PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Dymitri Salita (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lester Hayes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Salita
vs
Hayes

170 cm
24
139 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

160 cm
23
139 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Dymitri Salita!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Lester Hayes!
The judges for this bout are , Timothy Bukovac and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Hayes has managed to clinch.
Hayes pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Hayes throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Hayes taking a breather.
Hayes misses with an elbow over the top.
Hayes throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Hayes using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Salita jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Hayes walks away with a smile on his face. Salita gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Hayes looks for a takedown but Salita sprawls well.
Salita with a poor takedown

and Hayes counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Hayes wants to control but Salita is keeping him busy.
Hayes tries to stand and escape but Salita is controlling the position.

Hayes is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Salita is trying to get back to full guard.
Salita trying to hold on to Hayes's head to control him but Hayes postures up.

Hayes is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Salita actively working from the bottom here.
Hayes wants to control but Salita is keeping him busy.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Salita tries for a takedown but Hayes circles away easily

and Hayes counters with a nice double leg into guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dymitri Salita. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hayes trying to control but Salita is working from the bottom.

Hayes drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Salita dives on top into guard.
Hayes looks gassed!
Hayes keeping moving, preventing Salita from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Salita is really struggling to control Hayes but he's trying to hold on to the position.

Hayes is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Salita is aware though and is defending well.
Salita trying to control the position from guard on top but Hayes is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Hayes looking for subs off his back but Salita has passed one foot through into half guard.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Salita content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

Salita wants to work for an arm triangle but Hayes is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

Salita is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Hayes defends it well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hayes tries to roll over but Salita keeps him under control.
Salita not landing any meaningful shots this time.

Salita is working for a kimura but Hayes is defending it quite comfortably.
Hayes manages to get to full guard.
Salita is pushing down on Hayes's leg trying to pass to half guard. Hayes is fighting to maintain full guard but Salita has managed to sneak the leg through.
Hayes is refusing to be controlled, as Salita sits in half guard.

That's four 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.

Salita is looking for a kimura here.
Hayes is trying to maintain the position but Salita is very close to passing his half guard.
Salita wants to pass the guard but Hayes is defending well.

Hayes looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Hayes looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Hayes is staying active underneath Salita, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lester Hayes dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Salita looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Hayes has a hand on Salita's thigh, trying to get back to full guard. Salita takes advantage of the position though and mounts him!
Hayes is desperately trying to improve his position but Salita has a good base and remains in mount.

Salita with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.

Salita goes for an armbar but Hayes turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Hayes.

Salita is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Hayes has gone for a leg lock! Salita slips out almost immediately though and dives into Hayes's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hayes keeping moving, preventing Salita from controlling successfully.
Hayes looking for a sweep. Not yet Hayes, not yet.
Salita wants to control from the top but Hayes keeps moving.
Salita wants to pass the guard but Hayes is keeping the position.

Hayes has his foot on Salita's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Salita works his way back into a safe position though.
Hayes is breathing heavily.

Salita drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Salita jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Hayes keeping moving, preventing Salita from controlling successfully.
Salita scoring with punches to the head and body.

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.
Salita trying to control but Hayes is working from the bottom.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Salita tries for a takedown but Hayes circles away easily

and Hayes counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Salita!

Hayes goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Salita is on top in guard.
Lester Hayes has got the better of the ground game so far.

Hayes has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Salita can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Salita passes into half guard.
Salita works his foot free and advances to mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Salita goes for an armbar but Hayes turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Hayes.

Hayes postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Salita is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Hayes, into his guard.
Salita trying to control the position from guard on top but Hayes is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Salita thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Hayes is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Salita wants to control from the top but Hayes keeps moving.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Salita is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Salita trying to control the position from guard on top but Hayes is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Hayes looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Hayes keeping moving, preventing Salita from controlling successfully.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Salita closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Hayes to the mat! Hayes manages to get full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Dymitri Salita will probably get the nod.
That's time! Salita's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Salita dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Salita lands with an uppercut that bounces Hayes off the cage and back into rage.
Hayes slips a jab and a cross from Salita.
Salita throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Hayes.
Hayes looks for a takedown but Salita sprawls well.
Salita with a lazy takedown attempt

and Hayes counters with a shoot takedown. Salita fights it but they end up in guard.

Salita escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Hayes gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Salita keeping moving, preventing Hayes from controlling successfully.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Salita looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hayes trying to control but Salita is working from the bottom.

Salita is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Hayes is aware though and is defending well.
Hayes trying to control the position from guard on top but Salita is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Salita trying to keep a closed guard but Hayes is proving a slippery customer.
Hayes trying to control but Salita is working from the bottom.
Hayes tries to free his leg and advance position but Salita is retaining full guard.

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.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Salita misses with a takedown attempt

and Hayes counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Hayes just misses with a elbow thrown towards Salita's brow.
Hayes lands an elbow inside that Salita shrugs off.
Nice elbow from Hayes.
Hayes pushes off an throws an elbow but Salita leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
With the fighters up against the cage, Hayes throws an elbow but misses.
Salita blocks an elbow strike.
Salita on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Hayes throws an elbow that misses.
Hayes throws an elbow that misses.
Salita tries to pull guard but Hayes holds him up against the cage and eventually Salita drops back down to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dymitri Salita. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Salita avoids a wild elbow strike from Hayes.
Salita dodges an elbow strike from Hayes.
Hayes prevents a takedown attempt there.
Hayes is pressed up against the cage. Salita has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Hayes down to the mat. Hayes avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Salita has his takedown stuffed

and Hayes counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Salita!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Salita is working to get back to half guard.

Hayes is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Salita has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Salita!

Hayes has an active guard here but Salita has managed to pass into half guard.
Hayes is trying to get back to full guard.

That's four 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.

Salita is trying to work for a kimura but Hayes is defending well.

Salita is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

Hayes looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Salita is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Hayes tries to roll over but Salita keeps him under control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Lester Hayes comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Hayes has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 28:29
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Lester Hayes!