PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between DJ Jones (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nicholas Linnear (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.

Jones
vs
Linnear

194 cm
18
187 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
18
193 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Big heart

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Phoenix Nutrition - 158 recovery $99

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, DJ Jones!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nicholas Linnear!
The judges for this bout are Columbo Gatti, Franklyn Lucas and John Roberts.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Jones gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Linnear throws a right hand that Jones ducks under and follows up with a left that Jones also avoids with ease.
Linnear connects with a right hand. Jones shakes it off.
Linnear avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Linnear throws a nice looking combination but Jones bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Linnear misses with a double jab.
Linnear throws out a powerful jab.
Jones tries to clinch up but Linnear circles away and keeps his distance.
Jones throws a head kick but Linnear moves out of range.
Linnear lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Jones circles away quickly and effectively.
Jones fails with an attempt to clinch.
Jones is looking to clinch but Linnear is avoiding it.
Jones is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Linnear.
No joy there for Linnear, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Linnear throws a nice looking combination but Jones bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Linnear's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Linnear duly obliges.

That's one minute gone in the round.
No joy there for Linnear, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Linnear bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Jones's head.
Linnear misses with a few strikes there.
The fight stays on the outside here - Jones looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Jones gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Jones tries to close the distance and clinch up but Linnear swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Jones lands a head kick. Linnear smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Linnear throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Jones.
Jones tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Linnear lands a jab to the nose.
Linnear will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Jones wants to clinch up but Linnear keeps it at a distance.
Linnear throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Jones.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jones showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Linnear.
Linnear misses with the combination.
Linnear throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Linnear swats away the attempt to clinch by Jones.
A combination from Linnear does no damage.
Jones takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Linnear scores with a jab to the head.
Jones tries to close the distance and clinch but Linnear swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Jones looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Some wild striking there from Linnear.
Linnear is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Jones had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into pâté.
Jones takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Linnear swats away the attempt to clinch by Jones.
Jones tries to close the distance and clinch up but Linnear swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Linnear takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Linnear rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Jones moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Jones avoids a punch combination nicely.
Linnear paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Linnear misses with a few strikes there.
Linnear misses with a wild combination.
Linnear avoids the head kick by Jones.
Linnear scores with a one two! Jones had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Jones tries to close the distance and clinch but Linnear swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Linnear throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Jones.
Jones tries to clinch up but Linnear circles away and keeps his distance.
Linnear misses with a few strikes there.
Linnear lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Linnear's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Linnear duly obliges.
Jones tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Linnear swats away the attempt to clinch by Jones.
Jones fails in his attempt to clinch.
Jones lands with a slapping head kick.
Jones throws a head kick but Linnear moves out of range.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Some wild striking there from Linnear.
Linnear is working the combinations to good effect here.
Jones tries to clinch there but Linnear circles away.
Jones wants to clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nicholas Linnear dominated that 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.

Linnear lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Jones circles away quickly and effectively.
Linnear connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Jones dodges the punch combination from Linnear.
Linnear misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Jones wants to clinch up but Linnear keeps it at a distance.
Jones showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Linnear.
Linnear tries to bum rush Jones with a series of wild strikes but Jones uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Linnear throws a series of punches but Jones avoids them all with ease.
Linnear misses with a few strikes there.
Nicholas Linnear seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Linnear throws a nice looking combination but Jones bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Jones takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Linnear works over Jones's head and body with a nice combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Some wild striking there from Linnear.
Linnear fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Nicholas Linnear is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Jones walks into a straight right hand from Linnear.
Jones on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
The fight stays on the outside here - Jones looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Jones tries to clinch but Linnear is having none of it.
Jones misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Linnear scores with a jab. Jones acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Jones wants to clinch.
Jones avoids a punch combination nicely.
Linnear is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Linnear swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Jones fails in his attempt to clinch.
Jones tries to clinch but Linnear moves out of range.
Linnear cracks a nice hook into Jones's ribs.
Linnear avoids the head kick by Jones.
Linnear lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Jones backs up against the cage.
Jones takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Linnear fails to land with a series of punches.
Linnear throws a right hand that Jones ducks under and follows up with a left that Jones also avoids with ease.
Linnear misses with a series of wild punches.
Linnear misses with the combination.
Linnear stalks Jones and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Jones's face. Jones staggers backwards, shaken.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Linnear misses with a wild combination.
Linnear lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Jones throws a head kick that misses.
Jones tries a head kick but it misses.
Linnear rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Jones moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Linnear throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
No joy there for Linnear, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Jones looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Linnear misses with the combination.
Linnear keeps the fight on the outside.
Jones throws a sloppy head kick and Linnear moves out of range easily.
Linnear rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Jones moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
A combination from Linnear does no damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Linnear sizes up Jones with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Jones tries to clinch up but Linnear circles away and keeps his distance.
Linnear throws a right hand that Jones ducks under and follows up with a left that Jones also avoids with ease.
Jones walks into a straight right hand from Linnear.
Linnear misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Linnear throws a right hand that Jones ducks under and follows up with a left that Jones also avoids with ease.
Linnear lands with a nice body punch.
Jones fails in his attempt to clinch.
Linnear fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Linnear throws a series of punches but Jones avoids them all with ease.
Linnear fails to land with a series of punches.
Linnear misses with a jab, cross combination.
Linnear lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Linnear.
Linnear looks to land a combination but Jones avoids it well.
Linnear throws a right hand that Jones ducks under and follows up with a left that Jones also avoids with ease.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nicholas Linnear 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! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Linnear looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Linnear swats away the attempt to clinch by Jones.

Jones moves into the clinch.
Linnear tries to break free but Jones pushes him back against the cage.
Jones misses with a knee strike.
Jones is trying to maintain a safe position but Linnear gets an underhook and turns Jones into the cage.
Linnear wants to break free but Jones has control.
Linnear can't break the clinch.
Linnear is trying to break free.
Jones tries to land knees in the clinch but Linnear avoids the damage to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Linnear tries to circle away but Jones has him pinned against the cage.
Jones prevents Linnear from breaking the clinch.
Jones stalling against the cage.
Jones with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Jones lands a knee to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Linnear wants to break free but Jones has control.
Linnear wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Jones with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Linnear has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Linnear looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Jones trying to land knees to the body.
Jones trying to control the position but instead, Linnear has worked for underhooks and has pushed Jones into the cage.
Linnear blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
A frustrated look appears on Linnear's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Jones misses with a knee strike.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Linnear has had enough of the clinch but Jones keeps him there for the moment.
Linnear avoiding damage as Jones throws knees to the body.

That's two 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.
Jones tries to land knees in the clinch but Linnear avoids the damage to the body.
Jones tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Linnear avoids it.
Linnear tries to circle away but Jones has him pinned against the cage.
Jones scores a nice knee to the body.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Linnear as Jones tries to tie him up.
Jones seems a little flustered. He's come in with the intention of controlling the clinch but Linnear is preventing him from doing so, at least for the moment.
A frustrated look appears on Linnear's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Linnear on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Jones misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Linnear.
Linnear is looking to break free of the clinch but Jones has double underhooks.
Jones looking to stall.
Linnear looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Linnear is trying to force a seperation but Jones has the dominant position.
Linnear wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Jones has him pressed against the cage.
Linnear managing to block the knees to the body from Jones.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Linnear blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Linnear wants to break the clinch but can't.
Linnear wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Jones is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Linnear is keeping busy.
Jones slowing the pace effectively.
Linnear wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Linnear wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Jones scores with a knee to the head.
Linnear working hard to break the clinch.
Linnear tries to circle away but Jones has him pinned against the cage.
Linnear wants to get back to striking at distance but Jones won't allow it.
Linnear wants to get back to striking at distance but Jones won't allow it.
Linnear wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Jones has him pressed against the cage.
Come on Jones - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Jones with an attempt at a knee that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Linnear tries to break the clinch but Jones is controlling the position.
Jones tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Jones prevents Linnear from breaking the clinch.
Linnear blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Jones is looking to control Linnear's arms but Linnear gets an underhook and turns him. Now Jones has his back to the cage.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Linnear is trying to break free.
Jones throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Linnear blocks it with crossed arms.
Linnear has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Nicholas Linnear is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Linnear avoiding damage as Jones throws knees to the body.
Jones with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Jones looking to throw knees to the head but Linnear is blocking nicely.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Jones tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Linnear avoids it.
Linnear tries to break free but Jones pushes him back against the cage.
DJ Jones has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Linnear on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

And that's the end of the fight!
DJ Jones showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Linnear 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 Columbo Gatti scores the fight 27:29
Judge Franklyn Lucas scores the fight 27:29
Judge John Roberts scores the fight 27:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nicholas Linnear!