PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Hamad Al Zahran (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Shelton Harrell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Harrell comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Ellie Goulding - Burn kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Al Zahran
vs
Harrell

188 cm
29
178 lbs
18 - 11 - 2

180 cm
40
160 lbs
36 - 21 - 3

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Granite chin

Excellent grappler
World class MT
Granite chin

GREEN!160

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 18 - 11 - 2, fighting out of Helsinki, Hamad Al Zahran!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 36 - 21 - 3, fighting out of Las Vegas, Shelton Harrell!
The judges for this bout are Ian Loll, Elvis Blanc and William Peck.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A slapping leg kick lands for Al Zahran.
Harrell throws a hook but Al Zahran avoids it easily.
A good leg kick by Al Zahran.
Al Zahran throws an off balance right hand
and Harrell counters with a two punch combo.
Al Zahran throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Harrell holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Al Zahran blocks a body shot from Harrell.
Harrell pushes Al Zahran back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Harrell stalling the fight.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Harrell leaning against his opponent.
Al Zahran blocks a punch to the side of the head.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Harrell takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Harrell misses with a punch to the body.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Shelton Harrell.
Al Zahran shoots in but Harrell avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Harrell tries to counter with a clinch but Al Zahran shakes him off and moves away.
Al Zahran misses with a left hand
and Harrell counters with a straight right hand.

Al Zahran looking to score a takedown here. Harrell is defending well but Al Zahran drives through and ends up in Harrell's guard.
Harrell is controlling Al Zahran's posture.
Harrell utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Al Zahran postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Al Zahran preventing the sweep.
Harrell is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Al Zahran trying to control the position from guard on top but Harrell is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Al Zahran postures up.
Al Zahran trying to control but Harrell is working from the bottom.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Al Zahran tries to score with a low kick but Harrell moves his leg out of the way.
Harrell has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Al Zahran pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Al Zahran connects with an inside leg kick.
Al Zahran throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Harrell throws a big counter head kick but Al Zahran avoids it with no problem.
Al Zahran misses with a takedown attempt - Harrell sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Harrell wants to counter with a clinch but Al Zahran pushes him away.
Harrell moves forwards but Al Zahran connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Al Zahran fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Harrell manages to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harrell connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Al Zahran misses with a body shot.
Al Zahran lands with a thumping leg kick.
Al Zahran throws a leg kick that is checked
and Harrell cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Al Zahran connects with a high kick.
Al Zahran throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Harrell tries to counter with a clinch but Al Zahran shakes him off and moves away.
Harrell checks the leg kick nicely there.
Harrell throws a counter combo.
Al Zahran throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Harrell is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
Al Zahran's jab looks to have found its range, popping Harrell under the eye.
Harrell throws a wild body kick that Al Zahran sees coming a mile off.

Al Zahran closes the distance and clinches.
Harrell misses with the head strike.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harrell tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Harrell lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Al Zahran tries to score a body lock takedown but Harrell shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hamad Al Zahran. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Al Zahran is looking for a takedown.
Harrell digs a right hand into Al Zahran's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Al Zahran's gas tank.
Harrell softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
A head punch on the inside from Harrell fails to land.
Al Zahran wants a takedown.
Al Zahran has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Harrell is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Harrell working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Harrell has Al Zahran pushed against the cage.
Al Zahran tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Harrell working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Shelton Harrell 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.

Harrell takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Harrell moves out of range of the strikes.
Harrell unleashes a big counter combination but Al Zahran bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Harrell blocks a head kick by Al Zahran.
Hamad Al Zahran is winning the standup battle so far.
Al Zahran tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Harrell lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Some bone on bone action there as Harrell checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Harrell is clearly looking to counter with head kicks.
Al Zahran throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Harrell throws a big counter head kick but Al Zahran avoids it with no problem.
Good exchange - Al Zahran coming out on top.
Harrell swings for the body but Al Zahran moves out of range.
Al Zahran scores with a head kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harrell moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Al Zahran misses the jab.
Al Zahran swinging wildly here.
Harrell is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Al Zahran attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Al Zahran tries a head kick but it misses.
Harrell uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Al Zahran.
Al Zahran throws a low kick but it's checked well by Harrell.
Al Zahran tried to score with a low kick but Harrell checks it.
Harrell avoids the body shot from Al Zahran.
Harrell is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
Harrell throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Al Zahran lands a nice shot that snaps Harrell's head back.
Harrell throws a head kick but Al Zahran moves out of range.
Harrell is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Al Zahran throws a nice inside leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Al Zahran lands the left hand.

Harrell clinches up against the cage.

Al Zahran gets a trip takedown into half guard.
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!
Harrell slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Harrell seems keen to control Al Zahran's posture.
Harrell keeping moving, preventing Al Zahran from controlling successfully.
Al Zahran throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Harrell works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Al Zahran preventing the sweep.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Harrell utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harrell lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Al Zahran has his foot on Harrell's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Harrell works his way back into a safe position though.
Harrell works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Al Zahran wants to improve his position but Harrell is controlling well.
Al Zahran trying to control from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Al Zahran keeping control of the position.
Harrell controlling the action here.
Al Zahran is in trouble now - Harrell has advanced to mount!
Al Zahran is looking to improve his position but Harrell isn't that keen on the idea.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hamad Al Zahran dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Harrell checks a low kick from Al Zahran.
Harrell shapes to counter with a head kick.
Al Zahran looks to score with a jab to the body but Harrell is just out of range.
Al Zahran lands a high kick!
Al Zahran throws a nice looking combination but Harrell bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
A low kick from Al Zahran misses
and Harrell counters with a straight right hand.
Harrell lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Harrell takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Al Zahran scores with a body shot.
Al Zahran connects with a looping right hand.
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!
Al Zahran connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Al Zahran's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Al Zahran duly obliges.
Al Zahran works Harrell's body with a nice hook.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Al Zahran is looking to clinch but Harrell is avoiding it.
A little jabbing left from Harrell on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Al Zahran finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
A bone on bone clash there as Harrell blocks the leg kick.
Harrell tries to counter by closing the distance.
Harrell goes for a high kick. It partially lands.

It looks like Hamad Al Zahran has been cut.
Al Zahran turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Al Zahran tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Harrell closes the distance and pushes Al Zahran back into the cage.
Harrell is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.

Al Zahran lands a takedown into guard.
Al Zahran wants to control from the top but Harrell keeps moving.
Harrell wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harrell tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Al Zahran gets to his feet. Harrell looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Al Zahran misses with an uppercut. Harrell saw that one coming.
Harrell avoids the head kick by Al Zahran.
Al Zahran misses with a body punch
and Harrell counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Al Zahran thinking.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Al Zahran throws a sloppy head kick and Harrell moves out of range easily.
Harrell steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Al Zahran.
Al Zahran shoots and misses

and Harrell counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Harrell.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Harrell stalls.
Al Zahran is trying to drag Harrell to the mat but Harrell just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harrell lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Al Zahran goes for a takedown attempt but Harrell pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hamad Al Zahran. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Al Zahran cracks Harrell with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Al Zahran is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
A bone on bone clash there as Harrell blocks the leg kick.
Al Zahran throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Al Zahran looks to land a body kick but Harrell moved away.
Harrell connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Al Zahran tried to score with a low kick but Harrell checks it.
A nice side step and Harrell releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.
Al Zahran ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Al Zahran swings for the body but Harrell moves out of range.
Harrell lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Harrell checks a low kick from Al Zahran.
Al Zahran throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Harrell cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Al Zahran blocks a head kick by Harrell.
Shelton Harrell is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Al Zahran scores with a hook to the body. Harrell takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Nice cross by Al Zahran.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Al Zahran throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Harrell on the side of the head.
Al Zahran misses the jab.

Al Zahran drives through and clinches with Harrell against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Hamad Al Zahran showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Al Zahran 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 Ian Loll scores the fight 29:28
Judge Elvis Blanc scores the fight 29:28
Judge William Peck scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Hamad Al Zahran!
Hamad Al Zahran seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.