PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Dan Hardly (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Holden James (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hardly comes to the cage accompanied by Vem Pra Rua - O Rappa. James has chosen Aerials as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Hardly
vs
James

180 cm
35
165 lbs
31 - 21 - 0

178 cm
31
184 lbs
19 - 13 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

Mango Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 31 - 21 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Dan Hardly!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 19 - 13 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Holden James!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Felipe Paraventi and Seu Braga.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Hardly darts in and clinches James up against the cage.
Hardly is trying to maintain a safe position but James gets an underhook and turns Hardly into the cage.
Hardly stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
James content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Hardly struggles to land a body shot inside as James controls his hands.
Hardly tried to land a shot to the body but connects with James's elbow.
Hardly tries a body shot but James blocks it.
James throws an elbow but it misses.
James blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Hardly misses with some punches.
James lands an elbow inside that Hardly shrugs off.
James looking to stall.

James breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
James takes one on the button.

James moves into the clinch.
Hardly lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Hardly blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
A head punch on the inside from Hardly fails to land.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
James prevents a body shot from Hardly.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hardly tries to throw a body punch but James avoids it by throwing Hardly back against the cage.
Hardly blocks a body shot from James.
Hardly is looking to control James's arms but James gets an underhook and turns him. Now Hardly has his back to the cage.
Hardly lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
James is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
James tries to break the clinch but Hardly is controlling the position.
Nice body punch from James.
James creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
James comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
James is looking to break free of the clinch but Hardly has double underhooks.
Hardly avoiding damage as James throws knees to the body.

James pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

James closes the distance and clinches.
Hardly blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
James throws an elbow that misses.
Hardly lands a shoulder strike.
Hardly with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
James can't break the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
James blocks a body shot from Hardly.
Hardly struggles to land a body shot inside as James controls his hands.
Hardly tries a body shot but James blocks it.

James's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Hardly blocks a head kick by James.

Hardly has managed to clinch.
Hardly lands an uppercut.
A head punch on the inside from Hardly fails to land.
Hardly taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Hardly is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Hardly lands with a right to the head.
Stalling in the clinch from James.
James tries to land knees in the clinch but Hardly avoids the damage to the body.
James tries to break the clinch but Hardly is controlling the position.
Hardly leaning his opponent against the cage.
Hardly lands on the inside with an uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
James tries to land knees in the clinch but Hardly avoids the damage to the body.
James prevents a body shot from Hardly.
James comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.

It looks like Dan Hardly has been cut.
James pushes off an throws an elbow but Hardly leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
James lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Hardly backwards.
Hardly is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Hardly.
Hardly tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Hardly tried to land a shot to the body but connects with James's elbow.
Hardly tried to land a shot to the body but connects with James's elbow.
Hardly on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

James breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Hardly has managed to clinch.
Hardly pushes James back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Hardly lands a shot to the body.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
James missing with knees to the body.
James looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Hardly blocks an elbow strike.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hardly blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
A short left from Hardly.
James prevents a body shot from Hardly.
Hardly misses with a shot to the kidneys.
James prevents a body shot from Hardly.
James blocks a punch to the side of the head.

James's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Hardly turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.

James clinches up against the cage.
Hardly blocks the elbow strike.
Hardly goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Hardly lands a body punch.
Hardly taking a breather.
Hardly missing with knees to the body.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Hardly is looking to control James's arms but James gets an underhook and turns him. Now Hardly has his back to the cage.
James comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
James misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Hardly.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Hardly dodges an elbow strike from James.
Hardly pushes James back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dan Hardly dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Dan Hardly's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

James lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Hardly circles away quickly and effectively.

James gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Hardly digs a right hand into James's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on James's gas tank.
Hardly lands a hook that snaps the head of James backwards.
A nice glancing elbow lands by James.
James is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Hardly is defending well for now.
James is looking to break free of the clinch but Hardly has double underhooks.
James prevents a body shot from Hardly.
Hardly scores with a hook to the body.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Hardly is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Hardly is working James over against the cage.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
James lands an elbow just above Hardly 's eye.
A right handed body shot lands from Hardly.
A short left from Hardly.
Hardly throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.

That's one minute gone in the round.
James blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Hardly has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Hardly goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Hardly misses with a punch to the body.
Hardly holding his opponent close, against the cage.
James blocks a body shot from Hardly.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
James misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Hardly.
Hardly misses with a punch to the body.
James looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Good body shot from James.
James throws an elbow that misses.
James lands an elbow inside.
Hardly misses with a hook to the ribs.
Hardly lands a shot to the body.
James tries to circle away but Hardly has him pinned against the cage.
James throws an elbow that misses.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, James just misses with a elbow thrown towards Hardly's brow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hardly stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
James lands with a left to the head.
Hardly can't find room to land a body shot as James controls the action.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
James tries to circle away but Hardly has him pinned against the cage.
Hardly prevents James from breaking the clinch.
Hardly keeps the fight in the clinch, despite James's efforts to push away.
James is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Hardly avoids the elbow strike from James, against the cage.

James pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Hardly misses with a head kick.

Hardly closes the distance and clinches.
James throws an elbow but it misses.
James misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Hardly.
Hardly tries to throw a body punch but James avoids it by throwing Hardly back against the cage.
James prevents a body shot from Hardly.
Hardly goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
James misses with an elbow over the top.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

James breaks the clinch.

Hardly clinches up against the cage.
James lands an uppercut.
Hardly taking a breather.
Dan Hardly has scored more points in the clinch so far.
A short uppercut from Hardly.
Hardly struggles to land a body shot inside as James controls his hands.
Hardly tries to work over James's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Hardly stalling against the cage.
Hardly lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt James or not.

James breaks from the clinch.
Nice uppercut lands for Hardly. That snapped James's head back.

Hardly closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Hardly tries a body shot but James blocks it.
Hardly tried to land a shot to the body but connects with James's elbow.
James tries to circle away but Hardly has him pinned against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
James lands a nice elbow.
Hardly blocks an uppercut.
A nice left hand lands by Hardly.
James tries to circle away but Hardly has him pinned against the cage.
Hardly is trying to stall.

James's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Hardly gets tackled into the cage by James. James maintains the clinch.
Hardly tries a body shot but James blocks it.
Hardly missing with knees to the body.
Hardly lands with a left to the head.
Hardly softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Hardly avoiding damage.
Hardly takes an elbow to the temple.
Hardly tries to stall but James uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dan Hardly dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Dan Hardly's cut.
That's time! Hardly's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Hardly gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Hardly is trying to maintain a safe position but James gets an underhook and turns Hardly into the cage.
James is trying to maintain a safe position but Hardly gets an underhook and turns James into the cage.
Hardly swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Hardly lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
James misses with a punch to the body.
Stalling in the clinch from Hardly.
Hardly blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Hardly lands on the inside with an uppercut.
James is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

James breaks the clinch.
Dan Hardly seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

James closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Hardly lands a left hand that snaps the head of James backwards.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Hardly struggles to land a body shot inside as James controls his hands.
James is trying to stall.
James blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
James tries to circle away but Hardly has him pinned against the cage.
A head punch on the inside from Hardly fails to land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hardly tries to throw a body punch but James avoids it by throwing Hardly back against the cage.
Hardly tries to work over James's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

James breaks from the clinch.
James takes one to the side of the head.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
James pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Hardly tries to throw a body punch but James avoids it by throwing Hardly back against the cage.
A bit of stalling here from Hardly.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Hardly avoids a wild elbow strike from James.
Hardly misses with a knee strike.
Hardly throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but James blocks it with crossed arms.
Hardly misses with the head strike.
James misses with an elbow over the top.
A short uppercut from Hardly.
James looks to throw an elbow but misses.
James lands an elbow just above Hardly 's eye.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A short uppercut from James.
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!
Hardly misses with a short punch on the inside.
James has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Hardly.
Hardly lands a right hand that snaps the head of James backwards.
James lands with a left to the head.
Hardly misses with a hook to the ribs.
Hardly works on James's body with a couple of short punches.
Hardly tried to land a shot to the body but connects with James's elbow.
Hardly keeps the fight in the clinch, despite James's efforts to push away.
Hardly struggles to land a body shot inside as James controls his hands.
James lands an elbow inside that Hardly shrugs off.

Hardly is rocked!
James lands an elbow that stopped Hardly in his tracks for a moment.
Oh Hardly is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!

James breaks from the clinch.
James ducks down and throws a big overhand right - it lands flush on the jaw, knocking Hardly out cold! The fight is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:55 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Holden James!
Holden James decided to go for the less than humble approach in his post fight interview, telling everyone how he is going to conquer the world. The crowd seemed to like it when really that sort of approach could have gone either way.