PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Steve Nieves (ranked 5859 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ima Potato (ranked 7770 p4p, 0 weight class). Potato has a niggling injury. He would have liked to come in 100% fit but that's not always possible. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Nieves
vs
Potato

222 cm
18
346 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
18
300 lbs
0 - 1 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Steve Nieves!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 1, fighting out of London, Ima Potato!
The judges for this bout are Andrew Berry, Colin Fotheringham and Daniel Bishop.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Potato gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Potato should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Nieves slows down the pace here.
Come on Nieves - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Nieves taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Nieves stalling against the cage.
The crowd are getting pretty annoyed with Nieves for his constant stalling in the clinch and are voicing their displeasure.
We're hearing some news coming in from back stage. It's official - Potato has eaten all the pies!
Nieves will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Potato up against the cage.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Steve Nieves.

Potato looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.

Nieves has one foot on Potato's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Potato looks winded!

That's one minute gone in the round.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Nieves tries to keep at a distance but Potato has taken the fight into the clinch.

Potato manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Nieves showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

Nieves drops back looking for a leg! Potato is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Potato manages to kick Nieves off! Nieves jumps back into Potato's guard.
Nieves in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nieves is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Nieves trying to stand up but can't free himself from Potato's guard.
Nieves slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

Potato escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Nieves gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Nieves closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Nieves just misses with a elbow thrown towards Potato's brow.
Potato is trying to force a seperation but Nieves has the dominant position.
Nieves pressing his opponent against the cage.
Nieves content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Nieves gets a warning from the ref for wasting time.
Nieves taking a breather.
The referee calls for Nieves to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Nieves is stalling here.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Steve Nieves.
Potato misses with a wild body shot.

Nieves shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Potato working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Nieves.

Nieves stands up from Potato's guard - Nieves perhaps looking for a knockout.

Nieves shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Potato napping and manages to drive through into side control!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Nieves controls the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Steve Nieves dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Nieves fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Potato sprawls well initially but Nieves persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Nieves slips a nice elbow through Potato's hands, connecting with Potato's forehead.
Potato tries to get to full guard but Nieves has control of the leg.

Potato looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Nieves is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nieves has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Potato is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nieves looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Nieves is trying to work for a kimura but Potato is defending well.
Nieves seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Nice strikes from Nieves there.
Nieves stalling.
Nieves is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Potato!

Nieves looking to secure an arm triangle but Potato defends it well.
Potato wants to control but Nieves is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nieves sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

Nieves looking to secure an arm triangle but Potato defends it well.
Nieves content just to control the position here.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Nieves cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Potato tries to hold on but Nieves postures up.
Nieves content just to control the position here.
Potato is in a horrible position here. Nieves smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Nieves landing shots from mount.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Nieves lands a big elbow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Steve Nieves dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Nieves misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Steve Nieves is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Nieves manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Potato on his heels. He'll look to pass Potato's guard now, I'm sure.
Potato can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Nieves controls the pace.
Nieves landing some decent shots from guard.

Nieves thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Nieves decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Potato, up you get!
Potato takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Nieves has taken the fight to the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Potato dodges an elbow strike from Nieves.
Potato is struggling to control the position.
Nieves is pushing Potato up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.

Nieves manages to break the clinch.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Nieves.
Sloppy strikes from Potato. Those never looked like landing.

Nieves feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Nieves is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nieves controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Nieves landing some decent shots from guard.
Nieves will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Nieves sitting in guard, not really doing much.

Nieves gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nieves dodges the punch combination from Potato.
Nieves will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Nieves drives through with a takedown into guard.
Nieves content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.

Potato is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Nieves is aware though and is defending well.
Potato looking for a sweep. Not yet Potato, not yet.
Steve Nieves overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Nieves content to stall in guard here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nieves is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Nieves's corner is telling him to maintain position.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

Potato gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Nieves is standing up over Potato. Potato looks to escape but Nieves dives into side control.
Ima Potato has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Steve Nieves is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.

And that's the end of the fight!
Steve Nieves showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Nieves, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Andrew Berry scores the fight 30:27
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Steve Nieves!