PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between jim craig (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and kevin hughes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

craig
vs
hughes

190 cm
22
255 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
18
230 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

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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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, jim craig!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, kevin hughes!
The judges for this bout are Eddie Farnsworth, John Roberts and Joseph Jones.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
craig fails to land the takedown.
craig shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has hughes pinned against the cage. hughes gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
craig is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

hughes shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. hughes showed some decent athleticism there.
hughes tries to pass the half guard into mount. craig knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
craig is not content to let hughes control the position.
craig could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
hughes working to pass to mount. He's got his hand pressing down on craig's thigh. craig counters though and makes it back to full guard.
hughes won't allow craig to sweep him here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
hughes throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
craig working a defensive guard here.
hughes's corner is telling him to maintain position.
hughes missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

hughes closes the distance and clinches.

hughes wants the takedown. craig is fighting it off but hughes persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in craig's guard against the cage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
hughes wants to control from the top but craig keeps moving.
craig looking to control.
hughes has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of craig is proving hard to escape from.
craig is trying to control the position but hughes postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
craig keeping moving, preventing hughes from controlling successfully.

hughes decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
craig tries to clinch but hughes moves away

and hughes counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for craig!
craig tries to get back to half guard but can't.
hughes wants to control the pace but craig is squirming around nicely.
craig is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
hughes looking to control but craig is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
hughes unloading with bombs!

hughes with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
hughes looks gassed!
hughes scoring with strikes but craig is staying in there.
craig is working to get back to half guard.
hughes trying to control but he's not successful this time.
craig wants to try and get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
craig tries to hold on but hughes postures up.
hughes takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
hughes with a couple of short strikes.
hughes controlling from mount.
hughes trying to control but craig is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

kevin hughes dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

hughes looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

hughes closes the distance and clinches.

hughes breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

hughes closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.

hughes tries for a kimura but craig is defending well.
craig gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
craig is trying to control but can't.
hughes is breathing heavily.
craig manages to get to full guard.
craig has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

That's one minute gone in the round.
craig trying to control the position.
hughes trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
hughes wants to control from the top but craig keeps moving.
craig 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.

hughes stands up and waves to craig to follow him.
hughes will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by craig!
craig is looking to clinch but hughes is avoiding it.

hughes 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.
craig has a closed guard, preventing hughes from standing up.
hughes preventing the sweep.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
craig bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in hughes's guard.
kevin hughes has got the better of the ground game so far.
craig sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed hughes's guard.
craig lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
hughes trying to control from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
craig trying to mount his opponent but hughes defends it.
craig throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
hughes misses with some strikes from the bottom.
hughes is trying to control but can't.
craig tries to pass to full mount but hughes defends it.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

hughes shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than hughes was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
craig is looking to get to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
hughes controlling from the full mount.
craig tries to hold on but hughes postures up.
hughes tries to control but craig wriggling away.
hughes controlling from mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

kevin hughes showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. And we move into the final round!

hughes closes the distance and clinches.
craig is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

hughes lands a takedown into guard.
craig pulls hughes in close to his closed guard and prevents hughes from doing any damage or advancing position.
craig trying to keep a closed guard but hughes is proving a slippery customer.
craig controlling hughes's posture.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
hughes trying to control but craig is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
craig looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but hughes puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
hughes trying to control the action but craig is working from the bottom.
hughes controlling the action here.
hughes sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. craig defending well though.
craig has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. hughes is working away from the top position though.

craig looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
hughes stalling.
craig is looking for a sweep. hughes is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
hughes tries to pass the half guard into mount. craig knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
hughes misses with a combination
and craig makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
craig tries for a takedown but hughes circles away easily

and hughes counters with a nice double leg into guard.
hughes won't allow craig to sweep him here.
hughes stays in close to craig's body and controls the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
craig is trying to hold hughes in close to prevent damage but hughes has managed to pass into half guard.
hughes wants to take a breather but craig is having none of it.
hughes uses his free foot to push down on craig's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for craig.
hughes can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as craig is looking to escape.
hughes controlling the pace for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
craig is looking to get to half guard.
hughes pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
craig can't escape the position.
hughes controlling from the full mount.
jim craig has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
kevin hughes is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

And that's the end of the fight!
kevin hughes comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got hughes winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 27:30
Judge John Roberts scores the fight 27:30
Judge Joseph Jones scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... kevin hughes!