PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Nikola Jokic (ranked 4039 p4p, 523 weight class) and Jess Riddick (ranked 2280 p4p, 311 weight class). Nikola Jokic has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Jokic
vs
Riddick

210 cm
26
215 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

187 cm
26
210 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Nikola Jokic!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Jess Riddick!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Peter Branson and Dirk Anderson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Riddick misses with a body shot.
Jokic rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Riddick counters with a stiff right hand.
Sloppy strikes from Riddick. Those never looked like landing.
The fight stays on the outside here - Jokic looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Jokic throws an off balance right hand
enabling Riddick to counter with a crisp jab.
Riddick looks to land a right hand but Jokic moved out of range.
Nikola Jokic seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Riddick throws out a loose jab but Jokic uses good head movement to avoid it.
Riddick cracks Jokic with a right hand to the side of the head.
Jokic closes the distance looking to clinch
and Jokic takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Riddick's coach down at ELITE Island Gym - 19 Elite Coaches was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Riddick's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
Riddick misses with an uppercut.
Jokic takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Jokic is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Jokic pushes Riddick up against the cage in a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Riddick tries to throw a body punch but Jokic avoids it by throwing Riddick back against the cage.
Jokic throws a punch but it's blocked by Riddick.
Jokic blocks an uppercut.
Jokic swings wildly with an uppercut but Riddick uses good head movement to avoid it.
Jokic struggles to land a body shot inside as Riddick controls his hands.
Riddick misses with some punches.
Riddick misses with a punch to the body.
Riddick misses with some punches.
Riddick is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Riddick tries to break the clinch but Jokic is controlling the position.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Riddick.
Riddick lands a right hand.
A short right from Jokic.
Riddick lands a left hand.
Jokic lands with a right to the head.
Jokic misses with the head strike.
Jokic tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Jokic.
A left hand lands to the body for Riddick.
Riddick tries to throw a body punch but Jokic avoids it by throwing Riddick back against the cage.
Jokic tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Jokic lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Jokic works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Riddick has had enough of the clinch but Jokic keeps him there for the moment.
Jokic tries a body shot but Riddick blocks it.
Riddick gets through Jokic's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Jokic lands with a short punch from the clinch.

Jokic manages to break the clinch.
Jokic looks to clinch
and Riddick counters with a stiff right hand.
Jokic misses the shot to the body.
Jokic looks to clinch
and Riddick counters with a nice uppercut.
Riddick stuns Jokic with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Riddick avoids a punch combination nicely.
Jokic misses with a left hand
and Riddick counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

Jokic is rocked!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jokic tries to get into range but Riddick steps to the side and lands a beautiful hook that drops Jokic! He's faceplanted into the mat, ass in the air... he's out cold! That's an image he won't want to show his grandkids when he gets older! Riddick scores the big KO victory!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:07 of round 1, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Jess Riddick!
After winning the bout, Jess Riddick thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.