PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Benjamin Espinoza (ranked 4265 p4p, 4056 weight class) and Hard Hitter (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters will be looking to make this an exciting fight for the fans, I'm sure!

Espinoza
vs
Hitter

192 cm
22
245
2 - 0 - 0

182 cm
20
200
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Benjamin Espinoza!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Hard Hitter!
The judges for this bout are Josh West, Ryoma Takatsuka and Micheangelo Fripello.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Espinoza tries to bum rush Hitter with a series of wild strikes but Hitter uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Hitter feints the counter takedown.
The fighters circle momentarily. Espinoza darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Espinoza throws a series of strikes that have Hitter backpedaling.
Espinoza lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Hitter walks into a jab.
Espinoza misses with a shot to the body
and Hitter counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Espinoza fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Hitter manages to avoid it.
Espinoza scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Hitter shoots in and bounces Espinoza off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Hitter chips away with some ground and pound.
Espinoza working a defensive guard here.
Hitter is pushing down on Espinoza's leg trying to pass to half guard. Espinoza is fighting to maintain full guard but Hitter has managed to sneak the leg through.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hitter controlling the action here.
Espinoza on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Hitter is taking a breather. Espinoza says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.

Hitter wants to work for an arm triangle but Espinoza is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Hitter looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Espinoza knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Hitter on the ground.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Let's hope that Hitter has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Espinoza tries to kick Hitter off in order to stand up. Hitter Avoids the leg push though and dives into side control.
Hitter working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.

Hitter is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Espinoza has escaped the position, nice work there.

Hitter tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Hitter has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Espinoza wants to control but Hitter postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Espinoza trying to control but Hitter flips him over like a cheap hooker and has his back!
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Hitter gets his hands free as Espinoza looks to control.
Espinoza wants to escape the position.

Espinoza showing good submission defense here.

Hitter is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Espinoza defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hitter lands strikes to the head.
Hitter wants to control but Espinoza is keeping busy.
Espinoza trying to control but not successfully.

Hitter is remaining active here, looking for the choke. The more discerning members of the crowd will appreciate his efforts.
Will Hitter go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Hard Hitter dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action.

Espinoza dodges the punch combination from Hitter.
Espinoza connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Benjamin Espinoza is winning the standup battle so far.
Nice straight punches there by Espinoza. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Espinoza.
Espinoza fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Hitter looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Espinoza scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Hitter doesn't seem bothered though.
Espinoza connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Espinoza tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Hitter manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Hitter drives through with a takedown into Espinoza's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Espinoza is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Hitter dives into side control.
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!

Espinoza on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Espinoza tries to get out of the position.
A lull in the action here.
Hitter lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hitter connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Espinoza some visible discomfort.
Espinoza is being controlled here.
Hitter scores with punches from side control.
Hitter controlling from side mount.
Espinoza looking for a sweep but Hitter has passed into full mount! Oh no!
Espinoza tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hitter lands a heavy elbow.
Hitter tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Espinoza wants to hold on but Hitter pushes him away.
Hitter controlling from the full mount.
Hitter tries to control but Espinoza wriggling away.
Espinoza is trying desperately to improve position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hitter pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Hitter controlling from the full mount.
Espinoza reaches up to try and control the position but Hitter seems to have an arm triangle now! Uh oh! Espinoza rolls and tries to escape and now Hitter has his back!

Hitter is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Espinoza knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Espinoza for a finish.
Espinoza is trying to stand back up.
Hitter wants to control but Espinoza is keeping busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hitter keeps control of the position as Espinoza tries to break free.
Espinoza is very frustrated here, being controlled quite effectively by Hitter.

Hitter working for a RNC but it's not happening just yet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Espinoza rolls, trying to escape but Hitter keeps control of the position.
Hitter lands a couple of good shots to his opponent's body and a final shot to the head. Good little attack there by Hitter.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Hard Hitter showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Hitter avoids a punch combination nicely.
Hitter steps in looking to counter with the mid kick but it doesn't connect.
Hitter tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Espinoza manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Hitter shoots in for a double leg but Espinoza sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
A nice combination there by Espinoza.

It looks like Hard Hitter has been cut.
Hitter gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Espinoza makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Hitter.
Espinoza tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Hitter is landing with strikes. Espinoza can't take much more of this.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Espinoza is displaying good submission defense - not really looking in danger of submitting to the rear naked choke at the moment. That could change in an instant of course if Hitter gets his way!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Espinoza looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
You know, I was talking to some of our celebrities at ringside tonight and they were split right down the middle on who was going to win this fight.
Espinoza trying to control but not successfully.

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.
Hitter lands with a couple of good shots - one to the side of the head and one questionable shot that could be viewed as to the back of the head but the referee lets it go.
Hitter is working the ground and pound here and the referee is taking a close look at Espinoza. He must escape soon or this one will be stopped.
Espinoza is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
Hitter connects with a series of strikes and the referee is calling for Espinoza to escape the position.

Espinoza is staying cool under pressure, defending well against the rear naked choke attempt from his opponent.
Hitter has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Espinoza wants to control his opponent's hands but Hitter gets his hands free.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Hitter is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Espinoza is defending well though. Hitter let's go of the attempt for now.
Hitter controls the action.
Espinoza is trying to get back to his feet but Hitter has full control of the position and if anything, Espinoza has just worked his way into a worse spot.
Hitter is not going to allow Espinoza to sit and survive in this position.
Espinoza is really stuck here.
Espinoza is trying to stand 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.
Hitter biding his time, looking for the opening.
Hitter landing with strikes.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Hitter trying to secure his dominant position for a moment - making sure Espinoza doesn't escape.
Benjamin Espinoza has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Hard Hitter is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Hitter has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Espinoza defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.

And that's the end of the fight!
Hard Hitter comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Hitter winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Josh West scores the fight for Hard Hitter!
Judge Ryoma Takatsuka scores the fight for Hard Hitter!
Judge Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight for Hard Hitter!

Hard Hitter wins by unanimous decision!