PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Darius Hayes (ranked 3879 p4p, 3904 weight class) and Byron Neal (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Hayes
vs
Neal

184 cm
24
176
1 - 0 - 0

191 cm
24
179
1 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Counter fighter
Likes comics

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Solid chin

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Darius Hayes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Byron Neal!
The judges for this bout are Russell Pearce, Reed Andrews and Franklyn Lucas.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Hayes drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Hayes is in close to Neal's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Hayes postures up and lands a big shot to Neal's brow.
Hayes with a nice head shot there.
Hayes cracks Neal with a solid left hand.
Hayes is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Hayes scoring with some ground and pound.
Hayes stays in close to Neal's body and controls the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Neal is looking to stand up but Hayes isn't so interested in that idea.
Neal is looking to stand back up but Hayes counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Neal.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hayes controlling the pace.
Hayes scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hayes scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Neal looks like he's trying to stand up.
Neal really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Hayes. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Hayes content to control rather than advance.
Neal is trying to stand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Hayes scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Hayes prevents Neal from standing back up.
Hayes controlling the action here.
Neal is looking to escape.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Neal shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Hayes pinned against the cage. Hayes gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Neal pushes Hayes away with a front kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Neal ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.

Hayes bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Hayes works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Neal wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Hayes is staying tight to Neal's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Hayes scores with punches from side control.
Hayes works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Hayes working the ground and pound.
Neal is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Hayes asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Hayes landing a few strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hayes cracks Neal with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Hayes cracks Neal with a big right hand but Neal just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Hayes scoring with punches and elbows.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Hayes connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Neal some visible discomfort.
Hayes connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Neal some visible discomfort.
Hayes landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Neal tries to get back to his feet but has found himself mounted instead. Damn, that's gotta suck.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Neal is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Hayes content just to control the position here.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Darius Hayes dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Neal wants to clinch
and Hayes counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Hayes fails with a takedown attempt.
Hayes shoots for a double leg takedown but Neal sprawls well. He's pushed Hayes's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Hayes avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Hayes is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Neal can do to turn this around?
Hayes missing with a left hand there. Neal was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Neal counters with a body kick.
Neal throws a nice head kick!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hayes circles away from the clinch attempt.
Hayes circles away from the clinch attempt.
Neal tries to clinch but Hayes moves away

and Hayes counters with a nice double leg into side control. Neal won't be happy with that.
Darius Hayes overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Hayes landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Neal tries to get back to his feet but has found himself mounted instead. Damn, that's gotta suck.
Hayes content just to control the position here.
Neal's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Neal takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Hayes controlling from the full mount.
Hayes working Neal over with strikes here.
Neal in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Neal taking shots to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
You get the feeling that Neal really doesn't like being in this position too much.
Neal takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Neal's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Hayes controlling the pace for now.
Hayes looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Neal tries to buck Hayes off but he can't manage it.
Hayes working Neal over with strikes here.
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!
Hayes takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Hayes lands a big shot there that rocks Neal but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Hayes landing strikes, looking to finish!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hayes lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Hayes lands a big elbow.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Neal can do anything to dispel that myth.
Hayes controlling his opponent.
Neal wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Hayes lands a nice shot to the head.
The referee warns Neal that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Hayes lands with some strikes.
Hayes lands a couple of good shots and Neal has given up his back, trying to escape the position!
Hayes punishes Neal with strikes from the back mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neal wants to get back to his feet.
Neal is being controlled on the ground here - he must escape this position otherwise surely the end is near.
Hayes 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.
Hayes scores with punches to the body.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
I would not like to be Neal right now.
Neal wants to get back to his feet.
Hayes is landing with strikes. Neal can't take much more of this.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Darius Hayes dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - 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.

Neal clinches.
Hayes takes a knee to the side of the body.
Neal effectively controlling the action here.
Neal lands a nice knee to the body.
Neal lands a knee to the body.
Neal is pressed up against the cage. Hayes has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Neal down to the mat. Neal avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
The fight stays on the outside here - Neal looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Byron Neal is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Neal pushes Hayes up against the cage in a clinch.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Neal.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Neal is looking to control Hayes's arms but Hayes gets an underhook and turns him. Now Neal has his back to the cage.
Neal tries to land knees in the clinch but Hayes avoids the damage to the body.
Neal trying to land knees to the body.
Hayes is trying to drag Neal to the mat but Neal just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Neal avoiding damage.
Hayes goes for a takedown in the clinch but Neal prevents it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Darius Hayes. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A bit of stalling here from Neal.

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.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Neal obliges.

Neal breaks from the clinch.

Hayes shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Neal tries to kick Hayes off but Hayes keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Hayes lands strikes from half guard.
Hayes keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Hayes prevents Neal from standing back up.
Neal scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Hayes manages to mount him!
Hayes raining down hammerfists from mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hayes tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Neal is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Hayes lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Hayes won't let Neal get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
Hayes pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Hayes controlling his opponent.
Hayes has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neal is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Hayes in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Hayes lands a heavy elbow.
Hayes looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Hayes looking to control and managing it successfully.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Byron Neal has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Darius Hayes.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Hayes, 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 Russell Pearce scores the fight for Darius Hayes!
Judge Reed Andrews scores the fight for Darius Hayes!
Judge Franklyn Lucas scores the fight for Darius Hayes!

Darius Hayes wins by unanimous decision!