PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Arlie Sampson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jaxon Hiott (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Arlie Sampson had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Sampson
vs
Hiott

182 cm
18
140 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

180 cm
25
139 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Arlie Sampson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jaxon Hiott!
The judges for this bout are Alan Glass, Wesley Smith and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Sampson feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.

Hiott throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hiott is trying to control the position but Sampson postures up.

Hiott looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Sampson passes into side control.
Hiott struggling a bit here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sampson wants to stand but Hiott has his arm trapped.

Sampson tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Sampson has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hiott is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Sampson trying to control the position but Hiott is working away.
Hiott is looking for a sweep.
Hiott regains half guard.
Hiott is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Hiott is controlling Sampson's position as best he can from this difficult position.

That's two 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.
Hiott wants to control but Sampson is keeping busy.
Hiott is looking to escape.
Sampson really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Sampson is working for an americana but Hiott has been sneaky and has managed to get back to half guard, whilst Sampson was thinking about the submission.
Hiott wants to stand but Sampson is controlling the position.
Sampson postures up.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sampson moves in looking to clinch but Hiott pushes him off.

Sampson tries to sprawl but Hiott drives through with a takedown into half guard.

Sampson pushes Hiott off and gets back to his feet.
Sampson is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Hiott clinches up with Sampson and pushes him back against the cage.

Hiott gets control of Sampson's arms and successfully pulls guard. Hiott will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Sampson's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Hiott wants to get back to his feet but Sampson is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Sampson trying to stand up but can't free himself from Hiott's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sampson preventing the sweep.
Hiott looks winded!
Hiott is trying to keep Sampson in close.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Hiott looking to hit a scissor sweep but Sampson is one step ahead there.
Sampson landing with the ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Arlie Sampson dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Excellent takedown into side control there by Hiott.
Arlie Sampson overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Hiott wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sampson keeps working.
Hiott tries to stand but Sampson is controlling his head.

Hiott is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Sampson has escaped the position, nice work there.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sampson is trying to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hiott tries to stand but Sampson is controlling his head.
Sampson tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Hiott wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Hiott looking to control but instead Sampson has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.
Hiott trying to control from half guard but Sampson is working away.
Hiott missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Sampson is looking to escape.
Hiott seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Sampson does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Hiott scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Hiott is breathing heavily.
Hiott slaps away a takedown attempt from Sampson, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Hiott misses with a head kick.

Sampson scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Sampson working away.
Sampson tries to stand but Hiott is controlling his head.
Hiott can't do much from the bottom here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sampson stands up.
Hiott avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Sampson looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Hiott!
Sampson wants to stand but Hiott has his arm trapped.

Sampson decides to stand back up.
Sampson tries to clinch but Hiott moves away
and Hiott counters with a three punch combo that has Sampson backing up. Sampson nods at Hiott to acknowledge the strikes.
Sampson fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Hiott drives through with a takedown into guard.
Hiott prevents Sampson from getting back to his feet.
Hiott wants to get up but he can't break Sampson's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Sampson trying to keep a closed guard but Hiott is proving a slippery customer.
Sampson wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sampson is trying to keep Hiott in close.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jaxon Hiott showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Hiott shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Sampson is trying to defend but Hiott finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Sampson is doing well to control the position and prevent Hiott from advancing to side control.

Hiott seems to be looking for submissions.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hiott looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Sampson with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.

Hiott is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Hiott takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hiott seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Sampson does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Sampson manages to get to full guard.
Sampson is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Hiott preventing the sweep.

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.
Sampson is pulling down on Hiott's head. It's preventing any offense from Hiott, at least for the moment.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

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

Hiott has picked Sampson up - he's going for a ride! Hiott dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Hiott prevents Sampson from improving his position.
Hiott sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Sampson defending well though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sampson wants to get back to his feet.

Sampson makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!

Hiott looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Sampson!
Sampson is trying to get back to his feet.
Sampson tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Hiott tries to stand but Sampson is controlling his head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hiott working the ground and pound but Sampson is defending the strikes.
Sampson tries to bench press Hiott off him but Hiott keeps the position.
Sampson wants to control but Hiott postures up.
Hiott wants to control but Sampson is keeping him busy.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Hiott moves into the clinch successfully.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Hiott scores with a shot to the side of Sampson's head.
Hiott is stalling here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jaxon Hiott comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Hiott 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 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 28:29
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 28:29
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jaxon Hiott!