PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Josh Diaz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matt Hughes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hughes is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: A Country Boy Can Survive. The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Diaz
vs
Hughes

184 cm
20
170 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

175 cm
25
170 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Enjoys gardening

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Josh Diaz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Matt Hughes!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Don Winkell and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Hughes closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Hughes controlling the pace.
Diaz wants to get back to his feet.
Hughes keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Matt Hughes wasn't active enough on the ground.

Diaz gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Hughes to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Diaz wants to get back to his feet but Hughes is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Hughes looking to pass the guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Hughes controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Let's hope that Hughes 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.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hughes won't allow Diaz to get back to his feet.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Hughes is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

Matt Hughes has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Hughes shoots in looking for a takedown but Diaz manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Hughes's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Hughes showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Diaz.

Hughes scores a takedown into full mount!
Hughes sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Diaz wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hughes controlling the pace for now.
Hughes won't let Diaz get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
Diaz is breathing heavily.
Hughes controlling the position easily from mount.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
This has been an exciting period of action!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Matt Hughes.
Diaz feints a jab promting Hughes to slip. Diaz then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Hughes slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.

Hughes fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Diaz to the ground. Hughes is now in Diaz's guard.
Hughes passes Diaz's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Hughes prevents Diaz from standing back up.
Hughes is controlling the pace.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Hughes's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Diaz pushes Hughes off looking to stand but Hughes dives back in and keeps control.
Hughes is taking a breather. Diaz 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.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Matt Hughes hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.

Hughes decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Hughes moves nicely into side control.
Hughes content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Diaz is trying to get back to his feet.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Hughes slows the pace down.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Matt Hughes hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Diaz misses with a jab, cross combination.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matt Hughes dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Hughes fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Diaz to the ground. Hughes is now in Diaz's guard.
Hughes is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Matt Hughes has got the better of the ground game so far.
Hughes looking to pass the guard.
Hughes showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Matt Hughes was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Diaz will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
A combination from Diaz does no damage.
Diaz fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Hughes fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Hughes darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diaz is looking to escape.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Hughes controlling the pace.
Diaz tries to kick Hughes off but Hughes keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Hughes not doing much here.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Matt Hughes was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Hughes closes this distance looking for a takedown but Diaz circles away.
Diaz fails in his attempt to clinch.
Hughes showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Diaz.
Sloppy strikes from Diaz. Those never looked like landing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hughes fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Josh Diaz has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Matt Hughes.
Diaz throws a series of punches but Hughes avoids them all with ease.

Hughes drives through with a takedown into guard.
Hughes prevents Diaz from getting back to his feet.
Hughes sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Diaz's guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Diaz wants to get back to his feet.
Hughes has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Hughes takes Diaz's back. Could be looking for a rear naked choke here - either way, Diaz is in trouble.
Hughes has the hooks sunk in and you can see the will to fight slowly draining out of Diaz's body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Diaz is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.
Hughes has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
I would not like to be Diaz right now.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Matt Hughes has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Diaz defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Hughes.
Hughes is trying hard to land a takedown here. Diaz sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Diaz throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Diaz throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Hughes stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Diaz throws a nice looking combination but Hughes bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Hughes chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Diaz can pounce on him.
Horrible takedown by Hughes or perhaps it was just good defense by Diaz which made him look bad.
Diaz throws a series of punches but Hughes moves out of range.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Diaz tries to bum rush Hughes with a series of wild strikes but Hughes uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

Hughes throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Diaz was covering up waiting for the punch and Hughes finishes the takedown easily into guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matt Hughes showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Hughes fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Hughes slips a jab and a cross from Diaz.
Diaz misses with a combination

and Hughes decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Diaz's guard.
Diaz being controlled here, momentarily.
Hughes passes into half guard.
Hughes stops Diaz from getting back to his feet.
Diaz trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.
Hughes passes the guard and advances to mount!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Hughes takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diaz is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Hughes takes his opponent's back. Perhaps a chance to lock up a rear naked choke here.
Hughes biding his time, controlling Diaz.
Diaz is trying to get back to his feet but Hughes has full control of the position and if anything, Diaz has just worked his way into a worse spot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A bit of a pause in the action here. Hughes controlling the positon.
Diaz looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.
So, who will make the next big move? In this position it could be crucial.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Matt Hughes has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.

Hughes scores with a takedown into Diaz's guard.
Hughes works a leg free and moves into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hughes controlling the action here.
Diaz tries to kick Hughes off but Hughes keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Hughes performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Hughes has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Hughes looking to control and managing it successfully.
Diaz's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hughes controlling the pace for now.
Hughes works his way to his opponent's back.
Hughes is riding his opponent, not letting Diaz buck him off.
Josh Diaz has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Diaz controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.
Hughes controlling the position well here. Diaz rolled but Hughes kept the hooks locked in and stayed in the dominant position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Matt Hughes comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Hughes 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 Frank Antenori scores the fight 27:30
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 27:30
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 27:30

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