PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between That Heart (ranked 2223 p4p, 3925 weight class) and Matt Hernandez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). That Heart has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Heart
vs
Hernandez

181 cm
21
191
5 - 1 - 0

189 cm
26
195
5 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Heavy handed

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 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, That Heart!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Matt Hernandez!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Timothy Bukovac and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hernandez takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
A looping hook to the body misses from Hernandez. Heart does a little dance to reset his feet.
Good shot there by Heart.
Heart throws a hook but Hernandez blocks it.
Heart lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Heart digs a good hook to Hernandez's body.
Hernandez connects with a body shot that sends Heart's belly button to the back.
Hernandez takes one to the side of the head.
Heart connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Hernandez lands a jab to Heart's midsection.
Heart has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Catch Wrestling L.A. in the buildup to the fight.
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!
Hernandez misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Heart.
Heart connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Heart lands a slapping body shot.
Hernandez ducks under a wild hook from Heart.
Hernandez steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Heart.
Heart scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Heart throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Hernandez on the side of the head.

Heart takes the fight into the clinch.
Heart working some nice short punches in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Knees to the body from Heart.
Hernandez lands a shot to the body.
Heart lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Heart lands a nice uppercut.
Hernandez tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Heart lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Heart blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Heart makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Hernandez looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Heart scores with a nice hook to the head.
Heart softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Heart creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Hernandez throws a head punch that misses.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Heart ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Heart no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Heart keeping moving, preventing Hernandez from controlling successfully.
Heart wants to sweep here but Hernandez controlling him for the moment.
Heart seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hernandez looking to pass the guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Heart is on top in guard.

Heart loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Hernandez can do anything to dispel that myth.
Heart is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Heart is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Heart postures up.
Heart slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Heart landing with the ground and pound.
Heart controlling from the top position.
Hernandez trying to keep a closed guard but Heart is proving a slippery customer.
Heart has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Heart is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Heart scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Heart cracks Hernandez with a right hand to the side of the head.
Hernandez throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Heart lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Heart bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Hernandez's head backwards.
Heart is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.
Hernandez slips a jab and a cross from Heart.
Heart dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
A big left from Heart misses.
A cross from Heart lands.
Heart wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Hernandez throws a body punch but Heart moves out of range.
Heart thuds his right hand into Hernandez's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Heart swings for the body but Hernandez moves out of range.
Hernandez tries to counter with a clinch but Heart shakes him off and moves away.
Hernandez ducks under a wild hook from Heart.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That Heart dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Heart uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Hernandez is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Heart rather than just go for the knockout.
Hernandez thows a left - swing and a miss!
Heart connects with a single shot there.

Hernandez is rocked!
That Heart seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Hernandez steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Heart.
Heart lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Hernandez is still on wobbly legs! Can Heart finish him?
Hernandez swings for the body but Heart moves out of range.
Hernandez seems to have recovered his senses.

Heart has Hernandez up against the cage in a clinch.
Heart gets through Hernandez's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Heart lands an uppercut.
Hernandez is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Heart is defending well for now.
Hernandez misses with a hook to the ribs.

Heart drags the fight down to the ground.
Heart pulls Hernandez in close to prevent any damage.
Heart keeping moving, preventing Hernandez from controlling successfully.
Hernandez is fighting to break Heart's control of his arms but Heart is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
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!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Heart bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Hernandez's guard.

Heart is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Hernandez can do to turn this around?
Hernandez looking for a sweep. Not yet Hernandez, not yet.
Heart scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Heart content to stall in guard here.
Hernandez working a defensive guard here.
Heart works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Heart sitting and controlling from the half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Heart wants to work for an arm triangle but Hernandez is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Heart in particular looking to stall.
Heart thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Heart looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Heart works his way into side control.
Heart controlling from side mount.
Heart advances to mount.
Heart putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!

Heart has hold of Hernandez's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Hernandez manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Heart lands a big shot there that rocks Hernandez but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Heart controlling from mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Heart has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Hernandez's face.
Heart cracks Hernandez with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Heart controlling the position easily from mount.
That Heart overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Heart with shots to the head and body - Hernandez looks very uncomfortable down there.
Heart controlling his opponent.
Heart lands a big elbow.
Heart looking to finish Hernandez with some ground and pound. This is bad for Hernandez!
Heart scoring with strikes but Hernandez is staying in there.
Hernandez in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Heart tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Heart looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Heart controlling from the full mount.
Heart landing strikes from the mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Heart lands a couple of good shots and Hernandez has given up his back, trying to escape the position!
Heart throwing strikes from the back - he gets a warning from the referee for striking the back of the head but all these shots are hurting Hernandez!
Hernandez takes a big shot to the side of the head.
Heart lands with a big left hand that may well have hurt his opponent. Can Hernandez hold on?!
Hernandez covering up well and avoiding damage.

Heart working for a choke but Hernandez is defending well.
Hernandez is being controlled on the ground here - he must escape this position otherwise surely the end is near.
Heart is not going to allow Hernandez to sit and survive in this position.
Hernandez really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Heart. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Heart missing with strikes.
Hernandez is very frustrated here, being controlled quite effectively by Heart.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That Heart dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Hernandez takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.

Heart rushes Hernandez and presses him up against the cage.
A short right from Heart.
Hernandez's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Heart throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Hernandezs head.
Heart softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Heart lands a shoulder strike.
Hernandez tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Hernandez prevents a body shot from Heart.
Heart tries to pull guard but Hernandez won't allow it.
Heart blocking some punches.
Heart tries to throw a body punch but Hernandez avoids it by throwing Heart back against the cage.
Heart lands with a left to the head.
Heart pushes Hernandez back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Hernandez throws an elbow that misses.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Heart lands an uppercut.
Hernandez throws a head punch that misses.
Hernandez tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Heart pushes off an throws an elbow but Hernandez leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Hernandez lands with a right to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Heart tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Hernandez's elbow.
Heart lands a damaging elbow.
Heart working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Heart pushes off an throws an elbow but Hernandez leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Heart cracks Hernandez with a nice body shot.
Hernandez misses with a punch to the body.
Heart gets through Hernandez's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Hernandez takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Heart lands a shoulder strike.
That Heart has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Heart lands with a left to the head.
Heart is working Hernandez over against the cage.
Heart lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Hernandez or not.
Heart looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Hernandez throws a punch but it's blocked by Heart.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Heart.

Heart jumps guard and drags Hernandez to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
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!
Heart looking for a sweep. Not yet Heart, not yet.
Heart managing to control the position.
Matt Hernandez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hernandez must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

Heart has his foot on Hernandez's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Hernandez works his way back into a safe position though.
Heart seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Hernandez has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Heart is proving hard to escape from.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Heart lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Heart jabs at Hernandez's body.
Heart scores with a decent looking hook.
The fighters circle momentarily. Heart darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Hernandez gets tackled into the cage by Heart. Heart maintains the clinch.
Hernandez tries a body shot but Heart blocks it.
Hernandez can't find room to land a body shot as Heart controls the action.
Hernandez takes a shot to the head.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Heart.
Heart throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Hernandezs head.
Heart prevents Hernandez from breaking the clinch.
Heart throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Hernandezs head.
Still in the clinch, Heart scores with a nice short uppercut.
Hernandez swings wildly with an uppercut but Heart uses good head movement to avoid it.
Heart lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Heart lands an uppercut.
Heart lands a nice elbow.
Heart lands a left hand.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Heart lands a big right hand that drops Hernandez! The killer instinct kicks in and Heart finishes his opponent with a series of strikes from mount. A dominating finish by Heart!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:54 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). That Heart!
That Heart bigged himself up after the win. The crowd seemed to love it.