PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Richard Alipio (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Armen Hammer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). 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.

Alipio
vs
Hammer

170 cm
21
153 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

167 cm
20
152 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid Muay Thai
Insanely flexible

Decent wrestler
Decent knees
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Richard Alipio!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Armen Hammer!
The judges for this bout are Skip Squint, Damien Edna and John Mangel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Alipio uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Hammer.
Alipio fails to land the takedown.
Alipio shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Hammer as he jumps to the side.

Hammer rushes Alipio and presses him up against the cage.
Hammer swings wildly with an uppercut but Alipio uses good head movement to avoid it.
Alipio jumps guard but Hammer stands there with Alipio around his waist. Alipio gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Richard Alipio. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hammer lands with a right to the head.
Alipio fails to pull guard.
Hammer misses with a knee to the head.
Alipio drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Hammer gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Alipio can't get the takedown.
Hammer throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Alipio blocks it with crossed arms.
Hammer scores with a knee to the head.

It looks like Richard Alipio has been cut.
Hammer tries to land a knee to the head but Alipio blocks with his arms.
Alipio tries to pull guard but Hammer won't allow it.
Alipio goes for a takedown in the clinch but Hammer prevents it.
Hammer is trying to maintain a safe position but Alipio gets an underhook and turns Hammer into the cage.
Hammer lands an elbow inside.
Nice elbow from Hammer.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alipio drops down looking for an ankle pick but Hammer pulls his leg out and moves away.
Hammer takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Hammer moves to clinch but Alipio breaks away

and Alipio counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Alipio uses his free foot to push down on Hammer's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Hammer.
Hammer is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
Hammer is looking to improve his position but Alipio isn't that keen on the idea.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The referee warns Hammer that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Alipio tries to control but Hammer wriggling away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hammer wants to hold on but Alipio pushes him away.
Alipio wants to control the pace but Hammer is squirming around nicely.
Hammer tries to lock up and control but Alipio gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
BOOM! Alipio connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Alipio lands a nice shot to the head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Hammer manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Alipio prevents Hammer from improving his position.
Hammer keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Alipio lands a nice short elbow.
Alipio lands strikes from half guard.
Alipio has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Hammer wants to get back to full guard.
Hammer is trying to stand.
Alipio is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Alipio missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Alipio controlling the pace.
Alipio uses his free foot to push down on Hammer's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Hammer.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Alipio is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Hammer is surviving well by controlling Alipio's body position as best he can.
Alipio is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Hammer can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Hammer is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Alipio is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Hammer to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Hammer shrugs it off.
Hammer is squirming around, avoiding Alipio's attempts to control the action.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Alipio raining down hammerfists from mount.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Alipio cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Richard Alipio dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Richard Alipio's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Hammer tries to clinch up but Alipio circles away and keeps his distance.
Horrible takedown by Alipio or perhaps it was just good defense by Hammer which made him look bad.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Alipio.
Alipio will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Richard Alipio. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Alipio walks into a straight right hand from Hammer.
Hammer lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!

Hammer gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Hammer looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Hammer throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Alipio blocks it with crossed arms.
Alipio tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Hammer just stands there and leans against the cage.
Alipio tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Hammer just stands there and leans against the cage.
Hammer connects with a nasty looking knee right to Alipio's face.
Alipio drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Hammer gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Alipio fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Alipio jumps into guard, dragging Hammer to the mat.
Hammer must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Alipio keeping full guard, as Hammer tries to pass.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alipio tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Alipio is looking to sweep but instead, Hammer has passed into half guard.
Alipio controlling the position well.
Hammer wants to pass the guard but Alipio is defending well.
Alipio is looking to improve his position.

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.
Hammer is looking to advance position but Alipio won't allow it.

Hammer stands up from half guard.
Hammer looks to clinch

so Alipio counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Alipio trying to control the position from guard on top but Hammer is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Alipio passes easily into side control. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hammer tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Alipio working the ground and pound from side control.
Hammer tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Alipio tries to advance position but instead Hammer slips a leg back in to half guard.
Hammer slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Alipio trying to control but Hammer is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Alipio postures up and lands a big shot to Hammer's brow.
Alipio throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Hammer is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Alipio passes into half guard.

Hammer looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Armen Hammer will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Richard Alipio's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Alipio shoots in but Hammer avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Hammer rushes in with a sloppy looking punch

and Alipio counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Alipio lands with a punch from half guard.
Hammer wants to get back to full guard but Alipio has passed into side control.
Hammer tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Alipio lands a decent elbow from side control.
Alipio working the body and head with strikes.
Hammer is not content to let Alipio control the position.
Alipio lands an elbow.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alipio trying to control the position but Hammer is working away.
Check out the look on Alipio's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Hammer is not content to let Alipio control the position.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Hammer can do anything to dispel that myth.
Alipio creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Alipio working the body and head with strikes.
Alipio is chipping away with strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Alipio is trying to get an arm triangle but Hammer is defending well.
Hammer is looking for a sweep.
Alipio trying to control the action but Hammer is working from the bottom.
Hammer can't do much from the bottom here.
Hammer is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Alipio's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Alipio trying to control the action but Hammer is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Alipio is trying to work for a kimura but Hammer is defending well.
Alipio slips a nice elbow through Hammer's hands, connecting with Hammer's forehead.
Alipio looks to land a strike but Hammer avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Hammer keeping moving, preventing Alipio from controlling successfully.
Alipio works over Hammer with some ground and pound from guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hammer tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Alipio wants to control from the top but Hammer keeps moving.
Alipio lands a couple of decent looking shots.

Hammer isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Alipio stacks Hammer on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Alipio!
Alipio scores with punches from side control.
Alipio lands an elbow.
Alipio landing a few strikes.

And that's the end of the fight!
Richard Alipio showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Alipio has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Skip Squint scores the fight 29:28
Judge Damien Edna scores the fight 29:28
Judge John Mangel scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Richard Alipio!