PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Paddy Barnes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nathan Holden (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Barnes
vs
Holden

168 cm
19
150 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

173 cm
19
155 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Good chin

Good wrestler
Counter striker
Powerful

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Paddy Barnes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Nathan Holden!
The judges for this bout are Sam Margolis, Paul Tew and Colin Fotheringham.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Barnes misses with a wild combination.
Barnes fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Barnes misses the shot to the body.
Holden fails to land with a series of punches.
Holden throws a lazy right hand but Barnes sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Holden moves out of range of the strikes.
Barnes misses with a combination
and Holden counters with an inside leg kick.

Holden throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Barnes was covering up waiting for the punch and Holden finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Holden working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Holden is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Holden wants to control from the top but Barnes keeps moving.
Barnes utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Barnes working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Holden.
Barnes is looking to stand up but Holden isn't so interested in that idea.
Holden in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Holden looking to pass the guard.
Barnes knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Holden on the ground.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Holden takes one on the button.

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.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Barnes!
Barnes misses with a wild body shot.
Barnes throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

Holden clinches.
Holden wants a takedown.
Holden has a couple of punches blocked by Barnes.
Holden pushes Barnes back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Barnes lands a right hand that snaps the head of Holden backwards.
Holden is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Barnes pulls him back up using the underhooks.
A body shot lands from Holden.
Barnes lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Barnes misses with some punches.
Barnes lands a body punch.
Barnes lands a body shot in the clinch.
Barnes lands a body shot.
Barnes lands a body punch.
Holden tries to throw a body punch but Barnes avoids it by throwing Holden back against the cage.
Barnes works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Barnes can't find room to land a body shot as Holden controls the action.
Holden has a couple of punches blocked by Barnes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barnes looking to slow down the pace here.

Holden turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Holden manages to end up in side control.
Holden looks gassed!
Holden works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Barnes is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Holden asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Barnes takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Holden connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Barnes some visible discomfort.
Holden is putting a hurting on Barnes here, landing some big shots from side control.
Holden lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Holden working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Holden working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
An elbow from Holden crashes against the mat.
Barnes is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Holden has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Barnes on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Barnes tries to get out of the position.
The strikes coming from Holden are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Barnes is trying to buck Holden off.
Holden throwing strikes but missing, from side control.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Barnes scores with a punch to the head.
Barnes fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nathan Holden dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Barnes digs a good body shot into Holden's ribs.
Barnes fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Holden manages to avoid it.
Barnes throws a nice looking combination but Holden bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Barnes ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Paddy Barnes seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Barnes fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Holden manages to avoid it.
Barnes scores with a jab to the jaw.
Holden throws a big shot that misses.
Barnes misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Holden.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Donk. Barnes catches Holden right on the button with a cross.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Holden is defended easily by Barnes.
Barnes is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Holden.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barnes lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
A big right from Barnes misses.
Barnes bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Left hook, right uppercut from Barnes.
Barnes throws a right and a left that Holden avoids nicely.
Holden ducks under a wild hook from Barnes.
Holden cracks Barnes with a good jab.
Holden throws a shot from downtown. Barnes moves away and avoids it.
Barnes tries to clinch but Holden is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Holden throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
A left lands for Barnes.
Barnes lands with a good body shot.
Barnes throws a body punch but Holden moves out of range.
Barnes looks to score with a jab to the body but Holden is just out of range.
Holden slips under a jab.
Holden moves in looking to clinch but Barnes pushes him off.
A cross from Barnes lands.

Holden fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Barnes sprawls well initially but Holden persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Holden not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Barnes won't allow Holden to pass to mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Holden thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Barnes's head.
Holden throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Holden thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Holden thows a huge punch but Barnes dodges it nicely.
Barnes avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Holden.
Holden throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Barnes scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Holden doesn't seem bothered though.
Barnes throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Holden takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Barnes misses with a wild body shot.

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.
Barnes fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Holden looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Barnes is looking to wear down Holden with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Some wild striking there from Barnes.
Barnes fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Barnes lands a nice looking body shot.
Barnes throws a body punch but Holden moves out of range.
Barnes misses with a straight left.
Barnes uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Holden.
Barnes connects with a crisp jab.
Barnes scores with a jab to the head.
Holden takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paddy Barnes dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Barnes doesn't manage to clinch there - Holden circles away.
Barnes connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Barnes ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Holden moves away.
Barnes fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Holden manages to avoid it.
Barnes dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Barnes displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Barnes tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Holden was well out of range. Poor timing from Barnes.
Holden shoots in for a takedown but Barnes shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Barnes lands with a good body shot.
Holden loads up on a big right hand but Barnes slips the punch.
Barnes lands a nice shot to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Holden scores with a takedown into Barnes's guard.
Holden working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Barnes keeping moving, preventing Holden from controlling successfully.
Barnes is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Holden is controlling him.
Holden postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Holden has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Holden throws a strike but Barnes rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Barnes stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Holden swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Barnes throws and elbow that misses. Holden uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Barnes's guard. Nice move by Holden!
Holden trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Holden trying to control but Barnes is working from the bottom.
Barnes avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Holden trying to control the position from guard on top but Barnes is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Holden loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Holden pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Barnes is keeping the position for now.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Barnes misses with a double jab

and Holden counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Barnes's guard now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Holden throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Holden in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Holden lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Barnes keeping moving, preventing Holden from controlling successfully.
Holden takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Holden 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.
Holden postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Barnes keeping moving, preventing Holden from controlling successfully.
Holden throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Barnes works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nathan Holden comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Holden 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 Sam Margolis scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight 28:29
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nathan Holden!