PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Vlad Black (ranked 8231 p4p, 589 weight class) and Saul Hunter (ranked 8175 p4p, 587 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.

Black
vs
Hunter

184 cm
20
165 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

178 cm
19
160 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Cuts easily

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Powerful

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Vlad Black!
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, Saul Hunter!
The judges for this bout are Micheangelo Fripello, Josh West and Ryoma Takatsuka.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Black throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Black lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Hunter backs up against the cage.
A combination from Black does no damage.
Hunter goes for a double leg but Black avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Black continues to drive forward.
Black pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Hunter back to the cage. Black follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Hunter showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Black.
Black throws a series of punches but Hunter moves out of range.
Hunter gets cracked there but stands up to it.

Hunter gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Black misses with a body punch.
Black is trying to maintain a safe position but Hunter gets an underhook and turns Black into the cage.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Black.

Hunter has picked Black up - he's going for a ride! Hunter dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Hunter throwing shots but Black is blocking nicely.
Hunter lands strikes from half guard.
Black wants to control but Hunter is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Black is trying to get back to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Hunter lands a nice short elbow.
Hunter thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Black's head.
Ground and pound from Hunter.
Hunter throwing shots but Black is blocking nicely.
Hunter missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Black regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Hunter.
Hunter slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Hunter lands a couple of elbows.
Hunter is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Black is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hunter postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Hunter wants to control from the top but Black keeps moving.
Hunter's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Hunter postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Hunter tries to free his leg and advance position but Black is retaining full guard.
Hunter not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Hunter looking to pass the guard.
Hunter throws a big right hand that misses.
Hunter throws an elbow that misses. Black uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Hunter's guard. Nice move by Black!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hunter pulls Black in to control the position.

Hunter working for submissions but it's allowed Black to get to half guard.
Hunter is trying to maintain the position but Black is very close to passing his half guard.
Black trying to control from half guard but Hunter is working away.
Black is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Hunter is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

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.
Hunter is trying to stand up here but Black is controlling him well.
Black seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Hunter does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Black prevents Hunter from improving his position.
Black trying to control from half guard but Hunter is working away.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Black moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Black sizes up Hunter with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Hunter scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!

It looks like Vlad Black has been cut.
Black throws a nice looking combination but Hunter bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Black looks to land a combination. Hunter sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vlad Black dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Vlad Black's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Black, as that shot connected.
Black connects with a crisp jab.
Hunter takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Black throws a nice looking combination but Hunter bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Black misses with a series of wild punches.
Vlad Black is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Black is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Hunter.
And Hunter tries to counter it with a takedown but Black pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Hunter showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Black.
Black tests Hunter's chin there with a solid looking shot.

Hunter moves into range and clinches up with Black.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Black tries to stall but Hunter uses the opportunity to gain a better position.

Hunter is trying to trip Black. He has hold of a leg but Black is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Hunter persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Hunter sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Hunter wants to control from the top but Black keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hunter pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Black is keeping the position for now.
Black is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Hunter can do to turn this around?
Hunter postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Hunter with a flurry of punches that miss.
Hunter looking to pass the guard.
Black is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Black keeping moving, preventing Hunter from controlling successfully.
Hunter postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Hunter is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Hunter's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

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.
Black is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Black scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Hunter fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Black avoids it really well and circles away.
It looked like Black was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.

Hunter shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Hunter throws a strike but Black rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Hunter wants to sweep but no luck.
Black trying to control but Hunter is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hunter seems keen to control Black's posture.
Hunter is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Hunter pulls Black in close to prevent any damage.
Black wants to control from the top but Hunter keeps moving.

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.

Hunter has his foot on Black's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Black works his way back into a safe position though.

Hunter escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Black gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Black passes into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Black is trying to control the action in half guard but Hunter is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vlad Black dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Vlad Black'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. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Hunter closes the distance and clinches.
Hunter tries to work over Black's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Black doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

Black is fighting off a takedown attempt but Hunter is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Black to the mat. Black regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Black is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Hunter trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Black utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Black is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Saul Hunter has got the better of the ground game so far.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hunter looking to sit in guard and control but Black gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Hunter can do anything to dispel that myth.
Black being controlled here momentarily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hunter tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Black controlling from the top position.
Hunter can't keep his opponent in guard - Black advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Black trying to control the pace.
Hunter trying to hold on to Black's head to control him but Black postures up.
Saul Hunter has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

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.
Hunter tries to roll over but Black keeps him under control.
Hunter regains full guard. Nicely done.
Black stopping the sweep attempt from Hunter.
Hunter working a defensive guard here.
Hunter looking for a sweep. Not yet Hunter, not yet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hunter can't keep his opponent in guard - Black advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Hunter keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
Black passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Hunter!
Hunter is trying desperately to improve position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Black throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Hunter is in all sorts of trouble here.
Black wants to control the pace but Hunter is squirming around nicely.
Hunter is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Vlad Black is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Hunter is flailing around like a fish out of water, trying to land strikes.

And that's the end of the fight!
Vlad Black showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Black, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight 30:27
Judge Josh West scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ryoma Takatsuka scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Vlad Black!
Vlad Black was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.