PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Eric Cabbat (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Daniel Halperin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Halperin has chosen Monster as his entrance music. Daniel Halperin is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Cabbat
vs
Halperin

180 cm
24
185 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

191 cm
26
202 lbs
11 - 9 - 0

Good takedowns
Excellent boxer
Big heart

Powerful takedowns
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Eric Cabbat!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Daniel Halperin!
The judges for this bout are Damien Edna, Donatello Bradman and John Mangel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cabbat shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Halperin but Halperin pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Halperin misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Cabbat.
Halperin rushes in with a sloppy looking punch

and Cabbat counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Halperin!
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Cabbat controlling from mount.
Halperin is trying to escape the mount.
Halperin throws a strike but has given up his back in the process.
Halperin is trying to break free.
Cabbat trying to secure his dominant position for a moment - making sure Halperin doesn't escape.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cabbat has the hooks in. Halperin is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.
Cabbat is trying to stick to Halperin's back but Halperin is turning into Cabbat. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Cabbat's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Halperin.
Halperin stopping the sweep attempt from Cabbat.
Cabbat not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Halperin missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Eric Cabbat has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Halperin throws a one two combo.

It looks like Eric Cabbat has been cut.
Halperin throws a right and a left that Cabbat avoids nicely.
Halperin throws a combination that misses

and Cabbat counters by moving into the clinch.
Halperin scores with a nice hook to the head.
Cabbat is pressed up against the cage. Halperin has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Cabbat down to the mat. Cabbat avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Halperin works over Cabbat's head and body with a nice combination.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Cabbat has closed the distance and engaged Halperin in a clinch.
Halperin is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Cabbat gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Halperin misses with a short punch on the inside.
Halperin misses with a punch on the inside.
Cabbat prevents a body shot from Halperin.

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

Halperin looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Halperin strikes from the bottom but Cabbat passes into mount!
Cabbat controlling the pace for now.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Cabbat blocks Halperin's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Halperin is in all sorts of trouble here.
Halperin looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
I really don't envy Halperin right now.
Cabbat doesn't have the hooks in and Halperin manages to turn into his guard.
Cabbat pulls Halperin in to control the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Halperin missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Halperin working some strikes from top position.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Cabbat kicks Halperin off and gets to his feet.
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!
Halperin falls off balance throwing a combination

and Cabbat counters with a shoot takedown. Halperin fights it but they end up in guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Eric Cabbat will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Eric Cabbat's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Halperin looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Halperin throws a sloppy head kick and Cabbat moves out of range easily.
Cabbat looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Halperin is fending him off so far but Cabbat persists. Nope, Halperin circles away and we're back to standing.
Halperin misses with a body kick.
Halperin misses with a double jab
and Cabbat cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Halperin throws a combination that misses

and Cabbat counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Halperin looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Well, if Cabbat is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Halperin missing with punches from the bottom.
Halperin misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Halperin wants to get back to full guard.
Cabbat content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Halperin strikes from the bottom but Cabbat passes into mount!
Cabbat controlling his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Halperin flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Cabbat controlling from mount.
Cabbat wants to control the pace but Halperin is squirming around nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cabbat controlling the pace for now.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Eric Cabbat just wasn't active enough.
Halperin plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
A combination from Halperin does no damage.
Halperin shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Cabbat defends it nicely.
A leg kick checked by Cabbat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cabbat shoots in looking for a takedown. Halperin tries to sprawl out of it but Cabbat keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Halperin manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Halperin shoots in for a takedown but Cabbat shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Halperin looks to land a combination but Cabbat avoids it well.
Halperin is looking to slow Cabbat down with leg kicks.
Halperin looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Halperin is breathing heavily.
Halperin with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Cabbat to score with a decent uppercut.
Halperin misses the shot to the body.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Halperin falls off balance throwing a combination

and Cabbat counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Cabbat controlling the action here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eric Cabbat dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Eric Cabbat's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Cabbat tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Halperin swivels and escapes.
Cabbat shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Halperin as he avoids it easily.
Halperin lands a nice looking kick to the body. Cabbat takes a step back to recover.
Halperin looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Cabbat takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Nice body punch from Halperin.
Halperin fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Halperin takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Halperin throws a combination. Cabbat tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Halperin misses with a double jab

and Cabbat counters with a nice double leg into guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cabbat engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Cabbat tries to free his leg and advance position but Halperin is retaining full guard.
Cabbat looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Halperin trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Eric Cabbat wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Nice body kick there by Halperin.
Daniel Halperin is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Halperin misses with a double jab

and Cabbat moves into the clinch.
Halperin misses with some punches.
Halperin is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Cabbat pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Halperin misses with a short punch on the inside.
Halperin tries to pull guard but Cabbat holds him up against the cage and eventually Halperin drops back down to his feet.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Halperin.
Halperin gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Cabbat.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Eric Cabbat. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cabbat lands with a light punch inside.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cabbat looking to stall.
Halperin goes for a takedown attempt but Cabbat pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Eric Cabbat is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Cabbat scores with the left hand. Halperin knows he should have avoided that one.
Halperin throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Cabbat.
Halperin finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.

Cabbat shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Halperin srikes from the bottom but he's lost position and has given up his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cabbat is riding his opponent, not letting Halperin buck him off.
Cabbat has the hooks in. Halperin is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.
Cabbat is controlling his opponent, waiting for an opportunity to finish.
Halperin is in bad spot here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Halperin is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Cabbat is controlling his opponent, waiting for an opportunity to finish.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Daniel Halperin.
I think Cabbat 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 Damien Edna scores the fight 28:29
Judge Donatello Bradman scores the fight 29:28
Judge John Mangel scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Eric Cabbat!