PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Hardnose Hatcher (ranked 5685 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tom Dover (ranked 5518 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for Hardnose Hatcher has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Hatcher
vs
Dover

175 cm
25
173 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

165 cm
25
170 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter fighter
Very quick

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Hardnose Hatcher!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Tom Dover!
The judges for this bout are John Kavanagh, Alyssa Summers and Chad Campbell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dover closes this distance looking for a takedown but Hatcher circles away.
Dover avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Hatcher throws a front kick aimed at Dover's knee but Dover avoids it well.
Dover keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Hatcher.
Dover looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Dover avoids the body shot from Hatcher.
Hatcher shoots for a takedown but Dover saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

Dover looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Hatcher!
Hatcher tries to get back to half guard but can't.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dover lands an elbow.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dover working the ground and pound but Hatcher is defending the strikes.
Dover scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Hatcher to see if he's OK.
Dover connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Hatcher some visible discomfort.
Dover looks up at the clock and then as Hatcher takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Dover smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Dover wants to control for a moment but Hatcher uses the opportunity to move back to half guard.
Dover not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Hatcher tries to get to full guard but Dover has control of the leg.
Dover working the head and body with strikes.
Dover prevents Hatcher from improving his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hatcher is trying to maintain the position but Dover is very close to passing his half guard.
Hatcher tries to roll over but Dover keeps him under control.
Dover is thwarting Hatcher's attempts to control the position.
Dover working over Hatcher with some ground and pound. Hatcher looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Dover perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Hatcher keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Dover prevents Hatcher from improving his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dover slips a nice elbow through Hatcher's hands, connecting with Hatcher's forehead.
Hatcher moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Dover with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Dover scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Dover sitting in guard here, content to control.
Dover scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Hatcher is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Hatcher sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Dover defending well though.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Dover can do anything to dispel that myth.
Dover keeping control of the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dover is looking for a sweep. Hatcher is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Hatcher thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Dover makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Dover.
Dover is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Dover 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 crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Dover holds on and takes a little breather.
Hatcher stopping the sweep attempt from Dover.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tom Dover dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Dover ducks under a wild hook from Hatcher.
Hatcher blocks a jab.

Dover gets tackled into the cage by Hatcher. Hatcher maintains the clinch.
Hatcher is looking to take this one to the mat.

Hatcher breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Hatcher missing with a left hand there. Dover was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Hatcher fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Dover throws a poor cross that misses

and Hatcher counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Dover tries a body shot but Hatcher blocks it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

Hatcher breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Dover misses with a straight right.

Hatcher closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Hatcher lands in his opponent's guard.
Dover wants to sweep but no luck.
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.
Dover bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Hatcher's guard.

Hatcher wants to hit a switch here but Dover passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Hatcher there!
Hatcher is wriggling around trying to escape.
Dover is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Dover is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Hatcher can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Hatcher throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.

Dover goes for an armbar but Hatcher turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Hatcher.
Hatcher postures up and lands a big shot to Dover's brow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dover trying to control the position here.

Dover looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Hatcher passes into side control.
Dover is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Hatcher is looking to take a break and control but Dover is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dover gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Hatcher has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Dover tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Hatcher can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Dover is looking to escape.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hatcher fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Dover tries to hold on but Hatcher postures up.
Dover tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Dover in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Dover working to try and regain half guard.
Tom Dover has got the better of the ground game so far.
Hatcher raining down shots from the mount!
The referee warns Dover that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hardnose Hatcher dominated that second 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. This is the final round!

Dover slaps away a takedown attempt from Hatcher, before circling back to the center of the mat.

It looks like Tom Dover has been cut.
Hatcher steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Dover.
Hatcher moves away from the strike by Dover.

Hatcher rushes Dover and presses him up against the cage.

Hatcher manages to break the clinch.
Hatcher misses with a takedown attempt - Dover sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
A slow jab from Dover misses its intended target.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dover misses with an uppercut.
Dover darts in looking for a takedown but Hatcher gets double underhooks and turns Dover into the cage.
Dover swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Hatcher waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Dover.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hatcher throws out a loose jab but Dover uses good head movement to avoid it.
A slow jab from Dover misses its intended target.
The fighters circling - Dover throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Dover shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Dover swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Dover misses with a left hand

and Hatcher moves into the clinch.
Hatcher wants to take the fight to the mat but Dover manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hardnose Hatcher. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Dover misses with a hook to the ribs.
Dover trying to stall but Hatcher improves his position.

Dover pulls guard successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Dover looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Hatcher has picked Dover up and slammed him! Dover can't keep hold of the triangle and Hatcher manages to pass to side control!
Hatcher wants to control but Dover is keeping him busy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dover is looking for a sweep.
Hatcher wants to control but Dover is keeping him busy.
Hatcher fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Dover tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Hatcher wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Hatcher working away.
Hatcher scoring with punches and elbows.
Dover tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Dover sneaks back into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dover is not content to let Hatcher control the position.
Hatcher throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Dover is looking for a sweep. Hatcher is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Hatcher throws a big elbow that misses, also allowing Dover to regain full guard.
Hatcher is looking to work some ground and pound but Dover has wrist control.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Dover holds on and takes a little breather.

Dover had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Hatcher defends it easily.

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.
Dover looking for a sweep. Not yet Dover, not yet.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Hatcher tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Hatcher just misses with a punch to the body.

Dover gets the takedown into side control.
Hatcher dodges the ground and pound from Dover.
Dover scoring with punches and elbows.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Dover wants to control for a moment but Hatcher uses the opportunity to move back to half guard.
Dover lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tom Dover comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Dover 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 John Kavanagh scores the fight for Tom Dover!
Judge Alyssa Summers scores the fight for Tom Dover!
Judge Chad Campbell scores the fight for Tom Dover!

Tom Dover wins by unanimous decision!