PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Margarito Byers (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Humad Hamid (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.

Byers
vs
Hamid

174 cm
24
162 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

178 cm
23
161 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Likes musicals

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Margarito Byers!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Humad Hamid!
The judges for this bout are Chris Saunders, Micheangelo Fripello and Paul Gruel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Hamid gets the takedown into side control.
Byers tries to bench press Hamid off him but Hamid keeps the position.
Byers looking for a sweep but Hamid has passed into full mount! Oh no!
Byers is desperately trying to improve his position but Hamid has a good base and remains in mount.
Hamid throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Byers is in all sorts of trouble here.
Hamid takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
It looks like Hamid might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hamid can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Byers is looking to escape.
Hamid thowing shots but they're missing.
Byers's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Byers is trying desperately to improve position.
Byers looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!

Byers fending off the submission attempt from Hamid.
Hamid somehow managing to miss with a strike from the back.
Byers is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.

Hamid is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Byers is defending well though. Hamid let's go of the attempt for now.
Byers tries to roll but Hamid sticks to his back.

Hamid tightening his grip on Byers, looking for the choke.
Byers can't escape the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Byers is trying to get back to his feet but Hamid has full control of the position and if anything, Byers has just worked his way into a worse spot.
Hamid has the hooks in. Byers is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.
Byers is working hard here to advance position.
You know, I was talking to some of our celebrities at ringside tonight and they were split right down the middle on who was going to win this fight.
Byers wants to escape the position.
Hamid is not going to allow Byers to sit and survive in this position.
Hamid is looking cool and calm here, just waiting for a good opportunity to attack and finish the fight from this dominant position.
Byers rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.

Hamid stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Byers to get to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hamid connects with a nice looking jab.

It looks like Margarito Byers has been cut.

Byers tries to keep at a distance but Hamid has taken the fight into the clinch.
Hamid is pressed up against the cage. Byers has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Hamid down to the mat. Hamid avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Byers swings widly with a right hand
and Byers takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

Hamid changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Byers looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.

Byers sneaks out the side door and pushes Hamid away - he's back to his feet. The crowd show their appreciation for the escape.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A head kick by Hamid misses
letting Byers counter with a right hand.
A thudding body kick lands there by Hamid!
Humad Hamid seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Hamid has Byers up against the cage in a clinch.
Byers trying to stall but Hamid improves his position.
Hamid managing to block the knees to the body from Byers.
Byers drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Hamid gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Byers is breathing heavily.

Hamid breaks from the clinch.

Hamid clinches up with Byers and pushes him back against the cage.
Byers is looking for a takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Margarito Byers. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hamid lands an uppercut.
Byers wants a takedown but no success here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Humad Hamid dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Margarito Byers's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Hamid scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.

Hamid shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Byers's guard.
Hamid is stalling in the full guard.
Hamid stops Byers from standing up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hamid controlling from the top position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Byers had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Hamid defends it easily.

Byers is scooting his butt against the cage and has managed to get back to his feet. Hamid presses him back against the cage, presumably looking to take the fight back to the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Hamid breaks from the clinch.
Hamid misses with a jab, cross combination.

Hamid gets the takedown into side control.
Byers bucks up and tries to throw Hamid off but instead Hamid has got his back!
Byers is very frustrated here, being controlled quite effectively by Hamid.
Byers wants to escape the position.
Byers rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Hamid with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Byers wants to sweep but Hamid has passed to side control!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Hamid is trying to get an arm triangle but Byers is defending well.
Hamid is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Byers manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Byers looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Hamid is trying to work for a kimura but Byers is defending well.
Hamid stops Byers from getting back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Byers is trying to get back to full guard.
Hamid is trying to control. Byers wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Hamid seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

Hamid stands up and beckons Byers to join him on the feet.

Hamid scores with a takedown into Byers's guard.

Byers has managed to wall walk up one of the corner posts to get back to his feet. Hamid is pushing him up against the cage, looking to control the position.

Hamid breaks from the clinch.
Byers misses with a jab, cross combination.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Hamid closes the distance and clinches.
Byers tries for a takedown. No joy.

Hamid tightens his grip and picks Byers up, before dumping him to the ground. Byers manages to land in guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Hamid gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Hamid tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Humad Hamid is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Hamid shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Hamid was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!

Hamid tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Hamid has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Byers tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Hamid wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Humad Hamid will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Margarito Byers's cut.
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. This is the final round!

A head kick by Hamid misses
and Byers counters with a nice uppercut.

Hamid clinches.
Knees to the body from Byers.
Byers trying to stall but Hamid improves his position.

Hamid breaks the clinch.
A punch combination from Hamid misses.
Byers half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.

Hamid drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Byers is trying to get back to half guard.
Hamid has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Byers tries to escape but Hamid is in control.
Byers manages to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Byers tries to roll over but Hamid keeps him under control.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Byers wants to get back to his feet.
Byers is looking to improve his position.
Hamid stalling.
Hamid works his way into side control.
Byers being controlled for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Byers is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Hamid is controlling him well.
Hamid controls the position.
Byers avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Hamid.
Byers manages to get back to half guard.
Byers wants to get back to full guard but Hamid has mounted him!
Byers working to try and regain half guard.
Byers regains half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hamid wants to take a breather but Byers is having none of it.
Hamid sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Byers defending well though.

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

Hamid closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.

Byers kicks Hamid off and gets back to his feet.
Margarito Byers is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Hamid shoots in and gets a takedown into Byers's guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Byers is striking from the bottom but Hamid uses the opportunity to pass into half guard.
Hamid prevents Byers from improving his position.

Hamid is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Byers is just riding it out for now. Hamid eventually gives up the hold.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hamid seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Hamid sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Byers defending well though.
Margarito Byers has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Humad Hamid is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Byers is looking to improve his position.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Humad Hamid.
Well Hamid has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Chris Saunders scores the fight 28:29
Judge Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight 27:30
Judge Paul Gruel scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Humad Hamid!