PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between ZaDarius Haden (ranked 1156 p4p, 2952 weight class) and Juju Baraka (ranked 184 p4p, 436 weight class). Haden's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Mot�rhead - Orgasmatron. Baraka is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Burning Spear. ZaDarius Haden is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples... Tweaking his own nipples that is.

Haden
vs
Baraka

198 cm
33
222
23 - 16 - 1

203 cm
35
206
21 - 17 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

BJJ Brown Belt
World class MT
Powerful

Urban Fighter

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 23 - 16 - 1, fighting out of Montreal, ZaDarius Haden!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 21 - 17 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Juju Baraka!
The judges for this bout are Phil Schofield, James Ackerman and Colin Fotheringham.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Haden fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Haden avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Baraka lands a nice shot that snaps Haden's head back.
Baraka lands the left hand.
Haden misses with a wild body shot.
Juju Baraka seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Haden throws out a loose jab but Baraka uses good head movement to avoid it.
Baraka lands with a thumping leg kick.
Good leg kick by Baraka.
Baraka pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Some wild striking there from Baraka.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Haden connects with a single shot there.

Haden looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Baraka!
Baraka really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Haden. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Baraka tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Haden wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Haden cracks Baraka with a big elbow.
Baraka is pushing Haden's head away, looking to escape. Haden manages to hold on to the position though.
Haden trying to control the position but Baraka is working away.
Haden 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.
Haden is putting a hurting on Baraka here, landing some big shots from side control.
Baraka is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Haden is controlling him well.
Baraka parries the strikes from Haden easily there. Haden is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Baraka to escape.
Haden scoring with punches and elbows.
Haden looks up at the clock and then as Baraka takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Haden smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Baraka on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Baraka takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Haden 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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Haden is looking to take a break and control but Baraka is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Baraka is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Baraka trying to remain calm as Haden controls from the top position.
Baraka is not content to let Haden control the position.
Haden throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Haden working the head and body with strikes.
Haden content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Baraka is pushing Haden's head away, looking to escape. Haden manages to hold on to the position though.
The strikes coming from Haden are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Baraka tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Haden presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
Baraka is looking to get to half guard.
Haden trying to control but Baraka is having none of it.
A nice elbow there by Haden.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Haden scores with a couple of good head shots there.
You get the feeling that Baraka really doesn't like being in this position too much.
Baraka tries to hold on but Haden postures up.
Baraka is desperately trying to improve his position but Haden has a good base and remains in mount.
Haden with a couple of short strikes.
Haden takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Baraka is bucking up trying to escape but Haden cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Haden tries to control but Baraka wriggling away.
Haden in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

ZaDarius Haden 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.

Baraka takes one on the chin but keeps coming.

It looks like Juju Baraka has been cut.
Baraka plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Haden takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Baraka throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Haden drops down looking for a counter takedown but Baraka sprawls and moves away.
Haden throws a big shot that misses.
Haden misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Baraka pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
It looked like Haden wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Haden just misses with a punch to the body.
Haden scores with a hook.
Baraka throws a shot from downtown. Haden moves away and avoids it.
Haden tries to counter with a takedown but Baraka is quick to defend against it.
A combination from Haden does no damage.
Haden fails with the takedown.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Baraka, as that shot connected.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A telegraphed right hand from Baraka misses the target.
Baraka tries to clinch but Haden moves out of range.
Haden fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for ZaDarius Haden. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Baraka cracks Haden with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Haden is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Baraka can do to turn this around?
Haden takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
A combination from Baraka does no damage.
Haden feinted with a counter takedown.
Baraka moves in looking to clinch but Haden pushes him off.
Baraka misses with a few strikes there.
Haden was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Baraka is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Haden takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Haden throws a shot from downtown. Baraka moves away and avoids it.
Baraka tests Haden's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Baraka misses with a looping right.
Haden tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Baraka defends well and Haden ends up having to push Baraka into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
A head punch on the inside from Haden fails to land.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Baraka misses with the head strike.
Baraka can't break the clinch.
Baraka throws a head punch that misses.
Haden blocks an uppercut.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Haden blocking some punches.
Baraka has a couple of punches blocked by Haden.
Baraka makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Haden blocks a body shot from Baraka.

Haden gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Haden is stalling in the full guard.
Baraka wants to sweep here but Haden controlling him for the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Haden showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Haden loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Haden missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Haden looking to sit in guard and control but Baraka gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Haden bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Baraka's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Haden is working Baraka over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Haden stands and throws Baraka's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Haden trying to control the action but Baraka is working from the bottom.
Haden staying calm.
Haden trying to control the position but Baraka is working away.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Juju Baraka showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Juju Baraka's cut.
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. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Baraka tries to clinch there but Haden circles away.
Haden avoids the head kick by Baraka.
Haden drops down looking for a counter takedown but Baraka sprawls and moves away.
Haden uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Baraka.
Haden swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Baraka throws a lazy head kick

and Haden counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Haden.
ZaDarius Haden overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Haden sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Haden slips nicely into half guard.
Haden sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Baraka defending well though.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Haden working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Haden prevents Baraka from improving his position.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Haden lands a nice short elbow.
Haden slips a nice elbow through Baraka's hands, connecting with Baraka's forehead.
Haden lands strikes from half guard.
Haden throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Haden controlling the action here.
Haden is thwarting Baraka's attempts to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Baraka is looking to escape.
Still in half guard, Haden seems content to control.
Haden stops Baraka from getting back to his feet.
Baraka is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Haden scores with a couple of nice shots.
Haden is controlling the pace.
Baraka keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Haden is controlling the pace.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Juju Baraka is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Baraka slaps away a takedown attempt from Haden, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Haden shoots in looking for a takedown but Baraka manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Haden's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Baraka throws a jab but it's blocked by Haden.
Juju Baraka seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Haden fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Haden throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Baraka tries to clinch but Haden is having none of it.
Haden throwing a counter right hand but Baraka manages to avoid it.
Haden dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Baraka lands a jab to the head.
Haden moves out of range as Baraka strikes.
Baraka scores with a jab to the body.
Haden takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Haden moves out of range as Baraka strikes.
Haden drops down looking for a counter takedown but Baraka sprawls and moves away.
Haden blocks a jab.
Baraka closes the distance looking to clinch
and Haden counters with a nice body shot.
Haden shoots in and drives through. Baraka sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for ZaDarius Haden. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Haden closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
A lull in the action here as Haden stalls from top position.
Baraka is looking to regain half guard here but Haden keeps moving and retains side control.
Baraka is working to avoid the ground and pound but Haden connects with a decent elbow.

And that's the end of the fight!
ZaDarius Haden showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Haden has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Phil Schofield scores the fight 29:28
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 29:28
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... ZaDarius Haden!
ZaDarius Haden tried to hype himself up post fight but didn't word it too well and it ended up with him sounding like a bit of a tool.