PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Stacey Briggs (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mohamed Hacham (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Mohamed Hacham has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Stacey Briggs's chin.

Briggs
vs
Hacham

159 cm
24
151 lbs
0 - 4 - 0

170 cm
24
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Stacey Briggs!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Mohamed Hacham!
The judges for this bout are Paul Gruel, Ryoma Takatsuka and Micheangelo Fripello.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Briggs is looking to clinch but Hacham is avoiding it.
Hacham slaps away a takedown attempt from Briggs, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Hacham shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Briggs defends it nicely.
Stacey Briggs seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Briggs will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Briggs tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Hacham paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Hacham takes a swing at Briggs's ribcage but misses.

Briggs fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Hacham, pushing him back against the cage.

Briggs breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Hacham tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Briggs with a lazy takedown attempt
and Hacham counters with a one-two to the body.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Stacey Briggs. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hacham swinging wildly here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Briggs just misses with a punch to the body.
Briggs pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Hacham throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.

Hacham shoots in and gets a takedown into Briggs's guard.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

Hacham gets to his feet. Briggs looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Hacham swats away the attempt to clinch by Briggs.
Hacham tries for a takedown but Briggs sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Hacham tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Briggs gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Hacham counters with a shoot takedown. Briggs fights it but they end up in guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Briggs throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Briggs has Hacham pulled in close to control his posture.
Briggs is trying to control the position from the bottom.

Hacham got a little sloppy there for a moment and Briggs has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Hacham has managed to get both his arms back between Briggs's legs - danger averted.
Hacham wanted to stand there but Briggs had control of the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Briggs looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Stacey Briggs wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Briggs shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Briggs delivers a nice body kick.

Briggs fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Hacham, pushing him back against the cage.
Hacham is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Briggs is defending well.
Hacham is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Hacham blocks a body shot from Briggs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Briggs drags the fight down to the ground.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hacham loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Briggs manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Hacham manages to get himself to full guard.
Briggs pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Hacham is keeping the position for now.
Hacham keeping moving, preventing Briggs from controlling successfully.
Briggs could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Briggs pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Hacham is keeping the position for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Mohamed Hacham will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Hacham displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Briggs.
Stacey Briggs is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Briggs wants to slow Hacham down by chopping away at his legs.
Hacham throws a sloppy head kick
and Briggs counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Hacham thinking.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Hacham.
Briggs fails with the takedown.
Good leg kick by Hacham there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.

Hacham looking for a takedown here - he's got it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Briggs has his hands on Hacham's head, controlling the position.
Hacham wants to control from the top but Briggs keeps moving.
Briggs not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Briggs throws a combination that misses
and Hacham counters with a good low kick that Briggs was not able to check.
Briggs shoots in for a takedown but Hacham shows good takedown defense.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Stacey Briggs. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hacham misses with a takedown attempt - Briggs sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Briggs shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Hacham as he jumps to the side.
Hacham throws a sloppy head kick and Briggs moves out of range easily.
Briggs listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Briggs throws the kick towards the body but Hacham avoids it.
Hacham throws a poor cross that misses
and Briggs counters with a leg kick.
Hacham moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.

Briggs rushes Hacham and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hacham goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Hacham tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Briggs looking for a takedown.
Briggs wants a takedown but no success here.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Hacham jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Briggs walks away with a smile on his face. Hacham gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
The fight stays on the outside here - Briggs looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Briggs misses with a takedown attempt - Hacham sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Briggs is trying hard to land a takedown here. Hacham sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Briggs tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Hacham paws at him with a jab and circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Hacham.
Briggs misses with a takedown attempt - Hacham sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Briggs is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Briggs shoots in for a double leg but Hacham sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Briggs avoids the head kick by Hacham.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Briggs shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Briggs fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
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 Stacey Briggs will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Briggs keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Briggs is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Hacham will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Briggs has taken the fight to the clinch.
Hacham tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

Briggs breaks the clinch.
Hacham misses with a jab, cross combination.
Briggs with a lazy takedown attempt
and Hacham counters with a three punch combo that has Briggs backing up. Briggs nods at Hacham to acknowledge the strikes.
Briggs goes for a double leg but Hacham avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Hacham continues to drive forward.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Briggs doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Briggs tries for a takedown but Hacham manages to get underhooks.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Stacey Briggs. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Hacham manages to pull guard.
Hacham wants to stand up but Briggs is controlling him.
Hacham working a defensive guard here.
Briggs tries to free his leg and advance position but Hacham is retaining full guard.
Hacham is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Mohamed Hacham.

Briggs forces Hacham back against the cage and clinches.

Hacham pulls guard effortlessly.
Briggs forces his way into half guard.
Briggs wants to lay and pray for a moment but Hacham keeps working.
Briggs content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Hacham is trying to stand up here but Briggs is controlling him well.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Stacey Briggs wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Briggs is trying hard to land a takedown here. Hacham sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Briggs tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Hacham defends well and Briggs ends up having to push Hacham into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Briggs fails to pull guard.

Hacham lands a takedown into guard.
Hacham trying to control but Briggs is working from the bottom.

Briggs escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Hacham gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Briggs throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Briggs bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Hacham's guard.
Hacham working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Briggs.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Hacham working a defensive guard here.

Briggs drops back, looking for a kneebar! Hacham looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Hacham looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Hacham!

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Stacey Briggs.
I think Briggs has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Paul Gruel scores the fight 30:28
Judge Ryoma Takatsuka scores the fight 28:30
Judge Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Stacey Briggs!