PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Gustavo Oliveira (ranked 2431 p4p, 3925 weight class) and Darryl Haze (ranked 317 p4p, 462 weight class). Gustavo Oliveira looks tired to me. Hopefully he has got enough gas left in the tank to put in a good performance.

Oliveira
vs
Haze

181 cm
22
180
5 - 4 - 0

179 cm
21
170
4 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Very quick

Good takedowns
Decent boxing
Granite chin

The Dirty Needle Project

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 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Gustavo Oliveira!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Darryl Haze !
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Trevor Gratis and Steve Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Haze swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Oliveira.

Oliveira drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Oliveira happy to just control the position for now.
Oliveira misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Oliveira is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Haze will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Oliveira with the ground and pound but Haze regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Oliveira passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Haze !
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Haze tries to hold on but Oliveira postures up.
Haze is wriggling around trying to escape.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Oliveira thowing shots but they're missing.
Haze wants to hold on but Oliveira pushes him away.
Oliveira postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Haze looks a forlorn figure.
Haze tries to lock up and control but Oliveira gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Oliveira takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Oliveira avoids the attempt from Haze to control.
Oliveira trying to control but Haze is having none of it.
Haze tries to hold on but Oliveira pushes him away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Haze is working to get back to half guard.
Oliveira is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Haze can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Oliveira looking to control and managing it successfully.
Haze is looking to improve his position but Oliveira isn't that keen on the idea.
Oliveira looking to ground and pound but Haze is blocking nicely.

Oliveira looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Oliveira can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Haze is looking to escape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Haze tries to hold on but Oliveira pushes him away.
Oliveira controlling from mount.
Oliveira's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Haze tries to hold on but Oliveira postures up.
Oliveira tries to control but Haze wriggling away.
Oliveira avoids the attempt from Haze to control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Oliveira content just to control the position here.
Haze taking shots to the head.
Haze is working to get back to half guard.

Oliveira jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Haze is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Haze and Oliveira has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
You can see the frustration on Haze 's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Haze is trying to improve his position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Gustavo Oliveira dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Oliveira moves in looking to clinch but Haze pushes him off.
Haze moves into range and connects with a jab.
Oliveira tries to score a power double leg takedown but Haze sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Oliveira somewhat.
Haze fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.

Oliveira gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Haze must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Haze trying to control but Oliveira is working from the bottom.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Oliveira looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Haze pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Oliveira is keeping the position for now.
Gustavo Oliveira overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Oliveira keeping moving, preventing Haze from controlling successfully.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Haze working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
Haze advances position into side control!
Oliveira struggling a bit here.

Haze is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Oliveira is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Oliveira is trying to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Haze is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Oliveira knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

Haze goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Oliveira rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Haze 's guard! Nice work there by Oliveira!
Oliveira sitting in guard here, content to control.
Oliveira tries to free his leg and advance position but Haze is retaining full guard.
Haze is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Oliveira trying to control but Haze is working from the bottom.
Haze working a defensive guard here.
Oliveira trying to control but Haze is working from the bottom.
Oliveira sitting in guard here, content to control.
Oliveira is looking to work some ground and pound but Haze has wrist control.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

That's four 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.
Haze throws a leg kick

and Oliveira counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Haze controlling the position.
Oliveira is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Haze working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Oliveira.
Oliveira engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Oliveira postures up.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Oliveira is stalling in the full guard.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Darryl Haze will probably get the nod - 10:9.
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!

Oliveira takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Oliveira shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Haze sprawls well. Haze wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Oliveira gets slowly back to his feet.
Haze lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Oliveira at a distance.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Oliveira is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Haze is defending well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Haze wants the takedown. Oliveira is fighting it off but Haze persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Oliveira's guard against the cage.
Oliveira doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Haze pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Oliveira is keeping the position for now.
Oliveira looking to control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Oliveira keeping moving, preventing Haze from controlling successfully.
Haze passes into half guard.
Oliveira won't allow Haze to pass to mount.
Oliveira is looking to control Haze 's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Oliveira avoid being mounted?
Haze is trying to control the action in half guard but Oliveira is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Oliveira is trying to maintain the position but Haze is very close to passing his half guard.

That's two 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.
Oliveira is not content to let Haze control the position.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Haze lands a really nice looking cross but Oliveira seems unphased.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Oliveira is defended easily by Haze .
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Gustavo Oliveira. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Oliveira doesn't manage to clinch there - Haze circles away.

Haze drives through with a takedown into guard.
Oliveira keeping moving, preventing Haze from controlling successfully.
Haze pushing down on Oliveira's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Haze looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Haze is looking to stall here but Oliveira recovers full guard.
Haze trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Oliveira looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Haze wants to control from the top but Oliveira keeps moving.

Haze drops back, looking for a kneebar! Oliveira looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Oliveira looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Oliveira!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Oliveira looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
You can see the frustration on Haze 's face as Oliveira controls the position.
Haze is not content to let Oliveira control the position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Haze manages to get back to half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Darryl Haze comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Haze has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 William Peck scores the fight 28:29
Judge Trevor Gratis scores the fight 29:28
Judge Steve Smith scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Darryl Haze !