PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Ed Nelson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Stephen Hawking (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Nelson comes to the cage accompanied by Stephen Lynch - Special Ed. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Nelson
vs
Hawking

175 cm
27
152 lbs
12 - 1 - 0

175 cm
31
150 lbs
19 - 7 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

GR Design - Top quality, from $10 to $150 !
GR Design - Top quality, from $10 to $150 !

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the featherweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ed Nelson!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 19 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Stephen Hawking!
The judges for this bout are Matheus Silva, Thiago Cunha and Seu Braga.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nelson misses with a hook. Hawking ducked under it nicely.
Hawking keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

Nelson gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Hawking to score an easy takedown into full guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Nelson is on top in guard.
Nelson stopping the sweep attempt from Hawking.
Nelson wants to control from the top but Hawking keeps moving.
Nelson passes Hawking's left leg - he's now in half guard.

Nelson is working for a submission of some sort.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hawking looks like he's trying to stand up.
Hawking moves into full guard.
Nelson trying to control the position from guard on top but Hawking is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Nelson loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Nelson pushing down on Hawking's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hawking has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Nelson is working away from the top position though.
Hawking makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Hawking.
Nelson postures up.
Hawking avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Nelson postures up.
Nelson trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Hawking not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Nelson is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Stephen Hawking.
Nelson misses with a right hand
and Hawking counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Nelson thinking.
Nelson throws a sloppy body shot
and Hawking counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hawking walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Good shot there by Nelson.
Hawking connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Hawking ducks under a wild hook from Nelson.
Hawking throws a right and a left that Nelson avoids nicely.
Hawking is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Nelson thows a body shot but no joy.
Nice defenses there by Hawking.
Hawking ducks right into an uppercut from Nelson.
Nelson throws a lazy uppercut
and Nelson takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Nelson's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Hawking connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Nelson scrambles back to his feet.
Hawking slips under a jab.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Nelson.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Nelson throwing strikes but Hawking manages to buck up and roll into a nice reversal - now he's on top in side control!
Hawking wants to control but Nelson is keeping him busy.
An elbow from Hawking crashes against the mat.
Nelson tries to control but end up mounted... ooooh, that's bad.
Nelson is looking to get to half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hawking tries to control but Nelson wriggling away.
Nelson tries to reverse the position but Hawking maintains control.
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 Ed Nelson will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Nelson shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Hawking but Hawking pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Hawking looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Nelson is adopting a defensive guard.
Nelson looking for a sweep. Not yet Nelson, not yet.
Hawking sitting in guard here, content to control.
Nelson wants to sweep here but Hawking controlling him for the moment.
Nelson trying to control the position.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

Nelson working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Hawking doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Hawking manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Nelson had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Hawking defends it easily.
Hawking must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Hawking trying to control the position from guard on top but Nelson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Nelson working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Hawking.
Hawking preventing the sweep.
Nelson is working hard here to advance position.
Hawking trying to control but Nelson is working from the bottom.
Hawking throwing strikes from guard but Nelson blocks nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Nelson is on top in guard.
Hawking trying to control the position.
Nelson passes into half guard under a barage of strikes.
Hawking is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Nelson's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Nelson's back!
I would not like to be Nelson right now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hawking looking to soften up his opponent with punches.
Nelson turns into Hawking and is now in his guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hawking throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Stephen Hawking has got the better of the ground game so far.
Nelson trying to control but Hawking is working from the bottom.
Nelson is pushing down on Hawking's leg trying to pass to half guard. Hawking is fighting to maintain full guard but Nelson has managed to sneak the leg through.
Hawking won't allow Nelson to pass to mount.
Nelson is trying to control the action in half guard but Hawking is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Nelson controlling the action here.
Hawking is staying active underneath Nelson, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Nelson is stalling here. Hawking is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Nelson seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Hawking has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nelson tries to improve position but can't.
Nelson is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Hawking is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
Hawking cracks Nelson with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Nelson is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Hawking tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Nelson manages to regain half guard. Good work.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hawking is thwarting Nelson's attempts to control the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Ed Nelson 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.

A big right from Nelson misses.
Hawking slips under a jab.
Hawking works the jab nicely.
Hawking uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Nelson.
Nelson tests Hawking's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Nelson fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Hawking manages to avoid it.
Hawking throws a right hand that Nelson ducks under and follows up with a left that Nelson also avoids with ease.
Hawking misses with a double jab.
Nelson misses with an uppercut.
Nelson uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.

Hawking is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Nelson's half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nelson is looking for a sweep. Hawking is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Hawking sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Nelson defending well though.
Hawking sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Nelson is staying active underneath Hawking, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Nelson is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Nelson is trying to control but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Hawking scores with the left hand. Nelson knows he should have avoided that one.
Hawking cracks Nelson with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Nelson shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Hawking pinned against the cage. Hawking gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Nelson looks to clinch
and Hawking counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

Hawking drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Hawking trying to control the position but Nelson is working away.
Nelson stops Hawking from passing to mount.
Hawking trying to control the action but Nelson is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hawking working away.
Nelson is trying to improve his position.
Nelson parries the strikes from Hawking easily there. Hawking is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Nelson to escape.
Hawking misses with the ground and pound.
Nelson struggling a bit here.
Nelson tries to bench press Hawking off him but Hawking keeps the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hawking wants to control but Nelson is keeping him busy.

Hawking working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Hawking throws a strike aimed at the side of Nelson's head but Nelson avoids it well.
You can see the frustration on Nelson's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Nelson is trying to get back to half guard.
Nelson struggling a bit here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stephen Hawking really dominated that round.
That's time! Nelson's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Hawking shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Nelson's guard.
Hawking preventing the sweep.
Nelson manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Hawking is trying to escape the mount.
Nelson trying to control but Hawking is having none of it.
Nelson unloads with some shots from mount but Hawking bucks and avoids them well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nelson throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Nelson controlling from the full mount.
Nelson wants to control the pace but Hawking is squirming around nicely.
Hawking is in a horrible position here. Nelson smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Hawking tries to lock up and control but Nelson gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Hawking is looking to get to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hawking tries to hold on but Nelson pushes him away.
Hawking is looking to improve his position but Nelson isn't that keen on the idea.
Hawking is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Nelson has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Hawking's face.
Nelson tries to control but Hawking wriggling away.
Hawking holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Nelson tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Hawking is squirming around, avoiding Nelson's attempts to control the action.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hawking is in all sorts of trouble here.
Nelson scoring with strikes but Hawking is staying in there.
Hawking wants to hold on but Nelson pushes him away.
Hawking is wriggling around trying to escape.
Hawking wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Nelson.
Nelson landing shots from mount.
Nelson raining down hammerfists from mount.
Nelson is stalling here but it's allowed Hawking to get half guard.
Hawking pushes Nelson off looking to stand but Nelson dives back in and keeps control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hawking tries to get to full guard but Nelson has control of the leg.
Nelson looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

Nelson seems to be working for a kimura but Hawking defends the submission attempt.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Nelson connects with a nice short shot to Hawking's temple.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hawking is not content to let Nelson control the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ed Nelson had his way with Stephen Hawking in that round.
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!

Nelson swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Hawking with a hook.

Hawking bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Hawking wants to lay and pray for a moment but Nelson keeps working.
Hawking working away.
Nelson is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Hawking working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Hawking is looking to take a break and control but Nelson is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nelson manages to work his way to half guard, despite Hawking's best efforts.
Hawking is trying to control. Nelson wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

Hawking trying to work for an americana but Nelson has managed to regain full guard.

Nelson throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Hawking throws a big right hand that misses.
Stephen Hawking has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hawking wants to control from the top but Nelson keeps moving.
Nelson manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Nelson punishing his opponent with strikes.
A nice elbow there by Nelson.
Hawking is working to get back to half guard.
Nelson lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Nelson throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hawking is wriggling around trying to escape.
Nelson scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Hawking?
Nelson fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!

Hawking is rocked!
Nelson sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Hawking is still in real trouble! Can Nelson finish him?
Nelson postures up and lands a whopping elbow - oh that's hurt Hawking bigstyle! Two more strikes land for Nelson and the fight is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:42 of round 5, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Ed Nelson!
Ed Nelson retains his featherweight title!
During a confident post fight interview, Ed Nelson thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.