PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between WIlle Waara (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Harrison Hardy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). WIlle Waara has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Waara
vs
Hardy

176 cm
18
140 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

174 cm
18
140 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, WIlle Waara!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Harrison Hardy!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Chris Downing and Robert Twigg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Waara misses with a hook.
Waara pushing out the jab but it's not landing.

Waara closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hardy tries to bench press Waara off him but Waara keeps the position.
Hardy is trying to control Waara's posture but Waara avoids it.

Waara is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Hardy has escaped the position, nice work there.
The referee asks Waara politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Waara prefers to stall for the moment though.
Waara is looking to take a break and control but Hardy is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Hardy is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Waara is trying to control the action in half guard but Hardy is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Hardy is looking to improve his position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hardy manages to get to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hardy keeping full guard, as Waara tries to pass.

Hardy looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Waara avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Hardy looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Hardy looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Waara controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Waara working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Waara trying to control but Hardy is working from the bottom.

Hardy is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Hardy looks gassed!
Waara trying to control but Hardy is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Hardy trying to keep a closed guard but Waara is proving a slippery customer.
Waara sitting in guard here, content to control.
Hardy looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Hardy ducks under a wild hook from Waara.
Waara motions for Hardy to come forward. Waara throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Waara misses with a series of wild punches.
Waara lands a lovely overhand right.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hardy shoots and misses

and Waara counters with a takedown into side control.
You can see the frustration on Hardy's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

Waara tries for a kimura but Hardy is defending well.

Waara decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Hardy throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Waara.
Hardy misses with a body shot.
Waara throws a series of strikes that have Hardy backpedaling.
Good standup being displayed there by Waara as he connects with a hook.
Hardy slips a jab and a cross from Waara.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Waara throws a nice looking combination but Hardy bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Waara scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
No joy there for Waara, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Waara has his takedown stuffed

and Hardy counters with a shoot takedown. Waara fights it but they end up in guard.
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!

Waara had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Hardy is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Waara Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Hardy's back instead.
Hardy has his hands over his head blocking the strikes from Waara.
Hardy trying to control the hands but Waara won't let him.
Waara is trying to stick to Hardy's back but Hardy is turning into Waara. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Waara's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Hardy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

WIlle Waara dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Hardy uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Waara.
No luck for Waara with that takedown attempt.
Hardy will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Waara fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Waara swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Hardy counters with a takedown into side control.
Waara takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Waara is looking to reverse the position.
Waara is trying to control Hardy's posture but Hardy avoids it.
Hardy trying to control the action but Waara is working from the bottom.
Waara is trying to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hardy has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Waara!

Hardy stands up from the dominant position, so we're back on the feet.
Waara feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Hardy's calf.
Hardy takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Waara takes a swing at Hardy's ribcage but misses.
A swing and a miss from Waara.
Waara lands with an uppercut that bounces Hardy off the cage and back into rage.
Some wild striking there from Waara.
Hardy checks a leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Waara misses the jab.
Waara throws a body kick that misses.
Waara throws out a loose jab but Hardy uses good head movement to avoid it.
Waara misses with a wild body shot.
Waara misses with a hook. Hardy ducked under it nicely.
Waara throws a head kick but Hardy moves out of range.
A big left from Waara misses.
Waara throws a series of punches but Hardy moves out of range.
Waara connects with a single shot there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hardy slips a jab from Waara.
Waara scores with a jab to the jaw.
Waara throws a half hearted mid kick.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Waara!
Waara shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Hardy counters with a nice double leg into side control. Waara won't be happy with that.
Waara avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Hardy.
Hardy tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.

Hardy is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Waara is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Hardy trying to control the position but Waara is working away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Waara is looking for a sweep.
Waara wants to control but Hardy postures up.
Waara manages to get back to half guard.

Hardy is working for a submission of some sort.
Hardy is breathing heavily.
Waara keeps control of the position for the meantime.
Waara regains full guard. Nicely done.
Waara wants to sweep here but Hardy controlling him for the moment.
Hardy trying to control but Waara is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Harrison Hardy showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Waara's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Waara cracks a nice hook into Hardy's ribs.
Hardy avoids a punch combination nicely.
Waara misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Hardy takes one on the button.
Waara scores with a hook to the body. Hardy takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A leg kick checked by Hardy.
Waara misses with a looping left.
Waara throws a shot to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Waara lands the left hand.
Hardy on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Waara swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Hardy counters with a single leg into guard. Waara didn't expect that.
Hardy trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Hardy takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Waara is looking for a triangle but Hardy pushes his legs off easily.

Hardy thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hardy turns into Waara and is now in his guard.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Hardy trying to control but Waara is working from the bottom.
Waara looking for a sweep. Not yet Waara, not yet.
Waara is trying to keep Hardy in close.

Waara has his foot on Hardy's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Hardy works his way back into a safe position though.
Hardy postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.

Hardy drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Hardy jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Waara gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Hardy counters with a single leg into guard. Waara didn't expect that.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Hardy drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Hardy jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Waara trying to keep a closed guard but Hardy is proving a slippery customer.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Waara kicks Hardy off and gets to his feet.
Waara shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Waara throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Waara throws a leg kick but Hardy moved away.
Waara shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Hardy pinned against the cage. Hardy gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Hardy blocks a low kick nicely.
Hardy misses with an uppercut.
Waara misses with the combination.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Hardy is looking to land body kicks.
Waara thows a left - swing and a miss!

Hardy shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Hardy is fighting to break Waara's control of his arms but Waara is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Waara controls Hardy momentarily but Hardy frees himself.
Waara tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Hardy is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Hardy advances to half guard.

Hardy is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Harrison Hardy has got the better of the ground game so far.
Hardy wants to control but Waara is keeping him busy.

And that's the end of the fight!
Harrison Hardy comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Hardy 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 Gwen Towbar scores the fight 28:29
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 28:29
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Harrison Hardy!