PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Wallid Ismail (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sen Nguyen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Nguyen is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: "House of the Rising Sun" by the Animals. Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Ismail
vs
Nguyen

170 cm
29
182 lbs
14 - 12 - 0

170 cm
25
181 lbs
12 - 8 - 1

Powerful takedowns
Counter striker
Very strong

Powerful takedowns
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

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 14 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Wallid Ismail!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 8 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Sen Nguyen!
The judges for this bout are Felipe Paraventi, Daniel Cesar and Mauricio Rocha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ismail fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Nguyen avoids it really well and circles away.
Ismail uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Nguyen.

Nguyen darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Ismail trying to control but Nguyen postures up.
Ismail regains full guard. Nicely done.
Nguyen looking to sit in guard and control but Ismail gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Nguyen throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Nguyen has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Ismail can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Ismail decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Nguyen, up you get!

Nguyen decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Nguyen blocks the strikes from Ismail.
Nguyen is keen to just control but Ismail is a slippery customer.

Ismail is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Nguyen pulls his head out easily.
Nguyen perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

Ismail looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ismail is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Ismail looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
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!
Ismail wants to improve his position but Nguyen is controlling well.
Ismail has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Nguyen is working away from the top position though.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nguyen perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Ismail trying to control from the bottom.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Sen Nguyen.
Nguyen closes the distance and clinches up with Ismail, looking for a takedown. Nguyen pushes Ismail against the cage but Ismail circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Nguyen is defended easily by Ismail.
Nguyen slaps away a takedown attempt from Ismail, before circling back to the center of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ismail looks for a takedown but Nguyen sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Wallid Ismail. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Nguyen is trying hard to land a takedown here. Ismail sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Nguyen will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ismail slips under a jab from Nguyen.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Nguyen throws a series of strikes that have Ismail backpedaling.

It looks like Wallid Ismail has been cut.
Ismail shoots in for a takedown but Nguyen shows good takedown defense.
Nguyen fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Ismail is out of range.
Ismail shoots for a takedown but Nguyen saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

Nguyen cracks Ismail with a big right hand and Ismail goes down!

Ismail is rocked!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Nguyen loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Oh Ismail is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!

Ismail looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Nguyen has picked Ismail up and slammed him! Ismail can't keep hold of the triangle and Nguyen manages to pass to side control!
Ismail is looking to regain half guard here but Nguyen keeps moving and retains side control.
Ismail tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Nguyen presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
Nguyen controlling the position easily from mount.
Let's hope that Nguyen 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.
Ismail seems to have got his legs back now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nguyen lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Nguyen controlling from mount.
Ismail is looking to improve his position but Nguyen isn't that keen on the idea.
Nguyen sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nguyen's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Ismail is looking to improve his position but Nguyen isn't that keen on the idea.
Nguyen controlling his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ismail slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Ismail wants to get back to full guard.
Nguyen controlling the pace.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Sen Nguyen wasn't active enough on the ground.
Ismail shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Nguyen sprawls well. Nguyen wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Ismail gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Wallid Ismail. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ismail looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ismail with a lazy takedown attempt
enabling Nguyen to counter with a crisp jab.
Ismail shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Nguyen counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Nguyen fails to land with a series of punches.
Sen Nguyen seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Nguyen stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Nguyen wants it to stay on the feet.
Nguyen tries to bum rush Ismail with a series of wild strikes but Ismail uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Nguyen tries to clinch but Ismail is having none of it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Ismail is defended easily by Nguyen.
Wallid Ismail is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Nguyen tries to close the distance and clinch but Ismail swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sen Nguyen showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Wallid Ismail's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Nguyen moves into range and clinches up with Ismail.
Ismail is trying to pull guard but Nguyen has him pressed against the cage.

Nguyen breaks from the clinch.
Nguyen defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Ismail.
Ismail fails to land the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Wallid Ismail. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Nguyen tries to close the distance and clinch up but Ismail swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Ismail closes the distance and clinches up with Nguyen, looking for a takedown. Ismail pushes Nguyen against the cage but Nguyen circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Nguyen throws a jab when Ismail was well out of range.
Nguyen looks to land a right hand but Ismail moved out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nguyen misses with the combination.
Nguyen misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

Nguyen darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Well, if Nguyen is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nguyen is trying to control the action in half guard but Ismail is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Nguyen controlling the action here.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Sen Nguyen hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Nguyen throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Ismail's waist but Ismail gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Nguyen off to one side.

Ismail shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Nguyen manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Well,Ismail is on his way to losing a decision here. Can he use his experience to pull something off in the closing minutes?
Ismail trying to control but Nguyen is working from the bottom.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

Nguyen had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Ismail defends it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nguyen looking to hit a scissor sweep but Ismail is one step ahead there.
Ismail pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Nguyen is keeping the position for now.
Ismail controls from within his opponent's guard.

Nguyen looking for a guillotine here but Ismail defends easily.
Nguyen is trying to keep Ismail in close.
Sen Nguyen is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nguyen keeping moving, preventing Ismail from controlling successfully.

Nguyen working for a triangle but Ismail defends it easily.

Nguyen looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Ismail trying to control but Nguyen is working from the bottom.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ismail passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Wallid Ismail has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Nguyen sneaks back into half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sen Nguyen comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Nguyen 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 Felipe Paraventi scores the fight for Sen Nguyen!
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight for Sen Nguyen!
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight for Sen Nguyen!

Sen Nguyen wins by unanimous decision!