PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Palestine Adesanya (ranked 2740 p4p, 4127 weight class) and DJ Hawkins (ranked 0 p4p, 433 weight class). Palestine Adesanya has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Adesanya
vs
Hawkins

194 cm
25
215
2 - 0 - 0

189 cm
23
208
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Palestine Adesanya!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, DJ Hawkins!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Cecil Peabody and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hawkins throws a sloppy head kick
and Hawkins takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Adesanya closes the distance and clinches up with Hawkins, looking for a takedown. Adesanya pushes Hawkins against the cage but Hawkins circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Hawkins fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Adesanya avoids it really well and circles away.
Hawkins closes the distance but Adesanya moves to the side
enabling Adesanya to counter with a crisp jab.

Hawkins scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Adesanya dodges the ground and pound from Hawkins.
Hawkins is staying tight to Adesanya's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Hawkins tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Hawkins has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hawkins trying to control the position but Adesanya is working away.
Hawkins tries to score with some ground and pound. Adesanya controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Hawkins trying to control the position but Adesanya is working away.
Hawkins sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Adesanya is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Adesanya on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Adesanya tries to get out of the position.
A lull in the action here as Hawkins stalls from top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Hawkins is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Adesanya knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Hawkins trying to control the position but Adesanya is working away.
Adesanya is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Adesanya is not content to let Hawkins control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Hawkins decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Adesanya will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Hawkins stuffs the takedown.
Hawkins throws a counter combo.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Palestine Adesanya. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Adesanya misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Hawkins misses with a takedown attempt - Adesanya sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hawkins throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
A counter left hand to the body from Adesanya misses its target.
Adesanya keeps the fight on the outside.
Adesanya looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Hawkins is fending him off so far but Adesanya persists. Nope, Hawkins circles away and we're back to standing.
Hawkins leaves Adesanya with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Hawkins looks for a takedown but Adesanya sprawls well.
An attempted straight right counter from Adesanya misses the target.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Hawkins is defended easily by Adesanya.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

DJ Hawkins dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Hawkins slaps away a takedown attempt from Adesanya, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Hawkins tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Hawkins takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Adesanya closes the distance and clinches up with Hawkins, looking for a takedown. Adesanya pushes Hawkins against the cage but Hawkins circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Hawkins tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Adesanya defends well and Hawkins ends up having to push Adesanya into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
A quick step to the side and Adesanya tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hawkins tries to close the distance and clinch up but Adesanya swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Hawkins has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Hawkins is looking to clinch.
Adesanya is looking to counter punch.
Hawkins tries for a takedown but Adesanya circles away easily
and Adesanya cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Palestine Adesanya is winning the standup battle so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hawkins fails with the takedown
and Adesanya scores with a counter punch that sends Hawkins to the canvas! Adesanya smells blood - he's punishing Hawkins with more strikes and the ref has stopped it! Hawkins has no idea where he is - he's tackled the ref... oh dear, poor guy, the crowd is in hysterics!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:09 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Palestine Adesanya!
An intense looking Palestine Adesanya took to the microphone post fight and gave a little speech: 'Enjoy the CTE and the PTSD'.