PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Hugues De Payens (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matt Diaz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). De Payens's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Rage against the machine - Bombtrack. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

De Payens
vs
Diaz

187 cm
30
189 lbs
25 - 5 - 0

181 cm
35
193 lbs
16 - 7 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Spartan Nutrition
V-Mask Clothing (10%)

Spartan Nutrition
Sun-Tzu

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 25 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Hugues De Payens!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Matt Diaz!
The judges for this bout are Ben Zyskovitsi, Marco Blurström and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Diaz stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
De Payens lands with a shot to the body.
Diaz takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.

Diaz closes the distance and clinches.
De Payens misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Diaz working some nice short punches in the clinch.
A right hand to the body from De Payens.
Diaz blocks an uppercut.
Diaz on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

Diaz pulls guard successfully.

De Payens got a little sloppy there for a moment and Diaz has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, De Payens has managed to get both his arms back between Diaz's legs - danger averted.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Diaz bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in De Payens's guard.

The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
De Payens looking for a sweep. Not yet De Payens, not yet.
De Payens is working hard here to advance position.
Diaz looking to pass the guard.
De Payens has his hands on Diaz's head, controlling the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diaz postures up.
De Payens bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Diaz's guard.

Diaz has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but De Payens can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
De Payens wants to get up but he can't break Diaz's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
De Payens pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Diaz is keeping the position for now.
Diaz looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
De Payens controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Diaz controls De Payens momentarily but De Payens frees himself.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Diaz looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
De Payens would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

Diaz is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
De Payens trying to control but Diaz is working from the bottom.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Diaz lands a jab to the nose.
Diaz misses with a looping left.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
De Payens slips under a jab from Diaz.
Diaz has his takedown stuffed
enabling De Payens to counter with a crisp jab.
De Payens misses with a hook. Diaz ducked under it nicely.
It seemed like Diaz was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Diaz tries to close the distance and clinch but De Payens swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Diaz tries to move into range but De Payens moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.

De Payens rushes Diaz and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
De Payens tries to land a knee to the head but Diaz blocks with his arms.
De Payens blocks an uppercut.
De Payens lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

It looks like Matt Diaz has been cut.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, De Payens creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
De Payens gets through Diaz's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
De Payens tries to work over Diaz's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
De Payens tries to throw a body punch but Diaz avoids it by throwing De Payens back against the cage.
De Payens tries to land a knee to the head but Diaz blocks with his arms.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Diaz scores with a shoulder strike.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A short left from De Payens.

Diaz is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. De Payens can't fight it off and eventually Diaz manages to take the fight to the floor. De Payens looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
De Payens is trying to control the position from the bottom.
De Payens controlling Diaz's posture.

Diaz thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Diaz wants to control from the top but De Payens keeps moving.
Diaz pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. De Payens is keeping the position for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Hugues De Payens will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Matt Diaz's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Diaz walks into a stiff left hand from De Payens.
De Payens throws a body kick, spinning off balance
and Diaz connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Diaz misses with a double jab.
Diaz wants to land a leg kick but De Payens is out of range.

Diaz clinches up against the cage.
Diaz misses with a punch on the inside.
Diaz is trying to pull guard but De Payens has him pressed against the cage.
I was talking to De Payens's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
A hook to the body from De Payens.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Diaz.
De Payens scores with an uppercut up the middle.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
De Payens makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
De Payens looking to throw knees to the head but Diaz is blocking nicely.
De Payens with the Thai clinch, lands a knee 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!
Diaz misses with some punches.
De Payens takes a shot to the head.
De Payens lands with a short head shot on the inside.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A short right from De Payens on the inside.

Diaz is rocked!
De Payens with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
De Payens lands a good knee to the midsection. Diaz won't want to take too many of those.
Diaz jumps guard but De Payens turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
A short left from De Payens.
A head punch blocked on the inside by De Payens.
Knees to the body from De Payens.
Diaz is breathing heavily.
De Payens lands with a right to the head.
Diaz on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
De Payens working the clinch nicely. Diaz is working for position but De Payens cracks him with a big knee to the head! Diaz crumples up against the cage and De Payens lands two more shots before the ref can save Diaz! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:37 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Knee & Punches). Hugues De Payens!
Hugues De Payens retains his middleweight title!
Hugues De Payens took some time post fight to say the following; 'It's no secret that my opponent had the plan to take me down and lay and pray! Well I'm here and I'm the one who is victorious! Hemmo, you are like a hemmeroid, your time is not yet arrived. I admire your spirit, but not your fighting style, you are a human slug my friend! One love! Broken Ha'.