PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Stephen Molina (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Junior Hawk (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Molina
vs
Hawk

185 cm
24
194 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

181 cm
24
183 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very confident

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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Stephen Molina!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Junior Hawk!
The judges for this bout are John Mangel, Steve Erwin and Donatello Bradman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hawk thows a body shot but no joy.

Molina shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Hawk manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hawk is looking to stand back up but Molina counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Hawk.
Molina trying to pass the guard but Hawk defending well.
Hawk tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Molina has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
Hawk is in all sorts of trouble here.
Hawk wants to control but Molina is having none of it.
Hawk tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hawk wants to hold on but Molina pushes him away.
Molina working Hawk over with strikes here.
Molina looking to control and managing it successfully.
Molina pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Molina has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Hawk's face.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Hawk can do anything to dispel that myth.
Molina takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Molina tries to stand up but he's trapped just for the moment.
Molina sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Molina tries to control but Hawk wriggling away.

Molina looking to secure an arm triangle but Hawk defends it well.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A nice elbow there by Molina.
Molina is looking to stand but Molina has his arms wrapped tightly around him, looking to prevent the damage.
Molina controlling from the full mount.

Molina is working for a guillotine from mount but Hawk frees his head quite easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Molina cracks Hawk with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.

Molina swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Hawk is now in Molina's guard. A big mistake from Molina there, giving up the dominant position!
Hawk really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Molina. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Hawk stands up from guard. Let's bang!
No joy there for Molina, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

Molina moves into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Hawk breaks the clinch.
Molina slaps away a takedown attempt from Hawk, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Hawk tries to clinch but Molina moves out of range.

Hawk has taken the fight to the clinch.

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

Hawk shoots in and gets a takedown into Molina's guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Hawk with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Hawk wanted to stand there but Molina had control of the position.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hawk preventing the sweep.
Hawk lands a couple of elbows.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stephen Molina dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Hawk closes the distance but Molina moves to the side

and Molina counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Molina.
Hawk lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Hawk is working for takedown but Molina is calmly controlling the position for now.
Hawk keeps control of Molina as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Hawk prevents the takedown attempt.
Hawk fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Hawk has Molina pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Hawk pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Molina tumbling to the mat - Hawk dives into Molina's guard.
Molina is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Hawk postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hawk trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Molina is controlling Hawk's posture.
Molina being controlled here, momentarily.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

Molina is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Hawk is aware though and is defending well.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Molina is on top in guard.
Hawk is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Molina stops Hawk from standing up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Molina wants to get up but he can't break Hawk's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Molina with a flurry of punches that miss.
Molina's corner is telling him to maintain position.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Molina wanted to stand there but Hawk had control of the position.
Molina slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Stephen Molina.

Hawk scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Molina is looking to reverse the position.
A bit of a lull in the action here.
Molina is trying to control Hawk's posture but Hawk avoids it.
Hawk wants to stand but Molina is controlling his arm.
Hawk is breathing heavily.
Molina is in a bad spot here and he knows it... just holding on for now.
Hawk tries to get to his feet but Molina is in the middle of advancing position himself and ends up with Hawk in his guard.
Hawk throwing strikes but missing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hawk wants to control from the top but Molina keeps moving.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hawk trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Molina manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!
Hawk wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Molina is now in half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Molina controlling the action here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Stephen Molina will probably get the nod.
That's time! Molina's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Hawk shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Molina as he jumps to the side.
Molina shoots in for a takedown but Hawk shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Hawk circles away from the clinch attempt.
Molina misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
A big right from Hawk misses.
Molina shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Hawk as he avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Stephen Molina. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Molina stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Molina wants it to stay on the feet.
Molina tries for a takedown but Hawk circles away easily
and Molina takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Hawk drives through with a takedown into Molina's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.

Hawk drops back, looking for a kneebar! Molina looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Molina looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Molina!
Hawk takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Molina tries to get to his feet but Hawk is in the middle of advancing position himself and ends up with Molina in his guard.
Molina wants to stand and escape but instead Hawk has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Hawk stopping the sweep attempt from Molina.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hawk wants to get up but he can't break Molina's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Hawk looking to sit in guard and control but Molina gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Molina connects with a couple of short punches.
Molina stops Hawk from standing up.
Stephen Molina overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Molina slips nicely into half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Hawk is trying to maintain the position but Molina is very close to passing his half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hawk works his way to full guard. Good work.
Molina has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Hawk is proving hard to escape from.
Molina is stalling in the full guard.
Molina in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Molina stays in close to Hawk's body and controls the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Stephen Molina just wasn't active enough.
Molina misses with a two punch combination.
Molina tries to clinch but Hawk is having none of it.
Hawk looks for a takedown but Molina sprawls well.

Molina closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Molina scoring with punches and elbows.
Molina trying to control the action but Hawk is working from the bottom.
Junior Hawk has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Stephen Molina is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Hawk looking for a sweep but Molina has passed into full mount! Oh no!

And that's the end of the fight!
Stephen Molina showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Molina, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge John Mangel scores the fight 30:27
Judge Steve Erwin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Donatello Bradman scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Stephen Molina!