PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Hunter Akbar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rafal Dabrowski (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Akbar's entrance music is New Slaves. A fine choice. Both fighters really staring each other down here, as Rafal Dabrowski enters the cage!

Akbar
vs
Dabrowski

188 cm
32
198 lbs
21 - 3 - 0

197 cm
35
202 lbs
18 - 6 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Good gas tank

Fury Nutrition Inc.
Australian Xtreme Elite Supplements 160Q

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 21 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Hunter Akbar!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 18 - 6 - 0, fighting out of London, Rafal Dabrowski!
The judges for this bout are Paul Aken, Albert Achterberg and Wagner Zegers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A head kick misses from Dabrowski.

Dabrowski has taken the fight to the clinch.
Dabrowski is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Akbar is keeping busy.
Akbar blocks an uppercut.
Dabrowski throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Akbars head.
Dabrowski working aggressively here.
Dabrowski misses with the head strike.

Akbar works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.

Dabrowski isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Akbar stacks Dabrowski on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Akbar!
Dabrowski is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Akbar asserts his dominance and retains side control.

Akbar thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dabrowski is working to avoid the ground and pound but Akbar connects with a decent elbow.

Akbar is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Dabrowski has escaped the position, nice work there.
Akbar working the ground and pound.
Dabrowski is looking to regain half guard here but Akbar keeps moving and retains side control.
Akbar wants to control but Dabrowski is keeping him busy.
Dabrowski regains half guard.
Akbar wants to take a breather but Dabrowski is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dabrowski misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Dabrowski is looking for a sweep. Akbar is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Dabrowski actively working from the bottom here.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Dabrowski looking for subs from the bottom but Akbar mounts him!
Dabrowski is desperately trying to improve his position but Akbar has a good base and remains in mount.
Dabrowski manages to regain half guard. Good work.

Dabrowski actively working from the bottom here.
Dabrowski is looking to escape.

Dabrowski actively working from the bottom here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Akbar takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.

Dabrowski actively working from the bottom here.
Dabrowski moves into full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Dabrowski has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Akbar is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Dabrowski.
Dabrowski is trying to get back to half guard.
Dabrowski sneaks back into half guard.

Akbar is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Dabrowski looking for submissions off his back.

Dabrowski actively working from the bottom here.

Dabrowski looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Dabrowski is trying to get back to full guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Akbar working Dabrowski over with strikes.

Akbar seems to be working for a kimura but Dabrowski defends the submission attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hunter Akbar dominated that round.
That's time! Akbar's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Dabrowski moves into the clinch.
Dabrowski lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Akbar blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Akbar has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Dabrowski clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!
Dabrowski is in bad spot here.
Akbar definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Dabrowski tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Dabrowski tries to reverse the position but Akbar maintains control.
Akbar is landing with some decent strikes but Dabrowski is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Akbar looking to control but Dabrowski is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Dabrowski is looking to improve his position but Akbar isn't that keen on the idea.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Akbar landing strikes, looking to finish!
Dabrowski is in all sorts of trouble here.
Dabrowski sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Akbar is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Dabrowski can do to turn this around?
Dabrowski wants to improve his position but Akbar is controlling well.
Dabrowski gets full guard.

Dabrowski had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Akbar defends it easily.

Dabrowski working for a triangle but Akbar defends it easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Dabrowski looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Akbar passes into half guard.
Dabrowski is looking to improve his position.

Dabrowski looking to force a kimura from the bottom here. He's concentrating on that move too much though and Akbar pushes past his half guard into mount!
Akbar with some aggressive grappling here, looking for the finish.
Dabrowski working to try and regain half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dabrowski is bucking up trying to escape but Akbar cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Dabrowski wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.

Akbar looking for the choke from the back.
Dabrowski manages to reverse the position and now he's in Akbar's guard. Nice work there by Dabrowski.
Dabrowski keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Akbar's head.
Dabrowski throws a big right hand that misses.
Dabrowski tries to free his leg and advance position but Akbar is retaining full guard.
Dabrowski throws a big right hand that misses.
Dabrowski trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Akbar controls Dabrowski momentarily but Dabrowski frees himself.
Akbar is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Akbar avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Dabrowski throws an elbow that misses. Akbar uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Dabrowski's guard. Nice move by Akbar!

Dabrowski looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Akbar is looking to work some ground and pound but Dabrowski has wrist control.

Akbar decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

Dabrowski moves into the clinch successfully.
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!
Dabrowski doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hunter Akbar dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Dabrowski gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Dabrowski is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Akbar is trying to stall.
Dabrowski works on Akbar's body with a couple of short punches.
Dabrowski doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Dabrowski throws an elbow that misses.
Dabrowski can't find room to land a body shot as Akbar controls the action.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dabrowski is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Dabrowski lands with a left to the head.

Akbar breaks from the clinch.

Dabrowski clinches with his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Akbar jumps guard.
Dabrowski working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Dabrowski pushing down on Akbar's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Dabrowski looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Akbar with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Akbar avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Dabrowski.
Akbar keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Akbar avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Dabrowski.
Dabrowski slips a nice elbow through Akbar's hands, connecting with Akbar's forehead.
Hunter Akbar overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Dabrowski frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Akbar is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Dabrowski scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Akbar?

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Akbar wants to hold on but Dabrowski pushes him away.
Rafal Dabrowski has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Dabrowski raining down hammerfists from mount.

It looks like Hunter Akbar has been cut.
Dabrowski lands a big shot to the head and Akbar winces in pain. He's tapped out due to strikes!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:40 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Strikes). Rafal Dabrowski!
In his post fight interview, Rafal Dabrowski started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.
Hunter Akbar spoke after the fight, saying 'I will come back stronger for my friends & family'.