PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Nigel Black (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jonny Rico (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Black
vs
Rico

187 cm
22
185 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

190 cm
22
195 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

Decent wrestler
Basic striking
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Nigel Black!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Jonny Rico!
The judges for this bout are Paul Tew, James Ackerman and Donald Grub.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Black changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Rico tries to avoid it but Black manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Rico to the ground. Rico escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Rico lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Rico.
Black shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Rico as he avoids it easily.
Black fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nigel Black. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Black changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Rico tries to avoid it but Black manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Rico to the ground. Rico escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.

Black gets the takedown into side control.
Rico gets back to half guard.
Rico controlling the position well.
Rico is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Black scores with a couple of nice shots.

Black is looking for a kimura here.
Rico really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Black. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Black is breathing heavily.
Rico manages to get to full guard.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Rico wants to get back to his feet but Black is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rico pulls Black in to control the position.
Black pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Rico is keeping the position for now.
Black being controlled here momentarily.
Black trying to control but Rico is working from the bottom.
Rico is controlling Black's posture.
Black wants to control from the top but Rico keeps moving.
Black slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Rico wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Rico is looking to reverse the position.
Rico wants to get back to his feet but Black drags him back down.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Rico stalks Black and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Black's face. Black staggers backwards, shaken.
Rico shoots for a double leg takedown but Black sprawls well. He's pushed Rico's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Black looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Black will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Black shoots in looking for a takedown. Rico tries to sprawl out of it but Black keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Rico manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Rico connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Black's hands.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rico shoots for a takedown but Black saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Black with a lazy takedown attempt

and Rico counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Rico wants to pass the guard but Black is keeping the position.
Black has a closed guard, preventing Rico from standing up.
Black looking to control.
Rico stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Black swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Rico sitting in guard here, content to control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Black had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Rico is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Black Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Rico's back instead.
Rico is trying to stand back up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rico rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.

Rico kicks Black off and gets back to his feet.
Black keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
No luck for Black with that takedown attempt.
Rico misses with a double jab.
Black looks to land a left hand but Rico moved out of range nicely.
Rico goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Rico lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jonny Rico dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

A head kick misses from Black.
Rico with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Black is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Rico.
Black looks to land a left hand but Rico moved out of range nicely.
Black fails with a takedown attempt.
Nice shot by Rico.
Rico keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Black with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Rico to score with a decent uppercut.

Rico shoots in and bounces Black off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Rico tries to free his leg and advance position but Black is retaining full guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Black is trying to keep Rico in close.
Rico sitting in guard, not really doing much.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Let's hope that Rico 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.
Rico lands a couple of elbows.
Black manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Rico manages to get himself to full guard.
Rico seems keen to control Black's posture.
Rico lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Black!
Rico content just to control the position here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Poor strikes thrown by Rico there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Rico sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Black tries to hold on but Rico postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rico looking to finish with strikes here!
Rico controlling his opponent.

Despite being in the dominant position, Jonny Rico just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Black shoots in for a takedown but Rico shows good takedown defense.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nigel Black. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Black shoots in for a double leg but Rico sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Rico shoots for a double leg takedown but Black sprawls well. He's pushed Rico's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Left hook, right uppercut from Rico.
A nice combination there by Rico.
Rico throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Rico throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Rico lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Rico lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Rico.
Rico rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Black moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rico throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Black.
Rico misses with the combination.
Rico lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Rico.
Rico slips a jab from Black.
Rico scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
A combination from Rico does no damage.
Rico fails to land with a series of punches.
Rico stalks Black and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Black's face. Black staggers backwards, shaken.
Black shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Rico counters with a three punch combo that has Black backing up. Black nods at Rico to acknowledge the strikes.
Rico moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Nice takedown defense from Black. No joy for Rico on that attempt.
Rico is working the combinations to good effect here.
Black stuffs the takedown.
Nice takedown defense from Rico. No joy for Black on that attempt.
Rico fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Black looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.

Black scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jonny Rico showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! And we move into the final round!

A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Black.
Black shoots in and drives through. Rico sprawls well.
Rico rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Black moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Rico fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Rico!
Rico scores with a jab.
Black throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Rico's waist but Rico gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Black off to one side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nigel Black. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rico lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Black missing with a left hand there. Rico was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Black takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Rico throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Nice jab there from Rico.
Rico slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
No luck for Black with that takedown attempt.
Rico fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Rico throws a right and a left that Black avoids nicely.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rico misses with a double jab.
Horrible takedown by Black or perhaps it was just good defense by Rico which made him look bad.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Black stops a takedown attempt from Rico.
Rico has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Black avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Rico drops down looking for an ankle pick but Black pulls his leg out and moves away.
Rico stuffs the takedown attempt from Black. Black gets slowly back to his feet.
Black looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Rico lands a body shot.
Rico throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Rico slips a straight right by Black.
Black tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Rico swivels and escapes.
Rico misses with a wild combination.
Rico throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A left and a right from Rico both land. Nice combination.
Black tries for a takedown but Rico circles away easily
and Rico counters with a series of strikes. Black will be more careful next time no doubt.
Rico defending well as Black loads up on a big left hand.
Black circles away from the clinch attempt.
Rico lands a two punch combo.
Rico lands with a shot to the body.
Black pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Rico shoots and misses

and Black counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Rico wants to control but Black is keeping busy.
Rico is trying to stand.
Rico is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Rico scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Black manages to mount him!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rico is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Rico is squirming around, avoiding Black's attempts to control the action.
Rico is looking to get to half guard.
Rico tries to lock up and control but Black gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Black lands a big shot there that rocks Rico but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Rico working to try and regain half guard.
Black raining down shots from the mount!
Jonny Rico has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's four 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.
Rico regains half guard.
Nigel Black has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Rico scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Black manages to mount him!
Rico is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Black landing shots from mount.
Rico wants to get back to his feet.
Rico wants to control but Black is having none of it.
Rico is working to get back to half guard.

Black jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Rico manages to avoid the submission attempt.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Nigel Black.
I think Rico 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 Paul Tew scores the fight 28:29
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 28:29
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jonny Rico!