PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Chris Hegarty (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dean Bithell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Hegarty
vs
Bithell

182 cm
21
265 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
18
230 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Inexperienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Chris Hegarty!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Dean Bithell!
The judges for this bout are Donald Grub, James Atkins and William Gold.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Bithell tries to keep at a distance but Hegarty has taken the fight into the clinch.
Bithell working some nice short punches in the clinch.

Hegarty turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Hegarty manages to end up in side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Bithell can't do much from the bottom here.
Bithell is looking to regain half guard here but Hegarty keeps moving and retains side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Bithell is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

Hegarty stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Bithell fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Hegarty closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Bithell tries to buck Hegarty off but Hegarty is having none of it.
Hegarty throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Bithell works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bithell is staying active underneath Hegarty, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Hegarty missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Hegarty lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Bithell wants to control but Hegarty is keeping busy.
Bithell tries to kick Hegarty off but Hegarty keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Bithell trying to control from the bottom.
Hegarty wants to control but Bithell is keeping him busy.
Bithell tries to roll over but Hegarty keeps him under control.
Bithell is trying to maintain the position but Hegarty is very close to passing his half guard.
Bithell looks gassed!

That's two 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.
Hegarty passes the guard and advances to mount!
Hegarty can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Bithell is looking to escape.
Hegarty lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
BOOM! Hegarty connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Bithell wants to control but Hegarty is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hegarty can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Bithell is looking to escape.
Hegarty with a couple of short strikes.
Bithell taking shots to the head.
Bithell is desperately trying to improve his position but Hegarty has a good base and remains in mount.
Hegarty lands with some strikes.
Hegarty trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Hegarty lands a nice shot to the head.
Hegarty working away from the top, dropping strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Bithell tries to lock up and control but Hegarty gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Hegarty in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Hegarty landing shots from mount.
Hegarty working Bithell over with strikes here.
Hegarty breaks from Bithell's wrist control and lands an elbow.

Bithell is rocked!
Hegarty fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Bithell is still in real trouble! Can Hegarty finish him?
Bithell really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Bithell seems to have recovered his senses.
Hegarty scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Bithell?
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hegarty looking to control but Bithell is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Hegarty is looking to clinch.
Bithell tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Hegarty counters with a nice double leg into side control. Bithell won't be happy with that.
Hegarty working the ground and pound from side control.
You can see the frustration on Bithell's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Chris Hegarty overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Hegarty scoring with punches and elbows.
Bithell tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Hegarty wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

Hegarty is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Bithell knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
A lull in the action here as Hegarty stalls from top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bithell defending against the ground and pound.
Hegarty misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Bithell is looking to reverse the position.
Hegarty scores with punches from side control.
Bithell takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Bithell gets back to half guard.

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.
Hegarty takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Hegarty wants to free his trapped foot but Bithell is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Bithell wants to control but Hegarty is keeping busy.
Bithell might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Hegarty kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Hegarty working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Hegarty lands a nice short elbow.
Hegarty controlling the action here.
Hegarty is trying to control. Bithell wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Bithell trying to control here.
Hegarty controlling the action here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Hegarty seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Bithell is trying to maintain the position but Hegarty is very close to passing his half guard.
Hegarty working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Hegarty is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Hegarty not landing any meaningful shots this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chris Hegarty dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Bithell shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Bithell was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Hegarty wants to hold on but Bithell pushes him away.
Hegarty tries to reverse the position but Bithell maintains control.
Bithell postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Hegarty looks a forlorn figure.
Bithell trying to control but Hegarty is having none of it.

Bithell working for a submission but Hegarty is keeping him at bay.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Hegarty can't escape the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bithell wants to control but Hegarty has made it back to half guard. Nice work.
Hegarty is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Bithell's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Bithell's back!
Bithell grimaces as he takes a shot to the body.
The referee is taking a good look at Bithell as he is on the wrong end of some big shots from Hegarty!

Hegarty looking to break Bithell's wrist control so he can sink in the choke. Bithell remaining controlled and patient though - he really has to keep calm otherwise Hegarty will wrap this one up with the rear naked choke!
Bithell trying to control the action but Hegarty just sinks the hooks in.
Bithell rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bithell trying to control from the bottom.
Hegarty prevents Bithell from improving his position.
Bithell trying to control but Hegarty postures up.
Hegarty is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Bithell can do to turn this around?
Bithell is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Hegarty scores with a couple of nice shots.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bithell throws a strike from the bottom that misses.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Bithell is looking to clinch but Hegarty is avoiding it.
Hegarty tries to clinch up.
Chris Hegarty is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Hegarty takes the fight into the clinch.
The referee is keeping an eye on Bithell - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.

Bithell pulls guard effortlessly.
Hegarty is pushing down on Bithell's leg trying to pass to half guard. Bithell is fighting to maintain full guard but Hegarty has managed to sneak the leg through.

Bithell actively working from the bottom here.

Bithell manages to escape and get back to his feet!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bithell tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Hegarty paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Bithell takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Bithell is looking to clinch.

Hegarty shoots in and bounces Bithell off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Hegarty trying to control the position from guard on top but Bithell is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Bithell is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Hegarty is working Bithell over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

And that's the end of the fight!
Chris Hegarty showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Hegarty has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Donald Grub scores the fight 30:26
Judge James Atkins scores the fight 30:26
Judge William Gold scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Chris Hegarty!