PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Vlad Fresh (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Justin Hodges (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Fresh
vs
Hodges

185 cm
22
215 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

189 cm
29
215 lbs
6 - 6 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Good chin

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, for the light heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Vlad Fresh!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Justin Hodges!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Chris Downing and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Fresh tries to clinch up but Hodges circles away and keeps his distance.
Fresh tries to clinch up but Hodges circles away and keeps his distance.
Hodges lands a jab to the head.
Fresh drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Fresh takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Hodges keeps the fight on the outside.
Fresh tries to clinch up.
Hodges misses with a double jab.
Fresh tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Hodges avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
The fight stays on the outside here - Fresh looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Fresh fails with an attempt to clinch.
Fresh is looking to clinch but Hodges is avoiding it.
Fresh tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Fresh steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Hodges.
Fresh is looking to clinch.
Fresh wants to clinch but Hodges slips to the side
and Hodges counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Vlad Fresh seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Hodges circles away from the clinch attempt.
Fresh wants to clinch
and Hodges makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Fresh tries to clinch up but Hodges circles away and keeps his distance.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hodges keeps the fight on the outside.
Fresh fails in his attempt to clinch.
Hodges pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Fresh back to the cage. Hodges follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Fresh tries to clinch but Hodges is having none of it.
Hodges missing with a left hand there. Fresh was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Fresh tries to close the distance and clinch but Hodges swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Fresh is looking to clinch.
Fresh tries to clinch up but Hodges circles away and keeps his distance.
Hodges avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Hodges gets a double leg takedown into Fresh's guard.
Fresh wants to stand up but Hodges is controlling him.
Hodges throwing strikes but missing.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Fresh working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Hodges.
Fresh is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Fresh keeping full guard, as Hodges tries to pass.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fresh being controlled here, momentarily.
Hodges wants to pass the guard but Fresh is keeping the position.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Fresh wants to sweep but no luck.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Fresh walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Fresh fails with an attempt to clinch.
Hodges keeps the fight on the outside.
A low kick from Hodges misses

and Fresh counters by clinching up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fresh looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Fresh pushes off an throws an elbow but Hodges leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Fresh tries to land knees in the clinch but Hodges avoids the damage to the body.
Fresh throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Hodges blocks it with crossed arms.
Fresh lands an elbow inside.
Fresh lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Hodges or not.
Fresh stalling in the clinch.
Hodges is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Fresh is keeping busy.
Fresh tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Fresh with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Fresh stalling against the cage.
Fresh unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Hodges blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Fresh with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hodges is trying to push Fresh away but Fresh has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Hodges dodges an elbow strike from Fresh.
Fresh lands an elbow inside that Hodges shrugs off.
Fresh is trying to stall.
Fresh lands a damaging elbow.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Fresh tries a knee to the head but Hodges blocks it.
Hodges on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Fresh tries a knee to the head but Hodges blocks it.
Fresh with a knee to the head.
Hodges avoiding damage as Fresh throws knees to the body.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Fresh using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Hodges has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Fresh is breathing heavily.
Fresh using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Hodges has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Fresh throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Hodges is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vlad Fresh dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Hodges with a nice cross.
Hodges lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Hodges circles away from the clinch attempt.
Fresh tries to clinch there but Hodges circles away.
Jab from Hodges.
Hodges tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Fresh is able to avoid easily.
Fresh fails in his attempt to clinch.
Fresh tries to clinch up
and Hodges counters with a stiff right hand.
Hodges scores with a nice strike.
Hodges swats away the attempt to clinch by Fresh.
Fresh tries to grapple but his opponent circles
letting Hodges counter with a right hand.
Fresh looks to clinch
and Hodges connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Fresh tries to clinch up but Hodges circles away and keeps his distance.
Fresh tries to clinch up.
Fresh tries to clinch up but Hodges circles away and keeps his distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fresh moves in looking to clinch but Hodges pushes him off.
Fresh tries to clinch up.
Fresh walks into a stiff left hand from Hodges.
Fresh tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Hodges paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Hodges takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Fresh is looking to clinch.
Fresh tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Hodges manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Fresh tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Hodges manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Fresh tries to clinch there but Hodges circles away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Fresh looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Vlad Fresh is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Fresh is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Hodges closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Fresh did well to prevent Hodges getting side control.
Hodges prevents Fresh from standing back up.
Hodges is trying to control the action in half guard but Fresh is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Fresh is looking for a sweep. Hodges is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Hodges is looking for the mount but instead finds himself back in full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hodges in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Fresh tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Hodges landing with the ground and pound.
Hodges's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Hodges throws a big elbow that misses.
Fresh keeping moving, preventing Hodges from controlling successfully.
Fresh preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hodges pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Fresh is keeping the position for now.
Hodges is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Hodges throws a big right hand that misses.
Fresh working a defensive guard here.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Fresh tries to close the distance and clinch but Hodges swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Fresh wants to clinch up but Hodges keeps it at a distance.
Fresh tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Hodges manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Fresh tries to clinch but Hodges is having none of it.
Hodges throws a leg kick that misses.

Fresh pushes Hodges up against the cage in a clinch.
Fresh with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Fresh creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fresh misses with a knee to the head.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Fresh is trying to maintain a safe position but Hodges gets an underhook and turns Fresh into the cage.
Fresh lands an elbow inside.
Fresh misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Hodges.
Fresh throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Hodges blocks it with crossed arms.
Fresh is looking to control Hodges's arms but Hodges gets an underhook and turns him. Now Fresh has his back to the cage.
Fresh pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Fresh throws an elbow but it misses.
Fresh scores with a nice hook to the head.
Fresh tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Hodges is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Fresh is keeping busy.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Fresh looking to throw knees to the head but Hodges is blocking nicely.
Hodges avoiding damage as Fresh throws knees to the body.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Hodges tightens his grip and picks Fresh up, before dumping him to the ground. Fresh manages to land in guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Justin Hodges will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Hodges dips to his left and cracks Fresh with an uppercut!
Fresh dodges the punch combination from Hodges.
Fresh tries to close the distance and clinch up but Hodges swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Hodges misses with a right hand

and Fresh counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Fresh.
Fresh tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Hodges is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Fresh with a knee to the head.
Hodges blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Hodges has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Fresh avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Fresh pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Hodges is trying to break the clinch but Fresh is controlling him.
Fresh tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Fresh pushes off an throws an elbow but Hodges leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Fresh misses with a knee to the head.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hodges dodges an elbow strike from Fresh.
Fresh looking to throw knees to the head but Hodges is blocking nicely.
Fresh with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Hodges blocks an elbow strike.
Fresh lands a nice elbow.
Fresh tries a knee to the head but Hodges blocks it.
Hodges stalling in the clinch but Fresh improves position.
Fresh using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Hodges has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Fresh is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Hodges is keeping busy.
Hodges avoids a wild elbow strike from Fresh.
Fresh using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Hodges has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Hodges managing to block the knees to the body from Fresh.
Fresh tries a knee to the head but Hodges blocks it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fresh throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Hodges lands a left hand that snaps the head of Fresh backwards.
A frustrated look appears on Hodges's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Hodges is looking for a takedown.
Fresh throws an elbow that misses.
Hodges avoids a wild elbow strike from Fresh.
Fresh tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Hodges is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Hodges dodges an elbow strike from Fresh.
Fresh misses with an elbow over the top.
Fresh tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Fresh throws an elbow that misses.
Fresh throws a knee to the head but misses.
A battle for position here, against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fresh throws an elbow but it misses.
With the fighters up against the cage, Fresh throws an elbow but misses.
Fresh throws an elbow that misses.
Fresh throws an elbow that misses.
Fresh looking to throw knees to the head but Hodges is blocking nicely.
Hodges wants to break free but Fresh has control.
Vlad Fresh has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Fresh throws an elbow but it misses.
Hodges on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Hodges misses with a hook to the ribs.
Fresh utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.

Hodges works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Hodges missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Hodges slips nicely into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Still in half guard, Hodges seems content to control.
Hodges not landing any meaningful shots this time.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Hodges takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Hodges looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Fresh wants to improve his position but Hodges is controlling well.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Justin Hodges hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.

Hodges bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Fresh prevents Hodges from improving position.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Justin Hodges.
I think Hodges has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Daniel Franklin scores the fight 28:29
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 28:29
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Justin Hodges!
Justin Hodges is the new light heavyweight champion!