PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Don Hall (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Eddie O Hare (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Eddie O Hare told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Hall
vs
O Hare

175 cm
25
155 lbs
13 - 6 - 0

180 cm
23
166 lbs
10 - 2 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the lightweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 13 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Don Hall!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Eddie O Hare!
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Robert Douchet and Gregory Folan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
O Hare tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Hall swings for the body but O Hare moves out of range.
O Hare lands a jab to the head.
Jab from O Hare.

It looks like Don Hall has been cut.
Hall misses the jab.
Hall fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
O Hare throws a series of punches but Hall moves out of range.

Hall bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Hall tries to advance to mount but can't.
O Hare struggling a bit here.
O Hare tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hall misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
O Hare is trying to work for a sweep but Hall has mounted him!
O Hare wants to control but Hall is having none of it.
Hall wants to take O Hare's back here but O Hare is holding on to an arm, himself looking to escape.
Hall trying to control but he's not successful this time.
O Hare tries to reverse the position but Hall maintains control.
Hall landing strikes from the mount and O Hare is in trouble!
O Hare is wriggling around trying to escape.
Hall pushing the pace here, looking to move to his opponents back and work for a finish.
O Hare is trying to escape the mount.
Hall connects with a couple of good shots from mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hall tries to control but O Hare wriggling away.

Hall working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.

Hall looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.

Hall is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But O Hare has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from O Hare!
O Hare scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
O Hare lands a couple of elbows.

Hall escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. O Hare gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
O Hare postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
O Hare wants to control from the top but Hall keeps moving.
Hall pulls O Hare in close to prevent any damage.

Hall is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Hall lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for O Hare!
O Hare can't escape the position.
Hall wants to take his opponent's back but instead O Hare manages to regain half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hall is thwarting O Hare's attempts to control the position.
O Hare tries to roll over but Hall keeps him under control.
Hall perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

Hall is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, O Hare has managed to free his arm - good work.
Hall trying to control from half guard but O Hare is working away.
O Hare slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
O Hare looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Hall trying to control but O Hare is working from the bottom.
Hall passes O Hare's left leg - he's now in half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Don Hall dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Don Hall's cut.
That's time! Hall's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

O Hare throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
O Hare dodges the punch combination from Hall.
Hall connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Hall looks for a takedown but O Hare sprawls well.
Hall throws a right and a left that both miss.
O Hare tries a head kick but it misses.
O Hare moves out of range as Hall throws a body kick.
Hall shoots in looking for a takedown but O Hare manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Hall's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Hall scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
O Hare tries to get to full guard but Hall has control of the leg.
Hall wants to control but O Hare is keeping him busy.
O Hare trying to control from the bottom.
Hall is trying to control. O Hare wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
O Hare is pressing down on Hall's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
O Hare is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Hall is trying to defend against the ground and pound but O Hare scores with a couple of nice shots.
Hall wants to control but O Hare is keeping busy.
Hall is trying to get back to full guard.
Hall is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of O Hare's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take O Hare's back!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
O Hare manages to reverse the position and now he's in Hall's guard. Nice work there by O Hare.
Hall trying to keep a closed guard but O Hare is proving a slippery customer.
Hall controlling O Hare's posture.
O Hare trying to control but Hall is working from the bottom.
O Hare thows a big elbow that misses.
Hall not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Hall is on top in guard.

Hall is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! O Hare is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! O Hare has escaped and now he's on top!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hall manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
O Hare tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Hall looking to secure an arm triangle but O Hare defends it well.
O Hare tries to lock up and control but Hall gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
O Hare can't escape the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Hall looking to control but O Hare is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

Hall is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, O Hare has managed to escape the submission attempt.
O Hare is trying to escape the mount.
Hall avoids the attempt from O Hare to control.
Hall blocks O Hare's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Eddie O Hare will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Don Hall's cut.
That's time! Hall's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

O Hare stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and O Hare wants it to stay on the feet.
O Hare with a lazy takedown attempt

and Hall counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Hall.
Hall looking to pass the guard.
O Hare keeping moving, preventing Hall from controlling successfully.

O Hare had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Hall defends it easily.
Hall trying to control but O Hare is working from the bottom.
Hall stopping the sweep attempt from O Hare.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
O Hare is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hall wants to control from the top but O Hare keeps moving.

O Hare working for submissions but it's allowed Hall to get to half guard.
Hall is pressing down on O Hare's thigh, looking to free his foot. O Hare is holding on for now.
Hall moves nicely into side control.
Don Hall overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Hall lands an elbow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
O Hare tries to improve position but can't.
O Hare is not content to let Hall control the position.
You can see the frustration on O Hare's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

Hall looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
O Hare wants to control but Hall postures up.

Hall wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by O Hare, who protects the arm well.
O Hare regains half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hall tries to pass to full mount but O Hare defends it.
Hall sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. O Hare defending well though.
Hall is trying to control. O Hare wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

Hall seems to be working for a kimura but O Hare defends the submission attempt.
O Hare gets full guard.
Hall slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Hall landing a few strikes.
O Hare is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
O Hare sneaks back into half guard.
O Hare trying to control here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Hall is trying to work for a kimura but O Hare is defending well.
Hall blocks the strikes from O Hare.
Hall lands strikes from half guard.

Hall is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
O Hare wants to improve his position but Hall is controlling well.
O Hare makes his way to full guard. A much better position for O Hare.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Don Hall clearly takes that round.
The cut man is working on Don Hall's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Hall throws a nice outside leg kick.
Eddie O Hare seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
O Hare throws a combination that misses
and O Hare takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
O Hare stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and O Hare wants it to stay on the feet.

O Hare dives in and scores a takedown into Hall's guard.

Hall is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and O Hare defends well.
Hall is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Hall manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

Hall has control of O Hare's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and O Hare regains control of the situation pretty easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
O Hare working to try and regain half guard.

Hall goes for an armbar but he's not got it… O Hare turns into him and now he's in Hall's guard.
Hall tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Hall is working hard here to advance position.
O Hare is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

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.
Hall manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. O Hare manages to get himself to full guard.
O Hare tries to strike from the bottom.
O Hare lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Hall!
Hall is looking to get to half guard.
O Hare with the ground and pound from mount.
Hall tries to hold on but O Hare pushes him away.
Hall is working to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
O Hare wants to control the pace but Hall is squirming around nicely.
O Hare looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Hall slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
O Hare seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Hall is staying active underneath O Hare, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Hall has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. O Hare is working away from the top position though.
O Hare wants to take a breather but Hall is having none of it.
Hall trying to hold on to O Hare's head to control him but O Hare postures up.
O Hare is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
O Hare wants to take a breather but Hall is having none of it.
Hall has hold of O Hare's hands but O Hare slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.

Hall looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Hall is looking to improve his position.
O Hare seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Hall does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Hall is positioning himself well to prevent O Hare advancing to mount.
Hall is looking for a sweep. O Hare is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eddie O Hare dominated that fourth round.
The cut man is working on Don Hall's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Hall has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from O Hare.
O Hare shoots in for a takedown but Hall shows good takedown defense.
O Hare misses with a leg kick
and Hall counters with a series of strikes. O Hare will be more careful next time no doubt.
Hall throws a looping overhand right but O Hare ducks down to avoid it.
Hall shoots in but no luck this time.
O Hare throws a big shot that misses.
O Hare misses with a takedown attempt
and Hall connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Hall fakes high and swings low for a body shot but O Hare manages to avoid it.
Hall swings for the body but O Hare moves out of range.
Hall throws a body punch but O Hare moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hall connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
O Hare throws a leg kick

and Hall counters with a nice double leg into side control. O Hare won't be happy with that.
O Hare tries to bench press Hall off him but Hall keeps the position.
O Hare is wobbling all over the place through exhaustion. Will he make it to the final bell?
O Hare is not content to let Hall control the position.
O Hare is trying to get back to half guard.
Hall tries to advance to mount but can't.

Hall tries for a kimura but O Hare is defending well.
O Hare is looking for a sweep.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hall working the ground and pound.
You can see the frustration on O Hare's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

Hall wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by O Hare, who protects the arm well.
O Hare is trying to improve his position.

Hall tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Hall wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by O Hare, who protects the arm well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
O Hare is looking to reverse the position.
Hall throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
O Hare is trying to control Hall's posture but Hall avoids it.
Hall advances nicely into full mount.

Hall looking to secure an arm triangle but O Hare defends it well.

Hall is working for a guillotine from mount but O Hare frees his head quite easily.

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.

Hall jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… O Hare is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by O Hare and Hall has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
O Hare tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Hall wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by O Hare, who protects the arm well.
O Hare is trying to get back to half guard.
Hall trying to control the position but O Hare is working away.

And that's the end of the fight!
Don Hall showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Hall 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 5 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge William Peck scores the fight 49:46
Judge Robert Douchet scores the fight 49:46
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 48:47

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Don Hall!
Don Hall retains his lightweight title!