PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Nick Story (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Skyler Nelson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Nelson is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: One. 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.

Story
vs
Nelson

160 cm
29
140 lbs
23 - 9 - 0

180 cm
33
145 lbs
12 - 14 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

BJJ Brown Belt
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 23 - 9 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Nick Story!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 14 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Skyler Nelson!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Roosa Järviläinen and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Story connects with a jab.
Nelson slips under a jab.
Story lands with a right hand.
Story cracks Nelson with a good jab.
Nelson avoids the body shot from Story.
Story scores with the left hand. Nelson knows he should have avoided that one.
Story throws a lazy uppercut

and Nelson counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Story is trying to stand back up but Nelson is controlling him

Nelson is trying to work for a kimura but Story is defending well.

Nelson is trying to work for a kimura but Story is defending well.
Story is controlling Nelson's trapped leg to prevent Nelson from advancing to side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Story pushes Nelson off looking to stand but Nelson dives back in and keeps control.
Story is controlling Nelson's position as best he can from this difficult position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Story looks like he's trying to stand up.
Story might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Nelson is looking for a kimura but Story is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Nelson to get the leverage.
The fighters are battling for position here. Story manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Story has Nelson pulled in close to control his posture.

Nelson drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Story manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Nelson has Story in his guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Story is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Nelson keeping moving, preventing Story from controlling successfully.
Story trying to stand up but can't free himself from Nelson's guard.
Story passes into half guard.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Story wants to get back to his feet.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Story stalling.
Nelson is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Nelson looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Nelson looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Story slows the pace down in half guard.

Story moves into side control, avoiding a weak kimura attempt from Nelson.
Story wants to stand but Nelson is controlling his arm.
Nelson takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Nelson is looking for a sweep.
Story tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Story lands a nice forearm strike.
Story wants to control but Nelson is keeping him busy.
Nelson tries to buck Story off but Story is having none of it.
Story slows the pace down.
Story wants to lay and pray for a moment but Nelson keeps working.
Nelson trying to remain calm as Story controls from the top position.
Nelson tries to bench press Story off him but Story keeps the position.
Nelson taking punishment in the form of punches.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Story landing a few strikes.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Nelson is looking for a sweep.
Story happy to just control the position for now.
Story wants to lay and pray for a moment but Nelson keeps working.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nick Story dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Story throws an overhand right that lands on Nelson's shoulder, as Nelson tries to avoid the shot.
Story darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Skyler Nelson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Story thows a body shot but no joy.
A swing and a miss from Story.
Nelson's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Story connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Nelson scrambles back to his feet.
Nelson on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Story looks to throw the jab but Nelson is out of range.
Story misses with a jab, cross combination.
Story throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
A big left from Story misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Story ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Nelson moves away.
Nelson's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Story connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Nelson scrambles back to his feet.
Story throws a lazy uppercut

and Nelson counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

Nelson drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Story manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Nelson has Story in his guard.
Story postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.

Nelson working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Story doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Story manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Story stands and throws Nelson's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Story wants to lay and pray for a moment but Nelson keeps working.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Story lands an elbow.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Nelson is looking to regain half guard here but Story keeps moving and retains side control.
Story controlling the position from side mount.

Story is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Nelson knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Nelson being controlled for a moment.
Story working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nelson is trying to get back to half guard.
Nelson is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Story trying to control the action but Nelson is working from the bottom.
Story is putting a hurting on Nelson here, landing some big shots from side control.
Nelson is looking to reverse the position.
Story takes a little break here. Nelson wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Story seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Nelson for as long as he can get away with.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nelson is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Nelson is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Nelson manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Story wants to get back to his feet.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Nelson looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Nelson stops Story from getting back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nick Story dominated that second 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. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Story swings away with a body shot that misses

and Nelson counters with a shoot takedown. Story fights it but they end up in guard.

Nelson isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Story stacks Nelson on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Story!
Story scoring with punches from side control.
Nick Story overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Nelson tries to buck Story off but Story is having none of it.
Story takes a little break here. Nelson wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Story wants to stand but Nelson has his arm trapped.
Story lands a nice forearm strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nelson tries to improve position but can't.
Story controlling the position from side mount.
Story is looking to take a break and control but Nelson is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Story connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Nelson some visible discomfort.
Nelson is looking to regain half guard here but Story keeps moving and retains side control.
Story trying to control the position but Nelson is working away.
Story working the head and body with strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nelson tries to buck Story off but Story is having none of it.
Nelson seems a little lost for a moment, as Story dominates the positioning.
Nelson tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Story wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Story taking a breather here.
Nelson sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Nelson actively working from the bottom here.
Story keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Nelson is staying active underneath Story, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

We're going to have a standup here because Nick Story wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Story jabs away that one connects to the head of his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheers as Story lands an impressive looking overhand right. Nelson doesn't seem phased though.
Story loads up on a big right hand but Nelson slips the punch.
Story connects with a body shot.
Story lands a right hook to the body.
Story throws out a powerful jab.
Story misses the body punch

and Nelson moves into the clinch.

Story works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Story won't allow Nelson to sweep him here.
Story tries to free his leg and advance position but Nelson is retaining full guard.

Nelson working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Story has passed into half guard!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Story wants to pass the guard but Nelson is defending well.

Story is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Nelson doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Story.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Story tries to stand and escape but Nelson is controlling the position.
Story is looking to advance position but Nelson won't allow it.
Nelson is staying active underneath Story, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Story in particular looking to stall.
Skyler Nelson has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Nick Story is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nick Story showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Story, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nick Story!
After winning the bout, Nick Story thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.