PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Colby Cauliflower (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nate Sonnen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Cauliflower
vs
Sonnen

170 cm
20
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

178 cm
22
160 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Brawler
KO power

Good wrestler
Counter striker
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Colby Cauliflower!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Nate Sonnen!
The judges for this bout are Robert Douchet, William Peck and Ian Loll.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sonnen shoots in but no luck this time.

Cauliflower shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Sonnen manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Cauliflower controlling from the top position.
Sonnen 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.
Cauliflower is stalling in the full guard.
Sonnen really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Cauliflower. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cauliflower trying to control the position from guard on top but Sonnen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sonnen not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Cauliflower is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Cauliflower trying to control but Sonnen is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Cauliflower controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Cauliflower's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Sonnen has control of Cauliflower's left arm, preventing Cauliflower from doing any damage.
Cauliflower sitting in guard here, content to control.
Sonnen throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Cauliflower stays in close to Sonnen's body and controls the position.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Colby Cauliflower just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Sonnen.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cauliflower avoids a punch combination nicely.
Cauliflower misses with a takedown
and Sonnen counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Cauliflower gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Sonnen counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Cauliflower is breathing heavily.
Cauliflower wants to sweep but no luck.
Sonnen scoring with punches to the head and body.
Sonnen trying to control the position from guard on top but Cauliflower is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sonnen scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Sonnen's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Sonnen content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Cauliflower controls Sonnen momentarily but Sonnen frees himself.
Sonnen is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Sonnen working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Cauliflower wants to stand up but Sonnen is controlling him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Nate Sonnen will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Donk. Sonnen catches Cauliflower right on the button with a cross.
Sonnen throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Cauliflower stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Sonnen shoots and misses

and Cauliflower counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sonnen misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Sonnen is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Cauliflower wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sonnen keeps working.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sonnen wants to improve his position but Cauliflower is controlling well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cauliflower seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Sonnen does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Sonnen wants to improve his position but Cauliflower is controlling well.
Sonnen is looking to control Cauliflower's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Sonnen avoid being mounted?
Cauliflower blocks the strikes from Sonnen.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Sonnen misses with a wild combination.

Sonnen throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Cauliflower was covering up waiting for the punch and Sonnen finishes the takedown easily into guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cauliflower seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Sonnen's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Cauliflower 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.
Cauliflower is working hard here to advance position.
Cauliflower on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Cauliflower tries to get out of the position.
Sonnen keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Cauliflower's head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cauliflower is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Sonnen wants to control from the top but Cauliflower keeps moving.
Sonnen is looking to work some ground and pound but Cauliflower has wrist control.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Cauliflower has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Sonnen looks to land a combination. Cauliflower sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.

Sonnen shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Sonnen postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sonnen throws a big right hand that misses.
Cauliflower not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Cauliflower wants to sweep but no luck.
Cauliflower trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Sonnen postures up.
Sonnen with a flurry of punches that miss.
Sonnen landing some decent shots from guard.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Sonnen lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nate Sonnen 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. This is the final round!

Sonnen punishes Cauliflower's body with a nice straight punch.
Cauliflower doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Sonnen counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
No joy there for Sonnen, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

Sonnen decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Cauliflower wants to control but Sonnen is keeping busy.
Sonnen wants to take a breather but Cauliflower is having none of it.
Cauliflower is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Cauliflower wants to control but Sonnen is keeping busy.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cauliflower taking some punishment here, with Sonnen in his half guard.
Sonnen is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Sonnen thows a huge punch but Cauliflower dodges it nicely.
Sonnen working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Sonnen fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Cauliflower looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
A nice combination there by Sonnen.
Sonnen's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Sonnen duly obliges.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Sonnen pushes Cauliflower up against the cage in a clinch.
Sonnen is trying to break the clinch but Cauliflower is controlling him.
Sonnen tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Sonnen wants a takedown but no success here.

Cauliflower jumps guard and drags Sonnen to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Cauliflower is trying to control the position but Sonnen postures up.
Cauliflower looking to hit a scissor sweep but Sonnen is one step ahead there.
Cauliflower throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Sonnen is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Nate Sonnen is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sonnen postures up.
Sonnen missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Sonnen content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Cauliflower working a defensive guard here.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Cauliflower takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Colby Cauliflower seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Sonnen moves into the clinch successfully.
Sonnen is trying to break the clinch but Cauliflower has him pressed against the cage.

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.
Sonnen looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Sonnen wants to break the clinch but can't.
Sonnen wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Cauliflower has him pressed against the cage.

Sonnen has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Cauliflower is trying to keep an underhook but Sonnen manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Sonnen seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Cauliflower does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Cauliflower wants to control but Sonnen is keeping busy.
Cauliflower misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Cauliflower is looking for a sweep. Sonnen is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sonnen lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Colby Cauliflower has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Cauliflower is trying to stand back up but Sonnen is controlling him

And that's the end of the fight!
Nate Sonnen comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Sonnen has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Robert Douchet scores the fight 27:30
Judge William Peck scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ian Loll scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nate Sonnen!