PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Thomas Hearn (ranked 2532 p4p, 3403 weight class) and Ahura Mazda (ranked 337 p4p, 410 weight class). I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Ahura Mazda was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Hearn
vs
Mazda

185 cm
22
180
4 - 4 - 0

182 cm
20
175
4 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
World class MT
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Conviction

Conviction
FinnFighter Nutrition (Five 160Q supps!)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Thomas Hearn!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Ahura Mazda!
The judges for this bout are Mauricio Rocha, Leandro Rodrigues and Luis Engracia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A looping hook to the body misses from Mazda. Hearn does a little dance to reset his feet.
We've been told by Hearn's head coaches at Xtreme Black House that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
A nice inside leg kick there by Hearn. That's going to slow Mazda down.
Mazda lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Hearn at a distance.
Mazda misses with a body kick.
Hearn blocks a head kick by Mazda.
Hearn appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.
Hearn gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Mazda.

It looks like Thomas Hearn has been cut.
Mazda fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Mazda shoots and misses
and Hearn counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Mazda thinking.
Mazda cracks Hearn with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Hearn throws a push kick but Mazda slaps the foot to one side.
A countering left hand to the body from Mazda misses.

Mazda gets a takedown into half guard.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Hearn wants to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mazda thows a huge punch but Hearn dodges it nicely.
Mazda missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Mazda throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Mazda throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Hearn avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Mazda.
Mazda missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Mazda throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Hearn trying to control but Mazda postures up.
Mazda sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Hearn defending well though.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Mazda working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Mazda trying to control the action but Hearn is working from the bottom.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Mazda shoots in but Hearn avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Hearn throws a lazy head kick

and Mazda counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Mazda wants to control from the top but Hearn keeps moving.
Mazda stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Hearn swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Mazda preventing the sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hearn utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Mazda trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Hearn keeping moving, preventing Mazda from controlling successfully.
Mazda throwing strikes from guard but Hearn blocks nicely.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Mazda wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Mazda moves out of range of the body kick from Hearn.
Mazda shoots in and drives through. Hearn sprawls well.
Hearn tries to counter by clinching up but Mazda breaks away and moves out of range.
Thomas Hearn has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ahura Mazda.
A telegraphed right hand from Mazda misses the target.
Hearn looks for the body kick but Mazda saw that one coming.
Hearn listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mazda throws a lazy head kick
and Hearn counters with a nice body shot.
Thomas Hearn is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
A low kick from Mazda is predictable there

and Hearn counters with a head kick that drops Mazda to the mat! Mazda scrambles across the canvas and gets back to his feet, still wobbly!
Mazda is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Hearn rather than just go for the knockout.
Hearn moves in looking to clinch but Mazda pushes him off.
Mazda feints the counter takedown.
Mazda tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Hearn was well out of range. Poor timing from Mazda.
Hearn appears to be looking for a big counter.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Mazda misses with a leg kick.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Hearn. Mazda shrugs it off though.
Mazda fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Hearn half committed to a counter leg kick.
A clash of legs there as Mazda blocks the low kick.
Decent striking displayed by Hearn there.
Mazda misses with a takedown attempt - Hearn sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Hearn was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Ahura Mazda will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Thomas Hearn's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Hearn tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Hearn throws a big shot that misses.
Mazda flicks out a counter leg kick but Hearn steps away.
Hearn attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Mazda fails with the takedown
and Hearn cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Hearn leaves Mazda with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Mazda on the wrong end of a nice hook.

Mazda is rocked!

Hearn closes the distance and clinches.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Mazda pulls guard effortlessly.
Hearn looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Mazda working a defensive guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mazda has Hearn pulled in close to control his posture.
Hearn slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Mazda seems keen to control Hearn's posture.

Hearn stands up from guard. Let's bang!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Mazda fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Hearn manages to avoid it.
Thomas Hearn is winning the standup battle so far.
The fight stays on the outside here - Hearn looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
A low kick lands for Hearn.
Hearn connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Hearn fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
A leg kick checked by Hearn.
Hearn seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Mazda shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Hearn sprawls well. Hearn wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Mazda gets slowly back to his feet.
Thomas Hearn has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ahura Mazda.
Hearn throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mazda closes this distance looking for a takedown but Hearn circles away.
Hearn lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Mazda at a distance.
Hearn lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Hearn is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Mazda can do to turn this around?

Mazda manages to break the clinch.
Hearn uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Mazda.
Hearn uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Mazda.
Mazda blocks the body kick.
Hearn ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
The fighters circle momentarily. Mazda darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Hearn keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hearn thumps Mazda with a low kick.
Mazda misses with a kick to the body.
Hearn scores with a jab to the head.
Mazda takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Hearn throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Mazda throws a sloppy head kick and Hearn moves out of range easily.
Mazda misses with a wild body shot.
Hearn throws a leg kick which misses Mazda's front leg but catches the back leg as Mazda tries to avoid it.
Good leg kick by Hearn.
Hearn looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.

Mazda gets tackled into the cage by Hearn. Hearn maintains the clinch.

Hearn escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Thomas Hearn dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Thomas Hearn's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Hearn looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Mazda throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Hearn ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Mazda moves away.
Mazda on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Hearn. Hearn obviously looking to wear him down.
Mazda takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Hearn stuns Mazda with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Mazda throws a leg kick but Hearn checks it.
Mazda uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Hearn.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hearn moves away from the strike by Mazda.
Mazda looks to score with a jab to the body but Hearn is just out of range.
A telegraphed right hand from Mazda misses the target.
Mazda misses with a left hand
and Hearn makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hearn fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Mazda.
A thudding body kick lands there by Hearn!
A nice leg kick lands there from Hearn.
Hearn throws the kick towards the body but Mazda avoids it.
Mazda throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Mazda throws a predictable looking body shot
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Mazda takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Mazda fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Hearn manages to avoid it.
A combination from Hearn does no damage.
Thomas Hearn seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A chopping leg kick lands by Hearn.
Ohhhhh! A huge head kick from Hearn! Mazda is out on his feet! Hearn rushes in and throws more strikes. The ref is looking closely - Mazda is covering up but the punishment is just too much and the ref steps in to stop the fight! Mazda is staring into space, just thankful that the beatdown has ended. Brutal finish.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:54 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Thomas Hearn!
A less than humble Thomas Hearn misjudged his post fight interview somewhat and came across a little too arrogant whilst trying to hype up his own abilities.