PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Matt Roberts (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ryu Hyabusa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Roberts
vs
Hyabusa

185 cm
23
185 lbs
5 - 9 - 0

193 cm
26
192 lbs
8 - 10 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

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 5 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Matt Roberts!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ryu Hyabusa!
The judges for this bout are Alan Glass, Frank Dennis and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hyabusa tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Roberts looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Hyabusa is fending him off so far but Roberts persists. Nope, Hyabusa circles away and we're back to standing.
Roberts tries to clinch up but Hyabusa circles away and keeps his distance.

Roberts closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Roberts breaks the clinch.

Roberts closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Hyabusa is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Roberts goes for a takedown in the clinch but Hyabusa prevents it.
Hyabusa wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Hyabusa looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Hyabusa tries to break the clinch but Roberts is controlling the position.
Roberts prevents Hyabusa from breaking the clinch.
Hyabusa wants to break free but Roberts has control.
Hyabusa has had enough of the clinch but Roberts keeps him there for the moment.

Roberts turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Roberts manages to end up in side control.

Roberts tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Roberts has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Hyabusa is trying to buck Roberts off.
Hyabusa regains half guard.
Hyabusa wants to control but Roberts is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Roberts is controlling the pace.
Hyabusa is trying to control but can't.
Hyabusa wants to get back to his feet.
Hyabusa is positioning himself well to prevent Roberts advancing to mount.

Hyabusa looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Roberts is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Hyabusa defends it well.
Roberts is breathing heavily.
Hyabusa keeping hold of Roberts's head, controlling as best he can.

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.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hyabusa wants to control but Roberts is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Hyabusa is doing well to control the position and prevent Roberts from advancing to side control.

Hyabusa pushes Roberts off and gets back to his feet.

Hyabusa drives through and clinches with Roberts against the cage.

Hyabusa escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Roberts is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Hyabusa.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hyabusa closes the distance looking to clinch

and Roberts counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Roberts stops Hyabusa from getting back to his feet.
Roberts is trying to control. Hyabusa wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

Roberts decides to stand and escape the position.
Roberts throws a right and a left that Hyabusa avoids nicely.
Hyabusa keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Matt Roberts. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hyabusa throws a right hand that Roberts ducks under and follows up with a left that Roberts also avoids with ease.
Hyabusa lands with a nice combination. Roberts backs away looking to recover.
Hyabusa stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Hyabusa wants it to stay on the feet.

Hyabusa drives through and clinches with Roberts against the cage.

Hyabusa breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Roberts keeps the fight on the outside.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Good standup being displayed there by Hyabusa as he connects with a hook.
Hyabusa scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Roberts tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Hyabusa swivels and escapes.
Roberts tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Hyabusa was well out of range. Poor timing from Roberts.
Hyabusa throws a front kick aimed at Roberts's knee but Roberts avoids it well.
Hyabusa lands a jab-cross combination.
Roberts displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Hyabusa.
Ryu Hyabusa seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Roberts shoots in for a takedown but Hyabusa shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Hyabusa fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Hyabusa has a takedown stuffed.
Roberts throws a hook but Hyabusa avoids it easily.
A head kick misses from Roberts.

Hyabusa closes the distance and clinches.

Hyabusa breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Hyabusa misses with a double jab
and Roberts counters with a flying knee. Nice.
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 Matt Roberts will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Hyabusa throws a series of strikes that have Roberts backpedaling.
Hyabusa misses with a double jab.
Hyabusa scores with a one two! Roberts had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Hyabusa goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Roberts wants to clinch
and Hyabusa cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Hyabusa lands a jab-cross combination.

Roberts clinches with his opponent.

Roberts drags the fight down to the ground.
Roberts not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Hyabusa wants to control from the top but Roberts keeps moving.
Hyabusa slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Roberts is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Roberts throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Roberts wants to get back to his feet but Hyabusa passes into half guard.
Roberts is holding on to half guard well.

Roberts looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Hyabusa controlling the action here.
Roberts is trying to get back to full guard.
Hyabusa controlling the pace.

That's two 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.
Roberts wants to improve his position but Hyabusa is controlling well.

Hyabusa seems to be working for a kimura but Roberts defends the submission attempt.
Hyabusa keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Roberts is trying to get back to full guard.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hyabusa seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Roberts does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Roberts is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Roberts trying to control from the bottom.
Hyabusa trying to control the pace.
Roberts is not content to let Hyabusa control the position.

Despite being in the dominant position, Ryu Hyabusa just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Hyabusa lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!

Roberts forces Hyabusa back against the cage and clinches.
Hyabusa tries to pull guard but Roberts won't allow it.
Roberts fails to pull guard.

Roberts's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Hyabusa keeps the fight on the outside.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Hyabusa leaves Roberts with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Nice takedown defense from Hyabusa. No joy for Roberts on that attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Matt Roberts. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hyabusa lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Hyabusa throws a half hearted mid kick.
Roberts fails with a takedown attempt.
Hyabusa lands a jab-cross combination.

Hyabusa fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Roberts sprawls well initially but Hyabusa persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Hyabusa sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Hyabusa uses his free foot to push down on Roberts's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Roberts.
Roberts is desperately trying to improve his position but Hyabusa has a good base and remains in mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryu Hyabusa showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Roberts's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Hyabusa throws a nice looking combination but Roberts bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Roberts takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Hyabusa moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Hyabusa closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Hyabusa throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Roberts misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Roberts fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Hyabusa lands a jab-cross combination.
Hyabusa looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Hyabusa is working the combinations to good effect here.
Hyabusa lands the left hand.
Hyabusa misses with a double jab.
Hyabusa throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.

Roberts gets caught flat footed, as Hyabusa shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Hyabusa is stalling in the full guard.
Hyabusa pushing down on Roberts's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hyabusa moves into full mount! Roberts won't be happy about that!
Hyabusa content just to control the position here.
Hyabusa blocks Roberts's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.

Hyabusa has control of Roberts's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Roberts regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Hyabusa wants to control the pace but Roberts is squirming around nicely.
Roberts is looking to get to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Hyabusa controlling the position easily from mount.
Roberts stops Hyabusa from taking his back. Still, being mounted isn't any better.
Hyabusa trying to control but Roberts is having none of it.
Hyabusa avoids the attempt from Roberts to control.
Roberts can't escape the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Roberts wants to hold on but Hyabusa pushes him away.
Hyabusa controlling from mount.
Hyabusa avoids the attempt from Roberts to control.
Hyabusa manages to capitalize on a mistake by Roberts to take his back!

Hyabusa is working hard for the rear naked choke here.
Hyabusa is riding his opponent, not letting Roberts buck him off.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
A lull in the action here.
Hyabusa controlling from the back.
You can see the frustration on Roberts's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hyabusa trying to secure his dominant position for a moment - making sure Roberts doesn't escape.
Hyabusa wants to control but Roberts manages to buck him off and is now in Hyabusa's guard! Nice work there by Roberts!
Roberts loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ryu Hyabusa comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Hyabusa 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 28:29
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 28:29
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ryu Hyabusa!