PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Gary Grice (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Brandon Hale (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Grice kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is GZA - Shadowboxin'. The crowd seem to be enjoying Hale's choice of entrance music: Dead Sara - Weatherman. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Grice
vs
Hale

184 cm
33
184 lbs
17 - 7 - 2

174 cm
31
182 lbs
24 - 11 - 2

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

Mohito Fightwear
Spartan Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 1 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 17 - 7 - 2, fighting out of Hilo, Gary Grice!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 24 - 11 - 2, fighting out of Montreal, Brandon Hale!
The judges for this bout are Dean Styles, Jorge Garcia and Anthony Taglia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Good shot there by Hale.
Hale throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Good leg kick by Hale there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Grice throws a jab when Hale was well out of range.
Grice throws the kick towards the body but Hale avoids it.
Grice thumps Hale with a low kick.
Grice tries to score with a low kick but Hale moves his leg out of the way.
Grice thows a left - swing and a miss!
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Hale! But no joy.
Hale fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Grice looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Hale connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
A looping hook to the body misses from Hale. Grice does a little dance to reset his feet.
Hale 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.
Grice throws an ugly left hook that misses

and Hale counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Grice holds on and takes a little breather.
Grice wants to sweep here but Hale controlling him for the moment.
Hale pushes down on Grice's leg and manages to get into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Grice tries to roll over but Hale keeps him under control.

Hale is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Grice has managed to free his arm - good work.
Hale is looking to take a break and control but Grice is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Grice wants to get back to full guard.
Hale is looking to take a break and control but Grice is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Grice tries to get to full guard but Hale has control of the leg.

That's two 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.
Hale thows a huge punch but Grice dodges it nicely.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hale wants to control but Grice is keeping him busy.
Grice is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Hale's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Hale's back!
Grice is looking to control Hale but Hale is wriggling around and keeping busy.
Hale has his hands over his head blocking the strikes from Grice.
Grice is landing with strikes. Hale can't take much more of this.

Grice tightening his grip on Hale, looking for the choke.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Grice throwing wild punches that miss their target.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hale has his hands over his head blocking the strikes from Grice.
Hale is taking damage to the body and head.
Grice throws a big right hand but he misses and hits the mat. Ouch.

Hale defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.
Hale covering up well under a series of strikes from Grice.
Grice scores with some strikes to the side of the head there. Good, points scoring shots.
Hale covering up well and avoiding damage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hale trying to control but he's just got himself in more trouble.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Grice doesn't have the hooks in and Hale manages to turn into his guard.

Grice is looking for a triangle but Hale pushes his legs off easily.
Hale looking to pass the guard.

Grice throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Hale working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Grice keeping moving, preventing Hale from controlling successfully.
Grice wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Grice wants to sweep here but Hale controlling him for the moment.
Hale postures up.
Hale trying to control but Grice is working from the bottom.
Grice is trying to hold Hale in close to prevent damage but Hale has managed to pass into half guard.
Hale throwing shots but Grice is blocking nicely.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Grice is trying to get back to full guard.
Grice moves into full guard.
Grice wants to control the position but Hale says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.

Hale is trying to work for a kimura but Grice is defending well.
Hale missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Grice is looking to improve his position.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Grice is working hard here to advance position.
Grice taking some punishment here, with Hale in his half guard.
Grice wants to get back to full guard.
Grice has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Hale is working away from the top position though.

Hale seems to be looking for submissions.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Grice trying to control here.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Grice fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Hale manages to avoid it.
Grice throws a low kick but Hale moves out of range easily.
Grice tries to clinch there but Hale circles away.
Hale thumps Grice with a low kick.
Hale takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Gary Grice seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Grice tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Hale keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Hale keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Grice.
Hale will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Hale keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Grice is looking to land body kicks.
Grice misses with a looping right.
Hale misses with a head kick.
Nice shot lands for Hale.
Grice throws a hook to the side of Hale's head but Hale sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Grice throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Hale keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Hale has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.

Grice forces Hale back against the cage and clinches.
Grice lands a nice shot to the body.
Grice lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
A nice left hand lands by Hale.
Hale tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Hale works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Hale working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Hale misses with the head strike.
A short right from Grice.
Hale misses with a hook from the clinch.
Hale swings wildly with an uppercut but Grice uses good head movement to avoid it.
Hale lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Grice swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Hale can't find room to land a body shot as Grice controls the action.
Nice body punch from Hale.
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!

Hale breaks from the clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Brandon Hale.
I think Hale has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1 round of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Dean Styles scores the fight 9:10
Judge Jorge Garcia scores the fight 9:10
Judge Anthony Taglia scores the fight 9:10

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Brandon Hale!
In his post fight interview, Brandon Hale started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.
The defeated Gary Grice had this to say: 'Wu Tang fuh evah!'.