PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Rutherford Haze (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Back Yard Brawler (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rutherford Haze had real problems making weight for this fight. After initially coming in at 157.2lbs, he had two hours to make the official fight weight. He made it but it will have taken a lot out of him to cut those extra few pounds. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Haze
vs
Yard Brawler

175 cm
21
165 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

190 cm
22
165 lbs
4 - 6 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ Brown Belt
Good kicks
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, Rutherford Haze!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 6 - 0, fighting out of London, Back Yard Brawler!
The judges for this bout are Donald Grub, Daniel Bishop and Sam Margolis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Brawler moves in looking to clinch but Haze pushes him off.
Brawler pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Brawler is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Brawler clinches with his opponent.
A head punch on the inside from Haze fails to land.
Haze is trying to force a seperation but Brawler has the dominant position.
Haze fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Haze throws a head punch that misses.

Brawler breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Brawler moves in looking to clinch but Haze pushes him off.

Brawler clinches with his opponent.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Brawler pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Haze circles away from the clinch attempt.
Brawler scores with a head kick.
Brawler stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Brawler tries to clinch there but Haze circles away.
Brawler avoids the body shot from Haze.
Haze throws a right and a left that Brawler avoids nicely.
Brawler throws out a loose jab but Haze uses good head movement to avoid it.
Brawler tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Brawler has taken the fight to the clinch.
Brawler scores with a knee to the head.

It looks like Rutherford Haze has been cut.
Brawler throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Hazes head.

Brawler breaks from the clinch.
Haze rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Brawler moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Brawler prevents Haze from breaking the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stalling in the clinch from Brawler.

Brawler escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Brawler wants to clinch up but Haze keeps it at a distance.
Haze misses with a jab, cross combination.
Haze is breathing heavily.
Haze throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Brawler.
Haze avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Brawler jabs at Haze's body.

Brawler has closed the distance and engaged Haze in a clinch.

Brawler breaks from the clinch.
Brawler fails in his attempt to clinch.
Brawler goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Brawler is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Haze avoids the body shot from Brawler.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Haze misses with a straight right.

Brawler rushes Haze and presses him up against the cage.

Brawler breaks from the clinch.

Brawler forces Haze back against the cage and clinches.
Brawler lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.

Brawler breaks from the clinch.
Sloppy strikes from Haze. Those never looked like landing.
Haze misses with a wild body shot.
Haze misses the jab.
Brawler tries to close the distance and clinch up but Haze swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Haze misses with a wild 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.
Brawler throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Haze's head.
Haze with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Brawler moves out of range of the body kick from Haze.

Brawler forces Haze back against the cage and clinches.
Brawler connects with a nasty looking knee right to Haze's face.
Brawler with a knee to the head.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Brawler lands a damaging elbow.

Brawler has picked Haze up - he's going for a ride! Brawler dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.

Brawler decides to return to a standing position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Brawler is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Brawler wants to clinch up but Haze keeps it at a distance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Back Yard Brawler dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Rutherford Haze's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Brawler fails with an attempt to clinch.
Haze missing with a left hand there. Brawler was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.

Brawler clinches up with Haze and pushes him back against the cage.
A knee to the head by Brawler.

Brawler breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Haze takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Haze throws a jab when Brawler was well out of range.
Brawler wants to clinch up but Haze keeps it at a distance.
Haze throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Brawler closes the distance and clinches.
Brawler slows down the pace here.

Brawler breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Brawler tries to close the distance and clinch up but Haze swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Brawler wants to clinch up but Haze keeps it at a distance.
Haze throws out a loose jab but Brawler uses good head movement to avoid it.
Brawler tries to clinch but Haze moves out of range.
The fight stays on the outside here - Brawler looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Brawler sizes up Haze with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Brawler tries to clinch but Haze is having none of it.
Haze misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Brawler.

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.

Brawler forces Haze back against the cage and clinches.
Haze misses with a punch to the body.

Brawler's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Brawler tries to clinch there but Haze circles away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Brawler looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Brawler misses the shot to the body.
Haze misses with a wild body shot.
Haze throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Haze swats away the attempt to clinch by Brawler.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Haze circles away from the clinch attempt.
Haze keeps the fight on the outside.
Haze will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Brawler delivers a nice body kick.
Brawler fails in his attempt to clinch.
Brawler lands with an uppercut that bounces Haze off the cage and back into rage.

Brawler has closed the distance and engaged Haze in a clinch.
A nice left hand lands by Brawler.
Haze tries to circle away but Brawler has him pinned against the cage.

Brawler breaks the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Brawler tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Haze manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Haze rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Brawler moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Brawler has Haze up against the cage in a clinch.
Brawler lands a damaging elbow.

Brawler breaks the clinch.
Haze is really struggling to find his range with his punches. Brawler's reach advantage is clearly causing him problems.
Haze swats away the attempt to clinch by Brawler.
Haze swats away the attempt to clinch by Brawler.
Brawler tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Haze manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Back Yard Brawler showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Rutherford Haze's cut.
That's time! Haze's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Haze throws a right hand that Brawler ducks under and follows up with a left that Brawler also avoids with ease.
Brawler pushes Haze away with a front kick.
Brawler tries to close the distance and clinch up but Haze swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Haze gets tackled into the cage by Brawler. Brawler maintains the clinch.

Brawler's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Brawler takes the fight into the clinch.

Brawler gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.

Brawler stands and steps away. Haze gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Brawler tries to clinch up.
Brawler throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Brawler keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Brawler is looking to clinch.

Brawler forces Haze back against the cage and clinches.

Brawler breaks from the clinch.
Brawler misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Brawler throws a front kick that sends Haze stumbling back into the cage.
Brawler wants to clinch up but Haze keeps it at a distance.
Brawler moves in looking to clinch but Haze pushes him off.

Brawler clinches up with Haze and pushes him back against the cage.

Brawler has hold of one of Haze's legs. Haze is fighting the takedown attempt but Brawler gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.

Brawler decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Haze, up you get!
Brawler is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Brawler forces Haze back against the cage and clinches.
Brawler lands an elbow just above Haze 's eye.

Brawler breaks from the clinch.

Brawler rushes Haze and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Brawler lands an elbow inside.

Brawler manages to break the clinch.
Haze throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Brawler counters by clinching up.

Brawler's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Brawler plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Haze circles away from the clinch attempt.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Brawler's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Brawler tries to clinch there but Haze circles away.
Haze avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Haze misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Brawler.
Brawler wants to clinch.

Brawler moves into the clinch.

Brawler pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
A chopping leg kick lands by Brawler.
Rutherford Haze has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Haze just misses with a punch to the body.
Haze swats away the attempt to clinch by Brawler.
Back Yard Brawler seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Haze avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Haze swats away the attempt to clinch by Brawler.
Brawler misses with a hook to the body
and Haze counters with a one-two to the body.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Brawler lands with a short head shot on the inside.

Brawler works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Brawler is working Haze over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

And that's the end of the fight!
Back Yard Brawler comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Brawler has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Donald Grub scores the fight 25:30
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight 25:30
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Back Yard Brawler!