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PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Aoatea Nuku (ranked 259 p4p, 988 weight class) and Thiago Castro (ranked 38 p4p, 120 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!
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| 192 cm
22
260
12 - 2 - 0 |
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175 cm
24
280
6 - 3 - 0 |
Good wrestling
World class boxer
Granite chin |
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Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank |
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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Aoatea Nuku!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Thiago Castro!
The judges for this bout are Percy O'Donnell, Timothy Bukovac and Don Winkell.
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Castro throws a hook to the side of Nuku's head but Nuku sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
A telegraphed right hand from Castro misses the target.
Castro misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Nuku.
Castro shoots in for a takedown but Nuku shows good takedown defense.
Nuku feinted there with a counter leg kick.
Castro throws a leg kick
and Nuku counters with a straight right hand.
Castro scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Nuku gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Castro not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Castro not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Castro working the head and body with strikes.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Castro wants to work for an arm triangle but Nuku is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Castro is stalling here. Nuku is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Castro seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Nuku has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Castro tries to improve position but can't.
Nuku is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Castro is trying to get back to half guard.
Nuku wants to lay and pray for a moment but Castro keeps working.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Castro can't do much from the bottom here.
Castro is looking for a sweep.
Nuku taking a breather here.
Castro is trying to improve his position.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Castro struggling a bit here.
Castro is looking to regain half guard here but Nuku keeps moving and retains side control.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Nuku will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Nuku is looking to take a break and control but Castro is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Nuku lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Castro keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Nuku.
Castro wants to land a leg kick but Nuku is out of range.
Castro scores with a takedown into Nuku's guard.
Castro throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Nuku works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Nuku looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Castro throws a big elbow that misses.
Castro loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Nuku utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Castro keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Nuku's head.
Nuku keeping moving, preventing Castro from controlling successfully.
Castro throws a strike but Nuku rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.
A close round but Thiago Castro will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!
Castro drives through with a takedown into Nuku's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Castro throwing strikes but missing.
Castro trying to control the position from guard on top but Nuku is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Nuku preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Nuku wants to sweep but no luck.
Castro landing some decent shots from guard.
We've been informed that Castro has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
Castro slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Castro throws a big right hand that misses.
Nuku keeping moving, preventing Castro from controlling successfully.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Castro sitting in guard here, content to control.
Castro with a flurry of punches that miss.
Castro working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Castro is pushing down on Nuku's leg trying to pass to half guard. Nuku is fighting to maintain full guard but Castro has managed to sneak the leg through.
Castro working over Nuku with some ground and pound. Nuku looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Castro has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Castro seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Nuku does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Castro thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Nuku keeping hold of Castro's head, controlling as best he can.
Castro throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Castro controlling the action here.
Castro missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Castro working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Castro wants to pass to mount but Nuku is defending the position.
Castro winds up and cracks Nuku with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Castro is trying to work for a kimura but Nuku is defending well.
Castro is working for a submission of some sort.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Castro missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Castro throws a strike but Nuku avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Castro trying to control the position from guard on top but Nuku is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Castro loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Castro works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Castro misses with a head shot. Nuku uses the momentum to regain guard.
That's four 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.
Castro scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Castro slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Castro trying to control but Nuku is working from the bottom.
Castro has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Nuku can't keep his opponent in guard - Castro advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Castro is looking to take a break and control but Nuku is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.
Thiago Castro showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!
Castro swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Castro takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
A big right from Nuku misses.
And Castro tries to counter it with a takedown but Nuku pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Nuku throws a jab when Castro was well out of range.
Nuku looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Castro fails with a takedown attempt.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Castro is defended easily by Nuku.
Castro fails with a takedown attempt.
Aoatea Nuku has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Thiago Castro.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Castro fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Nuku avoids it really well and circles away.
Nuku tried to counter with a leg kick but Castro avoided it.
Castro misses with an uppercut. Nuku saw that one coming.
That's one minute gone in the round.
A decent looking cross lands there for Nuku.
Castro shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Castro shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Nuku's guard.
Castro stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Nuku swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Nuku has momentary wrist control but Castro slips an elbow through the middle.
Nuku pulls Castro in close to prevent any damage.
Castro tries to free his leg and advance position but Nuku is retaining full guard.
Castro postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Castro trying to control but Nuku is working from the bottom.
Nuku preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nuku wants to sweep here but Castro controlling him for the moment.
Castro throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Nuku works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Nuku trying to control the position.
The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
A lazy left from Nuku finds it's target.
Nuku is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Castro tries to clinch there but Nuku circles away.
Nuku with a nice calf kick.
Nuku tries to score with a low kick but Castro moves his leg out of the way.
Nuku slaps away a takedown attempt from Castro, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Castro tries for a takedown but Nuku sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Castro slips under a jab.
And Castro tries to counter it with a takedown but Nuku pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Castro works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Nuku's jab looks to have found its range, popping Castro under the eye.
Castro throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Nuku sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Nuku with a nice cross.
Nuku is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Nuku uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Castro.
Nuku is looking to counter punch.
Aoatea Nuku is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Castro swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Castro misses with a wild body shot.
Nuku dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Nuku scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Castro takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Castro misses with a takedown attempt
and Nuku connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Castro tries to clinch up
and Castro takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Aoatea Nuku has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Thiago Castro is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Castro takes one on the button.
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!
Castro closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Nuku to the mat! Nuku manages to get full guard.
Castro controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Nuku looking to control.
Castro controls from within his opponent's guard.
Castro throwing strikes but missing.
Nuku looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
And that's the end of the fight!
Aoatea Nuku showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Castro has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 28:29
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 29:28
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 28:29
In favor of your winner, by split decision... Thiago Castro!
A relieved looking Thiago Castro thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.
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| S |
C
A |
G |
S |
C
B |
G |
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S |
C |
G |
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energy
A | B |
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hype
A | B |
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pop
A | B |
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mgr
A | B |
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FIGHT
RATING
32% |
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