PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Alfonz Novak (ranked 2489 p4p, 2123 weight class) and Jake Shields (ranked 313 p4p, 274 weight class). Novak's entrance music is A Tout Le Monde - Megadeth. A fine choice. Shields comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Seven Nation Army kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Jake Shields acknowledges the crowd's support as he enters the cage.

Novak
vs
Shields

190 cm
22
186
4 - 1 - 0

183 cm
32
169
11 - 8 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Knockaround Guys Fight Gear

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 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Alfonz Novak!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jake Shields!
The judges for this bout are Aafke Stam, Wagner Zegers and Paul Aken.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Novak looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Shields!
Novak with the ground and pound but Shields regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Novak is looking for the mount but instead finds himself back in full guard.
Novak postures up and lands a big shot to Shields's brow.
Shields working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Novak.
Novak trying to control but Shields is working from the bottom.
Shields is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Novak content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Novak throwing strikes from guard but Shields blocks nicely.
Shields manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Novak manages to get himself to full guard.

Shields trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Novak is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

Novak working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Shields doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Shields manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Novak throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Novak looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Novak working a defensive guard here.
Novak looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Shields trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Shields pushing down on Novak's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Novak wants to get back to full guard.
Novak has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shields is trying to control the action in half guard but Novak is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Novak is trying to get back to full guard.
Novak trying to control from the bottom.
Shields wants to free his trapped foot but Novak is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Novak gets back to full guard.
Shields wants to pass the guard but Novak is keeping the position.
Novak looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Novak has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Shields has passed into side control.
Shields trying to control the action but Novak is working from the bottom.

Shields tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Shields has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Shields is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Novak is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Novak wants to control but Shields postures up.
Shields is looking to take a break and control but Novak is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Novak is looking to reverse the position.
Novak gets back to half guard.

That's four 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.
Novak gets back to full guard.
Novak wants to sweep but no luck.
Shields looking to pass the guard.
Novak controls Shields momentarily but Shields frees himself.
Shields stopping the sweep attempt from Novak.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Novak is working hard here to advance position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Shields wants to control from the top but Novak keeps moving.
Shields stopping the sweep attempt from Novak.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Alfonz Novak will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Shields misses with a lunging right hand

and Novak counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Novak lands a couple of elbows.
Novak pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Shields is keeping the position for now.
Shields looking for a sweep. Not yet Shields, not yet.
Novak slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Shields tries to improve position but can't.
Shields manages to get back to half guard.
Novak passes to side control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Shields seems a little lost for a moment, as Novak dominates the positioning.
Novak lands a decent elbow from side control.
Shields tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Novak wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Novak working the head and body with strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Novak landing strikes.
Shields taking a bit of punishment here - Novak scoring with strikes.

Shields is rocked!
Novak is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Shields can do to turn this around?
A big shot lands for Novak! That's hurt Shields! Will he recover? Novak fires away with more strikes and the referee has to step in to stop the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:29 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Alfonz Novak!
The defeated Jake Shields had this to say: 'As long as you're open-minded you can learn stuff from anyone.'.