PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Tom Hardy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Harrison Yates (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Hardy
vs
Yates

200 cm
21
205 lbs
8 - 4 - 0

187 cm
21
199 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Basic striking
Cardio machine

BJJ Purple Belt
World class MT
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Tom Hardy!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Harrison Yates!
The judges for this bout are Paul Tew, Steven Brown and Chris Edwards.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
No luck with that takedown attempt from Hardy.
Hardy misses with a takedown attempt - Yates sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Yates connects with a crisp jab.
Yates misses with a low kick.
Yates throws a body shot but no joy.
Hardy shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Yates as he avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tom Hardy. That's going to take a lot out of him.
No luck for Hardy with that takedown attempt.

Hardy closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Yates quickly recovers to half guard.

Hardy is working for a submission of some sort.
Hardy seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Yates does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yates moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Yates is adopting a defensive guard.
Yates keeping moving, preventing Hardy from controlling successfully.
Yates keeping full guard, as Hardy tries to pass.

Hardy drops back looking for a leg! Yates is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Yates manages to kick Hardy off! Hardy jumps back into Yates's guard.
Yates is adopting a defensive guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Hardy wants to control from the top but Yates keeps moving.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Yates leaves Hardy with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Nice takedown defense from Yates. No joy for Hardy on that attempt.
A chopping leg kick lands by Yates.

Hardy manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Yates on his heels. He'll look to pass Yates's guard now, I'm sure.
Hardy slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

Hardy thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Hardy is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Yates has escaped the position, nice work there.

Hardy tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Hardy has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Hardy definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Hardy trying to control the position but Yates is working away.
Yates is trying to get back to half guard.

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.

Hardy goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Yates has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Hardy but great work by Yates.
Hardy tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Yates presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
Yates sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Hardy is looking to improve his position but Yates isn't that keen on the idea.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Harrison Yates will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Hardy shoots for a double leg takedown but Yates sprawls well. He's pushed Hardy's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Yates lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Tom Hardy is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Yates lands with a nice body kick.
Hardy misses with a takedown attempt
and Yates counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

Hardy gets tackled into the cage by Yates. Yates maintains the clinch.
A short left from Yates.
Yates working some nice short punches in the clinch.
A short left from Yates.
Yates working Hardy over with knees to the body.
Yates unloads a knee to the mid-section.
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!
Yates using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Knees to the body from Yates.
Yates avoiding damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hardy tries for a takedown. No joy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tom Hardy. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Yates landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Yates with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Knees in the clinch landing for Yates.
Yates throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Hardys head.
Yates with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Yates stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Yates receives a warning from the referee for stalling.
Yates is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Yates unloads a knee to the mid-section.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yates pushes Hardy back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
A short uppercut from Yates.
Yates landing knees to the body.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Yates unloads a knee to the mid-section. Hardy lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Yates crunches a lovely knee into Hardy's ribcage.
The referee calls for Yates to work.
Yates working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Yates lands a knee to the body.
Yates landing knees to the body.
Yates misses with a knee to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yates scores with a shoulder strike.
Yates scores a nice knee to the body.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Yates obliges.
Yates working Hardy over with knees to the body.
Yates putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Hardy in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Yates putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Hardy in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Yates connects with a knee to the head.
Yates throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Hardy blocks it with crossed arms.
Yates working Hardy over with knees to the body.
Yates with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Hardy takes a shot to the head.
Yates unloads a knee to the mid-section.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yates lands a nice knee to the body.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Yates obliges.
Yates stalling against the cage.
A knee to the head by Yates.
Yates lands a knee to the head.

Hardy is rocked!
Yates landing knees to the body.
Yates stalling against the cage.
Yates putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Hardy in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Harrison Yates showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Hardy's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Jab by Yates.
Oh Hardy is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!

Yates lands a left and a right that send Hardy crashing to the mat, dazed. Yates thinks about following him to the mat but decides to wave him back up to his feet!
Hardy fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

Hardy shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Yates is trying to defend but Hardy finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
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!
Yates is controlling Hardy's trapped leg to prevent Hardy from advancing to side control.

Hardy is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Hardy seems to have got his legs back now.
Yates is trying to get back to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yates is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.

Hardy is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Yates doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Hardy.
Hardy will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Yates holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Hardy is just content to waste time from the top position. Yates takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Hardy pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Yates is keeping the position for now.

Hardy is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Yates pulls Hardy in close to his closed guard and prevents Hardy from doing any damage or advancing position.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Yates fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Hardy has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hardy shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Yates sprawls well. Yates wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Hardy gets slowly back to his feet.
Yates connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Yates digs a good hook to Hardy's body.
Hardy fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tom Hardy. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Hardy.
Yates scores with a head kick.
Hardy uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Yates.

Hardy drives through with a takedown into guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hardy being controlled here momentarily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yates's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Hardy wants to control from the top but Yates keeps moving.
Hardy is really struggling to control Yates but he's trying to hold on to the position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Tom Hardy has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Hardy throwing strikes but missing.

And that's the end of the fight!
Harrison Yates comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Yates winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Tew scores the fight for Harrison Yates!
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight for Harrison Yates!
Judge Chris Edwards scores the fight for Harrison Yates!

Harrison Yates wins by unanimous decision!