PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Grant Hopkins (ranked 5924 p4p, 492 weight class) and Bald Martin (ranked 4877 p4p, 450 weight class). Martin has chosen I’m Bald And I Know It as his entrance music. The key to victory for Grant Hopkins has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Hopkins
vs
Martin

185 cm
20
185 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

182 cm
18
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

Good takedowns
Counter fighter
Granite chin

Arcticus University: London
Urban Fighter

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Grant Hopkins!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Bald Martin!
The judges for this bout are James Atkins, William Gold and Phil Schofield.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hopkins tries to close the distance and clinch but Martin swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Hopkins looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!

Martin decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Martin controlling the pace.
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.
Martin lands with a punch from half guard.
Martin seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Hopkins does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Martin is nestled in close to Hopkins, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Martin tries to pass to full mount but Hopkins defends it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martin sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Martin's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Martin passes the guard and advances to mount!
Hopkins takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Martin controlling the position easily from mount.
Martin with good strikes from the mount here!
Martin content just to control the position here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Martin with good strikes from the mount here!
Martin wants to control the pace but Hopkins is squirming around nicely.
Martin content just to control the position here.
Martin can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Hopkins is looking to escape.
Martin landing punches.
Martin controlling his opponent.
Hopkins is squirming around, avoiding Martin's attempts to control the action.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Martin sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Martin trying to control but Hopkins is having none of it.
Martin connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Martin tries to control but Hopkins wriggling away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Martin with the ground and pound from mount.
Martin pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Hopkins on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Hopkins tries to get out of the position.
Martin controlling from mount.
Martin has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Hopkins's face.
Martin lands a heavy elbow.
Martin content just to control the position here.
Martin lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Hopkins hang on?
Martin controlling the pace for now.
Martin fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Martin tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Martin scoring with strikes but Hopkins is staying in there.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Martin lands with some strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bald Martin dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Martin closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Martin has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Martin is trying to control the action in half guard but Hopkins is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Martin wants to pass to mount but Hopkins is defending the position.
Hopkins is not content to let Martin control the position.
Martin landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Still in half guard, Martin seems content to control.
Martin has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Hopkins has hold of Martin's hands but Martin slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Martin scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Martin perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Martin is nestled in close to Hopkins, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Martin content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martin has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Bald Martin has got the better of the ground game so far.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Martin landing strikes from the mount.
Martin controlling the position easily from mount.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Martin with a couple of short strikes.
Martin sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Martin landing strikes from the mount and Hopkins is in trouble!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Martin lands a couple of good shots and Hopkins has given up his back, trying to escape the position!
Martin cracks Hopkins with a big shot to body and one to the head - really punishing Hopkins from the back mount here, looking to soften him up.
Hopkins grimaces as he takes a shot to the body.
Martin controls the action.
Martin trying desperately to keep hold of the dominant position.
Martin controlling from the back.
Martin is continuing to stall.
Martin is punishing Hopkins with strikes - can he finish him?!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Martin just keeping the dominant position. He can't wait too long though, otherwise the referee will stand them back up.
Martin lands with a nice looking elbow that stuns Hopkins.
Martin controls the action.
Martin tries to get the hooks in deep but Hopkins pushed the leg off.
Martin just keeping the dominant position. He can't wait too long though, otherwise the referee will stand them back up.
Hopkins is covering up but some of the strikes from Martin are getting through and doing damage.
Martin controls the position.
Martin looking to soften up his opponent with punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
So, who will make the next big move? In this position it could be crucial.
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Martin's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.
Martin scores with strikes from the back.
Martin has good solid back control here.
Martin gets his hooks in and is throwing strikes.
Martin wants to control but Hopkins is keeping busy.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Martin scores with punches to the body.
Martin slows the pace down here. Having a little breather whilst he's in a dominant position, looking to rest and regain some energy, ready to go for the finish.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bald Martin showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Martin looking to score a takedown here. Hopkins is defending well but Martin drives through and ends up in Hopkins's guard.
Hopkins can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Martin controls the pace.
Martin looking to pass the guard.
Martin slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Martin lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martin postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Martin stands and throws Hopkins's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Martin is staying tight to Hopkins's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Martin is looking to take a break and control but Hopkins is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Martin just content to control the position.
Martin wants to lay and pray for a moment but Hopkins keeps working.
Martin looks up at the clock and then as Hopkins takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Martin smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Martin remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Martin tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Check out the look on Martin's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Hopkins taking a bit of punishment here - Martin scoring with strikes.
Martin grinds an elbow into Hopkins's temple.

Martin tries for a kimura but Hopkins is defending well.
Martin looks up at the clock and then as Hopkins takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Martin smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Martin working the body and head with strikes.
Martin has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Martin scoring with strikes but Hopkins is staying in there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hopkins is desperately trying to improve his position but Martin has a good base and remains in mount.
Martin looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Martin controlling from the full mount.
Martin tries to control but Hopkins wriggling away.
Martin working Hopkins over with strikes here.
Martin looking to finish Hopkins with some ground and pound. This is bad for Hopkins!
Martin with the ground and pound from mount.
Martin looking to control but Hopkins is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Martin landing strikes from the mount.
Martin landing strikes from the mount and Hopkins is in trouble!
Martin can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Hopkins is looking to escape.
Martin raining down hammerfists from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Martin punishing his opponent with strikes.
Bald Martin is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Martin controlling his opponent.
More stalling from Martin.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Grant Hopkins has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

And that's the end of the fight!
Bald Martin comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Martin 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 James Atkins scores the fight 24:30
Judge William Gold scores the fight 26:30
Judge Phil Schofield scores the fight 25:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Bald Martin!
Our winner, Bald Martin, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.
Grant Hopkins was interviewed post fight and said 'Well, i better get a rematch, these fighters arent on my level.'.