PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Miko Maia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Blake Halder (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Maia comes to the cage accompanied by Hells Bells. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Maia
vs
Halder

196 cm
31
267 lbs
25 - 18 - 0

192 cm
25
263 lbs
9 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Olympic wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Conviction

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 25 - 18 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Miko Maia!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Blake Halder!
The judges for this bout are Micheangelo Fripello, Josh West and Chris Saunders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Maia digs a good body shot into Halder's ribs.
Maia throws out a loose jab but Halder uses good head movement to avoid it.
Halder scores with a decent looking hook.
Miko Maia seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Maia throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Halder's head.
Maia throws out a powerful jab.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Halder uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Maia.
Maia misses with a looping right.
Maia lands a body shot.
Halder throws a leg kick but Maia sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Maia lands with an overhand left.
Maia just misses with a punch to the body.
Maia throws a hook but Halder blocks it.
Halder will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Maia swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Maia loads up on a big right hand but Halder slips the punch.
Maia thows a left - swing and a miss!
Halder takes one on the button.
The fighters circling - Maia throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Miko Maia is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Halder missing with a left hand there. Maia was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Maia misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Halder.
Maia bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Maia keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Halder.
Halder lands with a right hand.
Maia connects with a body shot.
Halder throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Maia dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Halder jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Maia ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Maia checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Maia thuds a left hand into Halder's body.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Maia throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Halder misses with a body shot.
Halder uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Maia.
Halder slips a jab from Maia.
Halder shoots in looking for a takedown. Maia tries to sprawl out of it but Halder keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Maia manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Halder misses with an attempted mid kick.
Halder throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Halder throws a chopping leg kick but Maia manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Halder slips a straight right by Maia.
Maia lands an overhand right.
Halder throws a good cross that connects.
Halder moves out of range as Maia strikes.
Halder with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Maia cracks Halder with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Maia lands with a nice body punch.
A slow jab from Maia misses its intended target.
Halder uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Maia.
Maia keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Maia avoids the body shot from Halder.
Halder on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maia swings for the body but Halder moves out of range.
Maia misses with a jab, cross combination.

Halder clinches.

Halder is trying to trip Maia. He has hold of a leg but Maia is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Halder persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Maia is trying to keep Halder in close.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Halder is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Halder trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Maia looking to hit a scissor sweep but Halder is one step ahead there.
Maia avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Maia has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Halder can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Halder wants to control from the top but Maia keeps moving.
Halder landing with the ground and pound.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Halder scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Miko Maia dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Good leg kick by Halder there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
A big left from Maia misses.
A decent looking cross lands there for Halder.

It looks like Miko Maia has been cut.
Maia feints a jab promting Halder to slip. Maia then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Halder slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Maia takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Halder takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Maia throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Miko Maia is winning the standup battle so far.
Maia swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Maia lunges at Halder with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Halder's hand.
Halder dodges the punch combination from Maia.
Halder defending well as Maia loads up on a big left hand.
Halder tries to land a front kick but Maia steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Maia scores with a punch to the head.
Maia avoids the body shot from Halder.
Maia lands a jab to the nose.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Halder throws a wild body kick that Maia sees coming a mile off.
Halder tries to clinch but Maia is having none of it.
Maia throws a hook but Halder avoids it easily.
Maia missing with a left hand there. Halder was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Halder is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Maia swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Maia just misses with a punch to the body.
Halder uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Maia.
Maia throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Maia lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Halder misses the jab.
Halder cracks a nice hook into Maia's ribs.
Maia avoids a kick to the body.
Maia throws a right and a left that both miss.
Halder needs to keep his hands up - Maia had a free shot at his head there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maia looks to throw the jab but Halder is out of range.
Decent striking displayed by Maia there.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Decent striking displayed by Maia there.

Halder closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Maia misses with some punches.
Maia lands a body shot in the clinch.

Halder tightens his grip and picks Maia up, before dumping him to the ground. Maia manages to land in guard.
Halder throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Halder postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Halder trying to control but Maia is working from the bottom.
Halder looking to sit in guard and control but Maia gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maia throwing strikes from guard but Halder blocks nicely.
Maia looking to pass the guard.
Halder has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Halder had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Maia defends it easily.
Maia is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Maia slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Halder wants to control but Maia postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Halder takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Halder parries the strikes from Maia easily there. Maia is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Halder to escape.
Halder struggling a bit here.
Maia working the ground and pound.

Halder is rocked!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Maia in side control here. He's dropped a big elbow there and Halder looks hurt! Oh, he is hurt! Maia turns on the heat and pounds him out for a TKO victory! Good killer instinct there!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:47 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Miko Maia!
After the fight, Miko Maia was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.