PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Joe Young (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Will Hardy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Young comes to the cage accompanied by You're The Best. Hardy has chosen Feeling Good Today as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Young
vs
Hardy

190 cm
27
223 lbs
12 - 11 - 0

186 cm
31
218 lbs
17 - 17 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Great elbows
Powerful

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 12 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Joe Young!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 17 - 17 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Will Hardy!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Mauricio Rocha and Leandro Rodrigues.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Young buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Joe Young seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Young is looking to land body kicks.
Hardy scores with a spinning back kick!
Hardy waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Young.
Young misses with a hook.
Young slips a jab and a cross from Hardy.
Young misses with a wild body shot.
Hardy throws a head kick but Young moves out of range.
Young pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Young misses with a leg kick

and Hardy moves into the clinch.
Hardy slowing the pace effectively.
Young gets underhooks to prevent Hardy's takedown attempt.
Hardy lands with a short shot to the head.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Hardy throws a punch but it's blocked by Young.
Hardy comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.

It looks like Joe Young has been cut.
Hardy lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Young backwards.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hardy throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Hardy tries to work over Young's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Young blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Hardy using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Hardy landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Young's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Hardy throws a head punch that misses.

Young breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Hardy tries to clinch up but Young circles away and keeps his distance.

Hardy has Young up against the cage in a clinch.
Hardy using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Young has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Young tries to break the clinch but Hardy is controlling the position.
Hardy landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Hardy trying to land knees to the body.
Hardy stalling in the clinch but Young improves position.
Hardy gets through Young's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Young working hard to break the clinch.
Young is trying to break the clinch but Hardy has him pressed against the cage.
Hardy tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Hardy.
Nice body punch from Hardy - that landed with a thud.
Hardy tries to land a knee to the head but Young blocks with his arms.
Hardy taking a breather.
A nice left hand lands by Hardy.
Hardy tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Young scores with a nice hook to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hardy tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Young avoids it.
Hardy throws a knee to the head but misses.
Knees in the clinch landing for Hardy.
Hardy is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Young is keeping busy.
Hardy avoiding damage.
Young is trying to break the clinch but Hardy has him pressed against the cage.
Young avoids a wild elbow strike from Hardy.
Young lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Hardy.
Hardy scores with a nice hook to the head.
Young's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Young blocks an elbow strike from Hardy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hardy tries to land knees in the clinch but Young avoids the damage to the body.
Nice elbow from Hardy.
Hardy misses with a shot to the kidneys.
A right hook to the body lands for Hardy.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Hardy lands a left hand that snaps the head of Young backwards.
Young lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Hardy stalls.
Young tries to circle away but Hardy has him pinned against the cage.
Hardy leaning his opponent against the cage.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Young avoids the elbow strike from Hardy, against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Will Hardy dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Joe Young's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Hardy motions for Young to come forward. Hardy throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Hardy throws a right and a left that both miss.
Hardy lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Hardy throws a nice outside leg kick.
Hardy swings widly with a right hand
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Hardy scores with a leg kick.
Hardy lands a head kick!
Hardy throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Hardy throws the left hand but Young avoids the punch easily.
Young throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Hardy sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Hardy walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
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!
Hardy connects with a solid leg kick.
Young throws a lazy uppercut
and Hardy counters with a nice uppercut.
Young jabs at Hardy's body.
A slow jab from Young misses its intended target.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Young keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Will Hardy seems to be getting the better of the standup.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Young.
Young throws a right hand that misses
and Hardy counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Young throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Hardy throws a body kick that misses.
Young tries a head kick but it misses.
Young lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Young misses with the combination.
Hardy lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Young tries to bum rush Hardy with a series of wild strikes but Hardy uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Hardy fails with an attempt to clinch.
Hardy avoids the head kick by Young.
Hardy connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
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!
Young swats away the attempt to clinch by Hardy.
Hardy scores with a hook.
Young rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Hardy moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Hardy misses with a wild body shot.
Young pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Hardy fails in his attempt to clinch.
Young takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Hardy cracks Young with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Young blocks a head kick by Hardy.
Young wants to slow Hardy down by chopping away at his legs.
An inside leg kick lands from Hardy.
Hardy throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Young stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Young throws a hook but Hardy avoids it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Young takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Hardy works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Hardy is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Young misses with a hook
and Hardy counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Young thinking.
A good leg kick by Hardy.
A jab from Hardy does it's job there.
A punch combination from Young misses.
Young misses with a head kick.
Young blocks the body kick.
Hardy throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Hardy fails in his attempt to clinch.
Hardy lets loose with a powerful body kick. Young will feel that in the morning.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Young takes a head kick and keeps coming.
A punch lands to the side of Young 's head but he takes it in his stride.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Hardy.
Hardy tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
A head kick misses from Hardy.
Young is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Hardy tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Hardy lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Young steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Hardy.
Young circles away from the clinch attempt.
Young throws a low kick but it's checked well by Hardy.
Hardy misses with a body kick.
No joy there for Young, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Hardy pivots, looking for a leg kick but Young is out of range and Hardy settles back down.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Hardy pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Young looks to score with a jab to the body but Hardy is just out of range.
Hardy ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Young moves away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Will Hardy showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Joe Young's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Hardy tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Hardy lands a head kick. Young smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Young misses with a head kick.

Hardy gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Young takes an elbow to the temple.
Young trying to control the position but instead, Hardy has worked for underhooks and has pushed Young into the cage.
Hardy tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Young controlling the action here for a moment.
Young prevents a body shot from Hardy.
Hardy pushes off an throws an elbow but Young leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hardy lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Young blocking some punches.
Hardy pushes off an throws an elbow but Young leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Hardy lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Young backwards.
Hardy doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Hardy.
Young blocking some punches.
Hardy digs a right hand underneath Young's ribcage. Young let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Hardy softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Hardy misses with an elbow strike.
Hardy lands a damaging elbow.
Young is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Hardy tries a knee to the head but Young blocks it.
Will Hardy is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A frustrated look appears on Young's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Young is trying to push Hardy away but Hardy has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Hardy has Young pressed against the cage, preventing Young from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Young can't break the clinch.
A short right from Hardy on the inside.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Young is trying to force a seperation but Hardy has the dominant position.

Young's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Young looks to land a left hand but Hardy moved out of range nicely.
Hardy uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Young.
Hardy throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Young throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Hardy throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Hardy tries to clinch up.
Young getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
A shot to the liver by Hardy. Beautiful body shot.
Young misses with a hook.
Young takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Young misses with a hook.
Hardy with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Young ducks under a wild hook from Hardy.
Hardy slips a jab from Young.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Young throws a lazy uppercut
and Hardy connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
A telegraphed right hand from Young misses the target.
Hardy connects with a high kick.
Young misses with a double jab
and Hardy counters with a left to the body.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Hardy dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Young. That did some damage!
Hardy throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Hardy has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Hardy misses with a straight left.
Hardy displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Young throws out the jab.
Hardy lands a nice looking kick to the body. Young takes a step back to recover.
Hardy scores with a kick to the body.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hardy lands with a nice body kick.
Joe Young has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Hardy tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

And that's the end of the fight!
Will Hardy comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Hardy 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 Alexandre Firmino scores the fight for Will Hardy!
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight for Will Hardy!
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight for Will Hardy!

Will Hardy wins by unanimous decision!
Will Hardy seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.