PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Matthew Hosking (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Stephens (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hosking comes to the cage accompanied by War Machine. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Hosking
vs
Stephens

180 cm
20
190 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

183 cm
23
185 lbs
2 - 4 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Big heart

BJJ Brown Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Matthew Hosking!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, John Stephens!
The judges for this bout are Hugh Johnson, Winston Howard and Donatello Bradman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Stephens thows a left - swing and a miss!

Hosking moves into the clinch.
Hosking tries to circle away but Stephens has him pinned against the cage.
Stephens tries to pull guard but Hosking holds him up against the cage and eventually Stephens drops back down to his feet.
Hosking tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Hosking controlling the action here for a moment.
Stephens jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Hosking walks away with a smile on his face. Stephens gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Hosking tries to clinch up but Stephens circles away and keeps his distance.

Hosking closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Hosking lands in his opponent's guard.

Stephens is looking for a triangle but Hosking pushes his legs off easily.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Stephens utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hosking wants to control from the top but Stephens keeps moving.

Stephens working for a triangle but Hosking defends it easily.
Hosking trying to control but Stephens is working from the bottom.
Hosking has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Stephens working for a triangle but Hosking defends it easily.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hosking trying to control but Stephens is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Stephens is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Hosking defends well.
Hosking trying to control the position from guard on top but Stephens is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Stephens is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Hosking would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

Stephens is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Hosking is pushing down on Stephens's leg trying to pass to half guard. Stephens is fighting to maintain full guard but Hosking has managed to sneak the leg through.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stephens tries to roll over but Hosking keeps him under control.
Hosking is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.
Stephens gets back to full guard.
Stephens looking to hit a scissor sweep but Hosking is one step ahead there.
Hosking pushes down on Stephens's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Stephens tries to get to full guard but Hosking has control of the leg.

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.
Hosking is controlling the pace.
Stephens won't allow Hosking to pass to mount.
Stephens regains full guard. Nicely done.
Stephens lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Hosking!
Hosking is desperately trying to improve his position but Stephens has a good base and remains in mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Stephens dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Stephens loads up on a big right hand but Hosking slips the punch.

Hosking closes the distance and clinches.
Stephens jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Hosking walks away with a smile on his face. Stephens gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Hosking tries to close the distance and clinch but Stephens swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Hosking tries to clinch up.
John Stephens seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Stephens changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Hosking tries to avoid it but Stephens manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Hosking to the ground. Hosking escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Stephens lands with a hook. Hosking tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Stephens looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Stephens throws a right hand that Hosking ducks under and follows up with a left that Hosking also avoids with ease.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hosking tried to score with a low kick but Stephens checks it.
Hosking shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Stephens as he avoids it easily.
Stephens lands a jab to the nose.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Hosking.
Hosking working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hosking postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Stephens keeping his opponent close.
Stephens is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Stephens manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Stephens keeping full guard, as Hosking tries to pass.

Stephens is working an open guard so Hosking takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Hosking throws a series of strikes that have Stephens backpedaling.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Hosking shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Stephens is trying to defend but Hosking finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Hosking thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Stephens's head.
Stephens tries to get to full guard but Hosking has control of the leg.
Hosking trying to pass the guard but Stephens defending well.
Stephens is trying to get back to full guard.

Stephens looking for submissions off his back.
Stephens is breathing heavily.
Hosking not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Hosking connects with a nice short shot to Stephens's temple.
Stephens is looking to control Hosking's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Stephens avoid being mounted?

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Hosking is looking to land body kicks.
Hosking tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Hosking misses with a series of wild punches.
Stephens misses the shot to the body.
Stephens connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Hosking's hands.
The fighters circling - Stephens throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

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.
Hosking fails with an attempt to clinch.
A looping hook to the body misses from Stephens. Hosking does a little dance to reset his feet.

Hosking shoots in and bounces Stephens off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Hosking scoring with punches to the head and body.
Hosking won't allow Stephens to sweep him here.
Hosking throws a big right hand that misses.
Stephens wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Hosking is looking to stand up but Stephens won't let him.
Stephens trying to control the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matthew Hosking dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Hosking avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Stephens throws out a loose jab but Hosking uses good head movement to avoid it.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Stephens, as that shot connected.
Hosking uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Stephens.
Hosking staying out of range there.
Hosking shoots in but no luck this time.
Stephens falls off balance throwing a combination

and Hosking counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Stephens's guard now.
Hosking is looking to work some ground and pound but Stephens has wrist control.
Stephens is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Stephens is looking to take a break and control but Hosking is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hosking has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Stephens is working away from the top position though.
Hosking knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Stephens on the ground.
Hosking is trying to get back to full guard.

Stephens is working for a kimura but Hosking is defending it quite comfortably.
Stephens is trying to control the action in half guard but Hosking is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Stephens takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Hosking controlling the position for now.

That's two 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.
Hosking is trying to get back to full guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Hosking's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Hosking duly obliges.
Hosking wants to clinch up but Stephens keeps it at a distance.
Hosking fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Stephens avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Stephens looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Stephens passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Hosking struggling a bit here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Stephens tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Stephens has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Hosking is trying to get back to half guard.
Stephens throwing strikes but missing, from side control.

Stephens is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Hosking knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Hosking struggling a bit here.

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.

Stephens is trying to get an arm triangle but Hosking is defending well.
Hosking is trying to control Stephens's posture but Stephens avoids it.
Hosking tries to bench press Stephens off him but Stephens keeps the position.
Stephens throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Hosking is in a bad spot here and he knows it... just holding on for now.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to John Stephens.
I think Stephens 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 Hugh Johnson scores the fight 28:29
Judge Winston Howard scores the fight 29:28
Judge Donatello Bradman scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... John Stephens!