PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Angel Toney (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Martin Harder (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Toney comes to the cage accompanied by Korn - Twisted Transistor. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Toney
vs
Harder

185 cm
25
174 lbs
8 - 9 - 1

170 cm
24
170 lbs
10 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Great elbows
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
Good kicks
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 9 - 1, fighting out of New York, Angel Toney!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Martin Harder!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Valeri Chadov and Vladimir Khabensky.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A jab from Toney does it's job there.

Toney gets tackled into the cage by Harder. Harder maintains the clinch.

Toney turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Toney lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Harder is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Toney is pressing down on Harder's thigh, looking to free his foot. Harder is holding on for now.
We've been hearing good reports from Toney's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.

Toney seems to be working for a kimura but Harder defends the submission attempt.
Toney tries to pass to full mount but Harder defends it.

Toney is working for a kimura but Harder is defending it quite comfortably.
Toney thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Harder's head.
Toney wants to pass to mount but Harder is defending the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harder tries to roll over but Toney keeps him under control.
Toney trying to mount his opponent but Harder defends it.
Toney will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Harder makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Harder.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Harder manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Toney manages to get himself to full guard.

Harder passes Toney's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Toney is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Harder's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Harder's back!

Toney looking for the choke from the back.
Harder tries to escape the position.
Harder is still trying to improve position.
Harder keeps trying to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Toney is looking for the choke from the back position but Harder is controlling his hands well.
Toney cracks Harder with a big shot to body and one to the head - really punishing Harder from the back mount here, looking to soften him up.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Harder is displaying good submission defense - not really looking in danger of submitting to the rear naked choke at the moment. That could change in an instant of course if Toney gets his way!

Toney is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Harder knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Harder for a finish.
Toney is trying to stick to Harder's back but Harder is turning into Toney. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Toney's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Harder.

Toney is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Harder defends well.

Toney throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Harder is pushing down on Toney's leg trying to pass to half guard. Toney is fighting to maintain full guard but Harder has managed to sneak the leg through.
Harder has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Toney keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Toney wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.
Toney is defending well here and trying to improve his position.

Harder is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Toney defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.

Toney defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.
Toney is really stuck here.
Harder trying desperately to keep hold of the dominant position.
Toney breaks Harder's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Harder trying to keep a closed guard but Toney is proving a slippery customer.
Harder keeping full guard, as Toney tries to pass.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Toney content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Harder keeping full guard, as Toney tries to pass.
Toney has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Harder is on top in guard.

Harder preventing the sweep.
Toney manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Harder manages to get himself to full guard.

This has been an exciting period of action!
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Toney accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Toney wants to pass the guard but Harder is keeping the position.
Harder manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Toney manages to get himself to full guard.

Toney working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Harder doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Harder manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Angel Toney dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Toney drives through and clinches with Harder against the cage.

Harder has clasped his hands together around Toney's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Toney tries to improve position but can't.
Harder cracks Toney with a big elbow.
Toney is looking to regain half guard here but Harder keeps moving and retains side control.

Harder is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Toney has escaped the position, nice work there.
Toney is trying to get back to half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Toney regains half guard.
Harder prevents Toney from improving his position.
Harder wants to take a breather but Toney is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Toney wants to improve his position but Harder is controlling well.

Harder wants to work for an arm triangle but Toney is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Toney is in trouble now - Harder has advanced to mount!
Toney can't escape the position.
Toney is working hard here to advance position.
Toney manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Toney wants to get back to full guard.
Toney is pressing down on Harder's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Toney looking for a sweep. Not yet Toney, not yet.
Angel Toney overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Harder trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Toney bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Harder's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Toney slips nicely into half guard.
Toney tries to pass to full mount but Harder defends it.
Toney slips a nice elbow through Harder's hands, connecting with Harder's forehead.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Toney wants to pass the guard but Harder is defending well.
Harder trying to hold on to Toney's head to control him but Toney postures up.
Toney is pressing down on Harder's thigh, looking to free his foot. Harder is holding on for now.
Harder regains full guard. Nicely done.
Toney wants to pass the guard but Harder is keeping the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harder wants to sweep but no luck.
Harder is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Toney wants to improve his position but Harder is controlling well.
Harder trying to control the action but Toney is working from the bottom.
Toney tries to roll over but Harder keeps him under control.
Harder seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Toney does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Toney wants to get back to full guard.
Toney won't allow Harder to pass to mount.

Harder is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Toney is just riding it out for now. Harder eventually gives up the hold.

Toney actively working from the bottom here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Toney actively working from the bottom here.
Harder passes to side control.
Harder trying to control the action but Toney is working from the bottom.
Toney tries to improve position but can't.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Toney sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Toney makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Toney.
Harder pushing down on Toney's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Martin Harder will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's time! Back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Toney lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Harder circles away quickly and effectively.

Harder scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Toney is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Toney sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Toney is looking to improve his position.
Harder passes to full mount!
Toney can't escape the position.
Toney is in a horrible position here. Harder smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Harder connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Harder can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Toney is looking to escape.
Toney can't escape the position.
Both fighters have adopted an aggressive gameplan on the ground!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Toney taking shots to the head.
Toney is looking to get to half guard.
Harder wants to control the pace but Toney is squirming around nicely.
Toney working to try and regain half guard.
Harder is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Toney keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Toney manages to regain half guard. Good work.

Harder is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Toney has managed to free his arm - good work.
Toney is trying to get back to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harder is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Toney is in all sorts of trouble here.
Harder looking to control but Toney is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

Harder is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Toney has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Harder manages to capitalize on a mistake by Toney to take his back!
Toney rolls, trying to escape but Harder keeps control of the position.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Harder is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Toney defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.
Harder throws a big right hand but he misses and hits the mat. Ouch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Toney is in bad spot here.
Harder doesn't have the hooks in and Toney manages to turn into his guard.

Harder working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Toney doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Toney manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Toney tries to free his leg and advance position but Harder is retaining full guard.
Toney stopping the sweep attempt from Harder.
Toney is looking to pass into half guard but Harder pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Harder is in guard.

Harder looking to pass the guard.
Toney manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Harder manages to get himself to full guard.

Toney stands up over Harder, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Toney working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Harder utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Harder keeping full guard, as Toney tries to pass.
Harder throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Harder is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Harder winds up and cracks Toney with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Harder wants to free his trapped foot but Toney is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Toney works his way to full guard. Good work.

Toney looking for a guillotine here but Harder defends easily.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Toney is on top in guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Martin Harder comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Harder has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 28:29
Judge Valeri Chadov scores the fight 28:29
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Martin Harder!