PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Frankie Venegas (ranked 418 p4p, 145 weight class) and Richard Hall (ranked 54 p4p, 23 weight class). Richard Hall will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Venegas
vs
Hall

150 cm
27
145
14 - 5 - 0

170 cm
27
145
15 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter fighter
Very strong

BJJ Brown Belt
Basic striking
Good gas tank

Highland Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 14 - 5 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Frankie Venegas !
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Richard Hall!
The judges for this bout are Sandra Marshall, Dirk Anderson and David Hoff.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Hall clinches up against the cage.

Hall pulls guard successfully.
Hall keeping moving, preventing Venegas from controlling successfully.
Hall pulls Venegas in close to prevent any damage.
Hall looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Venegas keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Hall's head.
Venegas throws a strike but Hall rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Hall stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Venegas swivels though and keeps the full guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hall wants to control from the top but Venegas keeps moving.
Hall trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Venegas throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Hall slips nicely into half guard.
Hall is trying to control. Venegas wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
The fighters are battling for position here. Venegas manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Hall is fighting to break Venegas 's control of his arms but Venegas is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

Venegas looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Hall is trying to get an arm triangle but Venegas is defending well.
Hall trying to control the action but Venegas is working from the bottom.
Venegas looks to move to half guard but instead Hall has passed into mount! Damn!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hall fails to advance to Venegas 's back.
Hall manages to capitalize on a mistake by Venegas to take his back!
Hall is trying to stick to Venegas 's back but Venegas is turning into Hall. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Hall's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Venegas .
Venegas has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Venegas trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Venegas preventing the sweep.
Venegas stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Hall swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Hall working a defensive guard here.
Venegas might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Hall looking for a guillotine here but Venegas defends easily.
Venegas landing with the ground and pound.
Venegas wants to control from the top but Hall keeps moving.
Hall has momentary wrist control but Venegas slips an elbow through the middle.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Venegas throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Venegas accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Venegas gets caught flat footed, as Hall shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Venegas thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.

Hall got a little sloppy there for a moment and Venegas has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Hall has managed to get both his arms back between Venegas 's legs - danger averted.
Venegas looking to control.

Venegas is looking for a triangle here but Hall uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Hall controlling from side mount.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Venegas is looking for a sweep.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hall wants to lay and pray for a moment but Venegas keeps working.
Hall just content to control the position.
Venegas is trying to improve his position.
Venegas is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Hall's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Hall trying to mount his opponent but Venegas defends it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Venegas wants to get back to his feet.
Venegas keeping control of the position.
Venegas is looking to improve his position.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.

Hall clinches up with Venegas and pushes him back against the cage.

Hall ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Hall no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hall wants to sweep here but Venegas controlling him for the moment.
Venegas postures up.
Hall keeping moving, preventing Venegas from controlling successfully.
Venegas throws an elbow that misses. Hall uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Venegas 's guard. Nice move by Hall!

Hall passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Venegas looking for a sweep but Hall has passed into full mount! Oh no!
Hall wants to control the pace but Venegas is squirming around nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Venegas is looking to improve his position but Hall isn't that keen on the idea.
Venegas is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Venegas is in all sorts of trouble here.
Venegas is just holding on here. Hall manages to take his back.
Venegas trying to control but not successfully.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Venegas can't escape the position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Richard Hall showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Venegas tries to score a power double leg takedown but Hall sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Venegas somewhat.
Venegas shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Hall but Hall pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Frankie Venegas is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Venegas fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Frankie Venegas . That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hall throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Venegas tries to counter with a takedown but Hall is quick to defend against it.
Hall stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Hall wants it to stay on the feet.
Venegas shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Venegas gets tackled into the cage by Hall. Hall maintains the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hall stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Hall trying to stall but Venegas improves his position.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Venegas is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Hall gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Hall manages to pull guard.
Hall working a defensive guard here.
Venegas throws a big elbow that misses.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Venegas accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Venegas connects with a couple of short punches.
Hall looking to control.
Venegas connects with a couple of short punches.
Hall avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Richard Hall has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Venegas missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Hall bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Venegas 's guard.

Venegas wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Hall is now in half guard.
Venegas tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Venegas won't allow Hall to pass to mount.
Venegas is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Venegas trying to control but Hall postures up.
Venegas missing with punches from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hall seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Venegas does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Hall trying to advance position but Venegas counters by regaining guard.

Venegas looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Hall has picked Venegas up and slammed him! Venegas can't keep hold of the triangle and Hall manages to pass to side control!
Hall laying and praying for a moment but Venegas takes advantage and regains half guard.
Hall trying to control from half guard but Venegas is working away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Venegas has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Hall is working away from the top position though.
Frankie Venegas has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Hall is looking for a kimura but Venegas is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Hall to get the leverage.

Venegas looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Hall is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Venegas is looking to improve his position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Richard Hall comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Hall 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 Sandra Marshall scores the fight for Richard Hall!
Judge Dirk Anderson scores the fight for Richard Hall!
Judge David Hoff scores the fight for Richard Hall!

Richard Hall wins by unanimous decision!
After the fight, Richard Hall was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.