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PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between James Hackett (ranked 1423 p4p, 1169 weight class) and Jan Sokol (ranked 108 p4p, 88 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Hackett might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Foe Tha Love of Money. 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.
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| 175 cm
39
146
27 - 17 - 1 |
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182 cm
29
135
16 - 13 - 1 |
Good wrestling
Lethal high kicks
KO power |
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Good wrestler
World class MT
Powerful |
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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 27 - 17 - 1, fighting out of London, James Hackett!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 13 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Jan Sokol!
The judges for this bout are Gregory Folan, Yves DeLean and Steve Smith.
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sokol misses with a body shot
and Hackett makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Sokol tries to clinch up but Hackett circles away and keeps his distance.
Sokol throws a looping overhand right but Hackett ducks down to avoid it.
Sokol throws a body punch but Hackett moves out of range.
Hackett drops his hands momentarily and Sokol takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Hackett tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Hackett tries to clinch but Sokol is having none of it.
Sokol is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Nice cross by Sokol.
Sokol throws a hook but Hackett avoids it easily.
Sokol uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Sokol misses with a double jab.
Sokol's jab looks to have found its range, popping Hackett under the eye.
Hackett moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Hackett misses with an attempted mid kick.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sokol ducks under a wild hook from Hackett.
Sokol bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Sokol connects with a jab.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Sokol scores with a hook.
A head kick misses from Hackett.
Hackett dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Sokol. That did some damage!
Hackett looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Sokol tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
James Hackett is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Hackett takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Hackett misses with a body shot.
Hackett dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Sokol. That did some damage!
Sokol fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Hackett is out of range.
Hackett throws an overhand right that lands on Sokol's shoulder, as Sokol tries to avoid the shot.
Hackett walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Sokol checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Sokol throws a series of punches but Hackett moves out of range.
Sokol is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Hackett had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into mush.
Hackett pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Sokol might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
The fighters circling - Sokol throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Hackett lifts his leg as if looking to counter with a high kick.
Hackett takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Hackett walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Sokol checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Hackett misses with a right hand
enabling Sokol to counter with a crisp jab.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A left lands for Sokol.
Hackett looks to land a body kick but Sokol moved away.
Sokol closes the distance looking to clinch
and Hackett counters with a slapping leg kick.
Sokol misses with a right hand
and Hackett counters with a nice body shot.
Hackett throws a sloppy head kick and Sokol moves out of range easily.
Sokol throws a lazy right hand but Hackett sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Sokol closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Hackett tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Sokol wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Hackett is working hard here to advance position.
Sokol works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Sokol trying to control the action but Hackett is working from the bottom.
Hackett struggling a bit here.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sokol controlling the position from side mount.
Hackett managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Sokol.
Hackett tries to bench press Sokol off him but Sokol keeps the position.
Sokol landing a few strikes.
Sokol lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Hackett down.
Sokol in side control, just content to control the action for now.
Hackett taking a bit of punishment here - Sokol scoring with strikes.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sokol working the head and body with strikes.
Hackett manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Hackett is not content to let Sokol control the position.
Hackett trying to control here.
Hackett is concentrating on defense, preventing Sokol from advancing position.
Sokol missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Sokol trying to control from half guard but Hackett is working away.
Sokol missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.
Jan Sokol dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!
Sokol throws out a loose jab but Hackett uses good head movement to avoid it.
Jan Sokol seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Sokol just misses with a punch to the body.
Sokol slips a jab from Hackett.
Hackett misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Hackett throws a sloppy head kick and Sokol moves out of range easily.
A countering left hand to the body from Sokol misses.
Sokol misses the jab.
Hackett misses with a jab to the body
enabling Sokol to counter with a crisp jab.
Hackett misses with a head kick.
A good leg kick by Hackett.
Hackett takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Sokol lunges at Hackett with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Hackett's hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hackett misses with a head kick.
The crowd cheers as Sokol lands an impressive looking overhand right. Hackett doesn't seem phased though.
Sokol has closed the distance and engaged Hackett in a clinch.
Sokol tries a body shot but Hackett blocks it.
Sokol lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Hackett backwards.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Sokol working aggressively here.
Hackett misses with a hook to the ribs.
Sokol fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Sokol lands a left hand.
Hackett tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Sokol avoids it.
Sokol goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Hackett slowing the pace effectively.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Sokol.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Hackett.
Hackett blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Sokol fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Sokol is trying to maintain a safe position but Hackett gets an underhook and turns Sokol into the cage.
A short left from Sokol.
Sokol misses with a hook from the clinch.
Sokol tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Hackett's elbow.
The referee calls for Hackett to work.
Hackett looking to throw knees to the head but Sokol is blocking nicely.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Hackett digs a right hand underneath Sokol's ribcage. Sokol let out a lung full of air as it connected.
A nice left hand lands by Sokol.
Sokol working aggressively here.
Hackett lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
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!
Hackett tries to work over Sokol's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Sokol managing to block the knees to the body from Hackett.
Sokol scores with a nice hook to the head.
Sokol has been looking to improve his clinch game in recent weeks. Hackett seems to have the measure of him in the clinch so far, so let's see if Sokol can turn it around.
Sokol swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Hackett using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Sokol has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
The referee calls for Hackett to work.
Sokol pushes Hackett back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Hackett tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Sokol tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Hackett's elbow.
A short right from Sokol on the inside.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hackett tries to stall but Sokol uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Hackett blocks a punch to the side of the head.
A short uppercut from Hackett.
Hackett missing with knees to the body.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Hackett.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Sokol takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Sokol lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Hackett misses with a hook to the ribs.
Hackett blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Hackett trying to stall but Sokol improves his position.
Hackett trying to stall but Sokol improves his position.
Hackett can't seem to implement his control oriented gameplan at the moment. That's no bad thing of course, for those of us who want to see a good fight.
Hackett lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Stalling in the clinch from Sokol.
Sokol tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Hackett's elbow.
Hackett is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hackett misses with a short punch on the inside.
A head punch on the inside from Hackett fails to land.
Sokol lands a left hand.
Hackett works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Sokol has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Sokol misses with a short punch on the inside.
Hackett goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Still in the clinch, Hackett scores with a nice short uppercut.
Hackett tries to stall but Sokol uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Sokol throws a punch but it's blocked by Hackett.
Sokol throws a head punch that misses.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Hackett misses with a knee strike.
Sokol avoiding damage as Hackett throws knees to the body.
Hackett swings wildly with an uppercut but Sokol uses good head movement to avoid it.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Hackett seems a little flustered. He's come in with the intention of controlling the clinch but Sokol is preventing him from doing so, at least for the moment.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.
Jan Sokol showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! And we move into the final round!
Sokol connects with the punch.
Sokol displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Hackett throws out the jab.
Sokol listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Sokol has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Sokol closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Hackett did well to prevent Sokol getting side control.
Sokol landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Hackett avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Sokol.
Hackett looking for submissions off his back.
Sokol missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sokol is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Hackett sees it coming and defends easily.
Sokol stops Hackett from getting back to his feet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hackett is trying to maintain the position but Sokol is very close to passing his half guard.
Sokol trying to control from half guard but Hackett is working away.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Sokol working Hackett over with strikes.
Sokol is keen to just control but Hackett is a slippery customer.
Sokol thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Sokol scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Ground and pound from Sokol.
Sokol wants to lay and pray for a moment but Hackett keeps working.
Sokol lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
The fighters are battling for position here. Hackett manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
James Hackett has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sokol lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Sokol trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Sokol throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Hackett works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Sokol controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Sokol lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Sokol lands a couple of elbows.
Sokol is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Hackett not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Hackett avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Sokol is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Hackett is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Hackett has escaped and now he's on top!
Jan Sokol has got the better of the ground game so far.
Hackett won't allow Sokol to sweep him here.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sokol is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Hackett throwing strikes but missing.
Sokol keeping moving, preventing Hackett from controlling successfully.
Sokol pulls Hackett in close to prevent any damage.
Sokol looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Sokol manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Hackett manages to get himself to full guard.
Hackett looking to control.
Sokol trying to control the position from guard on top but Hackett is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sokol stopping the sweep attempt from Hackett.
Jan Sokol is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sokol is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Hackett will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Sokol is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Sokol's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Sokol lands the left hand.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sokol tries to clinch up.
Sokol scores with the left hand. Hackett knows he should have avoided that one.
And that's the end of the fight!
Jan Sokol comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Sokol 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 Gregory Folan scores the fight 27:30
Judge Yves DeLean scores the fight 27:30
Judge Steve Smith scores the fight 27:30
In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jan Sokol!
A relieved looking Jan Sokol thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.
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| S |
C
A |
G |
S |
C
B |
G |
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S |
C |
G |
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energy
A | B |
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hype
A | B |
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pop
A | B |
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mgr
A | B |
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FIGHT
RATING
47% |
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