PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Joan Lopez (ranked 5381 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dale Hardy (ranked 5015 p4p, 0 weight class). Joan Lopez could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Dale Hardy's chin.

Lopez
vs
Hardy

186 cm
23
240 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

199 cm
25
255 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Joan Lopez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Dale Hardy!
The judges for this bout are Steve Erwin, Donatello Bradman and Damien Edna.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Lopez closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Hardy to the mat! Hardy manages to get full guard.

Hardy has scooted to the edge of the canvas and used the cage to get back to his feet. Lopez has stuck on his opponent and is forcing him back against the cage.
Lopez jumps guard but Hardy turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Lopez jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Hardy walks away with a smile on his face. Lopez gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Lopez throws a body kick that misses.
Despite the aggression on Hardy's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Hardy misses with a takedown attempt - Lopez sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Hardy fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Lopez, pushing him back against the cage.
Lopez is trying to pull guard but Hardy turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Joan Lopez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Lopez struggles to land a body shot inside as Hardy controls his hands.
Hardy wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Lopez taking a breather.
Lopez prevents the takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lopez tries to pull guard but Hardy forces him back to his feet, against the cage.

Hardy pulls guard effortlessly.
Hardy is looking to stand up but Lopez isn't so interested in that idea.

Lopez postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Hardy is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Lopez, into his guard.

Lopez throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Hardy is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hardy's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Hardy advances position into side control!
Hardy taking a breather here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Hardy stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Hardy fails with a takedown attempt.

Lopez shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Lopez showed some decent athleticism there.

Hardy has one foot on Lopez's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hardy throws a leg kick that misses.
Lopez checks a low kick from Hardy.
Hardy misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Lopez swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Hardy looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Hardy defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Lopez.

Lopez closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Hardy did well to prevent Lopez getting side control.

Hardy has one foot on Lopez's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Lopez is breathing heavily.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Hardy is trying hard to land a takedown here. Lopez sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Lopez stuffs the takedown.
Lopez changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Lopez is defended easily by Hardy.
Hardy tries to counter with a clinch but Lopez shakes him off and moves away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dale Hardy dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Hardy fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Hardy shoots in but Lopez avoids the takedown attempt easily.

Hardy gets a clinch.
Hardy slowing the pace effectively.

Lopez escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Hardy gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Lopez.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hardy just leaning against Lopez, taking a breather.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lopez jumps guard but Hardy turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Hardy looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Lopez gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Hardy.
Joan Lopez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dale Hardy.
Hardy tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Lopez avoids it.

Lopez breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Lopez misses with a hook to the body
and Hardy counters with a one-two to the body.
Hardy throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Lopez has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Hardy after a bit of a struggle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lopez keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Hardy's efforts to push away.
Lopez is trying to pull guard but Hardy turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.

Lopez manages to pull guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Hardy sitting in guard, not really doing much.

Lopez had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Hardy defends it easily.
Hardy controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hardy passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Hardy advances nicely into full mount.
Hardy controlling from the full mount.

Hardy jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Lopez manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Dale Hardy has got the better of the ground game so far.
Lopez managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Hardy.
Hardy scoring with punches and elbows.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The referee asks Hardy politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Hardy prefers to stall for the moment though.
Hardy passes to full mount! That's big trouble for Lopez!
Hardy throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.

Hardy is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Lopez to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Lopez shrugs it off.
Hardy tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Lopez might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Hardy is continuing to stall.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Hardy thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dale Hardy showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Lopez stuffs the takedown.

Hardy rushes Lopez and presses him up against the cage.
Lopez wants to take the fight to the mat but Hardy manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Hardy struggles to land a body shot inside as Lopez controls his hands.

Lopez breaks the clinch.
Lopez will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Hardy moves into the clinch successfully.

Hardy manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Lopez pushing down on Hardy's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lopez sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Hardy defending well though.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Hardy is trying is best to control the position here.
Hardy works his way to full guard. Good work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hardy trying to strike off his back.
Hardy controlling Lopez's posture.

Hardy had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Lopez defends it easily.
Lopez has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Lopez trying to move into half guard but instead Hardy has managed to sweep!

Lopez knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Hardy on the ground.
Hardy passes into half guard.
Hardy sitting and controlling from the half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Let's hope that Hardy has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Hardy missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Hardy thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Hardy throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Hardy slows the pace down in half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Hardy throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Hardy closes the distance and clinches.
Hardy fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Lopez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lopez misses with a double jab.
Hardy connects with a looping right hand.
Dale Hardy seems to be getting the better of the standup.

Hardy moves into the clinch.
Lopez wants a takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Joan Lopez. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Hardy breaks from the clinch.

Hardy has taken the fight to the clinch.
Lopez goes for a takedown attempt but Hardy pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Hardy forces Lopez back against the cage and clinches.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Hardy is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Joan Lopez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Dale Hardy is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Lopez jumps guard but Hardy turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dale Hardy comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Hardy 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 Steve Erwin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Donatello Bradman scores the fight 27:30
Judge Damien Edna scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dale Hardy!