PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Richard James (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Stephen Hawking (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). James comes to the cage accompanied by W32.Mydoom.AU@mm . Stephen Hawking has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

James
vs
Hawking

185 cm
24
155 lbs
11 - 8 - 0

175 cm
29
150 lbs
13 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very strong

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

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 11 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Richard James!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Stephen Hawking!
The judges for this bout are Matheus Silva, Paulo Santos and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Hawking fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging James to the ground. Hawking is now in James's guard.
Hawking showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Hawking wants to control from the top but James keeps moving.
James is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

James is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Hawking has managed to free his arm - good work.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hawking tries to roll over but James keeps him under control.

James is looking for a kimura here.
James wants to control but Hawking is keeping him busy.

That's one minute gone in the round.

James is working for a kimura from half guard. He's really concentrating on the hold and it's allowed Hawking to slip a leg under and get back to full guard.
James wants to control from the top but Hawking keeps moving.

James is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Hawking is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Hawking has escaped and now he's on top!
James is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hawking manages to get to full guard.
James trying to control but Hawking is working from the bottom.
Hawking is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
James wants to pass the guard but Hawking is keeping the position.
James really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
James trying to control the position from guard on top but Hawking is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
James won't allow Hawking to sweep him here.
James is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Hawking is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

Hawking pushes James off and scrambles back to his feet.
James throws a series of punches but Hawking moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

James shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.

James is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Hawking manages to get to full guard.
James forces his way into half guard.

James is looking for a kimura here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Stephen Hawking will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Hawking misses with a wild body shot.
James misses with a takedown
and James takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
James has his takedown stuffed
and Hawking counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
James ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Hawking moves away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
James shoots and misses
and Hawking cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Richard James. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hawking misses with a wild combination.
Hawking takes a swing at James's ribcage but misses.
James shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Hawking counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
James keeping moving, preventing Hawking from controlling successfully.
Hawking might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control James kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
James has momentary wrist control but Hawking slips an elbow through the middle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hawking looking to sit in guard and control but James gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Hawking keeping moving, preventing James from controlling successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hawking working a defensive guard here.
James is looking to advance position but Hawking has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!
Hawking prevents James from getting the reversal.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hawking scoring with strikes but James is staying in there.
James can't escape the position.
Hawking cracks James with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
James is squirming around, avoiding Hawking's attempts to control the action.
Hawking lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Hawking with the ground and pound from mount.
James working to try and regain half guard.
Hawking lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hawking tries to control but James wriggling away.
Hawking controlling his opponent.
Hawking trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Hawking with the ground and pound from mount.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
James is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
James manages to regain half guard. Good work.
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!
James trying to control but Hawking postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stephen Hawking showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

James misses with a straight right.
James fails with the takedown

and Hawking counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Hawking in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

James throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Hawking escapes and throws James's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Hawking cracks James with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Hawking scoring with punches and elbows.
Hawking 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.
Hawking trying to control the action but James is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hawking taking a breather here.
Stephen Hawking has got the better of the ground game so far.
Hawking is looking to take a break and control but James is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Hawking cracks James with a big elbow.
James manages to get back to half guard.
James is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Hawking scores with a couple of nice shots.
James is not content to let Hawking control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hawking sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. James defending well though.
Hawking thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed James's head.
Hawking 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.
Hawking trying to control from half guard but James is working away.
Hawking scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Hawking trying to control the pace.
Hawking lands strikes from half guard.
James avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Hawking.
Hawking trying to advance position but James counters by regaining guard.
Hawking wants to control from the top but James keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hawking controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Hawking postures up in James's guard and throws a big left but James blocks it.
James is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Hawking wants to control from the top but James keeps moving.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Stephen Hawking.
James throws a poor cross that misses

and Hawking counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in James's guard now.

James looking for a guillotine here but Hawking defends easily.

Hawking drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and James dives on top into guard.
Richard James has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
James looking to sit in guard and control but Hawking gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Hawking wants to control from the top but James keeps moving.
Hawking postures up in James's guard and throws a big left but James blocks it.
Hawking keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of James's head.
Hawking throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as James works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Hawking content to stall in guard here.
James avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

And that's the end of the fight!
Stephen Hawking comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Hawking has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Matheus Silva scores the fight 27:30
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 28:29
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Stephen Hawking!