PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ben Carmel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Virt Hickel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Carmel comes to the cage accompanied by Eminem - Cinderella Man. Both fighters really staring each other down here, as Virt Hickel enters the cage!

Carmel
vs
Hickel

178 cm
24
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
25
212 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Enjoys gardening

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ben Carmel!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Virt Hickel!
The judges for this bout are Alan Glass, Cecil Peabody and Chris Downing.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Carmel with a poor takedown
and Hickel counters with a nice leg kick.
Carmel throws a head kick that misses.

Hickel scores a takedown into full mount!
Carmel bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Hickel wants to sweep here but Carmel controlling him for the moment.
Hickel pulls Carmel in close to prevent any damage.
Carmel trying to control but Hickel is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hickel looking to hit a scissor sweep but Carmel is one step ahead there.
Hickel keeping moving, preventing Carmel from controlling successfully.
Hickel lands an upkick as Carmel stands over him.
Hickel manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Hickel lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Hickel has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Carmel tries to lock up and control but Hickel gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Hickel trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hickel lands a nice shot to the head.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Hickel scoring with strikes but Carmel is staying in there.
Hickel working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Hickel fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Hickel looking to finish Carmel with some ground and pound. This is bad for Carmel!
Hickel with a couple of short strikes.
Hickel scores with a couple of good head shots there.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Carmel is breathing heavily.
Carmel wants to hold on but Hickel pushes him away.
Hickel controlling his opponent.
Hickel scores with a couple of good head shots there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hickel has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Carmel's face.
Carmel takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Hickel controlling the position easily from mount.
Hickel lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Carmel hang on?
Hickel lands a big shot there that rocks Carmel but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Carmel takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Hickel lands a heavy elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hickel unloading with bombs!
Hickel lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Hickel punishing his opponent with strikes.
Hickel controlling from the full mount.
Hickel working Carmel over with strikes here.
Hickel lands a big elbow.
Hickel landing punches.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Hickel landing strikes from the mount.

Carmel is rocked!
Hickel controlling the position easily from mount.
Oh Carmel is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Hickel has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Carmel's face.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Virt Hickel dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Hickel with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Carmel seems to have got his legs back now.
Carmel shoots in for a double leg but Hickel sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Hickel keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

Hickel shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Carmel manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Hickel wants to control from the top but Carmel keeps moving.
Hickel's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hickel with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Hickel makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Hickel lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Carmel utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Hickel lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Hickel stands and throws Carmel's legs to the side, diving into side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hickel wants to take a breather but Carmel manages to regain guard - a lesson learnt for Hickel.
Hickel is in close to Carmel's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Carmel might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hickel throws a big elbow that misses.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Hickel in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Hickel throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Hickel slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Hickel with a nice head shot there.
Virt Hickel has got the better of the ground game so far.
Hickel throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Hickel lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Hickel landing some decent shots from guard.
Hickel loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hickel throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Hickel landing some decent shots from guard.
Hickel forces his way into half guard.
Carmel on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Hickel wants to control but Carmel is keeping him busy.

Carmel is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Hickel pulls his head out easily.
Hickel is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Hickel winds up and cracks Carmel with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hickel perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
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!
Ground and pound from Hickel.
Hickel trying to control the action but Carmel is working from the bottom.
Nice strikes from Hickel there.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hickel lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Hickel working Carmel over with strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Virt Hickel showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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!

Hickel throws a body kick that misses.
Carmel misses with a two punch combination.

Hickel decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Hickel keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Hickel working Carmel over with strikes.
Hickel has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Hickel thows a huge punch but Carmel dodges it nicely.
Hickel is keen to just control but Carmel is a slippery customer.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Carmel on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Hickel takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Carmel keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hickel trying to control from half guard but Carmel is working away.
Carmel taking some punishment here, with Hickel in his half guard.
Carmel is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Hickel scores with a couple of nice shots.
Hickel passes the guard and advances to mount!
Hickel looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Hickel postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Carmel looks a forlorn figure.
Hickel is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Carmel can't stay in a position like this for much longer.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A nice elbow there by Hickel.
Hickel cracks Carmel with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.

Carmel is rocked!
Hickel lands a big elbow.
Oh Carmel is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Hickel cracks Carmel with a big head shot that has him covering up instantly! He's rolled onto his side and the referee has seen enough - this one is aaaaaaaaaaall over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:40 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Virt Hickel!