PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Neil Nucombe (ranked 2749 p4p, 3734 weight class) and Nikos Balopoulos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Neil Nucombe has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Nucombe
vs
Balopoulos

166 cm
48
166
33 - 19 - 0

178 cm
26
164
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Very strong

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Good gas tank

Fantasy Threads

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 33 - 19 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Neil Nucombe!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Nikos Balopoulos!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Tarja Halkonen and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nucombe dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Balopoulos has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
Balopoulos thows a left - swing and a miss!
Nucombe takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Balopoulos throws a jab but it's blocked by Nucombe.
Nucombe scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Balopoulos doesn't seem bothered though.

Balopoulos drives through with a takedown into Nucombe's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Balopoulos trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Balopoulos trying to control the position from guard on top but Nucombe is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Balopoulos throwing strikes but missing.
Balopoulos has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Balopoulos throws a big elbow that misses.
Nucombe is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Balopoulos throws a strike but Nucombe rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nucombe trying to stand up but can't free himself from Balopoulos's guard.
Balopoulos looking to hit a scissor sweep but Nucombe is one step ahead there.
Balopoulos is trying to keep Nucombe in close.
Nucombe is looking to stand up but Balopoulos won't let him.
Balopoulos trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Nucombe might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Nucombe wanted to stand there but Balopoulos had control of the position.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Balopoulos has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Nucombe has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Tappelukerho in the buildup to the fight.
Nucombe throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Balopoulos stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Nucombe scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Balopoulos doesn't seem bothered though.
Balopoulos takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Nucombe scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Balopoulos doesn't seem bothered though.
Nice shot by Nucombe.
Nucombe lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Nucombe scores with a punch to the head.
Nucombe is looking to wear down Balopoulos with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Nucombe lands with a good body shot.
Nucombe bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
The fighters circling - Balopoulos throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balopoulos pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Nucombe seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Nucombe lands a slapping body shot.
Nucombe dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Balopoulos on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Balopoulos fails with the takedown

and Nucombe counters by moving into the clinch.
A shot in the inside from Nucombe.
Nucombe lands a knee to the head.
Nucombe scores with a shot to the side of Balopoulos's head.
Nucombe lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Balopoulos goes for a takedown in the clinch but Nucombe prevents it.

Balopoulos gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.

Nucombe manages to escape and get back 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!
Nucombe with a jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balopoulos throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Neil Nucombe is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Nucombe with a nice cross.
Nucombe fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Balopoulos looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Balopoulos throws an overhand right that lands on Nucombe's shoulder, as Nucombe tries to avoid the shot.
Nucombe scores with a punch to the head.
Nucombe works Balopoulos's body with a nice hook.
Balopoulos throws a body shot but no joy.
Nucombe ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Nucombe with a nice cross.
Nucombe uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Balopoulos.
Balopoulos moves in looking to clinch but Nucombe pushes him off.
Nucombe lands with a shot to the body.
Nucombe lands an overhand right.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Neil Nucombe dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Nice shot by Nucombe.
Nucombe ducks under a wild hook from Balopoulos.
Nucombe lands a nice looking body shot.
Balopoulos takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Nucombe connects with a right hand. Balopoulos shakes it off.
Nucombe works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Balopoulos on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Nucombe connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Balopoulos's hands.

Balopoulos is rocked!
Nucombe lands a body shot.

Nucombe drops Balopoulos with a big left hand and mounts him. Balopoulos is in big trouble!
Balopoulos is still in real trouble! Can Nucombe finish him?
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Nucombe is standing up, even though he is in mount.
Nucombe scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.

Nucombe drops his shoulder and cracks Balopoulos with a huge uppercut! Balopoulos goes down! Can Nucombe finish him?
Nucombe wanted to stand there but Balopoulos had control of the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balopoulos trying to strike off his back.

Nucombe stands up from Balopoulos's guard - Nucombe perhaps looking for a knockout.
Balopoulos seems to have recovered his senses.
Balopoulos gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Good exchange - Nucombe coming out on top.
Nucombe slips a straight right by Balopoulos.
Nucombe is looking to counter the offense by Balopoulos and move into the clinch.
Nucombe lands a jab to Balopoulos's midsection.
Nucombe cracks Balopoulos with a good jab.
Balopoulos takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Nucombe fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Balopoulos ducks right into an uppercut from Nucombe.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balopoulos throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Nucombe's waist but Nucombe gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Balopoulos off to one side.
Balopoulos is breathing heavily.
Nucombe jabs at Balopoulos's body.
Neil Nucombe seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
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!
Balopoulos fails with a takedown attempt.
Nucombe stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Nucombe scores with a jab to the jaw.
Nucombe lands a nice shot to the body.
Nucombe lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Balopoulos at a distance.
Nucombe works Balopoulos's body with a nice hook.
Balopoulos has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.

Nucombe moves into range and throws a big uppercut. OH! Balopoulos goes down! Can Nucombe finish him!?
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Nucombe decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Balopoulos, up you get!
Nucombe darts in and out, connecting with a jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nucombe ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
BOOM! Nucombe lands a beautiful left hook that drops Balopoulos. Balopoulos tries to recover but Nucombe is having none of it, landing more punishing shots from mount. One final crushing shot and Balopoulos lies motionless on the canvas. The fight is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:14 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Neil Nucombe!
Neil Nucombe bigged himself up after the win. The crowd seemed to love it.