PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Tim Horton (ranked 2126 p4p, 2149 weight class) and Nero Hardy (ranked 294 p4p, 298 weight class). I don't know about you partner, but I'm pumped for this one!

Horton
vs
Hardy

187 cm
19
192
4 - 0 - 0

180 cm
19
189
3 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Excellent boxer
Very strong

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter fighter
Good gas tank

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 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Tim Horton!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Nero Hardy!
The judges for this bout are Konstantin Menshow, Dmitry Maklakov and Vladimir Khabensky.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hardy staying out of range there.
Horton connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Hardy staying out of range there.
Horton lands a right hook to the body.
Hardy throws a body shot but no joy.
Hardy with a jab.
Horton moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hardy on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Horton fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Horton cracks Hardy with a good jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Horton throws a body shot but no joy.
Horton misses with an uppercut.
Hardy tries to counter by closing the distance.
Hardy avoids a punch combination nicely.
Horton lands a jab to the head.
Horton throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Hardy tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Horton paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Horton lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Horton is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Horton uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Horton seems to be moving with more speed, compared to his last bout. He must have been working on that in the gym.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hardy throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Hardy on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Horton misses with a body punch
and Hardy counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Horton keeps the fight on the outside.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Horton misses with a hook.
Horton lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Hardy backs up against the cage.
Hardy misses with a looping left.
Horton digs a good hook to Hardy's body.
Horton keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Hardy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Horton lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Hardy takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Hardy's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Horton connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Hardy scrambles back to his feet.
Horton misses with a hook. Hardy ducked under it nicely.
Hardy tries to clinch up.
Hardy tries to clinch but fails miserably
letting Horton counter with a right hand.
Horton lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Hardy at a distance.
Horton misses with a double jab
and Hardy counters with a left to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Horton drops Hardy with a beautiful combination! Hardy stares up at his opponent, who ushers him back to his feet - Horton is looking for the KO!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Nice uppercut there from Horton.
Hardy keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Horton ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Hardy moves away.
A swing and a miss from Horton.
Horton moves out of range as Hardy strikes.
Horton scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Hardy misses with a lunging right hand
and Horton counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Hardy keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Tim Horton dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Horton throws out a loose jab but Hardy uses good head movement to avoid it.
Horton throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Hardy has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Horton lands a slapping body shot.
Hardy ducks under a wild hook from Horton.
Hardy is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
Horton keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Horton jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Hardy throws out a counter right but Horton avoids it with no problem.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hardy uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Horton.
Horton jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Hardy keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jab from Hardy.
Hardy ducks under a wild hook from Horton.
A slow jab from Horton misses its intended target.
Hardy looks to score with a jab to the body but Horton is just out of range.
A jab lands there for Hardy.
Tim Horton is winning the standup battle so far.
Horton connects with a nice looking jab.
Horton cracks Hardy with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Hardy throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Hardy takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Horton is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Hardy.
A left lands for Hardy.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A swing and a miss from Horton.

Hardy gets a clinch.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Horton.

Horton manages to break the clinch.
Hardy tries to clinch up
and Horton counters with a straight right hand.
Nice uppercut lands for Horton. That snapped Hardy's head back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hardy uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Horton.
Horton thows a left - swing and a miss!
Horton looks to throw the jab but Hardy is out of range.
Hardy is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
Hardy moves out of range of the strikes.
Horton lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Horton misses the shot to the body.
Horton just misses with a punch to the body.
Hardy is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
Hardy moves away from the strike by Horton.
Hardy is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Horton with a body shot.
Horton throws out a loose jab but Hardy uses good head movement to avoid it.
Hardy looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Horton cracks Hardy with an open hand slap.
Horton scores with a jab to the head.
Hardy missing with a left hand there. Horton was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Hardy lands with a nice body punch.
Hardy misses with a looping right.
Horton throws the left hand but Hardy avoids the punch easily.
Hardy is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Horton.
Horton misses with a lunging right hand
and Hardy counters with a series of strikes. Horton will be more careful next time no doubt.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Horton throws a body punch but Hardy moves out of range.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Hardy moves into range and clinches up with Horton.
Horton blocks a body shot from Hardy.

Horton breaks the clinch.
Hardy takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Hardy ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Hardy tries to clinch up but Horton circles away and keeps his distance.
Horton jabs Hardy right on the nose. Hardy blinks but takes it well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hardy throws a right and a left that both miss.
Horton stuns Hardy with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Horton throws a shot from downtown. Hardy moves away and avoids it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hardy swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Horton counters with a straight right hand.
Horton connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Hardy uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Horton.
A telegraphed right hand from Horton misses the target.
Horton misses with a looping right.
Hardy throws a counter combo.
Horton throws a body punch but Hardy moves out of range.
Horton ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Hardy moves away.
Horton throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Hardy throws a counter combo.
Horton slips under a jab from Hardy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Horton throws the left hand but Hardy avoids the punch easily.
Hardy swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Horton looks to land a left hand but Hardy moved out of range nicely.
Hardy staying out of range there.
Horton sets himself, and Hardy steps forward looking for the clinch! Horton avoids it this time.
Hardy ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Horton avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
It looked like Horton wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Tim Horton is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Horton lands a nice looking body shot.
Hardy throws a sloppy body shot
and Horton counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Hardy is looking to clinch.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Horton misses with a body shot.
Horton is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Hardy can do to turn this around?

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hardy misses with a looping left.
Hardy tries to clinch up.
Horton is looking to counter punch.
Nice body punch from Horton.
Hardy looks to land a combination but Horton avoids it well.
Hardy is looking to clinch but Horton is avoiding it.
Nice defenses there by Hardy.
Horton jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Horton misses with a straight right.
Hardy keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Horton.
Hardy looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Horton swinging wildly here.
Hardy defending well as Horton loads up on a big left hand.
Hardy throws out a counter right but Horton avoids it with no problem.
Horton throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Nero Hardy has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Horton scores with a nice strike.
Horton misses the shot to the body.
Hardy throws out a counter right but Horton avoids it with no problem.
Horton ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Hardy on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tim Horton showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Horton, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 30:27
Judge Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 30:27
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tim Horton!