PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Michael Vasquez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hannibal Barkas (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Vasquez comes to the cage accompanied by Careless Whisper. Barkas has chosen Civil war as his entrance music. Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Vasquez
vs
Barkas

185 cm
23
210 lbs
11 - 6 - 0

186 cm
21
209 lbs
9 - 3 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Counter striker
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Good kicks
Powerful

Einherjer RAW Nutrition

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 11 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Michael Vasquez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Hannibal Barkas!
The judges for this bout are Alan Glass, Chris Downing and Robert Twigg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Vasquez keeps the fight on the outside.
Barkas tries to close the distance and clinch but Vasquez swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Vasquez avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Barkas fails in his attempt to clinch.
Horrible takedown by Vasquez or perhaps it was just good defense by Barkas which made him look bad.
Barkas doesn't manage to clinch there - Vasquez circles away.

Vasquez shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Barkas is trying to defend but Vasquez finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Barkas gets back to full guard.
Vasquez looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Barkas keeping moving, preventing Vasquez from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barkas lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Vasquez!
Vasquez tries to lock up and control but Barkas gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Barkas trying to control but he's not successful this time.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Barkas cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Vasquez working to try and regain half guard.
Barkas looking to control and managing it successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vasquez is working to get back to half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Barkas controlling the pace for now.
Barkas punishing his opponent with strikes.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Barkas sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Vasquez is looking to improve his position but Barkas isn't that keen on the idea.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vasquez tries to hold on but Barkas postures up.
Barkas landing strikes, looking to finish!
Vasquez is squirming around, avoiding Barkas's attempts to control the action.
Barkas controlling the position easily from mount.
Vasquez wants to control but Barkas is having none of it.
Vasquez is trying desperately to improve position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Barkas controlling from the full mount.
Barkas looking to control but Vasquez is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Vasquez is in all sorts of trouble here.
Barkas looking to control and managing it successfully.

Despite being in the dominant position, Hannibal Barkas just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Barkas is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hannibal Barkas dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Vasquez keeps the fight on the outside.
Barkas fails in his attempt to clinch.
Barkas doesn't manage to clinch there - Vasquez circles away.
Barkas is looking to clinch but Vasquez is avoiding it.
Vasquez swats away the attempt to clinch by Barkas.
Barkas wants to clinch.
Barkas fails in his attempt to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Vasquez avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Barkas tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Vasquez paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Vasquez tries for a takedown but Barkas sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Vasquez shoots in for a double leg but Barkas sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vasquez misses with a takedown attempt - Barkas sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Michael Vasquez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Barkas tries to clinch there but Vasquez circles away.

Barkas has Vasquez up against the cage in a clinch.
Barkas lands an elbow inside.
Barkas lands a damaging elbow.
Barkas lands a nice elbow from the clinch.

It looks like Michael Vasquez has been cut.
Barkas content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Vasquez tries to pull guard but Barkas holds him up against the cage and eventually Vasquez drops back down to his feet.
Barkas landing knees to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Barkas lands an elbow inside that Vasquez shrugs off.
Barkas dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Barkas using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Vasquez tries to pull guard but Barkas holds him up against the cage and eventually Vasquez drops back down to his feet.
Barkas taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Vasquez tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Vasquez is working for takedown but Barkas is calmly controlling the position for now.
Vasquez is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Barkas pulls him back up using the underhooks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barkas scores with a hook to the body.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Come on Barkas - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Barkas lands a good knee to the midsection. Vasquez won't want to take too many of those.
Barkas gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Barkas lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Vasquez takes an elbow to the forehead.
Barkas lands a nice elbow.
Barkas lands a good knee to the midsection. Vasquez won't want to take too many of those.
Barkas lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Barkas creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Vasquez's defenses.
Barkas is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Barkas using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Barkas gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Vasquez takes a knee to the side of the body.
Barkas lands a good knee to the midsection. Vasquez won't want to take too many of those.
Barkas lands an elbow that stopped Vasquez in his tracks for a moment.
Barkas gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Barkas crunches a lovely knee into Vasquez's ribcage.
Barkas is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Vasquez takes a knee right on the jaw!
Barkas lands a good knee to the midsection. Vasquez won't want to take too many of those.
Barkas lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Barkas lands a damaging elbow.
Barkas is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barkas landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Barkas lands a nice elbow.
Barkas landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Barkas scores with a knee to the head.
Vasquez is trying to break free.
Barkas lands a damaging elbow.
Barkas connects with a knee to the head.
Vasquez working aggressively here.
Vasquez wants a takedown.
Barkas lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Barkas lands a hook that snaps the head of Vasquez backwards.
Barkas lands an elbow that stopped Vasquez in his tracks for a moment.
Barkas lands an elbow just above Vasquez 's eye.
Barkas lands a nice elbow.
Barkas crunches a lovely knee into Vasquez's ribcage.
Barkas lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Barkas creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Barkas crunches a lovely knee into Vasquez's ribcage.
Barkas comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Vasquez blocks the elbow strike.
Barkas has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Barkas using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Vasquez has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Barkas is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vasquez fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Vasquez drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Barkas gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Barkas is pressed up against the cage. Vasquez has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Barkas down to the mat. Barkas avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Barkas tries to close the distance and clinch up but Vasquez swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Barkas wants to clinch up but Vasquez keeps it at a distance.
Vasquez swats away the attempt to clinch by Barkas.
Vasquez keeps the fight on the outside.

Barkas clinches with his opponent.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
A knee to the head by Barkas.
Vasquez is working for takedown but Barkas is calmly controlling the position for now.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Vasquez tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hannibal Barkas showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Michael Vasquez's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Barkas is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Vasquez fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Barkas tries to clinch but Vasquez moves out of range.
Barkas tries to clinch but Vasquez is having none of it.
Barkas fails with an attempt to clinch.
Barkas tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Hannibal Barkas seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Vasquez swats away the attempt to clinch by Barkas.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Vasquez scores a takedown into full mount!
Vasquez in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.

It looks like Hannibal Barkas has been cut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vasquez content just to control the position here.
Barkas is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Vasquez prevents Barkas from getting the reversal.
Barkas tries to hold on but Vasquez pushes him away.
Vasquez sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Barkas is in all sorts of trouble here.
Michael Vasquez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

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.
Vasquez wants to control the pace but Barkas is squirming around nicely.
Vasquez sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Vasquez lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Vasquez lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Vasquez can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Barkas is looking to escape.
Vasquez throws some wild stikes that Barkas manages to avoid easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vasquez looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Barkas is wriggling around trying to escape.
Barkas is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Vasquez looking to ground and pound but Barkas is blocking nicely.
Vasquez tries to control but Barkas wriggling away.
Barkas is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

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.
Vasquez throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Barkas is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Hannibal Barkas is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Vasquez punching from mount but Barkas doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Vasquez throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Barkas because Vasquez loaded up on that one.
Barkas tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Barkas wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Vasquez.
Barkas tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Barkas sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.

And that's the end of the fight!
Michael Vasquez showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Barkas 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 Alan Glass scores the fight 27:29
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 27:29
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 27:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Hannibal Barkas!