PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Dill Nickle (ranked 1812 p4p, 2637 weight class) and Tahboule Alawi (ranked 103 p4p, 158 weight class). Alawi has chosen The Ruler of Everything as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Nickle
vs
Alawi

176 cm
25
148
8 - 6 - 0

170 cm
24
147
6 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Fast

IC&E Nutrition
Seventh Circle Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Dill Nickle!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Tahboule Alawi!
The judges for this bout are Chad Campbell, Jorge Garcia and Joseph Jones.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Alawi has his takedown stuffed
and Nickle counters with a straight right hand.

Nickle closes the distance and pushes Alawi back into the cage.
Nickle throws a head punch that misses.

Alawi is fighting off a takedown attempt but Nickle is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Alawi to the mat. Alawi regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Nickle wants to control from the top but Alawi keeps moving.
Alawi is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Alawi looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Nickle wants to stand and escape but instead Alawi has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nickle looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Alawi trying to control the position from guard on top but Nickle is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nickle wants to stand and escape but Alawi is having none of it.
Alawi throws a big right hand that misses.
Nickle is adopting a defensive guard.
Alawi preventing the sweep.
Nickle wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Nickle keeping moving, preventing Alawi from controlling successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Alawi postures up.
Nickle wants to sweep but no luck.
Alawi pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Nickle is keeping the position for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Nickle looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Nickle kicks Alawi off and gets to his feet.
A jab from Nickle finds it's way through Alawi's defenses.
Dill Nickle is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Alawi looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Nickle throws a jab when Alawi was well out of range.
Alawi tries to score a power double leg takedown but Nickle sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Alawi somewhat.
Dill Nickle has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tahboule Alawi.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Alawi wants to clinch
enabling Nickle to counter with a crisp jab.
Nickle lands a nice hook to Alawi's body. Alawi takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Alawi throws a left and a right that both miss
and Nickle counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Alawi walks into a jab.
Nickle connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Jab, jab by Nickle - just one landing.
Alawi shoots in looking for a takedown. Nickle tries to sprawl out of it but Alawi keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Nickle manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nickle moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Nickle fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Alawi with the counter takedown but Nickle avoids it easily.
Nickle tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Alawi manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Alawi tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Nickle scores with a jab to the jaw.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Nickle drives through and clinches with Alawi against the cage.

Nickle is trying to trip Alawi. He has hold of a leg but Alawi is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Nickle persists though and gets the takedown into guard.

Alawi had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Nickle defends it easily.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Dill Nickle dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action.

Alawi uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Nickle.
It looks like Nickle has been trying to sharpen up his punching technique, as it looks crisper than last time we saw him.
Nickle avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Dill Nickle is winning the standup battle so far.
Nickle cracks Alawi with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Alawi keeps the fight on the outside.

Nickle moves into the clinch.
A head punch on the inside from Nickle fails to land.
Nickle fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Nickle has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Alawi is trying to keep an underhook but Nickle manages to get the takedown into half guard.

Alawi actively working from the bottom here.
Nickle prevents Alawi from improving his position.
Nickle is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Alawi can do to turn this around?
Nickle not doing much here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nice strikes from Nickle there.
Alawi tries to get to full guard but Nickle has control of the leg.
Nickle tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Alawi.
Alawi trying to control here.
Nickle stalling.
Alawi is looking to improve his position.
It looks like Nickle is going to stand back up.

That's two 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.
Nickle is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Alawi tries to roll over but Nickle keeps him under control.
Nickle throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Nickle seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.

Alawi actively working from the bottom here.
Nickle is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Nickle misses with a wild body shot.
Alawi feints the counter takedown.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nickle misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Alawi.
Alawi circles away from the clinch attempt.
Nickle misses with a body shot.

Alawi darts in and clinches Nickle up against the cage.

Nickle manages to pull guard.
Alawi works over Nickle with some ground and pound from guard.
Alawi throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Alawi trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Nickle looking to hit a scissor sweep but Alawi is one step ahead there.
Alawi tries to free his leg and advance position but Nickle is retaining full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Alawi slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Alawi working away.
Nickle is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Nickle tries to improve position but can't.
Nickle sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Nickle wants to get back to full guard.
Dill Nickle overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Alawi seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Nickle does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Alawi looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Nickle with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Alawi passes the guard and advances to mount!
Alawi can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Nickle is looking to escape.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Dill Nickle dominated that second round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

A punch combination from Nickle misses.
A right-left combo lands from Nickle.
Nickle swings away with a body shot that misses
and Alawi cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Nickle turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!

Nickle goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Alawi has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Nickle but great work by Alawi.
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!
Nickle wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Alawi advances to mount.
Alawi looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Nickle tries to hold on but Alawi pushes him away.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Alawi working for a submission but Nickle is keeping him at bay.
Alawi can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Nickle is looking to escape.
Alawi lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

Alawi wants to finish this one by submission but Nickle is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Alawi.
Alawi tries to control but Nickle wriggling away.
Nickle is trying to stand up.
Nickle regains half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Alawi is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Nickle sees it coming and defends easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nickle is trying to stand up here but Alawi is controlling him well.
Alawi is pressing down on Nickle's thigh, looking to free his foot. Nickle is holding on for now.
Nickle is looking to control Alawi's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Nickle avoid being mounted?

Alawi is working for a submission of some sort.
Alawi lands with a punch from half guard.
Alawi slips a nice elbow through Nickle's hands, connecting with Nickle's forehead.
Nickle is trying to get back to full guard.
Alawi thows a huge punch but Nickle dodges it nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nickle is trying to stand up here but Alawi is controlling him well.
Nickle is looking for a sweep. Alawi is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Nickle is working hard here to advance position.
Nickle is trying to maintain the position but Alawi is very close to passing his half guard.
Alawi wants to control but Nickle is keeping him busy.

Alawi is working for a submission of some sort.
Nickle moves into full guard.
Nickle wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Alawi manages to pass to side control.
Tahboule Alawi has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

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.
Nickle tries to kick Alawi off but Alawi keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Nickle is trying to get back to full guard.
Nickle tries to kick Alawi off but Alawi keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

Nickle manages to escape and get back to his feet!

Nickle gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Alawi to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Nickle is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Tahboule Alawi.
Well Nickle 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 Chad Campbell scores the fight 29:28
Judge Jorge Garcia scores the fight 30:27
Judge Joseph Jones scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dill Nickle!
Our winner, Dill Nickle, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.