PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Pablo Noriega (ranked 1483 p4p, 1908 weight class) and Dill Nickle (ranked 139 p4p, 172 weight class). Noriega comes to the cage accompanied by MS-13 Mara Salvatrucha. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Noriega
vs
Nickle

181 cm
45
148
37 - 25 - 2

176 cm
26
148
10 - 8 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Olympic wrestler
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Fantasy Threads
Vegan Gains

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 37 - 25 - 2, fighting out of Amsterdam, Pablo Noriega!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Dill Nickle!
The judges for this bout are Hugh Johnson, Winston Howard and Topper Green.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nickle blocks a jab.
A lazy left from Noriega finds it's target.

Nickle scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Noriega wants to control but Nickle is keeping busy.
Noriega looks like he's trying to stand up.
Nickle with the ground and pound but Noriega uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Nickle working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Nickle in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nickle in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Nickle trying to control but Noriega is working from the bottom.
Nickle is looking to work some ground and pound but Noriega has wrist control.

Nickle drops back, looking for a kneebar! Noriega looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Noriega looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Noriega!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nickle is looking to regain half guard here but Noriega keeps moving and retains side control.
Noriega tries to move to mount but Nickle blocks the move with his legs.
Nickle has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Noriega is working hard here to advance position.
Nickle tries to bench press Noriega off him but Noriega keeps the position.
Nickle is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.

Nickle looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Nickle is looking to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Noriega in particular looking to stall.

Nickle is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Noriega pulls his head out easily.
Nickle is looking to improve his position.
Nickle slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Noriega preventing the sweep.
Nickle throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nickle throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Nickle wants to sweep here but Noriega controlling him for the moment.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Nickle has Noriega pulled in close to control his posture.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Noriega misses with a leg kick

and Nickle counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Noriega wants to sweep here but Nickle controlling him for the moment.
Noriega has Nickle pulled in close to control his posture.
Nickle missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Nickle trying to control but Noriega is working from the bottom.
Nickle throws a strike but Noriega rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nickle is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Noriega stopping the sweep attempt from Nickle.

Nickle working for a triangle but Noriega defends it easily.
Noriega is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Dill Nickle will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Noriega fakes the leg kick and cracks Nickle in the body.
Noriega slaps away a takedown attempt from Nickle, before circling back to the center of the mat.

Nickle fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Noriega sprawls well initially but Nickle persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Nickle is nestled in close to Noriega, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Nickle thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Noriega's head.
Noriega pushes Nickle off looking to stand but Nickle dives back in and keeps control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Noriega is refusing to be controlled, as Nickle sits in half guard.
Nickle looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Nickle sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Noriega defending well though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nickle landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Nickle controlling the action here.
Noriega is not content to let Nickle control the position.
Noriega keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Nickle looks to land a strike but Noriega avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Nickle connects with a couple of short punches.
Nickle throwing strikes but missing.
Nickle chips away with some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nickle working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Noriega working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Nickle.
Nickle working some strikes from top position.
Nickle postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Nickle trying to control but Noriega is working from the bottom.
Nickle in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Nickle looking to pass the guard.
Nickle stopping the sweep attempt from Noriega.
Noriega keeping full guard, as Nickle tries to pass.
Nickle trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nickle trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Noriega manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!

Noriega won't allow Nickle to sweep him here.

Nickle has his foot on Noriega's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Noriega works his way back into a safe position though.
Noriega showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Nickle 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.

Nickle had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Noriega defends it easily.

Nickle is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Noriega defends well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nickle throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Noriega is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Nickle 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.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Nickle is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Dill Nickle showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Noriega throws the kick towards the body but Nickle avoids it.
Nickle has a takedown stuffed.
Noriega missing with a left hand there. Nickle was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Despite the aggression on Nickle's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Noriega connects with a body shot.
A jab from Noriega misses.
Noriega swings widly with a right hand
and Nickle counters with a three punch combo that has Noriega backing up. Noriega nods at Nickle to acknowledge the strikes.
Nickle ducks under a wild hook from Noriega.
Good leg kick by Noriega.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Nickle feints and as Noriega raises his hands in defense, Nickle changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.

Noriega wriggles free and stands up.
Noriega really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Noriega misses with a body kick.
Noriega lands with a straight right. Nickle didn't see that one coming.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Noriega throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

Noriega gets caught flat footed, as Nickle shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Nickle wants to control from the top but Noriega keeps moving.
Nickle might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Noriega haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Noriega controlling Nickle's posture.
Dill Nickle has got the better of the ground game so far.
Nickle sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Nickle tries to free his leg and advance position but Noriega is retaining full guard.
Pablo Noriega has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nickle is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Nickle is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Noriega avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Nickle throws an elbow that misses. Noriega uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Nickle's guard. Nice move by Noriega!

Nickle is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Nickle is trying to control the action in half guard but Noriega is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Nickle is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Noriega sees it coming and defends easily.
Nickle with the ground and pound but Noriega uses the opportunity to regain guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nickle wants to control from the top but Noriega keeps moving.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Nickle accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Nickle wants to pass the guard but Noriega is keeping the position.
Noriega keeping moving, preventing Nickle from controlling successfully.
Noriega is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Nickle with a nice head shot there.
Nickle throws a big right hand that misses.
Nickle slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Nickle misses with the ground and pound.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Nickle working the ground and pound.
Noriega takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Nickle in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.

Nickle working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
A lull in the action here as Nickle stalls from top position.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Dill Nickle.
I've got Nickle winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Hugh Johnson scores the fight 28:29
Judge Winston Howard scores the fight 28:29
Judge Topper Green scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dill Nickle!
A very excited looking Dill Nickle made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.
The defeated Pablo Noriega had this to say: 'Don’t Worry Im Gonna Put A Hit On Him Ese'.