PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Saddam Hussain (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Oscar Diaz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Diaz comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Trick Daddy - Let's Go ft Twista & Lil Jon kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Oscar Diaz has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Hussain
vs
Diaz

162 cm
35
155 lbs
26 - 7 - 0

169 cm
35
145 lbs
25 - 19 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 26 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Saddam Hussain!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 25 - 19 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Oscar Diaz!
The judges for this bout are Mauricio Rocha, Paulo Santos and Edson Gomes.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Diaz wants to clinch up but Hussain keeps it at a distance.
Hussain lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Hussain looks for the body kick but Diaz saw that one coming.
Diaz tries to clinch up
and Hussain connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Saddam Hussain seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Hussain throws a lazy right hand but Diaz sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Hussain misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Diaz.
The fight stays on the outside here - Diaz looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Jab from Hussain.
Hussain swats away the attempt to clinch by Diaz.
A looping hook to the body misses from Hussain. Diaz does a little dance to reset his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hussain feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Diazs jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Hussain takes a swing at Diaz's ribcage but misses.
Hussain just misses with a punch to the body.
Some bone on bone action there as Diaz checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Hussain tries a head kick but it misses.
Diaz tries to clinch up.
Hussain tries to land a front kick but Diaz steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Diaz checks a low kick from Hussain.
No joy there for Hussain, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Hussain thows a body shot but no joy.
Diaz darts in trying to clinch
and Hussain counters with an outside leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Diaz tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Diaz throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Hussain on the side of the head.
Hussain takes a swing at Diaz's ribcage but misses.
Hussain lands with a good body shot.
Diaz uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Hussain.
Hussain throws an off balance right hand
and Diaz counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Hussain tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Diaz's elbow.
Diaz can't get the takedown.
Nice body punch from Hussain.
Hussain goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Diaz has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
A head punch on the inside from Hussain fails to land.
Diaz tries to break free but Hussain pushes him back against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hussain has a couple of punches blocked by Diaz.

Hussain is fighting off a takedown attempt but Diaz is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Hussain to the mat. Hussain regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Diaz controlling from the top position.
Hussain keeping moving, preventing Diaz from controlling successfully.
Diaz pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Hussain is keeping the position for now.
Diaz loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Diaz has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Diaz trying to control but Hussain is working from the bottom.
Hussain trying to control the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Diaz trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Hussain looking for a guillotine here but Diaz defends easily.
Hussain trying to control the position here.
Diaz wants to control from the top but Hussain keeps moving.

Diaz drops back looking for a leg! Hussain is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Hussain manages to kick Diaz off! Diaz jumps back into Hussain's guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hussain is trying to keep Diaz in close.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Saddam Hussain 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.

Hussain feints and then cracks Diaz's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Diaz down.
Hussain misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Diaz.
Hussain lands with a slapping head kick.
Crunch! Hussain slams his shin into Diaz's torso.
Hussain misses with a hook. Diaz ducked under it nicely.
Hussain throws a looping overhand right but Diaz ducks down to avoid it.
Saddam Hussain is winning the standup battle so far.
Hussain fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Diaz is out of range.

Diaz fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Hussain sprawls well initially but Diaz persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Hussain is trying to get back to full guard.
Hussain is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Diaz jumps into side control!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Hussain tries to improve position but can't.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hussain parries the strikes from Diaz easily there. Diaz is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Hussain to escape.
Hussain tries to improve position but can't.
Diaz is looking to take a break and control but Hussain is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Hussain is trying to get back to half guard.

Diaz working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Hussain manages to work his way to half guard, despite Diaz's best efforts.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are battling for position here. Hussain manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

Hussain looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Hussain not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Oscar Diaz has got the better of the ground game so far.
Diaz looking to pass the guard.
Diaz trying to control the position from guard on top but Hussain is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hussain utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Diaz trying to control the position from guard on top but Hussain is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Hussain has his foot on Diaz's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Diaz works his way back into a safe position though.
Diaz tries to free his leg and advance position but Hussain is retaining full guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Diaz trying to control the position from guard on top but Hussain is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Hussain looking for a guillotine here but Diaz defends easily.

Hussain is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Diaz is aware though and is defending well.

Hussain is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Diaz defends well.
Diaz is pushing down on Hussain's leg trying to pass to half guard. Hussain is fighting to maintain full guard but Diaz has managed to sneak the leg through.

Diaz is working for a kimura but Hussain is defending it quite comfortably.
Hussain is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Diaz is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Hussain sees it coming and defends easily.
Hussain trying to control but Diaz postures up.
Hussain regains full guard. Nicely done.
Diaz trying to control the position from guard on top but Hussain is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Diaz postures up.
Diaz advances to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Saddam Hussain dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Diaz avoids the body shot from Hussain.
Hussain throws a body kick despite being completely out of range
and Diaz counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Diaz tries a low kick but Hussain avoids it.
Hussain throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Diaz moves away from the strike by Hussain.
Diaz is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Diaz misses with a few strikes there.
Hussain throws out a loose jab but Diaz uses good head movement to avoid it.
Nice cross by Diaz.
Diaz tries to close the distance and clinch but Hussain swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Hussain throws a nice inside leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hussain throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Hussain looks for the body kick but Diaz saw that one coming.
Hussain misses with a hook. Diaz ducked under it nicely.
Hussain throws a body kick that misses.
Diaz tries to bum rush Hussain with a series of wild strikes but Hussain uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Diaz tries to clinch up
and Hussain counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
The fighters circling - Hussain throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Diaz moves in looking to clinch but Hussain pushes him off.
Saddam Hussain is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
A bone on bone clash there as Diaz blocks the leg kick.
Diaz looks to score with a jab to the body but Hussain is just out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hussain looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Diaz takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Hussain avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Diaz wants to clinch.
Diaz closes the distance and clinches up with Hussain, looking for a takedown. Diaz pushes Hussain against the cage but Hussain circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Oscar Diaz has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Diaz tries to clinch up.
Hussain misses with a right hand
and Diaz counters with a three punch combo that has Hussain backing up. Hussain nods at Diaz to acknowledge the strikes.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Hussain tries a body shot but Diaz blocks it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hussain working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Diaz has Hussain pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Hussain manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Hussain tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Diaz is looking to take this one to the mat.
Saddam Hussain has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Oscar Diaz.
Hussain is defending well against a takedown attempt.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Diaz.
Diaz is trying to break free.
Hussain softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Hussain stops a takedown attempt from Diaz.
Diaz misses with the head strike.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Hussain as Diaz tries to tie him up.
Hussain pushes Diaz back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Hussain fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Hussain misses with a body punch.
Diaz misses with a punch on the inside.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nice body punch from Hussain - that landed with a thud.
Diaz takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Diaz's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Hussain has a couple of punches blocked by Diaz.
Hussain has Diaz pressed against the cage, preventing Diaz from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
A hook to the body from Hussain.
Hussain throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Diazs head.
Hussain lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

Diaz is rocked!
Hussain lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Diaz is still on wobbly legs! Can Hussain finish him?
Hussain pushes Diaz against the cage. Hussain is working some dirty boxing. Hussain pushes off with a quick right hook! Diaz goes down! Diaz tries to stand but stumbles back to his kness! Hussain moves in to finish and the ref steps in to prevent any more damage!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:35 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Saddam Hussain!
A determined Saddam Hussain didn't want to dwell on this fight in his post fight interview. Instead he was more keen to state he wants a title shot. Let's see if he gets it!