PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Andre Dirrel (ranked 8126 p4p, 0 weight class) and Abdulla Al Hassan (ranked 6109 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Dirrel
vs
Al Hassan

180 cm
25
157 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

177 cm
25
159 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Andre Dirrel!
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, Abdulla Al Hassan!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Tiny Johnson and Frank Dennis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dirrel tries to clinch but Al Hassan moves out of range.
Al Hassan tries to close the distance and clinch but Dirrel swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Dirrel has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Dirrel there as he acknowledges the shot.

Dirrel drives through and clinches with Al Hassan against the cage.
Dirrel prevents a takedown attempt there.
Al Hassan tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Dirrel just stands there and leans against the cage.

Dirrel pulls guard effortlessly.
Al Hassan looking to sit in guard and control but Dirrel gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Dirrel advances position into side control!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dirrel working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Al Hassan tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dirrel working the ground and pound but Al Hassan is defending the strikes.
Dirrel moves into full mount!
Dirrel fails to take his opponent's back.
Al Hassan can't escape the position.
Al Hassan sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Dirrel with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Al Hassan keeps control of the position for the meantime.
Dirrel lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Dirrel looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dirrel throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Al Hassan keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Al Hassan blocking the ground and pound attempt from Dirrel.
Al Hassan trying to control but Dirrel postures up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Al Hassan tries to roll over but Dirrel keeps him under control.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Dirrel misses with a head kick.
Al Hassan tries to counter by closing the distance.
Al Hassan misses with a takedown attempt - Dirrel sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Andre Dirrel has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Abdulla Al Hassan.

That's four 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.
Al Hassan keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Al Hassan is looking to clinch.
Dirrel shoots for a double leg takedown but Al Hassan sprawls well. He's pushed Dirrel's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Al Hassan leaves Dirrel with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Dirrel looks for a takedown but Al Hassan sprawls well.

Al Hassan has closed the distance and engaged Dirrel in a clinch.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Dirrel is defending well against a takedown attempt.

Al Hassan decides to pull guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Andre Dirrel dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Dirrel shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Al Hassan but Al Hassan pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Al Hassan is looking to clinch but Dirrel is avoiding it.
Dirrel attempts a counter takedown but Al Hassan avoids it well and moves away.
Al Hassan scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Al Hassan moves in looking to clinch but Dirrel pushes him off.
Dirrel swats away the attempt to clinch by Al Hassan.
Al Hassan throws a head kick that misses.
Dirrel has a takedown stuffed.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dirrel tries to clinch there but Al Hassan circles away.

Al Hassan fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Dirrel, pushing him back against the cage.
Dirrel has had enough of the clinch but Al Hassan keeps him there for the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Al Hassan breaks the clinch.
Al Hassan throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Dirrel gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Al Hassan misses with an elbow over the top.
Al Hassan cracks Dirrel with a nice body shot.
Dirrel tries to break the clinch but Al Hassan is controlling the position.
Dirrel tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Al Hassan just stands there and leans against the cage.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Andre Dirrel. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Al Hassan is trying to pull guard but Dirrel has him pressed against the cage.
Dirrel tries to circle away but Al Hassan has him pinned against the cage.

Al Hassan manages to break the clinch.
Al Hassan fails with a takedown attempt.
Dirrel changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Al Hassan pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Dirrel steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Al Hassan. That one must have hurt.
Al Hassan is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Horrible takedown attempt by Al Hassan or perhaps it was just good defense by Dirrel, which made it look bad.
Dirrel moves in looking to clinch but Al Hassan pushes him off.
Al Hassan misses with a few strikes there.
Al Hassan tries to close the distance and clinch but Dirrel swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Dirrel shoots for a takedown but Al Hassan saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Dirrel is defended easily by Al Hassan.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dirrel wants to clinch up but Al Hassan keeps it at a distance.

Dirrel has taken the fight to the clinch.
Al Hassan can't get the takedown.
Dirrel tries to pull guard but Al Hassan holds him up against the cage and eventually Dirrel drops back down to his feet.

Dirrel pulls guard successfully.
Al Hassan looking to pass the guard.
Dirrel looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Al Hassan's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Al Hassan is continuing to stall.
Al Hassan wants to control from the top but Dirrel keeps moving.
Dirrel looking for a sweep. Not yet Dirrel, not yet.
Dirrel trying to keep a closed guard but Al Hassan is proving a slippery customer.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Dirrel misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Dirrel checks a leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Abdulla Al Hassan showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Dirrel tries to close the distance and clinch up but Al Hassan swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Dirrel shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Al Hassan is trying to defend but Dirrel finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Al Hassan tries to roll over but Dirrel keeps him under control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Dirrel is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Al Hassan is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Dirrel's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Dirrel's back!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dirrel is trying to stand back up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Al Hassan is not going to allow Dirrel to sit and survive in this position.
Andre Dirrel overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Al Hassan working for a RNC but it's not happening just yet.
Al Hassan throws a big right hand but he misses and hits the mat. Ouch.
Al Hassan controlling well, preventing Dirrel from escaping the position.
Dirrel just trying to survive but Al Hassan is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.
Al Hassan somehow managing to miss with a strike from the back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Al Hassan really has the hooks in deep now - there seems like no escape for Dirrel.
Dirrel tries to escape but Al Hassan has the hooks in and won't let him break free.
Dirrel wants to control his opponent's hands but Al Hassan gets his hands free.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Dirrel tries to roll but Al Hassan sticks to his back.
Al Hassan is looking to control Dirrel but Dirrel is wriggling around and keeping busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dirrel trying to control the position but Al Hassan manages to sink in the hooks.
Dirrel is keeping busy.

Al Hassan working for a RNC but it's not happening just yet.
Al Hassan gets his hands free as Dirrel looks to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Al Hassan is looking for the choke from the back position but Dirrel is controlling his hands well.
Dirrel tries to escape the position.

Dirrel defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.
Al Hassan has good solid back control here.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Dirrel is in bad spot here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Abdulla Al Hassan comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Al Hassan 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 Gwen Towbar scores the fight 28:29
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Abdulla Al Hassan!