PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between James Holt (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bret Hill (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Holt might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to All Along the Watchtower - Bear McCreary. Hill has chosen Wanted Dead Or Alive by Bon Jovi as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Holt
vs
Hill

170 cm
19
152 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

160 cm
19
145 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Knockout power

Nemesis Cage Clothing
Lightning Fight Gear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the featherweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, James Holt!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Bret Hill!
The judges for this bout are Gregory Folan, Steve Smith and Yves DeLean.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Holt fails with the takedown.

Hill clinches up against the cage.

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

Holt scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Hill prevents Holt from improving position.
Holt has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Hill!
Hill can't escape the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hill squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hill can't escape the position.
Hill's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Hill is trying to escape the mount.
Hill is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

Holt wants to finish this one by submission but Hill is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Holt.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Holt with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Hill keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

Holt jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Hill manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Hill is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Hill gets full guard.
Hill keeping full guard, as Holt tries to pass.
Hill looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Holt postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Hill is looking to stand up but Holt isn't so interested in that idea.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.

Hill had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Holt is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Hill Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Holt's back instead.

Holt showing good submission defense here.

Hill is persistently looking for the submission but Holt is defending it well.
Hill looks gassed!
Holt tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Holt really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

Hill get's back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hill fails with an attempt to clinch.
Hill tries to clinch there but Holt circles away.
Holt throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Hill's waist but Hill gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Holt off to one side.

Hill rushes Holt and presses him up against the cage.
Holt lands with a short shot to the head.
Holt looking for a takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for James Holt. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Holt drops down looking for an ankle pick but Hill pulls his leg out and moves away.
Hill is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Hill tries to clinch there but Holt circles away.
Hill is looking to clinch.
Hill tries to clinch but Holt moves out of range.
The fight stays on the outside here - Hill looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Hill tries to clinch but Holt moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Hill throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Holt.
Hill doesn't manage to clinch there - Holt circles away.
Holt throws a left and a right that both miss

and Hill holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Hill just leaning against Holt, taking a breather.
Holt tries to pull guard but Hill won't allow it.
Hill with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Hill using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Holt has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Hill pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Hill tries to close the distance and clinch up but Holt swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Holt shoots and misses
and Hill counters with a big head kick but Holt shrugs it off.

Holt drives through and clinches with Hill against the cage.
Hill lands with a short shot to the head.

Hill breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Holt with a poor takedown
and Hill connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Holt misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Hill with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Hill pulls guard successfully.

Hill throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Holt swats away the attempt to clinch by Hill.
Holt shoots and misses

and Hill counters by clinching up.
Hill looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Hill tries to land a knee to the head but Holt blocks with his arms.
Holt tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Hill just stands there and leans against the cage.

Hill escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Hill clinches but Holt breaks the clinch

and Holt counters by clinching up.
Holt tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for James Holt. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Hill.
Hill is pressed up against the cage. Holt has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Hill down to the mat. Hill avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Holt tries to close the distance and clinch but Hill swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Hill scores with a three punch combo!
Hill tries to close the distance and clinch but Holt swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
James Holt is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Hill tries to clinch there but Holt circles away.
Hill tries to clinch but Holt moves out of range.

Hill instigates a clinch.
Hill lands a damaging elbow.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Holt changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Hill fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Bret Hill is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Hill is looking to clinch but Holt is avoiding it.
The fight stays on the outside here - Hill looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Holt circles away from the clinch attempt

and Holt counters with a shoot takedown. Hill fights it but they end up in guard.

Hill is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
Holt drops down looking for an ankle pick but Hill pulls his leg out and moves away.
Hill moves in looking to clinch but Holt pushes him off.
Hill misses with a head kick.
Holt throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Hill.
Hill is looking to clinch but Holt is avoiding it.

Holt rushes Hill and presses him up against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hill with a knee to the head.
Knees to the body from Hill.
Hill connects with a knee to the head.
Holt has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Hill is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.

Hill breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Hill takes the fight into the clinch.

Hill pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Hill wants to clinch

and Holt counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Hill!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Hill is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Hill is wriggling around trying to escape.
Holt is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Hill bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Holt looking to control.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

Hill gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hill tries to clinch but Holt moves out of range.

Hill moves into the clinch successfully.
Hill lands an elbow that stopped Holt in his tracks for a moment.
Hill gets underhooks to prevent Holt's takedown attempt.

Hill breaks from the clinch.
Hill tries to clinch up but Holt circles away and keeps his distance.
Hill closes the distance looking to clinch

and Holt counters by moving into the clinch.
Hill misses with a knee strike.
Hill scores with a shoulder strike.
Hill working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Hill scores with a knee to the head.
Hill gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Holt.
Hill with a knee to the head.
Hill softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
A knee to the head by Hill.
Hill tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Hill creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

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

Holt rushes Hill and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Hill throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Holt blocks it with crossed arms.
Holt fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Holt wants the takedown. Hill is fighting it off but Holt persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Hill's guard against the cage.

Hill is looking to sinch up a triangle. Holt throws the leg off to one side though and gets in tight to Hill's body to avoid the submission. Hill has instead reached around Holt's neck and now has a guillotine! Oh, this is biiiig trouble! Hill arches his back and squeezes and forces the tap from his hapless opponent.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:34 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Bret Hill!
Bret Hill is the new featherweight champion!