PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between John Haigh (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ivan Terrible (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Haigh might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Prayer of the Refugee by Rise Against . John Haigh has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Haigh
vs
Terrible

170 cm
27
158 lbs
19 - 13 - 0

183 cm
29
168 lbs
13 - 7 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Granite chin

Excellent grappler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

SP Ultimate Nutrition

Conviction
GREEN!160

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 19 - 13 - 0, fighting out of New York, John Haigh!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ivan Terrible!
The judges for this bout are Robert Douchet, Gregory Folan and Elvis Blanc.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Terrible moves out of range of the strikes.
John Haigh seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A big right from Haigh misses.
Haigh turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Haigh smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Good leg kick by Haigh there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Haigh has a takedown stuffed.
A countering left hand to the body from Terrible misses.
Haigh connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Terrible avoids the body shot from Haigh.
Haigh blocks a leg kick.
Terrible tries to score with a low kick but Haigh moves his leg out of the way.
Haigh scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Terrible throws a wild body kick that Haigh sees coming a mile off.
Haigh moves out of range of the body kick.
Terrible throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Haigh counters with a slapping leg kick.
Terrible dodges the punch combination from Haigh.
Terrible slips a jab from Haigh.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Donk. Haigh catches Terrible right on the button with a cross.
Haigh takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Terrible scores with a shot to the body.
Haigh shoots in but no luck this time.

Haigh fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Terrible to the ground. Haigh is now in Terrible's guard.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
Haigh is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Haigh trying to control the position from guard on top but Terrible is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Terrible pulls Haigh in to control the position.
Terrible trying to control the position.
Terrible looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Terrible is trying to keep Haigh in close.
Haigh wants to control from the top but Terrible keeps moving.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Terrible misses with a leg kick.
Terrible ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Haigh seems to be moving with more speed, compared to his last bout. He must have been working on that in the gym.
Terrible throws the kick towards the body but Haigh avoids it.
Terrible throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A slapping body kick lands there for Terrible.
Haigh connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Haigh lands a nice leg kick that just misses Terrible's sensitive parts.
Haigh takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Terrible throws out a leg kick but Haigh moves out of range and Terrible only half commits.
Haigh on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Terrible. Terrible obviously looking to wear him down.
An inside leg kick lands from Terrible.
Haigh thows a left - swing and a miss!
An inside leg kick from Terrible misses.
Terrible swings and misses with a hook to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Haigh fails to land the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for John Haigh. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Haigh shoots in and gets a takedown into Terrible's guard.
Terrible is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Haigh might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Haigh pushes down on Terrible's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Terrible is looking to improve his position.
Haigh trying to control the action but Terrible is working from the bottom.
Haigh controlling the action here.
Terrible trying to control from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Haigh is working for a kimura but Terrible is defending it quite comfortably.
Terrible trying to hold on to Haigh's head to control him but Haigh postures up.
Haigh is looking to take a break and control but Terrible is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Haigh is figuring out what he wants to do next.

Terrible is defending against the submission attempts here by Haigh.
Terrible wants to control but Haigh is keeping busy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Haigh dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Terrible connects with a high kick.
Haigh pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Haigh throws a sloppy head kick and Terrible moves out of range easily.
Terrible lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Haigh waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Terrible.
Terrible keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Terrible tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Terrible paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Terrible wants to land a leg kick but Haigh is out of range.
Haigh misses with a body kick.
Haigh throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Terrible sees it coming and avoids it easily.
A jab lands there for Haigh.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Haigh feints and then cracks Terrible's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Terrible down.
Nice defenses there by Haigh.
Terrible looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Haigh lands a jab to the head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Haigh fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Terrible manages to avoid it.
A big right from Haigh misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Terrible wants to land a leg kick but Haigh is out of range.

Haigh looking to score a takedown here. Terrible is defending well but Haigh drives through and ends up in Terrible's guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Haigh trying to control but Terrible is working from the bottom.

Terrible is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Terrible seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Haigh trying to control but Terrible is working from the bottom.
Terrible is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Haigh tries to free his leg and advance position but Terrible is retaining full guard.
Terrible can't keep his opponent in guard - Haigh advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Terrible felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.

Terrible actively working from the bottom here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Haigh is keen to just control but Terrible is a slippery customer.
Haigh tries to pass to full mount but Terrible defends it.

Haigh is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Terrible moves into full guard.

Terrible is looking for a triangle but Haigh pushes his legs off easily.
Terrible keeping moving, preventing Haigh from controlling successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Terrible controls Haigh momentarily but Haigh frees himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Terrible keeping full guard, as Haigh tries to pass.
Terrible is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Terrible keeping moving, preventing Haigh from controlling successfully.
Haigh is really struggling to control Terrible but he's trying to hold on to the position.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Haigh lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Terrible circles away quickly and effectively.
A little jabbing left from Terrible on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Haigh fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Terrible has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Haigh misses with a wild body shot.
Terrible avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
John Haigh is winning the standup battle so far.
Haigh lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Terrible moves forwards but Haigh connects with a nice, crisp jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Terrible punishes Haigh's body with a nice straight punch.
Nice shot lands for Haigh.
Terrible throws a solid leg kick but Haigh takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Terrible.
Terrible's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Haigh throws a quick inside leg kick.
Haigh takes a kick to the side of the head.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Haigh fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Terrible sprawls well initially but Haigh persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Terrible is trying to maintain the position but Haigh is very close to passing his half guard.

Terrible looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Terrible tries to roll over but Haigh keeps him under control.
Haigh is trying to control. Terrible wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Haigh dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Terrible defending well as Haigh loads up on a big left hand.
Terrible is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Haigh rather than just go for the knockout.
Haigh takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Haigh steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Terrible. That one must have hurt.
Terrible throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Haigh misses with a body shot.
Terrible misses the jab.
Haigh takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Terrible throws a sloppy head kick and Haigh moves out of range easily.
Both fighters circling a little - Terrible finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Terrible throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Haigh on the side of the head.
Haigh misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Terrible.
Terrible fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Terrible thuds a left hand into Haigh's body.
Terrible throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Terrible waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Haigh.
Terrible misses with a leg kick.
Haigh just misses with a punch to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Terrible looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Terrible cracks the inside of Haigh's front leg.
Haigh connects with a crisp jab.
A shot to the body from Haigh misses
and Terrible counters with a nice uppercut.
Haigh throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Terrible counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Terrible throws out a loose jab but Haigh uses good head movement to avoid it.
Haigh throws a jab but it's blocked by Terrible.
Terrible takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Terrible tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Terrible looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Haigh closes this distance looking for a takedown but Terrible circles away.
Haigh connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Haigh looks to land a left hand but Terrible moved out of range nicely.
Haigh checks a leg kick.
Terrible throws a wild body kick that Haigh sees coming a mile off.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Haigh lands with an overhand left.
Ivan Terrible is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Haigh lands a leg kick that knocks Terrible off balance momentarily.
Haigh fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Terrible.
Haigh uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Terrible.
Haigh lands a leg kick that knocks Terrible off balance momentarily.
Haigh takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Terrible throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Haigh stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.

Haigh closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Terrible's guard.

Haigh got a little sloppy there for a moment and Terrible has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Haigh has managed to get both his arms back between Terrible's legs - danger averted.
Haigh wants to pass the guard but Terrible is keeping the position.
Terrible keeping moving, preventing Haigh from controlling successfully.

Terrible has his foot on Haigh's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Haigh works his way back into a safe position though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Terrible is controlling Haigh's posture.
Terrible not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Haigh trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Haigh has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Terrible is actively looking for submissions from his back. He's worked himself a little space on the bottom and seems to be going for a triangle. No, he's switched into an armbar! That was slick! Haigh rolls with it to try and escape but Terrible cranks on the arm and Haigh is forced to tap out! This one is aaaaaaaaall over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:41 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Ivan Terrible!
Ivan Terrible made sure to mention his sponsor, Conviction in his post fight interview.
John Haigh spoke after the fight, saying 'Maybe it is time for me to make the move to another weight class.'.