PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Brock Lesnar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nathaniel Royle (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Lesnar
vs
Royle

205 cm
22
264 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

220 cm
18
220 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Brock Lesnar!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Nathaniel Royle!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Vladimir Khabensky and Aleksandr Martynov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lesnar misses with a takedown attempt - Royle sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Lesnar misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Royle ducks under a wild hook from Lesnar.
A head kick misses from Lesnar.
Lesnar fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Lesnar misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Royle.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Royle controls the position.
Lesnar wants to get back to his feet.
Royle working the ground and pound but Lesnar is defending the strikes.
Royle wants to control but Lesnar is keeping him busy.
Lesnar is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Royle has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Lesnar is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Royle taking a breather here.
Royle is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Lesnar is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Lesnar wants to get back to his feet but Royle drags him back down.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Royle closes the distance and clinches.
Royle tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Lesnar just stands there and leans against the cage.
Lesnar prevents the takedown attempt.
Royle drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Lesnar gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Brock Lesnar has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Nathaniel Royle.

Lesnar pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

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.

Lesnar gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Lesnar is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Lesnar looking to control.
Lesnar is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Lesnar is working an open guard so Royle takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

Royle closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Royle lands in his opponent's guard.
Lesnar keeping moving, preventing Royle from controlling successfully.
Lesnar might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Royle working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Royle trying to control but Lesnar is working from the bottom.
Lesnar wants to get back to his feet but Royle passes into half guard.
Royle trying to control the pace.
Royle sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Lesnar defending well though.

That's four 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.
Royle thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Lesnar's head.

Lesnar kicks Royle off and gets back to his feet.
Royle walks into a jab.
Lesnar avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Lesnar scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Lesnar wants to stand but Royle is controlling his arm.
Lesnar working away.
Lesnar throwing strikes but Royle manages to buck up and roll into a nice reversal - now he's on top in side control!
Lesnar is looking for a sweep.
Royle working the head and body with strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nathaniel Royle dominated that round.
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.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Lesnar.
Royle sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Royle gets full guard.
Lesnar trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

Royle escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Lesnar gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Lesnar looking to sit in guard and control but Royle gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Royle is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Let's hope that Royle has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

Royle is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Lesnar is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Lesnar has escaped and now he's on top!
Lesnar wants to get up but he can't break Royle's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Royle 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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Lesnar throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Royle works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Lesnar tries to stand but Royle is controlling from the bottom.
Royle tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Royle keeping moving, preventing Lesnar from controlling successfully.
Lesnar tries to stand but Royle is controlling from the bottom.
Royle looking to control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Royle stuns Lesnar with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.

Royle feints and as Lesnar raises his hands in defense, Royle changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Royle trying to control the position from guard on top but Lesnar is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Royle decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Lesnar bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Royle's head backwards.

Royle looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Lesnar!
Royle with a couple of short strikes.
Lesnar in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Royle landing shots from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Royle controlling from the full mount.
Lesnar is trying to stand but he's not in a good position to be doing that! Royle has taken his back!
Lesnar looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
Lesnar trying to get back to his feet but Royle is in full control for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nathaniel Royle 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!

Lesnar takes a swing at Royle's ribcage but misses.
Lesnar walks forward, straight into a front kick from Royle.
Good shot there by Lesnar.
Lesnar digs a good hook to Royle's body.
Brock Lesnar seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Lesnar closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.

Lesnar escapes and gets back to his feet.
A punch lands to the side of Royle 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Lesnar has his takedown stuffed

and Royle counters with a shoot takedown. Lesnar fights it but they end up in guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Royle trying to control the position from guard on top but Lesnar is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Nathaniel Royle has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Royle distracts Lesnar with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.

Royle stands up and waves to Lesnar to follow him.

Lesnar gets caught flat footed, as Royle shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Royle won't allow Lesnar to get back to his feet.
Royle controlling from the top position.
Royle stops Lesnar from standing up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lesnar working a defensive guard but Royle manages to pass into side control anyway.
Royle trying to control the position but Lesnar is working away.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Royle will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lesnar doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Royle counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Lesnar is looking to escape.
Royle seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Lesnar pushes Royle off looking to stand but Royle dives back in and keeps control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Royle thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Lesnar is trying to stand up here but Royle is controlling him well.

Lesnar looking for submissions off his back.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
A solid body kick from Royle.
Brock Lesnar has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Nathaniel Royle is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Royle rushes Lesnar and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nathaniel Royle comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Royle 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 Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 27:30
Judge Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nathaniel Royle!