PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Michal Barlow (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Xavier Hardy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hardy has chosen "We Are" by Hollywood Undead as his entrance music. This should be fireworks!

Barlow
vs
Hardy

223 cm
21
193 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

185 cm
22
195 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Determined

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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Michal Barlow!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Xavier Hardy!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Timothy Bukovac and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hardy misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Barlow stuffs the takedown attempt from Hardy. Hardy gets slowly back to his feet.
Barlow tries to clinch but Hardy is having none of it.
An inside leg kick lands from Hardy.
Thud! ouch! good body kick from Hardy - that will leave a mark!
Hardy misses with a takedown attempt - Barlow sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Hardy shoots in for a double leg but Barlow sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Michal Barlow has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Xavier Hardy.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Hardy takes the fight into the clinch.
Hardy prevents the takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Hardy jumps into guard, dragging Barlow to the mat.
Barlow throws a strike but Hardy rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Hardy seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hardy pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Barlow is keeping the position for now.
Hardy showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Hardy won't allow Barlow to get back to his feet.
Hardy looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barlow throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Hardy scores with a three punch combo!
Hardy tries to close the distance and clinch up but Barlow swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Barlow stuffs the takedown.
Barlow throws a right hand that Hardy ducks under and follows up with a left that Hardy also avoids with ease.
Hardy dives in and grabs Barlow's left leg, looking for a takedown. Barlow pushes down on Hardy's head and hops out.
Hardy shoots in but Barlow avoids the takedown attempt easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hardy tries a head kick but it misses.
Barlow showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Hardy.
Hardy circles away from the clinch attempt.
Hardy fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Hardy misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Hardy swinging wildly here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Xavier Hardy dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Barlow looks to clinch
and Hardy counters with a nice low kick that buckles Barlow's knee momentarily.
Hardy fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Barlow avoids it really well and circles away.
Hardy shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Barlow counters with a big head kick but Hardy shrugs it off.
Hardy tries to close the distance and clinch up but Barlow swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Hardy.
Hardy closes this distance looking for a takedown but Barlow circles away.
Michal Barlow has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Xavier Hardy.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hardy fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Hardy fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barlow wants to clinch up but Hardy keeps it at a distance.
Hardy misses with a takedown attempt
and Barlow counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Hardy is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Barlow tries to close the distance and clinch up but Hardy swats him away and circles back towards the center.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Hardy breaks from the clinch.
Hardy fails with a takedown attempt.
Barlow throws a sloppy head kick and Hardy moves out of range easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barlow stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Barlow wants it to stay on the feet.
Hardy has a takedown stuffed.

Hardy clinches up against the cage.
Barlow has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Hardy is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Barlow is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Hardy pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Hardy escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hardy fails with a takedown attempt.
Hardy throws a sloppy head kick and Barlow moves out of range easily.
Barlow avoids a punch combination nicely.

Hardy gets a clinch.
Hardy is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Barlow changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Hardy fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Hardy throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Barlow counters with a three punch combo that has Hardy backing up. Hardy nods at Barlow to acknowledge the strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hardy has a takedown stuffed.
Barlow tries to clinch there but Hardy circles away.
No luck for Hardy with that takedown attempt.
Hardy misses with a wild combination.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Barlow stuffs the takedown.
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 Michal Barlow will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. And we move into the final round!

Barlow tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Hardy tries to clinch
and Barlow counters with a head kick. That will keep Hardy thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Hardy moves to clinch but Barlow breaks away
and Barlow counters with a two punch combo.
Michal Barlow is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Barlow tries to clinch there but Hardy circles away.
Hardy shoots and misses
and Barlow counters with a stiff right hand.
Horrible takedown attempt by Hardy or perhaps it was just good defense by Barlow, which made it look bad.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Hardy.
Michal Barlow has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Xavier Hardy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Barlow looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Michal Barlow is winning the standup battle so far.
Hardy avoids the head kick by Barlow.
Hardy tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Barlow paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Barlow slaps away a takedown attempt from Hardy, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Hardy keeps the fight on the outside.
Hardy closes the distance and clinches up with Barlow, looking for a takedown. Hardy pushes Barlow against the cage but Barlow circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Michal Barlow is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

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.

Barlow clinches.
Barlow working hard to break the clinch.

Hardy manages to pull guard.
Hardy has a closed guard, preventing Barlow from standing up.
Hardy trying to keep a closed guard but Barlow is proving a slippery customer.
Barlow postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Barlow wants to stand and escape but instead Hardy has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hardy trying to control but Barlow is working from the bottom.
Hardy is stalling in the full guard.
Hardy slips nicely into half guard.
Hardy slows the pace down in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Hardy stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.

Hardy has Barlow up against the cage in a clinch.
Hardy lands with a light punch inside.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Barlow tries to pull guard but Hardy won't allow it.

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 Michal Barlow.
I think Barlow 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 Frank Antenori scores the fight 29:28
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 29:28
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Michal Barlow!