PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ramiz Hassan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Shawn Michaels (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Hassan
vs
Michaels

180 cm
19
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

177 cm
20
166 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Very confident

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Ramiz Hassan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Shawn Michaels!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Timothy Bukovac and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hassan looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Michaels looks to land a body kick but Hassan moved away.
Michaels will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Hassan tries to clinch up but Michaels circles away and keeps his distance.
Michaels misses with a low kick as Hassan jumps back.
Hassan throws a series of punches but Michaels avoids them all with ease.
Michaels gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Hassan counters with a thumping low kick.

Hassan fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Michaels sprawls well initially but Hassan persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Hassan is keen to just control but Michaels is a slippery customer.
Hassan is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Michaels trying to control but Hassan postures up.
Michaels makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Michaels.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Michaels scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Hassan fails with the takedown.
Hassan moves out of range of the body kick.

Hassan rushes Michaels and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Hassan prevents Michaels from breaking the clinch.
With the fighters up against the cage, Hassan throws an elbow but misses.
Hassan wants to break the clinch but can't.
Hassan tries a body shot but Michaels blocks it.
Michaels tries for a takedown but Hassan manages to get underhooks.

Michaels breaks the clinch.
Michaels misses with a double jab

and Hassan moves into the clinch.
Hassan changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Michaels fights it off and pushes away nicely.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ramiz Hassan. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hassan is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Hassan throws a body punch but Michaels moves out of range.
Shawn Michaels seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Michaels throws a right hand that Hassan ducks under and follows up with a left that Hassan also avoids with ease.
Michaels swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Hassan counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Hassan.
Hassan using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Michaels has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Michaels breaks the clinch.
Michaels looks gassed!

Hassan drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Michaels wants to sweep here but Hassan controlling him for the moment.
Hassan is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Michaels wants to stand and escape but Hassan is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Michaels wants to sweep but no luck.
Hassan trying to control the position from guard on top but Michaels is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Michaels is pulling down on Hassan's head to control his posture.
Michaels being controlled here, momentarily.
Hassan is standing up over Michaels. Michaels looks to escape but Hassan dives into side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Michaels being controlled for a moment.

Hassan decides to stand back up.
Michaels avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Hassan misses with a wild combination.
Michaels lands with a kick to the temple. Hassan shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ramiz Hassan dominated that round.
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.

Hassan on the wrong end of a kick to the body.

Hassan gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Hassan breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Michaels throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Hassan stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Michaels.
Michaels tries a head kick but it misses.
Hassan avoids the head kick by Michaels.
Michaels throws a sloppy head kick and Hassan moves out of range easily.
Michaels stuffs the takedown.
Michaels lands a jab-cross combination.
Michaels throws a head kick that misses.
Michaels misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
A head kick by Michaels misses
and Hassan counters with a big head kick but Michaels shrugs it off.
Michaels throws a lazy head kick
and Hassan counters with a head kick. That will keep Michaels thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
A good leg kick by Michaels.
Michaels misses with a head kick.
Michaels moves out of range of the body kick.
Ramiz Hassan is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Michaels pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Michaels swats away the attempt to clinch by Hassan.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Michaels fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Hassan, pushing him back against the cage.

Michaels breaks the clinch.
Nice sprawl there from Michaels as Hassan shoots in.
Hassan tries to clinch there but Michaels circles away.
Hassan takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Hassan doesn't manage to clinch there - Michaels circles away.
Michaels swings for the body but Hassan moves out of range.
Hassan shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ramiz Hassan. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Michaels jabbing away but nothing is landing.
A head kick misses from Michaels.
Hassan shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Michaels throws a right and a left that both miss.
Michaels misses with the body kick
and Hassan counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Hassan shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Michaels as he jumps to the side.
Hassan is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Michaels misses with a low kick.
Good exchange - Michaels coming out on top.
Michaels throws a wild body kick that Hassan sees coming a mile off.
Michaels throws a sloppy head kick and Hassan moves out of range easily.
Michaels fails to land the takedown.
Hassan falls off balance throwing a combination
and Michaels counters with a big head kick but Hassan shrugs it off.
Hassan tries for a takedown but Michaels sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Hassan crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Michaels - the referee stops the clock and Hassan gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Michaels. Hassan manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.

Hassan takes the fight into the clinch.
Michaels fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Hassan fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Michaels manages to break the clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Hassan looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Michaels with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hassan takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Hassan is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Michaels throws a sloppy head kick and Hassan moves out of range easily.
Hassan fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
A head kick misses from Michaels.
A slapping leg kick lands for Michaels.
Michaels loads up on a big right hand but Hassan slips the punch.
Hassan tries to clinch but Michaels is having none of it.
Hassan moves in looking to clinch but Michaels pushes him off.
Michaels swats away the attempt to clinch by Hassan.

Michaels clinches up with Hassan and pushes him back against the cage.
Michaels is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Hassan dodges an elbow strike from Michaels.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Michaels cracks Hassan with a nice body shot.
Michaels changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Hassan fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Michaels throws a good cross that connects.
Michaels dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Hassan. That did some damage!
Hassan moves in looking to clinch but Michaels pushes him off.
Michaels throws a head kick but Hassan moves out of range.
Michaels circles away from the clinch attempt.
Michaels throws a left and a right that both miss
and Hassan counters with a body kick.
Michaels doesn't succeed with the takedown

so Hassan counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Michaels keeping moving, preventing Hassan from controlling successfully.
Hassan prevents Michaels from getting back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shawn Michaels showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Michaels looks for a takedown but Hassan sprawls well.

Hassan takes the fight into the clinch.
Michaels wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Hassan has him pressed against the cage.

Hassan breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Michaels throws a leg kick

and Hassan counters with a nice double leg into side control. Michaels won't be happy with that.
Hassan wants to control but Michaels is keeping him busy.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hassan blocks the strikes from Michaels.
Hassan wants to control but Michaels is keeping him busy.

Hassan decides to stand up, so the ref orders Michaels to his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Michaels throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Hassan moves out of range as Michaels strikes.

Hassan closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Hassan lands an elbow that stopped Michaels in his tracks for a moment.
Hassan keeps control of Michaels as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Hassan breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Michaels fails in his attempt to clinch.
A head kick misses from Michaels.
Hassan scores with a three punch combo!
Michaels lands a right hook to the body.
Hassan tries to close the distance and clinch but Michaels swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Michaels throws a series of punches but Hassan avoids them all with ease.
Michaels tries to clinch up.
Hassan doesn't manage to clinch there - Michaels circles away.
Michaels fails with the takedown

so Hassan counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Michaels is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Ramiz Hassan overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Hassan would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Hassan wants to control from the top but Michaels keeps moving.
Michaels is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Hassan gets back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Michaels tries to stand but Hassan is controlling from the bottom.
Hassan is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Michaels sitting in guard here, content to control.

Hassan is working an open guard so Michaels takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Michaels tries to keep at a distance but Hassan has taken the fight into the clinch.
Hassan is trying to break the clinch but Michaels has him pressed against the cage.

Michaels escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Michaels throws a right and a left that Hassan avoids nicely.
Hassan tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Michaels throws a head kick but Hassan moves out of range.
Michaels throws a head kick that half lands.
Hassan on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Michaels. Michaels obviously looking to wear him down.
Michaels avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Michaels throws a left and a right that both miss

and Hassan counters with a nice double leg into side control. Michaels won't be happy with that.
You can see the frustration on Michaels's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ramiz Hassan showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Hassan 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 Frank Antenori scores the fight 29:28
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 29:28
Judge Suge Night scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ramiz Hassan!