PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Espiridion Araya (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Uriah Hall (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hall has chosen Wake Up by Slapshock as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Araya
vs
Hall

201 cm
18
195 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

190 cm
18
185 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Espiridion Araya!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Uriah Hall!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Wesley Smith and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Araya lands a high kick!

It looks like Uriah Hall has been cut.
Hall throws a head kick that Araya semi-blocks.
Hall jabs Araya right on the nose. Araya blinks but takes it well.
Araya pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Hall throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Araya misses with a jab, cross combination.
Hall misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Hall gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Hall gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
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!
Araya drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Hall gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Hall throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Araya blocks it with crossed arms.
Araya blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Hall comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Araya has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Hall is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Hall throws a knee to the head but misses.

Hall is fighting off a takedown attempt but Araya is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Hall to the mat. Hall regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Araya tries to free his leg and advance position but Hall is retaining full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hall tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Araya will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Araya pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Hall is keeping the position for now.
Araya trying to control but Hall is working from the bottom.
Araya controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

We're going to have a standup here because Espiridion Araya wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Hall throws a head kick that misses.

Araya gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Araya wants to take the fight to the mat but Hall manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Espiridion Araya. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Hall jumps guard.
Araya looking to pass the guard.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Araya's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Araya trying to control but Hall is working from the bottom.
Araya throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Hall works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Araya throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Hall works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Araya stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Hall swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Araya is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Araya wants to control from the top but Hall keeps moving.

Araya drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Hall manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Araya has Hall in his guard.
Araya striking off his back but it's not causing Hall any problems.
Hall throwing strikes but missing.
Hall postures up in Araya's guard and throws a big left but Araya blocks it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hall trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Araya is on top in guard.
Araya has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Araya lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

Araya drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Araya jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Araya really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Araya postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Hall is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Araya, into his guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Araya preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Araya tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Araya manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Hall throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Araya will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Araya throws a right and a left that both miss.
Hall takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Hall thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Araya if he has to take too many more of those.
Araya lands a lovely overhand right.
Hall stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Araya.
Hall pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Both fighters circling a little - Araya finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
The fight stays on the outside here - Hall looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Araya is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Araya is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Araya rushes Hall and presses him up against the cage.
Hall looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Hall missing with knees to the body.
Araya is working for takedown but Hall is calmly controlling the position for now.
Araya is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Hall pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Hall misses with a knee strike.
Araya tries for a takedown. No joy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Espiridion Araya. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Hall wants the takedown. Araya is fighting it off but Hall persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Araya's guard against the cage.
Hall wants to stand but Araya is controlling his posture from full guard.
Araya is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Araya trying to keep a closed guard but Hall is proving a slippery customer.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hall has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Araya is proving hard to escape from.
Araya is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Connects with an elbow from the bottom, proving to the judges that he's still active off his back.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Araya is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Hall is aware though and is defending well.
Araya is trying to control the position but Hall postures up.
Araya will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.

Araya is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Araya is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Hall defends well.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Araya looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Araya looking to control.

Araya is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Hall is aware though and is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Araya preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

Hall got a little sloppy there for a moment and Araya has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Hall has managed to get both his arms back between Araya's legs - danger averted.
Araya wants to sweep here but Hall controlling him for the moment.

Araya has his foot on Hall's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Hall works his way back into a safe position though.
Hall must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Araya bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Hall's guard.
Hall working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Araya.
Araya throws an elbow that misses. Hall uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Araya's guard. Nice move by Hall!
Araya scores with a short punch from the bottom.
Araya has a closed guard, preventing Hall from standing up.
Hall stopping the sweep attempt from Araya.
Araya seems keen to control Hall's posture.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Araya utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Hall is looking to work some ground and pound but Araya has wrist control.
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!
Araya working a defensive guard here.

Araya escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Hall gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Araya throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Hall is looking to stand up but Araya won't let him.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Hall accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Hall postures up.

Araya looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Hall stopping the sweep attempt from Araya.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Espiridion Araya dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Uriah Hall's cut.
That's time! Araya's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Hall tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Hall fails to land with a series of punches.
A head kick from Hall lands but Araya takes it in his stride.
Hall keeps the fight on the outside.
Hall throws a head kick but Araya moves out of range.
Araya getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Hall throws a leg kick which misses Araya's front leg but catches the back leg as Araya tries to avoid it.
Araya looks to land a body kick but Hall moved away.
Hall throws a head kick that misses.
Hall keeps Araya at a distance using the push kick.
Araya swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Araya tries for a takedown but Hall sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Hall tries a head kick but it misses.
Espiridion Araya is winning the standup battle so far.
Araya ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Hall moves away.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Araya clinches up against the cage.
A bit of stalling here from Hall.

Hall lands a takedown into guard.
Hall takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Araya has Hall pulled in close to control his posture.

Araya working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Hall doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Oh but Araya is tightening it up a little... Hall has to be careful here... He's got his foot tucked under now, this looks tight! Hall reacted too slowly and this one could be over in a matter of seconds! YES! Hall taps out! Nice BJJ there by Araya!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:38 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle Choke). Espiridion Araya!