PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Nick Niob (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Stephen Keyes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Niob
vs
Keyes

163 cm
30
161 lbs
8 - 4 - 0

172 cm
29
162 lbs
16 - 9 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Decent wrestler
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Wolfpack Blood Labs Q158-Q155

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 8 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Nick Niob!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Stephen Keyes!
The judges for this bout are Illya Tyunina, Konstantin Menshow and Ivan Kurochkin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Niob throws an overhand right that lands on Keyes's shoulder, as Keyes tries to avoid the shot.
Niob misses with a few strikes there.
Niob blocks a head kick by Keyes.
Niob swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Keyes.
Keyes lands with a cross.
Keyes throws a head kick that misses.
Niob walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Keyes checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Niob lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Keyes at a distance.
Keyes scores with a head kick.
Keyes scores with a spinning back kick!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Keyes looks for the body kick but Niob saw that one coming.
A big right from Niob misses.
Keyes scoring well with a low kick there.
Niob fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
A looping hook to the body misses from Keyes. Niob does a little dance to reset his feet.
Niob looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Keyes misses with a hook. Niob ducked under it nicely.
Niob takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Keyes swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Niob takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Niob moves out of range as Keyes strikes.
Keyes keeps Niob at a distance using the push kick.
Niob swinging wildly here.
Keyes tries a head kick but it misses.
Keyes shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Niob eats them both and turns towards Keyes to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.

It looks like Nick Niob has been cut.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Niob scores with a body shot.
Niob listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Keyes misses with a hook.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Niob blocks a leg kick.
No joy there for Niob, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Niob swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Donk. Niob catches Keyes right on the button with a cross.
Keyes misses with an uppercut.
Niob ducks under a wild hook from Keyes.
Keyes throws a low kick but Niob moves out of range easily.
Keyes lands a body shot.
Keyes throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Niob uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Keyes.
A telegraphed right hand from Niob misses the target.
Keyes tries to bum rush Niob with a series of wild strikes but Niob uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Niob connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Niob throws a left and a right that both miss
and Keyes counters with a thumping low kick.
Niob walks into a jab.
Niob swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Keyes cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Niob throws a right and a left that Keyes avoids nicely.
Niob looks to land a combination but Keyes avoids it well.
Niob checks a leg kick nicely.
A jab lands there for Keyes.
A punch lands to the side of Keyes 's head but he takes it in his stride.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Keyes dodges the punch combination from Niob.
Keyes misses with a leg kick
and Niob counters with a series of strikes. Keyes will be more careful next time no doubt.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Keyes.
Niob misses with an uppercut
and Keyes counters with a nice kick to the body.
Niob is breathing heavily.
Keyes lands a really nice looking cross but Niob seems unphased.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Niob misses with an uppercut. Keyes saw that one coming.
The fighters circling - Keyes throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Keyes lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Niob throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

Keyes clinches up with Niob and pushes him back against the cage.

Niob's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Some bone on bone action there as Niob checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Keyes slips under a jab.
Keyes wants to slow Niob down by chopping away at his legs.
Niob on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Keyes tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Niob throws a nice looking combination but Keyes bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Keyes throws the kick towards the body but Niob avoids it.
Niob looks to land a combination. Keyes sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stephen Keyes dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Nick Niob's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Niob fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Keyes on the side of the head.
Niob chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Keyes can pounce on him.
Keyes feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Niob's calf.
Keyes darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
A punch combination from Niob misses.
Keyes throws a right and a left that Niob avoids nicely.
Niob throws a nice looking combination but Keyes bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Danga de danga de dang - Keyes scores with a four punch combination!
Keyes slips under a jab.
Keyes misses with a jab, cross combination.
Keyes looks to throw a body kick
and Niob counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Keyes misses with a head kick.
Niob throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Keyes throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Niob throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
A leg kick checked by Niob.
A head kick misses from Niob.
Niob scores with a shot to the body.
Keyes stalks Niob and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Niob's face. Niob staggers backwards, shaken.
Niob lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Keyes at a distance.
Niob throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Some bone on bone action there as Niob checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Keyes throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Keyes misses with a leg kick.
Niob uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Keyes.
Keyes slips under a jab from Niob.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Niob throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Keyes.
Niob just misses with a punch to the body.
Stephen Keyes seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Niob lands with a good body shot.
Keyes ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Niob moves away.
Keyes moves forwards but Niob connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Keyes fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Keyes moves in looking to clinch but Niob pushes him off.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Keyes looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Keyes goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Niob ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Keyes scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Keyes pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Nick Niob is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Keyes lands the left hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Keyes throws a lazy right hand but Niob sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Niob's corner calls for a 1-2. Niob obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Keyes lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Keyes.
Keyes moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Keyes with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Niob to score with a decent uppercut.
Niob throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Keyes.
Jab, jab by Niob - just one landing.
Keyes looks to score with a jab to the body but Niob is just out of range.
Niob throws a series of punches but Keyes moves out of range.
A punch combination from Niob misses.
Niob takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Keyes misses with a hook
and Niob counters with a straight right hand.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A head kick misses from Keyes.
Niob swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Keyes counters with a two punch combo.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Keyes attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Niob walks into a left hand.
Keyes misses with a head kick.
Keyes tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Niob throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Keyes sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Keyes misses with a wild combination.
Keyes throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Niob throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Niob rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Keyes moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stephen Keyes showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Nick Niob's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

A swing and a miss from Niob.
Niob's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Niob duly obliges.
Keyes blocks a jab.
A jab lands there for Keyes.
Niob throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Keyes stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Keyes throws a leg kick that misses.
Niob feints a jab promting Keyes to slip. Niob then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Keyes slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Niob cracks Keyes with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Niob cracks Keyes with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Keyes looks to score with a jab to the body but Niob is just out of range.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Keyes misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Niob.
Niob wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Keyes throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Niob scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Niob throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Keyes throws a hook but Niob avoids it easily.
Keyes doesn't manage to clinch there - Niob circles away.
Niob connects with a crisp jab.
Niob misses with a series of wild punches.
Niob takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Keyes is looking to slow Niob down with leg kicks.
Keyes waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Niob.
Niob looks to land a combination but Keyes avoids it well.
Nick Niob has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Keyes slips a jab and a cross from Niob.
Niob swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
A looping hook to the body misses from Keyes. Niob does a little dance to reset his feet.
Niob cracks Keyes with a good jab.
Keyes lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Keyes.
Keyes throws a head kick but Niob moves out of range.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Niob throws a right hand that Keyes ducks under and follows up with a left that Keyes also avoids with ease.
Niob blocks a low kick nicely.
Keyes takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Niob with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Keyes to score with a decent uppercut.
Keyes staying out of range there.
Keyes ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Niob has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Niob lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Niob.
Niob stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Keyes.
Keyes lands a slapping body shot.
Niob misses with the combination.
Niob misses with a looping left.
Keyes misses with a wild body shot.
Keyes uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Niob.
Keyes's jab looks to have found its range, popping Niob under the eye.
Keyes bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Niob throws a poor cross that misses
and Keyes makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Keyes scores with a jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Keyes has taken the fight to the clinch.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Keyes throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Niob blocks it with crossed arms.
Niob is trying to break the clinch but Keyes is controlling him.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Keyes takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
A shot in the inside from Niob.
Keyes lands a left hand.
Keyes misses with a knee to the head.
Niob trying to control the position but instead, Keyes has worked for underhooks and has pushed Niob into the cage.
Niob is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Keyes tries to land a knee to the head but Niob blocks with his arms.
Niob takes a knee to the side of the body.
Stephen Keyes is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Keyes prevents Niob from breaking the clinch.
Keyes looking to throw knees to the head but Niob is blocking nicely.

And that's the end of the fight!
Stephen Keyes comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Keyes 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 Illya Tyunina scores the fight 27:30
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Stephen Keyes!
Jumping up and down and very excited, Stephen Keyes waved his t-shirt featuring Wolfpack Blood Labs Q158-Q155's logo in front of the cameras.