PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Badr Hari (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Corey Sabu (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sabu is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: SIC. Corey Sabu 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!

Hari
vs
Sabu

197 cm
25
231 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

225 cm
23
269 lbs
3 - 5 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Badr Hari!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Corey Sabu!
The judges for this bout are Aafke Stam, Patrick Alders and Albert Achterberg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hari throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Sabu tries to clinch there but Hari circles away.
Sabu tries to close the distance and clinch but Hari swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Sabu tries to clinch up but Hari circles away and keeps his distance.
Hari misses with a combination

and Sabu counters by clinching up.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Hari.
Sabu on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Hari creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Sabu misses with a knee strike.
Sabu is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Hari lands a nice uppercut.
Hari has had enough of the clinch but Sabu keeps him there for the moment.
Hari is working Sabu over against the cage.
Hari wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Hari lands a hook to the side of the head.
Hari lands a shoulder strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hari lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Sabu backwards.
Hari is pushing Sabu up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Hari looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Hari managing to block the knees to the body from Sabu.
A right hand to the body from Hari.
Hari goes for a takedown attempt but Sabu pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Sabu tries to clinch up.
Sabu tries to close the distance and clinch but Hari swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Sabu dodges the punch combination from Hari.
Sabu wants to clinch
and Hari counters with a three punch combo that has Sabu backing up. Sabu nods at Hari to acknowledge the strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hari misses with a low kick.
Sabu closes the distance looking to clinch
letting Hari counter with a right hand.
Sabu wants to clinch.
Hari swats away the attempt to clinch by Sabu.
Sabu showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Hari.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Hari circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hari looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Sabu tries to clinch there but Hari circles away.
Hari misses with a head kick.
Nice shot by Hari.
Hari throws a series of punches but Sabu avoids them all with ease.
Hari scores with a head kick.
Hari swats away the attempt to clinch by Sabu.
Hari misses with a low kick.
Hari throws a half hearted mid kick.
Hari tries a head kick but it misses.
Hari tries to bum rush Sabu with a series of wild strikes but Sabu uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hari circles away from the clinch attempt.
Hari circles away from the clinch attempt.
Hari tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Hari connects with a single shot there.
Hari throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Sabu.
Sabu looks to clinch
and Hari counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Hari misses with a two punch combination.
Sabu tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Hari paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Sabu tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Hari paws at him with a jab and circles away.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hari works the jab nicely.
Hari scores with a punch to the head.
Hari scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Badr Hari dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Sabu doesn't manage to clinch there - Hari circles away.
Badr Hari is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Sabu closes the distance but Hari moves to the side
and Hari counters with a stiff right hand.
Hari misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Sabu avoids a punch combination nicely.
Sabu tries to close the distance and clinch up but Hari swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Hari feints a jab promting Sabu to slip. Hari then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Sabu slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.

It looks like Corey Sabu has been cut.
A punch combination from Hari misses.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Hari here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
Sabu tries to clinch
and Hari counters with a left to the body.
Sabu tries to clinch but Hari is having none of it.
Sabu closes the distance but Hari moves to the side
and Hari counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That's one minute gone in the round.

Hari dives in and scores a takedown into Sabu's guard.
Hari showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Hari wants to stand but Sabu has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Hari content to stall in guard here.

Sabu scrambles and gets back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hari misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Hari gets in close and instigates a clinch.
With the fighters up against the cage, Sabu throws an elbow but misses.
Sabu is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Hari is defending well for now.
Sabu tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Hari cracks Sabu with a nice body shot.
Hari wants to break free but Sabu has control.
Hari blocks the elbow strike.
Hari wants to break free but Sabu has control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sabu prevents a body shot from Hari.
Hari wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Sabu has him pressed against the cage.
Hari is trying to break free.
Hari managing to block the knees to the body from Sabu.
Hari blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Hari on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Hari blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Sabu tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Sabu misses with an elbow strike.
Hari managing to block the knees to the body from Sabu.
Sabu misses with a knee strike.
Hari on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Hari wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Hari lands a right hand.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sabu tries a knee to the head but Hari blocks it.
Hari drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Sabu gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Hari wants to get back to striking at distance but Sabu won't allow it.
Hari tries to break the clinch but Sabu is controlling the position.
Sabu is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Hari is defending well for now.
Hari lands a body punch.
Hari working hard to break the clinch.
Hari gets through Sabu's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hari lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Hari tries for a takedown. No joy.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Sabu throws a knee to the head but misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Badr Hari dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Corey Sabu's cut.
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!

Hari circles away from the clinch attempt.
Hari pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Sabu darts in trying to clinch
letting Hari counter with a right hand.
Sabu blocks a head kick by Hari.
Hari scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Sabu is looking to clinch.
Hari throws a right hand that Sabu ducks under and follows up with a left that Sabu also avoids with ease.
Sabu tries to clinch up
and Hari counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Badr Hari is winning the standup battle so far.
Sabu is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Sabu looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Sabu wants to clinch.
Hari throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Sabu tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Hari manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Hari falls off balance throwing a combination

and Sabu counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Sabu.
Sabu tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Hari avoids it.
Hari is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hari dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Sabu lands a knee to the head.
Hari on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
With the fighters up against the cage, Sabu throws an elbow but misses.
Sabu trying to land knees to the body.
Hari lands a left hand.
Sabu throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Hari blocks it with crossed arms.
Hari throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Hari wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Sabu has him pressed against the cage.
Sabu using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Hari has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Hari is leaning against Sabu and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Hari tries to break free but Sabu pushes him back against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sabu lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Sabu blocks an elbow strike from Hari.
Hari pushes Sabu back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Hari on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Sabu tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Hari avoids it.
Hari cracks Sabu with a nice body shot.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Hari creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Hari is trying to force a seperation but Sabu has the dominant position.
Sabu trying to land knees to the body.
Hari wants to break free but Sabu has control.
A left hand lands to the body for Hari.
Hari tries to break the clinch but Sabu is controlling the position.
Sabu blocks the elbow strike.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A frustrated look appears on Hari's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Sabu throws an elbow but it misses.
Sabu tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Sabu is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Hari is defending well for now.
Sabu prevents Hari from breaking the clinch.
Hari blocks an elbow strike from Sabu.
Hari is trying to break the clinch but Sabu has him pressed against the cage.
Hari lands a right hand.
A short body shot lands from Hari as the two fighters clinch.

Hari breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
No joy there for Hari, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Hari circles away from the clinch attempt.
Corey Sabu has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Badr Hari is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Hari misses with a head kick.

And that's the end of the fight!
Badr Hari showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Hari has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Aafke Stam scores the fight 30:27
Judge Patrick Alders scores the fight 30:27
Judge Albert Achterberg scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Badr Hari!