PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Nick Diaz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Glados Crixus (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Diaz's entrance music is Sail. A fine choice. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Diaz
vs
Crixus

195 cm
25
170 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

187 cm
25
173 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Decent wrestler
Counter fighter
Solid 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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nick Diaz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Glados Crixus!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Sergei Dronov and Valeri Chadov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Diaz tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Crixus manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Crixus drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Diaz defends it well.
Diaz looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Diaz tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Crixus counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Crixus not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Diaz is staying active underneath Crixus, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Crixus lands strikes from half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Crixus thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Diaz's head.

Crixus is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Diaz has managed to free his arm - good work.
Crixus throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Crixus seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Crixus working the head and body with strikes.
Crixus not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Crixus slips a nice elbow through Diaz's hands, connecting with Diaz's forehead.
Diaz tries to get to full guard but Crixus has control of the leg.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Crixus is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Diaz!
Diaz is trying to escape the mount.
Diaz taking shots to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Crixus tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Crixus has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Crixus fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Crixus looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Crixus lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Diaz hang on?
Diaz is working to get back to half guard.
Crixus working the ground and pound effectively.
Crixus controlling his opponent.
Crixus is in the full mount, landing strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Crixus is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Diaz is working to get back to half guard.
Crixus lands a big shot there that rocks Diaz but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Crixus wants to control the pace but Diaz is squirming around nicely.
Crixus lands a heavy elbow.
Crixus lands a big elbow.
Crixus looking to control and managing it successfully.

Crixus working for a submission but Diaz is keeping him at bay.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Diaz is wriggling around trying to escape.
Crixus has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Diaz's face.
Diaz on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Diaz tries to get out of the position.
Crixus dominating with strikes here.
Crixus in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Crixus wants to control the pace but Diaz is squirming around nicely.
Crixus scoring with strikes but Diaz is staying in there.
Diaz really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Diaz wants to control but Crixus is having none of it.
Diaz working to try and regain half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Glados Crixus dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Diaz misses with a takedown

so Crixus counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

Diaz working for a triangle but Crixus defends it easily.
Crixus content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Crixus is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Diaz wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Crixus trying to control the position from guard on top but Diaz is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diaz has momentary wrist control but Crixus slips an elbow through the middle.
Diaz working a defensive guard here.
Crixus throws a big right hand that misses.
Crixus has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Crixus lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Crixus in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Crixus throws a big elbow that misses.
Crixus working some strikes from top position.
Diaz is trying to keep Crixus in close.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Crixus's coach down at Parko Ludos was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Crixus's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Diaz tries for a takedown but Crixus sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Diaz shoots in looking for a takedown. Crixus tries to sprawl out of it but Diaz keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Crixus manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nick Diaz. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Diaz fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Crixus, pushing him back against the cage.
Diaz is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Diaz tries to pull guard but Crixus holds him up against the cage and eventually Diaz drops back down to his feet.
Crixus is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Diaz is defending well.
Our sources have told us that Diaz has been working on his knees in the buildup to the fight.
Crixus wants to take the fight to the mat but Diaz manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Crixus looking for a takedown.
Diaz working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Diaz throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Crixus blocks it with crossed arms.

Crixus is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Diaz can't fight it off and eventually Crixus manages to take the fight to the floor. Diaz looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Crixus trying to control the position from guard on top but Diaz is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Crixus showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Glados Crixus has got the better of the ground game so far.
Crixus preventing the sweep.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Diaz preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Diaz working a defensive guard here.
Crixus throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Diaz works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Crixus won't allow Diaz to sweep him here.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Crixus scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Diaz working a defensive guard here.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

Diaz closes the distance and clinches.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Diaz tries to pull guard but Crixus won't allow it.

Crixus is trying to trip Diaz. He has hold of a leg but Diaz is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Crixus persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Glados Crixus showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Diaz doesn't manage to clinch there - Crixus circles away.
Crixus tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Diaz closes the distance and clinches up with Crixus, looking for a takedown. Diaz pushes Crixus against the cage but Crixus circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Diaz shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Crixus but Crixus pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Diaz tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Diaz has closed the distance and engaged Crixus in a clinch.

Crixus lands a takedown into guard.
Crixus controlling from the top position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Crixus wants to control from the top but Diaz keeps moving.
Diaz preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diaz 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.
Crixus throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Diaz has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Crixus has passed into side control.
Diaz knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Crixus on the ground.
Crixus scoring with punches and elbows.
Crixus misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Crixus landing a few strikes.
Crixus scores with a couple of short elbows.
Crixus landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Crixus lands a decent elbow from side control.
Diaz tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Diaz is not content to let Crixus control the position.
Diaz on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Crixus working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Diaz tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Crixus lands a decent elbow from side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Diaz taking punishment in the form of punches.
Crixus gets to mount! Diaz was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Diaz is looking to improve his position but Crixus isn't that keen on the idea.
Crixus working the ground and pound effectively.
Diaz is in a horrible position here. Crixus smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Crixus raining down hammerfists from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Crixus lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Crixus with shots to the head and body - Diaz looks very uncomfortable down there.
Diaz taking shots to the head.
Crixus connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Crixus trying to control but Diaz is having none of it.
Crixus prevents Diaz from getting the reversal.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Crixus with the ground and pound from mount.
Diaz is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

And that's the end of the fight!
Glados Crixus comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Crixus 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 Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight 27:30
Judge Valeri Chadov scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Glados Crixus!
Nick Diaz spoke after the fight, saying 'Great fight, I did what I was supposed to do and it is what it is, hard pill to swallow. Sorry to all my fans and I promise not to let you down next time. Thanks everybody!!!'.