PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Matt Hunter (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Frank James (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Hunter might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Dance Monkey -Sage Francis. Frank James is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Hunter
vs
James

171 cm
25
140 lbs
5 - 10 - 0

178 cm
20
155 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent elbows
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Matt Hunter!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Frank James!
The judges for this bout are Wagner Zegers, Radbod Blank and Nard Betker.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hunter takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
James misses with the combination.
James with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Hunter misses with a few strikes there.
Hunter wants to clinch.
Hunter is looking to clinch but James is avoiding it.

Hunter moves into the clinch successfully.
Hunter prevents the takedown attempt.
James is trying to break the clinch but Hunter is controlling him.
James tries for a takedown. No joy.
Hunter gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from James.
Matt Hunter has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Frank James.
James prevents a takedown attempt there.
Hunter is pressed up against the cage. James has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Hunter down to the mat. Hunter avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
James misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Hunter shoots in looking for a takedown but James manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Hunter's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Hunter tries to close the distance and clinch but James swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hunter tries to close the distance and clinch up but James swats him away and circles back towards the center.
James misses with a wild body shot.

Hunter darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

James actively working from the bottom here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
James looks gassed!
James is trying to maintain the position but Hunter is very close to passing his half guard.
James wants to improve his position but Hunter is controlling well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
James flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Hunter with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

James actively working from the bottom here.
James wants to control but Hunter is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Hunter prevents James from standing back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

James looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
James wants to get back to full guard but Hunter has mounted him!
James is wriggling around trying to escape.
James wants to control but Hunter is having none of it.
James really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Hunter controlling the position easily from mount.
James tries to hold on but Hunter pushes him away.
James is working to get back to half guard.
James tries to lock up and control but Hunter gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Matt Hunter will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

James jabs at Hunter's body.
James throws a shot from downtown. Hunter moves away and avoids it.

Hunter shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Hunter showed some decent athleticism there.
James is trying to get back to full guard.
James is staying active underneath Hunter, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
James gets full guard.
Hunter won't allow James to sweep him here.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hunter trying to control the position from guard on top but James is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
James is trying to control the position from the bottom.
James keeping moving, preventing Hunter from controlling successfully.

James escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Hunter gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
James looking to control.

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.
James throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Hunter looking to pass the guard.
James controls Hunter momentarily but Hunter frees himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

James is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Hunter defends well.
James pulls Hunter in to control the position.

Hunter got a little sloppy there for a moment and James has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Hunter has managed to get both his arms back between James's legs - danger averted.

James is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
James trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
James manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Hunter is squirming around, avoiding James's attempts to control the action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Frank James showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Hunter's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. And we move into the final round!

Hunter scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
James wants to get back to his feet but Hunter drags him back down.
James tries to bench press Hunter off him but Hunter keeps the position.
Hunter is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down James's shoulder. That is not cool.
James tries to get back to half guard but can't.
James gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
James tries to roll over but Hunter keeps him under control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
James wants to get back to his feet.
James is looking for a sweep. Hunter is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Hunter lands strikes from half guard.

James is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Hunter pulls his head out easily.

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.
Hunter missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
James wants to get back to full guard.
James is controlling Hunter's trapped leg to prevent Hunter from advancing to side control.

James looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

James looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
James wants to control but Hunter is keeping busy and won't allow it.
James won't allow Hunter to pass to mount.
James is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's four 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.
James wants to control but Hunter is keeping busy and won't allow it.

Hunter is looking for a kimura here.
James trying to control here.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

And that's the end of the fight!
Matt Hunter showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Hunter has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Wagner Zegers scores the fight 29:28
Judge Radbod Blank scores the fight 29:28
Judge Nard Betker scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Matt Hunter!