PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Rikkard Hanson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bobby Godfrey (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Hanson
vs
Godfrey

185 cm
21
198 lbs
6 - 4 - 0

180 cm
23
195 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Powerful

Voodoo Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Rikkard Hanson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Bobby Godfrey!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Blasius, Patrick Alders and Paul Aken.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hanson goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Hanson seems to be moving with more speed, compared to his last bout. He must have been working on that in the gym.
Bobby Godfrey seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Hanson gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Godfrey misses with a punch on the inside.
Godfrey has Hanson pushed against the cage.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Godfrey creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Hanson jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Godfrey walks away with a smile on his face. Hanson gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Godfrey is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Hanson.
Godfrey scores with a nice right hand.
Godfrey 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.
Hanson keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Godfrey.
Hanson takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Hanson swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Godfrey.

Hanson drops Godfrey with a left right combo! Hanson follows him down to the ground into side control.

It looks like Bobby Godfrey has been cut.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Godfrey tries to control but Hanson manages to take his back.
Hanson biding his time, controlling Godfrey.
Hanson keeps control of the position as Godfrey tries to break free.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hanson thows a huge left but connects with the canvas and not his opponent.
Godfrey rolls, trying to escape but Hanson keeps control of the position.
Godfrey prevents Hanson from getting a body triangle.
Godfrey trying to control the position but Hanson manages to sink in the hooks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
What can Godfrey do to escape this position? He's going to have to figure it out pretty quick if he wants to stay in the fight!
Godfrey rolls, trying to escape but Hanson keeps control of the position.

Godfrey is staying cool under pressure, defending well against the rear naked choke attempt from his opponent.

Hanson is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Godfrey defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hanson struggling to keep hold of the position.
Hanson keeps control of the position as Godfrey tries to break free.
Godfrey really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Hanson. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Godfrey defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.
Hanson struggling to keep hold of the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Hanson is looking cool and calm here, just waiting for a good opportunity to attack and finish the fight from this dominant position.
Hanson trying to control momentarily.
Good control from Hanson.
Hanson struggling to keep hold of the position.

Hanson is looking for the choke from the back position but Godfrey is controlling his hands well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rikkard Hanson dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Bobby Godfrey's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Hanson closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Godfrey displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Hanson.
Hanson looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Godfrey is fending him off so far but Hanson persists. Nope, Godfrey circles away and we're back to standing.
Godfrey tries to counter with a clinch but Hanson shakes him off and moves away.
Godfrey misses with a body shot.
Hanson ducks under a wild hook from Godfrey.
Hanson changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Hanson misses with a series of wild punches.
Rikkard Hanson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Godfrey tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Rikkard Hanson is winning the standup battle so far.
The fight stays on the outside here - Hanson looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Godfrey looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Hanson moves into range and clinches up with Godfrey.
Hanson managing to block the knees to the body from Godfrey.
Godfrey misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Hanson.
Godfrey lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Godfrey misses with a punch to the body.
Hanson tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rikkard Hanson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Godfrey just leaning against Hanson, taking a breather.
Hanson is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Godfrey gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Godfrey tries to throw a body punch but Hanson avoids it by throwing Godfrey back against the cage.
Godfrey lands with a short head shot on the inside.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Hanson.

Hanson breaks from the clinch.
Godfrey looks to land a left hand but Hanson moved out of range nicely.
Godfrey throws a body punch but Hanson moves out of range.
Hanson shoots in for a takedown but Godfrey shows good takedown defense.
Hanson dives in for a single leg takedown but Godfrey sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.

Godfrey gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Godfrey lands a right hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hanson tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Godfrey just stands there and leans against the cage.
Godfrey misses with a short punch on the inside.
Hanson is looking for a takedown.
Godfrey stalling against the cage.
Godfrey struggles to land a body shot inside as Hanson controls his hands.
Godfrey misses with some punches.
Hanson tries to pull guard but Godfrey holds him up against the cage and eventually Hanson drops back down to his feet.
Godfrey crunches a lovely knee into Hanson's ribcage.
Godfrey misses with a hook to the ribs.
Godfrey lands a left hand.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Godfrey throws a punch but it's blocked by Hanson.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Godfrey tries to throw a body punch but Hanson avoids it by throwing Godfrey back against the cage.
Godfrey lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Hanson or not.
Hanson is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Godfrey to keep the fight standing.
Godfrey lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Hanson blocking some punches.
Hanson prevents a body shot from Godfrey.
A hook to the body from Godfrey.
Godfrey gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Hanson.
Godfrey tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Hanson's elbow.
Hanson tries to pull guard but Godfrey holds him up against the cage and eventually Hanson drops back down to his feet.
Godfrey struggles to land a body shot inside as Hanson controls his hands.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Godfrey lands a right hand.
Hanson on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
A short right from Godfrey on the inside.
Godfrey can't find room to land a body shot as Hanson controls the action.
Godfrey misses with a knee strike.
Hanson tries to score a body lock takedown but Godfrey shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Godfrey misses with a punch on the inside.
Godfrey tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Hanson's elbow.
A short right from Godfrey.
Godfrey throws a head punch that misses.
Godfrey tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Godfrey misses with a shot to the kidneys.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bobby Godfrey showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Bobby Godfrey's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Hanson changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Godfrey tries to avoid it but Hanson manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Godfrey to the ground. Godfrey escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Hanson misses with an uppercut. Godfrey saw that one coming.
Godfrey paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.

Hanson looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Hanson passes Godfrey's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Hanson stalling.
Hanson is stalling here. Godfrey is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Hanson seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Godfrey has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Godfrey controlling the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hanson sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Godfrey looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Hanson trying to control from the bottom.
Nice strikes from Godfrey there.
Hanson is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Godfrey's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Godfrey's back!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hanson controlling from the back.
Godfrey tries to roll but Hanson sticks to his back.

Hanson is remaining active here, looking for the choke. The more discerning members of the crowd will appreciate his efforts.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hanson is hanging on to Godfrey's back as he tries to escape.

Godfrey is staying cool under pressure, defending well against the rear naked choke attempt from his opponent.
Godfrey turns into Hanson and is now in his guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Godfrey preventing the sweep.
Godfrey lands a couple of elbows.
Hanson keeping moving, preventing Godfrey from controlling successfully.
Hanson is pulling down on Godfrey's head to control his posture.
Godfrey controls from within his opponent's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Hanson lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Godfrey wants to sweep here but Hanson controlling him for the moment.
Hanson trying to control the position from guard on top but Godfrey is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Godfrey wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rikkard Hanson showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Hanson 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 Daniel Blasius scores the fight 29:28
Judge Patrick Alders scores the fight 29:28
Judge Paul Aken scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rikkard Hanson!
After the fight, Rikkard Hanson was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.