PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Charlie Darwin (ranked 681 p4p, 82 weight class) and Tony Hibbert (ranked 558 p4p, 66 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Darwin
vs
Hibbert

190 cm
26
171 lbs
11 - 4 - 0

172 cm
25
160 lbs
12 - 6 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
World class boxer
Granite chin

BuriedAlive// Fight Gear

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 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Charlie Darwin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 6 - 0, fighting out of New York, Tony Hibbert!
The judges for this bout are Fedor Mirinova, Vladimir Khabensky and Sergei Dronov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Darwin throws a hook to the side of Hibbert's head but Hibbert sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Darwin scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Darwin showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Hibbert.
Darwin throws a quick counter kick to the body but Hibbert avoids it.
Hibbert scores with a sloppy right hand. Darwin should have avoided that one.
A telegraphed right hand from Hibbert misses the target.
Darwin half committed to a counter leg kick.
Darwin slips a straight right by Hibbert.
Hibbert misses with a combination
and Darwin counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
A jab from Hibbert misses.
A quick step to the side and Darwin tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
Hibbert fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hibbert misses with a two punch combination.
Hibbert throws a body punch but Darwin moves out of range.
Hibbert shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Darwin counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That's one minute gone in the round.

Darwin tries to sprawl but Hibbert drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Darwin is looking to escape.
Hibbert content to control rather than advance.
Darwin is trying to stand.
Darwin really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Darwin moves into full guard.
Darwin wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Darwin wants to stand up but Hibbert is controlling him.
Hibbert controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Darwin looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Hibbert's corner calls for a 1-2. Hibbert obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Hibbert falls off balance throwing a combination
enabling Darwin to counter with a crisp jab.
Hibbert misses with an uppercut.
Darwin appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.
Hibbert throws a jab but it's blocked by Darwin.
Hibbert uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Darwin has time to react.
Darwin slips a jab from Hibbert.
Hibbert throws a sloppy head kick and Darwin moves out of range easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Darwin gets tackled into the cage by Hibbert. Hibbert maintains the clinch.
Darwin lands an uppercut.
Hibbert stalls.
Hibbert blocks an uppercut.
Darwin misses with a punch on the inside.
Hibbert blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Darwin lands with a light punch inside.

Darwin escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Darwin lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Hibbert cracks Darwin with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Hibbert throws out a leg kick but Darwin moves out of range and Hibbert only half commits.
Darwin is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Darwin loads up on a big right hand but Hibbert slips the punch.
Despite the aggression on Hibbert's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Tony Hibbert seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Darwin throws the left hand but Hibbert avoids the punch easily.
Hibbert connects with a good right hand that stumbles Darwin. Darwin circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Darwin avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Darwin throwing a counter right hand but Hibbert manages to avoid it.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Darwin fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Hibbert has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Hibbert throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hibbert misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

Hibbert has closed the distance and engaged Darwin in a clinch.
Hibbert has Darwin pressed against the cage, preventing Darwin from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Hibbert has a couple of punches blocked by Darwin.
Darwin scores with a shoulder strike.
Darwin throws a head punch that misses.
Hibbert is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Hibbert blocking some punches.
Hibbert misses with a punch on the inside.
Hibbert lands an uppercut.
Darwin swings wildly with an uppercut but Hibbert uses good head movement to avoid it.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Darwin.
Darwin scores with a shot to the side of Hibbert's head.
Darwin working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Darwin tries to circle away but Hibbert has him pinned against the cage.
A nice left hand lands by Darwin.
Hibbert trying to stall but Darwin improves his position.
Darwin misses with a hook from the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Charlie Darwin will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Hibbert clinches up with Darwin and pushes him back against the cage.
Hibbert stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Darwin has a couple of punches blocked by Hibbert.
Hibbert tries to stall but Darwin uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Good body shot from Darwin.
Darwin throws a punch but it's blocked by Hibbert.
Darwin blocks a punch to the side of the head.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Darwin.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Darwin.
Hibbert has a couple of punches blocked by Darwin.
Darwin misses with a short punch on the inside.
Darwin swings away with an uppercut that misses.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Hibbert.
A nice right hand lands inside from Hibbert.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hibbert lands with a right to the head.
Darwin's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Hibbert blocks an uppercut.
Darwin has a couple of punches blocked by Hibbert.
Darwin scores with a shot to the side of Hibbert's head.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Darwin.
Darwin lands on the inside with an uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Darwin fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

Darwin breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Hibbert moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Hibbert gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Darwin counters with a stiff right hand.
Tony Hibbert is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Hibbert misses with a series of wild punches.
Darwin throwing a counter right hand but Hibbert manages to avoid it.
Hibbert lunges at Darwin with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Darwin's hand.
Darwin swings and misses with a hook to the body.
A nice combination there by Hibbert.
Hibbert swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Darwin tries to work over Hibbert's front leg with a kick but Hibbert checks it.
Darwin scores with a jab.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Hibbert moves away from the strike by Darwin.
Hibbert swings widly with a right hand
and Darwin counters with a nice uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hibbert throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Darwin cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Hibbert throws a leg kick that is checked
and Darwin counters with a low kick, right behind Hibbert 's knee.
Hibbert takes one to the chin there.
Hibbert has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Darwin.
Tony Hibbert seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Darwin misses with a straight right.
Darwin is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Hibbert.
It looked like Darwin was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Hibbert.
Darwin misses with a low kick.

Hibbert gets a clinch.
Darwin's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Darwin blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
A head punch on the inside from Hibbert fails to land.
Hibbert avoiding damage.
Darwin lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Hibbert blocking some punches.
Hibbert lands a shoulder strike.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Darwin lands a nice uppercut.
Darwin lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Darwin misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Darwin blocking some punches.
Darwin tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Hibbert working aggressively here.
Darwin lands a shoulder strike.
Hibbert lands with a short head shot on the inside.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Darwin.
Hibbert blocks an uppercut.
A head punch on the inside from Darwin fails to land.
Hibbert blocking some punches.
A right handed body shot lands from Hibbert.
Darwin tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
A short right from Hibbert.
Hibbert works on Darwin's body with a couple of short punches.
Darwin fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Darwin blocking some punches.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Hibbert misses with a punch on the inside.
Darwin lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Darwin lands a nice uppercut.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Darwin tries to throw a body punch but Hibbert avoids it by throwing Darwin back against the cage.
Hibbert lands with a short shot to the head.
Darwin prevents a body shot from Hibbert.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Charlie Darwin has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Hibbert lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Darwin backwards.
Hibbert takes a shot to the head.
Hibbert looking to slow down the pace here.
Darwin blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Darwin throws a punch but it's blocked by Hibbert.
Darwin working aggressively here.
Darwin lands with a right to the head.
Nice body punch from Hibbert.
Hibbert scores with a shot to the side of Darwin's head.
Hibbert working some nice short punches in the clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Hibbert stalling.
Darwin swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Hibbert misses with the head strike.
Hibbert tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Darwin blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
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 Charlie Darwin will probably get the nod.
That's time! Darwin's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Darwin steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Hibbert.

Hibbert closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Hibbert slows the pace down.
Darwin is pushing Hibbert's head away, looking to escape. Hibbert manages to hold on to the position though.
Darwin bucks up and tries to throw Hibbert off but instead Hibbert has got his back!
Hibbert throwing sloppy strikes.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Darwin tries to break free.
Darwin is trying to get back to his feet but Hibbert has full control of the position and if anything, Darwin has just worked his way into a worse spot.
So, who will make the next big move? In this position it could be crucial.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Darwin has his hands over his head blocking the strikes from Hibbert.
Darwin looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
Darwin is trying to get back to his feet but Hibbert has full control of the position and if anything, Darwin has just worked his way into a worse spot.
Hibbert not allowing Darwin to control his hands.
A lull in the action here.

Hibbert is working for the choke. He's slipped one arm under the chin. Darwin has to defend the other arm for all he's worth... but Hibbert has managed to get that arm free too and he's tightening the choke! Darwin taps out and looks absolutely disgusted with himself. Hibbert doesn't care though - he's delighted!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:18 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Tony Hibbert!