PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Darren Hernandez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Brandon Vera (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Darren Hernandez has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Hernandez
vs
Vera

200 cm
20
205 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

193 cm
22
220 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Big heart

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Darren Hernandez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Brandon Vera!
The judges for this bout are , Jack Bonds and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Vera darts in and clinches Hernandez up against the cage.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Vera.

Hernandez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Vera tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Hernandez rushes Vera and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Vera is trying to maintain a safe position but Hernandez gets an underhook and turns Vera into the cage.
Hernandez blocks an elbow strike from Vera.

Hernandez is trying to trip Vera. He has hold of a leg but Vera is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Hernandez persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Vera tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Vera is looking to stand up but Hernandez isn't so interested in that idea.
Hernandez trying to stand up but can't free himself from Vera's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hernandez slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Hernandez stopping the sweep attempt from Vera.

Hernandez drops back looking for a leg! Vera is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Vera manages to kick Hernandez off! Hernandez jumps back into Vera's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hernandez won't allow Vera to get back to his feet.
Hernandez throwing strikes but missing.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Vera bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Vera scores with punches from side control.
I wouldn't like to be where Hernandez is right now.

Vera decides to stand back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vera shoots for a double leg takedown but Hernandez sprawls well. He's pushed Vera's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Hernandez shoots in for a takedown but Vera shows good takedown defense.
Hernandez tries to close the distance and clinch but Vera swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Vera shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Hernandez counters with a head kick.
Vera looks gassed!
Hernandez shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Vera sprawls well. Vera wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Hernandez gets slowly back to his feet.
Vera keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Darren Hernandez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hernandez fails with the takedown

and Vera counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Hernandez's guard now.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Vera trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Vera must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vera slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Hernandez keeping moving, preventing Vera from controlling successfully.
Vera won't allow Hernandez to get back to his feet.
Hernandez trying to keep a closed guard but Vera is proving a slippery customer.
Vera trying to control but Hernandez is working from the bottom.

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.
Vera sitting in guard here, content to control.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Hernandez clinches up against the cage.
Hernandez can't break the clinch.
Vera looking to throw knees to the head but Hernandez is blocking nicely.
Vera tries to stall but Hernandez uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Vera is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Vera is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Hernandez pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Hernandez avoiding damage.
Hernandez lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Brandon Vera dominated that round.
That's time! Hernandez's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Hernandez gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Vera counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Vera really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Hernandez. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Hernandez is trying to control the position but Vera postures up.
Vera would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Hernandez controlling the position.

Vera avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Hernandez is trying to keep Vera in close.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vera wants to pass the guard but Hernandez is keeping the position.
Hernandez trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Hernandez fails with the takedown.
Hernandez misses with a takedown attempt - Vera sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Darren Hernandez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Vera shoots and misses

and Hernandez counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Vera!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vera tries to lock up and control but Hernandez gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Hernandez lands with some strikes.
Vera really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Hernandez lands a big elbow.
Vera wants to hold on but Hernandez pushes him away.
Vera is in all sorts of trouble here.
Hernandez looking to control and managing it successfully.
Hernandez landing strikes from the mount.
Brandon Vera has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vera is working to get back to half guard.

Hernandez is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Vera can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Vera is in all sorts of trouble here.
Vera in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Hernandez lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Vera hang on?
Hernandez working the ground and pound effectively.

Hernandez working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Vera is squirming around, avoiding Hernandez's attempts to control the action.
Vera prevents any damage by holding on tight.

Hernandez looking to secure an arm triangle but Vera defends it well.
Vera is wriggling around trying to escape.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Darren Hernandez dominated that second round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Vera shoots in but no luck this time.

Hernandez moves into the clinch.

Vera's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Vera misses with a takedown attempt

and Hernandez counters with a single leg into guard. Vera didn't expect that.

Vera is working an open guard so Hernandez takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

Hernandez has managed to clinch.
Vera is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Hernandez is defending well for now.

Hernandez pulls guard successfully.
Hernandez is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Hernandez keeping moving, preventing Vera from controlling successfully.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Hernandez thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hernandez is trying to control the position but Vera postures up.

Hernandez pushes Vera off and gets back to his feet.
Vera keeps the fight on the outside.
Vera tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Hernandez counters with a head kick. That will keep Vera thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Vera misses with a takedown
and Hernandez counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Darren Hernandez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Brandon Vera.
Hernandez tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Vera swivels and escapes.
Vera with a lazy takedown attempt

and Hernandez counters by clinching up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Hernandez pulls guard effortlessly.
Vera is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Vera stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Hernandez swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Hernandez keeping moving, preventing Vera from controlling successfully.
Vera throwing strikes from guard but Hernandez blocks nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Vera is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

Hernandez looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Vera postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Vera wants to control from the top but Hernandez keeps moving.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Hernandez takes a head kick and keeps coming.

Hernandez feints and as Vera raises his hands in defense, Hernandez changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Vera can do anything to dispel that myth.
Hernandez trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Hernandez is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Hernandez wants to control from the top but Vera keeps moving.
Hernandez tries to free his leg and advance position but Vera is retaining full guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Darren Hernandez showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Hernandez 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 Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 29:28
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 29:28
Judge Suge Night scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Darren Hernandez!