.
Nicolas keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Gray throws out a leg kick but Nicolas moves out of range and Gray only half commits.
Nicolas jabs at Gray's body.
Gray lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Nicolas scores with a sloppy right hand. Gray should have avoided that one.
Gray tries to move into range but Nicolas moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A slow jab from Nicolas misses its intended target.
Nicolas tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Gray was well out of range. Poor timing from Nicolas.
Gray takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Good leg kick by Nicolas there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Gray fails in his attempt to clinch.
Gray with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Nicolas to score with a decent uppercut.
Nicolas throws a lazy uppercut
and Gray counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Nicolas throws a hook to the side of Gray's head but Gray sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Gray appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A telegraphed right hand from Nicolas misses the target.
Gray loads up on a big right hand but Nicolas slips the punch.
Gray avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Gray takes one to the chin there.

Akoni Gray's cut is bleeding quite badly. He's got to try and protect it.
Nicolas swings widly with a right hand
and Gray counters with a straight right hand.
Nicolas fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Gray manages to avoid it.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Nicolas throws a hook but Gray blocks it.
It looked like Gray was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Nicolas.
Some wild striking there from Nicolas.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Harold Nicolas showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Gray fails to land with a series of punches.
A telegraphed right hand from Nicolas misses the target.
Nicolas's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Nicolas duly obliges.
Gray ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Nicolas throws a right hand that misses
and Gray cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Nicolas throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gray takes a swing at Nicolas's ribcage but misses.
Nicolas dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Gray. That did some damage!
Nicolas moves away from the strike by Gray.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gray throws a sloppy body shot
enabling Nicolas to counter with a crisp jab.
Nicolas misses with a looping right.
Nicolas has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Nicolas takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Gray with a body punch. A glancing blow.
The fighters circling - Nicolas throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
An attempted straight right counter from Gray misses the target.
Gray throws a body kick despite being completely out of range
and Gray takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Nicolas misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gray scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
A jab from Nicolas finds it's way through Gray's defenses.
Good shot there by Nicolas.
Nicolas lands with a right hand.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A good leg kick by Nicolas.
Nicolas with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Gray 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.
Nicolas throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Gray sees it coming and avoids it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nicolas lands a glancing blow to the side of Gray's head.
Gray throws a combination that misses
and Nicolas counters with a nice uppercut.

Jeez, Akoni Gray's cut is really nasty now. The referee must be thinking about getting that checked.
Nice jab there from Nicolas.

Gray is rocked!
Gray displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Nicolas throws out the jab.
Gray misses with a hook
and Nicolas counters with a stiff right hand.
Gray tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Gray 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.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nicolas throws out a leg kick but Gray moves out of range and Nicolas only half commits.
A counter left hand to the body from Gray misses its target.
A big right from Nicolas misses.
Gray moves out of range of the strikes.
Nicolas swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Nicolas with a jab.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at Akoni Gray's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:44 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Harold Nicolas!
Harold Nicolas is the new light heavyweight champion!
A relieved looking Harold Nicolas thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.