PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Gabriel Azevedo Souza (ranked 88 p4p, 14 weight class) and Frank Hackleton (ranked 1433 p4p, 0 weight class). Hackleton comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Gringo Hip Hop kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Azevedo Souza
vs
Hackleton

174 cm
27
149 lbs
11 - 0 - 0

170 cm
27
164 lbs
6 - 3 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
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 11 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Gabriel Azevedo Souza!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Frank Hackleton!
The judges for this bout are Michael Johnstone, Dirk Anderson and Sandra Marshall.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Azevedo Souza has managed to clinch.
Hackleton has Azevedo Souza pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Azevedo Souza manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Hackleton's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Azevedo Souza lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Azevedo Souza scores with a nice hook to the head.

Azevedo Souza breaks the clinch.
Azevedo Souza connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Azevedo Souza dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Azevedo Souza fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Hackleton on the side of the head.
Azevedo Souza has been working on his boxing with his coaches at ELITE Island Gym - 19 Elite Coaches in the buildup to the fight.
Azevedo Souza lands the left hand.
Hackleton's coach down at was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Hackleton's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
Hackleton misses with a right hand
and Azevedo Souza counters with a nice body shot.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Hackleton shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Hackleton connects with a couple of short punches.

Azevedo Souza is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Azevedo Souza looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Azevedo Souza is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Azevedo Souza 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.
Hackleton trying to control but Azevedo Souza is working from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hackleton sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Azevedo Souza looking for a sweep. Not yet Azevedo Souza, not yet.
Hackleton working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Azevedo Souza's head.
Hackleton landing some decent shots from guard.
Hackleton is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Azevedo Souza had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Hackleton defends it easily.
Azevedo Souza keeping moving, preventing Hackleton from controlling successfully.

Azevedo Souza is looking for a triangle but Hackleton pushes his legs off easily.
Hackleton looking to pass the guard.
Hackleton keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Azevedo Souza's head.

Azevedo Souza looking for a guillotine here but Hackleton defends easily.
Hackleton works over Azevedo Souza with some ground and pound from guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hackleton controls from within his opponent's guard.
Azevedo Souza looking to control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hackleton scoring with punches to the head and body.
Hackleton is pushing down on Azevedo Souza's leg trying to pass to half guard. Azevedo Souza is fighting to maintain full guard but Hackleton has managed to sneak the leg through.
Hackleton really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Azevedo Souza. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Azevedo Souza is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Hackleton looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Hackleton lands with a punch from half guard.
Hackleton lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Hackleton controlling the action here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hackleton takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Hackleton is looking to take a break and control but Azevedo Souza is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Azevedo Souza is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Hackleton's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Hackleton's back!

Azevedo Souza is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Hackleton knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Hackleton for a finish.

Hackleton defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Azevedo Souza's arms.
Hackleton wants to control his opponent's hands but Azevedo Souza gets his hands free.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gabriel Azevedo Souza dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Azevedo Souza fails with an attempt to clinch.
Hackleton misses with a low kick as Azevedo Souza jumps back.
Azevedo Souza paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Hackleton takes one to the chin there.
Hackleton looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Hackleton is looking to land body kicks.
Hackleton swings widly with a right hand
and Azevedo Souza counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
The crowd cheers as Azevedo Souza lands an impressive looking overhand right. Hackleton doesn't seem phased though.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Azevedo Souza connects with a single shot there.
Azevedo Souza throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Hackleton on the side of the head.

Azevedo Souza gets caught flat footed, as Hackleton shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hackleton is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Hackleton tries to free his leg and advance position but Azevedo Souza is retaining full guard.

Azevedo Souza is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Hackleton slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Hackleton trying to control the action but Azevedo Souza is working from the bottom.
Hackleton working the head and body with strikes.
Hackleton grinds an elbow into Azevedo Souza's temple.
Frank Hackleton has got the better of the ground game so far.
Hackleton in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Hackleton trying to control the position but Azevedo Souza is working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hackleton lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Azevedo Souza down.
Hackleton in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Hackleton working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Hackleton wants to control but Azevedo Souza is keeping him busy.
Azevedo Souza tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Hackleton wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Hackleton trying to control the position but Azevedo Souza is working away.
Hackleton in side control lands a decent elbow.
Hackleton taking a breather here.
Hackleton lands some shots froms side control.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Azevedo Souza regains half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Azevedo Souza is trying to get back to full guard.

Azevedo Souza is working on a guillotine. He's managed to get to full guard and he's really squeezing tight! Hackleton is tapping! Great win for Azevedo Souza!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:14 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Gabriel Azevedo Souza!
In his post fight interview, Gabriel Azevedo Souza gave a big smile as he said 'Watch me get hype farmed by some gutless loser in the main game.'.