PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Lyoto Machida (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sam Hall (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Machida comes into the arena with the dragon blaring out of the sound system. Lyoto Machida could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Sam Hall's chin.

Machida
vs
Hall

168 cm
20
169 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

178 cm
18
177 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Very confident

Berserker Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Lyoto Machida!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Sam Hall!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Seu Braga and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Machida throws a right and a left that both miss.
Hall doesn't manage to clinch there - Machida circles away.
Hall tries to close the distance and clinch up but Machida swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Hall blocks a head kick by Machida.

Machida shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Hall is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
Hall tries to hold on but Machida postures up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Machida tries to control but Hall wriggling away.
Hall wants to control but Machida is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hall tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Hall is squirming around, avoiding Machida's attempts to control the action.
Hall tries to buck Machida off but he can't manage it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Machida wants to control the pace but Hall is squirming around nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Hall tries to hold on but Machida pushes him away.
Hall doing his best to control the position. Can he escape?
Hall tries to lock up and control but Machida gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Machida takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Hall is desperately trying to improve his position but Machida has a good base and remains in mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Machida wants to control the pace but Hall is squirming around nicely.
Hall squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
Hall wants to control but Machida is having none of it.

That's four 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.
Hall really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Machida avoids the attempt from Hall to control.
Machida trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Hall manages to regain half guard. Good work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lyoto Machida dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Machida scores with a takedown into Hall's guard.
Hall working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Machida.

Machida gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
The fight stays on the outside here - Hall looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Hall gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Hall with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Hall lands an elbow that stopped Machida in his tracks for a moment.
Hall lands an elbow just above Machida 's eye.
Hall makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Hall scores with a knee to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Hall tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Knees in the clinch landing for Hall.
Hall is looking to control Machida's arms but Machida gets an underhook and turns him. Now Hall has his back to the cage.
Machida is trying to break free.
Hall lands a nice knee to the body.
Hall tries to stall but Machida uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Hall is breathing heavily.
Hall tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Machida takes a knee right on the jaw!
Hall misses with a knee strike.
Hall looking to throw knees to the head but Machida is blocking nicely.
Machida is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Machida throws a punch but it's blocked by Hall.
A short right from Machida on the inside.
Machida lands an uppercut.
Hall misses with a hook to the ribs.
Hall using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Hall using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Machida has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Hall prevents Machida from breaking the clinch.
Hall lands a nice elbow from the clinch.

It looks like Lyoto Machida has been cut.
Hall tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Hall with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Hall scores with an uppercut up the middle.

Machida is rocked!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hall lands a knee to the head.
Oh Machida is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Hall lands an elbow inside.
Hall with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Machida tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Hall smiles and moves away.
Hall throws a nice outside leg kick.
Hall tries to clinch up.

Machida drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Hall pulls Machida in to control the position.
Machida seems to have got his legs back now.
Hall looking to control.

Hall has his feet on Machida's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Machida misses with a looping left.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hall ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Machida moves away.

Machida scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Hall is trying to control but can't.
Machida could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

Machida escapes and gets back to his feet.
Machida is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Machida has Hall up against the cage in a clinch.
Machida on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Hall.
Hall looking to throw knees to the head but Machida is blocking nicely.
Hall using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hall crunches a lovely knee into Machida's ribcage.
Hall tries a knee to the head but Machida blocks it.

Machida jumps into guard, dragging Hall to the mat.
Hall wants to control from the top but Machida keeps moving.

Machida has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Hall off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.

Machida drives through with a takedown into guard.

Machida stands up from guard. Let's bang!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Hall tries to clinch up

and Machida counters with a nice double leg into side control. Hall won't be happy with that.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lyoto Machida dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Lyoto Machida's cut.
That's time! Machida's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. And we move into the final round!

Machida changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Hall tries to avoid it but Machida manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Hall to the ground. Hall escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Machida misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Hall closes the distance looking to clinch

and Machida holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
with the fighters clinched against the cage, Hall creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Sam Hall seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Hall tries to clinch up

and Machida counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Hall is trying to escape back to his feet but Machida uses the scramble to pass into side control.
Hall tries to get back to his feet but has found himself mounted instead. Damn, that's gotta suck.
Hall takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hall wants to control but Machida is having none of it.
Hall wants to get back to his feet.
Hall working to try and regain half guard.
Hall tries to hold on but Machida postures up.
Lyoto Machida overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

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.
Machida can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Hall is looking to escape.
Hall is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Machida wants to control the pace but Hall is squirming around nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Hall bucks Machida off and manages to get back to his feet!
Hall shoots and misses

and Machida counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Machida tries to stand and escape but Hall actually recovers to full guard.
Machida wants to get up but he can't break Hall's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Machida passes Hall's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Machida is thwarting Hall's attempts to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Machida is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.
Sam Hall has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Machida perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

And that's the end of the fight!
Lyoto Machida showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Machida, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Paulo Santos scores the fight 30:27
Judge Seu Braga scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Lyoto Machida!