PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between James Neil (ranked 1233 p4p, 168 weight class) and Ricardo Alvarez (ranked 1608 p4p, 218 weight class). Neil comes to the cage accompanied by Allman Brothers Band - Midnight Rider. The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Neil
vs
Alvarez

183 cm
28
193 lbs
12 - 8 - 1

185 cm
27
184 lbs
7 - 5 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Powerful takedowns
Excellent boxer
Powerful

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 12 - 8 - 1, fighting out of Amsterdam, James Neil!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ricardo Alvarez!
The judges for this bout are Nard Betker, Paul Aken and Aafke Stam.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Alvarez throws an off balance right hand
and Neil cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Neil steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Alvarez.
Neil was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.

Neil takes the fight into the clinch.
Alvarez is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
I was talking to Neil's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Neil blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Neil tries a body shot but Alvarez blocks it.
Neil doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
A right hand to the body from Alvarez.
Neil blocking some punches.
Alvarez goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
A short uppercut from Neil.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Neil is working Alvarez over against the cage.
Alvarez makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.

Neil manages to break the clinch.
Alvarez throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Neil cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

Neil shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Neil showed some decent athleticism there.
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!
Neil trying to control from half guard but Alvarez is working away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Neil thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Alvarez's head.
Neil with the ground and pound but Alvarez uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Alvarez is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Neil is controlling him.
Neil lands a couple of elbows.
Neil lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Neil throws a big elbow that misses.
Neil has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Neil keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Alvarez's head.
Neil trying to control the position from guard on top but Alvarez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neil throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Neil scoring with some ground and pound.
Neil trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Neil postures up in Alvarez's guard and throws a big left but Alvarez blocks it.
Neil working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Neil missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Alvarez avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Neil throwing strikes but missing.
Neil scoring with punches to the head and body.

Alvarez is rocked!
Neil arches his back and unloads with a massive left and a right! Alvarez's eyes roll back into his head, he's out cold! The ref dives in to stop the fight - wow, they were hard shots!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:18 of round 1, we have a winner by way of KO (Strikes). James Neil!
James Neil took to the mic in his post fight interview and said 'Just hit my music and let's go.'.
The defeated Ricardo Alvarez had this to say: '"no doping control here?"'.