PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Benito Hurley (ranked 23073 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ugo Vaff (ranked 5192 p4p, 0 weight class). Ugo Vaff has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Benito Hurley's chin.

Hurley
vs
Vaff

191 cm
19
278 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

197 cm
18
222 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Benito Hurley!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ugo Vaff!
The judges for this bout are Illya Tyunina, Ivan Kurochkin and Valeri Chadov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hurley takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.

Vaff shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Hurley's guard.
Vaff being controlled here momentarily.

Vaff stands and steps away. Hurley gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Vaff shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Hurley quickly followed up with a counter body kick but doesn't connect.

Hurley moves into the clinch.
Hurley connects with a knee to the head.
Vaff stalling.

Vaff manages to break the clinch.
Hurley could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Vaff dives in for a single leg takedown but Hurley sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Hurley seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Vaff shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Hurley but Hurley pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Benito Hurley has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ugo Vaff.

Hurley drives through and clinches with Vaff against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hurley working aggressively here.
Vaff tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Hurley fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Hurley successfully pulls guard.
Vaff preventing the sweep.
Vaff throwing strikes but missing.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Hurley holds on and takes a little breather.

Hurley looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Vaff postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vaff being controlled here momentarily.
Vaff wants to control from the top but Hurley keeps moving.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Vaff is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Hurley moves out of range of the body kick from Vaff.
Benito Hurley is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Vaff has managed to clinch.
Hurley is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Vaff to keep the fight standing.
Hurley working hard to break the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hurley is looking to take this one to the mat.

Vaff breaks from the clinch.
Hurley tries to close the distance and clinch up but Vaff swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Nice takedown defense from Hurley. No joy for Vaff on that attempt.
Vaff throws a right and a left that Hurley avoids nicely.
Hurley keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Hurley went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.

Vaff tries to keep at a distance but Hurley has taken the fight into the clinch.
Hurley has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Hurley prevents a takedown attempt there.

Hurley decides to pull guard.
Hurley lands a couple of shots from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vaff stopping the sweep attempt from Hurley.
Vaff wants to control from the top but Hurley keeps moving.
Hurley seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
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.
Hurley looking to control.
Vaff throws a big elbow that misses.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Ugo Vaff will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Vaff misses with a takedown attempt - Hurley sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Vaff rushes Hurley and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Hurley wants to take the fight to the mat but Vaff manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Hurley can't get the takedown.

Vaff breaks the clinch.

Vaff tries to keep at a distance but Hurley has taken the fight into the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hurley wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Hurley prevents the takedown attempt.

Hurley decides to pull guard.
Vaff throwing strikes from guard but Hurley blocks nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vaff wants to control from the top but Hurley keeps moving.
Vaff lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Hurley keeping moving, preventing Vaff from controlling successfully.
Hurley utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Vaff trying to control but Hurley is working from the bottom.
Hurley trying to control the position here.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

That's two 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.

Hurley gets tackled into the cage by Vaff. Vaff maintains the clinch.
Hurley goes for a takedown in the clinch but Vaff prevents it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Benito Hurley. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Vaff prevents a takedown attempt there.
Vaff tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Hurley avoids it.

Vaff has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Hurley uses from the top position.
Vaff is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Vaff wants to sweep but no luck.
Hurley loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hurley won't allow Vaff to sweep him here.
Vaff controls Hurley momentarily but Hurley frees himself.

Hurley decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Vaff, up you get!
Vaff is breathing heavily.
Vaff closes this distance looking for a takedown but Hurley circles away.
Hurley is looking to counter punch.

Hurley clinches up against the cage.
Hurley is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Vaff to keep the fight standing.
Hurley prevents a takedown attempt there.

Hurley pulls guard effortlessly.
Hurley wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hurley keeping moving, preventing Vaff from controlling successfully.
Hurley preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Vaff wanted to stand there but Hurley had control of the position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Hurley is trying to control the position from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Benito Hurley will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Vaff clinches up against the cage.
Hurley wants to get back to striking at distance but Vaff won't allow it.

Vaff pulls Hurley into guard.
Hurley controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Hurley continues to stall.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hurley throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Hurley got a little sloppy there for a moment and Vaff has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Hurley has managed to get both his arms back between Vaff's legs - danger averted.
Hurley has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Vaff is proving hard to escape from.
Hurley working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Vaff's head.
Hurley engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Vaff circles away from the clinch attempt.
Hurley tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Vaff misses with a wild body shot.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Hurley lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vaff is trying to push Hurley away but Hurley has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Hurley breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Vaff manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Hurley on his heels. He'll look to pass Hurley's guard now, I'm sure.

Hurley wriggles free and stands up.
Vaff takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Vaff will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Hurley tries to clinch up.
Vaff walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Hurley checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Hurley uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Vaff.
Hurley throwing a counter right hand but Vaff manages to avoid it.

Hurley darts in and clinches Vaff up against the cage.
Hurley has Vaff pushed against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hurley goes for a takedown attempt but Vaff pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
No joy there for Vaff, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Hurley throws a head kick that half lands.
Vaff shoots in and drives through. Hurley sprawls well.
Hurley is looking to clinch.

Hurley drives through and clinches with Vaff against the cage.
Hurley has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Hurley wants a takedown.
Hurley jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Vaff walks away with a smile on his face. Hurley gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Benito Hurley. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Vaff clinches up against the cage.

Vaff successfully pulls guard.

Hurley stands up from guard. Let's bang!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hurley tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Vaff paws at him with a jab and circles away.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Vaff is defended easily by Hurley.

Hurley gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Hurley fails to pull guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Hurley lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Vaff manages to break the clinch.
Hurley fails with an attempt to clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Benito Hurley.
I think Hurley has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Illya Tyunina scores the fight 30:28
Judge Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Valeri Chadov scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Ugo Vaff!