PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Travis Dillon (ranked 472 p4p, 68 weight class) and Naiki Nekele (ranked 741 p4p, 102 weight class). Both fighters really staring each other down here, as Naiki Nekele enters the cage!

Dillon
vs
Nekele

191 cm
23
261 lbs
13 - 6 - 0

210 cm
26
275 lbs
19 - 10 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Conviction

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 13 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Travis Dillon!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 19 - 10 - 0, fighting out of London, Naiki Nekele!
The judges for this bout are Sam Margolis, Andrew Berry and Paul Tew.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dillon takes a swing at Nekele's ribcage but misses.
Dillon misses with a kick to the body
and Nekele counters with a body kick that stops Dillon in his tracks momentarily.
Dillon ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Dillon misses with a lunging right hand
enabling Nekele to counter with a crisp jab.
A cross from Nekele lands.
Nekele takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Dillon misses with a jab to the body
and Nekele connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nekele throws a hook but Dillon blocks it.
Dillon walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Nekele moves away from the strike by Dillon.
A little jabbing left from Nekele on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dillon throws a leg kick
and Nekele counters with a thumping low kick.
Nekele tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Dillon swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Nekele.
Nekele misses with a right hand
and Dillon connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Nekele has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Nekele with a jab.
Dillon misses with an attempted mid kick.
Dillon throws a solid leg kick but Nekele takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Dillon.
Nekele doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
A combination from Dillon does no damage.
Nekele looks like he wants to counter punch here.

Dillon clinches up with Nekele and pushes him back against the cage.
I was talking to Dillon's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dillon tries to throw a body punch but Nekele avoids it by throwing Dillon back against the cage.
Dillon misses with a body punch.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Nekele creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Nekele lands with a left to the head.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Nekele breaks the clinch.

Dillon clinches up with Nekele and pushes him back against the cage.
Nekele blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Dillon misses with some punches.
Dillon lands a hook to the side of the head.
Nekele blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Dillon prevents Nekele from breaking the clinch.
Dillon swings wildly with an uppercut but Nekele uses good head movement to avoid it.
Dillon swings away with an uppercut that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dillon doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
A head punch on the inside from Dillon fails to land.
Dillon lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Dillon misses with a short punch on the inside.
Dillon works on Nekele's body with a couple of short punches.
A short right from Dillon on the inside.
Dillon throws a punch but it's blocked by Nekele.
Nekele blocks an uppercut.
Dillon throws a punch but it's blocked by Nekele.
Nekele throws a head punch that misses.

Nekele breaks the clinch.
Dillon thows a leg kick but Nekele checks it
and Nekele makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Dillon really felt that one!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dillon connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Nekele's hands.
Dillon misses with a body shot.
Nekele staying out of range there.
Nekele misses with a lunging right hand
and Dillon counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Nekele attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Dillon throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
A nice side step and Nekele releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Dillon is looking to chop away at Nekele's legs.
Dillon darts in trying to clinch
and Nekele counters with a nice leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Travis Dillon will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Nekele clobbers Dillon with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Dillon throws a low kick but it's checked well by Nekele.
A little jabbing left from Nekele on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Nekele swings widly with a right hand

and Dillon counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Nekele blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Nekele's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Nekele thows a left - swing and a miss!
Nekele slips a straight right by Dillon.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dillon tries to clinch there but Nekele circles away.
Dillon checks the leg kick.
Dillon tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Nekele manages to circle out of the way.
Dillon lands a nice hook to Nekele's body. Nekele takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nice defenses there by Nekele.
Nekele pivots, looking for a leg kick but Dillon is out of range and Nekele settles back down.
Jab from Dillon.
Dillon connects with a body shot.
Dillon looks to throw the jab but Nekele is out of range.
A little jabbing left from Nekele on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Dillon misses with a body punch
and Nekele counters with a leg kick.
Dillon darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Nekele uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Dillon.
Nekele swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Nekele pushing out the jab but it's not landing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Dillon closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Dillon throws a punch but it's blocked by Nekele.
A nice left hand lands by Nekele.
Dillon lands a left hand that snaps the head of Nekele backwards.
Dillon throws a head punch that misses.
Nekele lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
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!
Nekele is trying to push Dillon away but Dillon has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Nekele misses with some punches.
Nekele wants to break free but Dillon has control.
Dillon misses with a punch on the inside.
Dillon misses with a hook from the clinch.
Dillon working aggressively here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dillon blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Nekele working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Travis Dillon has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Dillon struggles to land a body shot inside as Nekele controls his hands.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Nekele.
Dillon lands a nice uppercut.
Dillon keeps control of Nekele as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Dillon is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Nekele can do to turn this around?
Dillon has a couple of punches blocked by Nekele.
Nekele scores with a shoulder strike.
Nekele misses with some punches.
Nekele misses with a hook from the clinch.
Dillon swings wildly with an uppercut but Nekele uses good head movement to avoid it.
Dillon swings away with an uppercut that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nekele blocks an uppercut.
Nekele is trying to break the clinch but Dillon has him pressed against the cage.
Dillon swings wildly with an uppercut but Nekele uses good head movement to avoid it.
Nekele blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Dillon misses with a punch on the inside.
Dillon misses with a short punch on the inside.

Nekele breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Nekele on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Nekele steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Dillon.
Nekele throws an overhand right that lands on Dillon's shoulder, as Dillon tries to avoid the shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Travis Dillon dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Dillon throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
It seemed like Nekele was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Nekele comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Dillon throws a head kick that misses.
Dillon thows a left - swing and a miss!
Nekele throws out a counter right but Dillon avoids it with no problem.
A big right from Nekele misses.
Dillon feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Nekeles jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Dillon swinging wildly here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nekele uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Dillon.
Nekele looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Nekele dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Dillon. That did some damage!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dillon throws a head kick that misses.
Dillon throws a jab when Nekele was well out of range.
Nekele doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Nekele swings for the body but Dillon moves out of range.
Nekele just manages to avoid a counter high kick fromDillon.
Nekele misses with a leg kick.
An attempted straight right counter from Dillon misses the target.
Dillon takes one to the chin there.
Dillon throws out a powerful jab.
Dillon just misses with a punch to the body.
Dillon rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
enabling Nekele to counter with a crisp jab.
Nekele walks into a straight right hand from Dillon.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dillon fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Nekele.
Dillon throws a leg kick but Nekele sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Nekele throws a jab when Dillon was well out of range.
Nekele keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Dillon misses with a looping left.
Travis Dillon is winning the standup battle so far.
A nice leg kick lands there from Dillon.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Dillon checks a leg kick.
Nekele attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dillon throws a shot to the body.
Nekele misses with an uppercut.
Dillon swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Dillon scores with a nice strike.
Nekele connects with a body shot.
A big right from Dillon misses.
Nekele doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Dillon misses with a hook. Nekele ducked under it nicely.
Nekele looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
A looping hook to the body misses from Dillon. Nekele does a little dance to reset his feet.
Dillon throws a lazy right hand but Nekele sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Nekele looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Nekele misses with a straight left.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dillon looks to land a combination but Nekele avoids it well.
Nekele lands with a right hand.
Dillon throws a head kick but Nekele moves out of range.
Nekele avoids a punch combination nicely.
A little jabbing left from Nekele on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Nekele throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
A looping hook to the body misses from Nekele. Dillon does a little dance to reset his feet.
Nekele looks to throw the jab but Dillon is out of range.
Naiki Nekele has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Dillon scores with a nice right hand.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Travis Dillon.
Well Dillon has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Sam Margolis scores the fight 30:27
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight 30:27
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Travis Dillon!
A very excited looking Travis Dillon made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.