PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Metbal Skabetti (ranked 2020 p4p, 2017 weight class) and Panagiotis Nikolau (ranked 264 p4p, 262 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Skabetti
vs
Nikolau

192 cm
21
209
4 - 1 - 0

190 cm
21
206
4 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
World class MT
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Bondi MMA 🏝️
New Standard

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 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Metbal Skabetti!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Panagiotis Nikolau!
The judges for this bout are William Gold, Andrew Berry and Donald Grub.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nikolau uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Skabetti.
A looping hook to the body misses from Skabetti. Nikolau does a little dance to reset his feet.
Nikolau misses the jab.
Skabetti throws a counter high kick but Nikolau was just alert enough to avoid it.
Nikolau looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
A big right from Nikolau misses.
Nikolau lands a jab to the head.
Skabetti misses with a series of wild punches.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Nikolau! But no joy.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Skabetti doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Skabetti uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Nikolau.
Skabetti stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Nikolau.
Nikolau lands a body shot.
Skabetti connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Skabetti lands a nice shot that snaps Nikolau's head back.
Skabetti slips under a jab from Nikolau.
Nikolau misses the jab.
Skabetti connects with a right hand. Nikolau shakes it off.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Skabetti scores with a shot to the body.
Skabetti uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Nikolau.
Skabetti walks into a jab.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Sloppy strikes from Nikolau. Those never looked like landing.
Nikolau blocks a leg kick.
A little jabbing left from Nikolau on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Nikolau misses with an uppercut.
Nikolau darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Skabetti looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Skabetti throws a head kick but Nikolau moves out of range.
Nikolau throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Skabetti seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Nikolau scores with a jab.
Nikolau misses with a straight right.
Skabetti throws a big counter combination but Nikolau scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Nikolau throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Skabetti cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Nikolau avoids a kick to the body.
Nikolau throws a series of punches but Skabetti avoids them all with ease.
Nikolau throws a shot to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nikolau fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Skabetti manages to avoid it.
Skabetti lifts his leg as if looking to counter with a high kick.
Nikolau misses with an uppercut
and Skabetti counters with an outside leg kick.
Nikolau lands with a cross.
Nikolau throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Skabetti counters with a right hand to the body.
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!
Skabetti misses with an uppercut. Nikolau saw that one coming.
Skabetti looks to land a body kick but Nikolau moved away.
Nikolau uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Skabetti.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Nikolau misses with a looping right.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Nikolau 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.
Skabetti throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Nikolau now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Nikolau swings widly with a right hand
and Skabetti counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Panagiotis Nikolau seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nice defenses there by Skabetti.
Nikolau looks to land a left hand but Skabetti moved out of range nicely.
Nikolau throws a leg kick but Skabetti sees it coming and moves out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Skabetti throws a head kick that misses.
Nikolau misses with the combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nikolau fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Nikolau swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.
A good leg kick by Skabetti.
Nikolau on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Skabetti lands with a slapping head kick.
Skabetti throws a body shot but no joy.
Skabetti uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Nikolau.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Skabetti thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Nikolau if he has to take too many more of those.
Nikolau jabs Skabetti to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Nikolau misses with a right hand
and Nikolau takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Skabetti misses with a body shot.
Nikolau throws a body shot but no joy.
Nikolau takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Skabetti throws a sloppy head kick and Nikolau moves out of range easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Skabetti pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Nikolau throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Skabetti finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
Skabetti blocks a low kick nicely.
Skabetti swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Nikolau connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Skabetti showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Nikolau.
Skabetti lifts his leg as if looking to counter with a high kick.
Skabetti uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Nikolau.
Skabetti is looking to counter with a shot to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Skabetti throws a right hand that Nikolau ducks under and follows up with a left that Nikolau also avoids with ease.
Nikolau throws a poor cross that misses
and Skabetti counters with a stiff right hand.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Skabetti, as that shot connected.
Nikolau throws a body shot but no joy.
A little feinted left hand from Skabetti on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Skabetti avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Skabetti misses with a body kick.
Nikolau looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Nikolau tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Skabetti fires out a quick counter leg kick but Nikolau just manages to avoid it.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Metbal Skabetti dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Nikolau has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Nikolau there as he acknowledges the shot.
Skabetti scores with a shot to the body.
A big right from Skabetti misses.
Nikolau swings and misses with a hook to the body.
As Nikolau backs away, Skabetti returns fire with a leg kick that just misses.
Metbal Skabetti is winning the standup battle so far.
Skabetti walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A combination from Nikolau does no damage.
Skabetti is looking to counter with head kicks.
Skabetti pushes Nikolau away with a front kick.
Nikolau takes a swing at Skabetti's ribcage but misses.
Skabetti throws a quick counter head kick but Nikolau was just out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Skabetti moves out of range as Nikolau strikes.
Skabetti appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Skabetti with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Nikolau to score with a decent uppercut.
Skabetti defending well as Nikolau loads up on a big left hand.
Nikolau throws a leg kick but Skabetti sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Nikolau misses with a left hand
and Skabetti counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Skabetti throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Skabetti slips under a jab.
A counter left hand to the body from Skabetti misses its target.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nikolau looks to throw the jab but Skabetti is out of range.
Nikolau comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Nikolau slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Nikolau is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Skabetti misses with a hook.
Nikolau swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
A looping hook to the body misses from Nikolau. Skabetti does a little dance to reset his feet.
Skabetti is looking to counter with a body kick.
That kick from Nikolau tenderised Skabetti's leg. Skabetti is trying to keep his angry face on.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Skabetti avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Skabetti jinks towards his opponent looking like he wants to counter with a mid kick but doesn't commit.
Nikolau works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Nikolau ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Skabetti moves away.
Skabetti cracks Nikolau with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
A low kick lands for Skabetti.
Skabetti throws a head kick that looked like it stung.

It looks like Panagiotis Nikolau has been cut.
Nikolau looks to land a combination but Skabetti avoids it well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nikolau blocks a head kick by Skabetti.
Nikolau feints a jab promting Skabetti to slip. Nikolau then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Skabetti slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Nikolau works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
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!
Nikolau looks to score with a jab to the body but Skabetti is just out of range.
Nikolau throws a leg kick
and Skabetti counters with a body kick.
Decent striking displayed by Skabetti there.

And that's the end of the fight!
Panagiotis Nikolau comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Nikolau has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 William Gold scores the fight 28:29
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight 28:29
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Panagiotis Nikolau!
Our winner, Panagiotis Nikolau, 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.