PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Ricky Barbee (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dan Hard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the ring.

Barbee
vs
Hard

180 cm
19
185 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

185 cm
23
180 lbs
3 - 7 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ricky Barbee!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Dan Hard!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Cecil Peabody and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Barbee throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Barbee lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Hard backs up against the ropes.
Barbee throws a nice looking combination but Hard bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Hard tries to bum rush Barbee with a series of wild strikes but Barbee uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Barbee scores with a shot to the body.
Hard throws a left and a right that both miss

and Barbee counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Hard is not content to let Barbee control the position.
Barbee is just content to waste time from the top position. Hard takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Hard keeping moving, preventing Barbee from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Ricky Barbee just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Barbee throws a combination that misses
and Hard counters with a three punch combo that has Barbee backing up. Barbee nods at Hard to acknowledge the strikes.
Hard stuffs the takedown attempt from Barbee. Barbee gets slowly back to his feet.
Hard keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Dan Hard seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Barbee circles away from the clinch attempt

and Barbee moves into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hard wants to get back to striking at distance but Barbee won't allow it.
Hard working hard to break the clinch.
Hard is looking for a takedown up against the ropes. Barbee gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Barbee wants to break free but Hard has control.

Barbee breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Barbee avoids a punch combination nicely.
Hard moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.

It looks like Ricky Barbee has been cut.
Barbee is breathing heavily.
Some wild striking there from Hard.
Hard misses with a double jab
and Barbee counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Barbee changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Hard tries to avoid it but Barbee manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Hard to the ground. Hard escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ricky Barbee. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hard pivots, looking for a leg kick but Barbee is out of range and Hard settles back down.
Hard misses with a combination

and Barbee counters by clinching up.
Hard has had enough of the clinch but Barbee keeps him there for the moment.
Barbee lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Hard.
Barbee wants to break the clinch but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hard tries to break the clinch but Barbee is controlling the position.
Knees to the body from Barbee.
Hard has Barbee pressed against the ropes, preventing Barbee from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Hard tries to pull guard but Barbee holds him up against the ropes and eventually Hard drops back down to his feet.
Hard working hard to break the clinch.
Barbee misses with some punches.
Hard wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Hard manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Barbee tries to work over Hard's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Hard has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Hard tries to break the clinch but Barbee is controlling the position.

Hard breaks the clinch.

Barbee clinches with his opponent.

Barbee pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Hard avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Hard misses with a two punch combination.

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.
Hard moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Hard fails to land with a series of punches.
A punch combination from Hard misses.

Barbee gets a takedown into half guard.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Barbee sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Hard defending well though.
Barbee trying to control from half guard but Hard is working away.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Barbee is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Hard!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Ricky Barbee will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Ricky Barbee's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the ring so we can get back down to business.

Barbee misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Barbee tries to clinch
and Hard counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Barbee shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Hard as he avoids it easily.
Dan Hard seems to be getting the better of the standup.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Hard.
Hard fails in his attempt to clinch.
Hard throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Barbee counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Hard wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Hard trying to stall but Barbee improves his position.
Hard has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Barbee avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Hard tries to break the clinch but Barbee is controlling the position.
Barbee misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Hard doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Barbee using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Hard tries to break the clinch but Barbee is controlling the position.
A frustrated look appears on Hard's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Hard tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Barbee smiles and moves away.
Ricky Barbee has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dan Hard.
Barbee tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Hard was well out of range. Poor timing from Barbee.

That's one minute gone in the round.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Barbee.
Barbee clinches but Hard breaks the clinch
and Hard counters with a right hand to the body.
Hard throws a nice head kick!
Barbee shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Hard as he jumps to the side.
Hard throws a right and a left that Barbee avoids nicely.
Hard swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Hard stuffs the takedown attempt from Barbee. Barbee gets slowly back to his feet.
Barbee shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Hard but Hard pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Hard swats away the attempt to clinch by Barbee.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hard will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Hard throws a head kick that misses.
Barbee closes this distance looking for a takedown but Hard circles away.
No joy there for Hard, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Left hook, right uppercut from Hard.
Hard throws a right and a left that both miss.
Barbee shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Hard as he jumps to the side.
Hard misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Hard displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Barbee.
Barbee shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Hard defends it nicely.
Hard will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hard misses with a double jab.
Hard stuffs the takedown attempt from Barbee. Barbee gets slowly back to his feet.
Hard cracks Barbee with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
A head kick misses from Hard.
Barbee throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Hard throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Hard misses with a two punch combination.
Hard stuffs the takedown.
Barbee avoids the head kick by Hard.
Hard uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Hard misses with a series of wild punches.
Hard throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

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.
Hard fails with the takedown

and Barbee counters with a takedown into side control.
Barbee throws a strike aimed at the side of Hard's head but Hard avoids it well.
Hard really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Barbee. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Barbee is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Hard knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Barbee working the ground and pound but Hard is defending the strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Dan Hard will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Ricky Barbee's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

A telegraphed takedown attempt from Barbee is defended easily by Hard.
Barbee just misses with a punch to the body.
Hard throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.

Barbee looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Barbee thows a big elbow that misses.
Hard is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Hard tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hard keeping moving, preventing Barbee from controlling successfully.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Barbee is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

Hard wriggles free and stands 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.
Hard tries to clinch but Barbee is having none of it.
Hard rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Barbee moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Hard attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Hard slips a jab from Barbee.
Hard misses with a combination

and Barbee counters with a single leg into guard. Hard didn't expect that.
Barbee trying to control but Hard is working from the bottom.

Barbee drops back looking for a leg! Hard is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Hard manages to kick Barbee off! Barbee jumps back into Hard's guard.
Hard wants to stand up but Barbee is controlling him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barbee trying to control the position from guard on top but Hard is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hard seems keen to control Barbee's posture.

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.
Barbee wants to control from the top but Hard keeps moving.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Hard holds on and takes a little breather.
Hard keeping moving, preventing Barbee from controlling successfully.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Barbee keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Ricky Barbee.
I think Barbee 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 Chris Downing scores the fight 29:28
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 29:28
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ricky Barbee!