PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Pirre Pikkarainen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nick Diaz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Pirre Pikkarainen looks tired to me. Hopefully he has got enough gas left in the tank to put in a good performance.

Pikkarainen
vs
Diaz

180 cm
18
165 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

225 cm
25
180 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Self confident

Good takedowns
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Pirre Pikkarainen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Nick Diaz!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Ben Zyskovitsi and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Diaz shoots and misses

and Pikkarainen counters by moving into the clinch.
Pikkarainen looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Diaz wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Diaz wants to take the fight to the mat but Pikkarainen manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Diaz drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Pikkarainen gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Pirre Pikkarainen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Nick Diaz.
Pikkarainen has Diaz pressed against the cage, preventing Diaz from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

Pikkarainen escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Diaz shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Pikkarainen but Pikkarainen pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Pikkarainen has taken the fight to the clinch.
Pikkarainen with a knee to the head.
Diaz tries to break the clinch but Pikkarainen is controlling the position.

Pikkarainen breaks the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pikkarainen looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Diaz is fending him off so far but Pikkarainen persists. Nope, Diaz circles away and we're back to standing.
Diaz shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Pikkarainen as he jumps to the side.
Pikkarainen fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Pikkarainen defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Diaz.
Diaz wants to clinch up but Pikkarainen keeps it at a distance.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Diaz!
Diaz doesn't manage to clinch there - Pikkarainen circles away.
Diaz shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Pikkarainen but Pikkarainen pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Diaz is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Diaz tries to clinch up.
Nick Diaz seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Diaz fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Diaz is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Diaz shoots in looking for a takedown. Pikkarainen tries to sprawl out of it but Diaz keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Pikkarainen manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Diaz shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Pikkarainen defends it nicely.
Diaz tries for a takedown but Pikkarainen sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Diaz lands a right hook to the body.
Diaz is looking to clinch but Pikkarainen is avoiding it.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Pikkarainen is defended easily by Diaz.
Diaz scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Pikkarainen blocks the body kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lazy left from Diaz finds it's target.
A jab from Diaz does it's job there.
Diaz shoots in but no luck this time.
Pikkarainen walks forward, straight into a front kick from Diaz.
Diaz shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Pikkarainen sprawls well. Pikkarainen wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Diaz gets slowly back to his feet.
Diaz throws a nice outside leg kick.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Diaz fails with the takedown.
Pikkarainen slaps away a takedown attempt from Diaz, before circling back to the center of the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Pikkarainen fails with an attempt to clinch.
Diaz wants to clinch up but Pikkarainen keeps it at a distance.
Diaz closes this distance looking for a takedown but Pikkarainen circles away.
Diaz is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Diaz misses with a kick to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Diaz wants to clinch.
Diaz dives in and grabs Pikkarainen's left leg, looking for a takedown. Pikkarainen pushes down on Diaz's head and hops out.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pikkarainen moves in looking to clinch but Diaz pushes him off.
Diaz tries to close the distance and clinch but Pikkarainen swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Diaz leaves Pikkarainen with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Diaz misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Pirre Pikkarainen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Nick Diaz.
The fight stays on the outside here - Diaz looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Diaz shoots in for a takedown but Pikkarainen shows good takedown defense.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Diaz looks for a takedown but Pikkarainen sprawls well.
Nick Diaz seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Diaz fails in his attempt to clinch.
Diaz shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Pikkarainen pinned against the cage. Pikkarainen gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Diaz thumps Pikkarainen with a low kick.
Diaz throws a body kick that misses.
Diaz shoots in for a takedown but Pikkarainen shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Pikkarainen enables Diaz to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Pikkarainen manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Diaz in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Diaz pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Pikkarainen is keeping the position for now.
Diaz trying to control but Pikkarainen is working from the bottom.
Diaz controlling from the top position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Nick Diaz.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Diaz.
Diaz looks to land a combination but Pikkarainen avoids it well.
Diaz fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Diaz throws the kick towards the body but Pikkarainen avoids it.
Diaz misses with a takedown attempt - Pikkarainen sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nick Diaz showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Diaz wants to clinch.
Pikkarainen displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Diaz.

Pikkarainen clinches up with Diaz and pushes him back against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Pikkarainen escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Diaz is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Diaz dives in and grabs Pikkarainen's left leg, looking for a takedown. Pikkarainen pushes down on Diaz's head and hops out.
Diaz fails with the takedown.
Pirre Pikkarainen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Nick Diaz.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diaz doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Pikkarainen counters by moving into the clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Pikkarainen with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Diaz is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Diaz jumps guard but Pikkarainen turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Diaz is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Diaz looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Diaz tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Pikkarainen avoids it.
Diaz is working for takedown but Pikkarainen is calmly controlling the position for now.
Pikkarainen creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Diaz's defenses.
Pikkarainen tries a knee to the head but Diaz blocks it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pikkarainen managing to block the knees to the body from Diaz.
Diaz blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Pikkarainen misses with an elbow over the top.
Diaz tries to break free but Pikkarainen pushes him back against the cage.
Diaz is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Diaz can't break the clinch.
A frustrated look appears on Diaz's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Diaz is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Diaz is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Pikkarainen to keep the fight standing.
Diaz tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Pikkarainen just stands there and leans against the cage.
Pikkarainen tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Pikkarainen breaks the clinch.
Diaz doesn't manage to clinch there - Pikkarainen circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Diaz fails with the takedown.
Pikkarainen keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Diaz fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

Pikkarainen shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Pikkarainen wants to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pirre Pikkarainen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Diaz is trying to stand.
Diaz is pressing down on Pikkarainen's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Diaz is trying to control the position from the bottom.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Diaz wants to stand but Pikkarainen is controlling the position.
Nick Diaz is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Diaz bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Pikkarainen's guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Nick Diaz.
I've got Diaz 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 Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 27:30
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nick Diaz!