PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between JD Hogg (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Leonel Gatti (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Hogg
vs
Gatti

185 cm
23
260 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

199 cm
30
254 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Great elbows
Very strong

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, JD Hogg!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Leonel Gatti!
The judges for this bout are Chris Saunders, Colin Fray and Josh West.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Gatti shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Gatti showed some decent athleticism there.
Hogg trying to control here.

Gatti seems to be looking for submissions.
Hogg controlling the position well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hogg is looking to control Gatti's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Hogg avoid being mounted?
Hogg's coaches at TC's House Of Pain *LOP* have been working on his defensive grappling in preparation for this fight so let's see if he can get out of this tricky position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gatti works his foot free and advances to mount.

Gatti working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Hogg working to try and regain half guard.
Gatti controlling the position easily from mount.

Gatti looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Gatti has been taking part in the yoga sessions down at Lebowski MMA. Presumably he's going to look for a slick submission... Or maybe he's looking to avoid one.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gatti controlling from the full mount.
Gatti wants to control the pace but Hogg is squirming around nicely.
Gatti pushing the pace here, looking to move to his opponents back and work for a finish.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gatti goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Hogg turns into him and now he's in Gatti's guard.
Hogg has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Hogg trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

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

Gatti had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Hogg defends it easily.
Hogg trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Hogg stopping the sweep attempt from Gatti.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hogg controls from within his opponent's guard.
Hogg is looking to advance position but Gatti has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!

Gatti looking to control but Hogg is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Gatti sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Gatti swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Hogg is now in Gatti's guard. A big mistake from Gatti there, giving up the dominant position!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Leonel Gatti dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Hogg tries to sprawl but Gatti drives through with a takedown into half guard.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

Gatti is working for a submission of some sort.
Gatti has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Gatti looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gatti wants to take a breather but Hogg is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Gatti in particular looking to stall.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Gatti wants to take a breather but Hogg is having none of it.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Hogg lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Hogg throws a hook but Gatti avoids it easily.
Gatti is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Gatti misses with a left hand
and Hogg counters with a nice uppercut.
Gatti loads up on a big right hand but Hogg slips the punch.
A quick step to the side and Hogg tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
Gatti throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Gatti throws an overhand right that lands on Hogg's shoulder, as Hogg tries to avoid the shot.
Gatti throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
A big left from Gatti misses.
Gatti fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Hogg is looking to counter punch.
Hogg scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Hogg lands a head shot.

It looks like Leonel Gatti has been cut.
Nice straight punches there by Gatti. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Gatti.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gatti moves out of range of the strikes.
Gatti misses the shot to the body.
Gatti misses with a right hand
and Hogg counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Gatti on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Hogg is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Gatti.
Gatti misses with an uppercut
and Hogg makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Hogg lands a glancing blow to the side of Gatti's head.
Hogg throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
JD Hogg is winning the standup battle so far.
A swing and a miss from Hogg.
Hogg closes the distance but Gatti moves to the side
and Gatti counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Gatti swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gatti tests Hogg's chin there with a solid looking shot.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Hogg moves into range and connects with a jab.
Hogg misses with a looping left.
Hogg loads up on a big right hand but Gatti slips the punch.
Hogg misses the shot to the body.
Gatti misses with a straight left.
Gatti lands with a good body shot.
Hogg displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Gatti throws out the jab.
Hogg swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Hogg moves in looking to clinch but Gatti pushes him off.
Gatti with the counter takedown but Hogg avoids it easily.
Gatti might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.

Gatti is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Hogg's half guard.
Gatti is keen to just control but Hogg is a slippery customer.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Leonel Gatti will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Leonel Gatti's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Gatti keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Hogg.
Hogg misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Gatti.
Gatti uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Hogg.
Gatti misses the shot to the body.
Gatti scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Gatti takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Gatti has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Gatti there as he acknowledges the shot.
Gatti is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Nice uppercut lands for Gatti. That snapped Hogg's head back.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hogg throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Gatti takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Gatti uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Hogg.
Gatti misses with a right hand
and Hogg counters with a stiff right hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hogg gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Hogg lands a glancing blow to the side of Gatti's head.
Hogg throws a jab but it's blocked by Gatti.
Hogg lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
JD Hogg is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Gatti avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Gatti shoots in for a takedown but Hogg shows good takedown defense.
A counter left hand to the body from Hogg misses its target.
Gatti avoids the body shot from Hogg.
Gatti slips under a jab from Hogg.
Hogg throws a hook but Gatti blocks it.
Gatti tests Hogg's chin there with a solid looking shot.

Gatti drops Hogg with a nice combination! Gatti dives into Hogg's guard, looking to finish!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
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!
Hogg controlling Gatti's posture.
Gatti trying to control but Hogg is working from the bottom.
Gatti stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Hogg swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Gatti wants to control from the top but Hogg keeps moving.
JD Hogg has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Leonel Gatti is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gatti controls from within his opponent's guard.
Gatti is fighting to break Hogg's control of his arms but Hogg is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Gatti controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Gatti gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.

That has opened up Leonel Gatti's cut even more.
Gatti on the wrong end of a nice hook.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gatti lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Hogg throws a jab when Gatti was well out of range.
Gatti tries to move into range but Hogg moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Gatti pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
A little feinted left hand from Hogg on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
The fighters circling - Gatti throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Hogg throwing a counter right hand but Gatti manages to avoid it.
A cross from Gatti lands.
Gatti lands a body shot.
Hogg tries to clinch but Gatti moves out of range.
Decent striking displayed by Gatti there.
Hogg misses with a looping left.
Gatti misses with an uppercut. Hogg saw that one coming.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Gatti scores with a crisp jab that stopped Hogg in his tracks.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Leonel Gatti.
I've got Gatti 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 Chris Saunders scores the fight 29:28
Judge Colin Fray scores the fight 28:30
Judge Josh West scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Leonel Gatti!
Leonel Gatti took some time post fight to say the following; 'Woohoo!. Mickey is tough man. I want to thank the guys at my camp in las vegas. I was prepared to fight 5 rounds so I knew I could endure this fight. '.