PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Don Cortez (ranked 603 p4p, 957 weight class) and John Wesley Hardin (ranked 37 p4p, 58 weight class). John Wesley Hardin will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Cortez
vs
Hardin

185 cm
31
275
20 - 12 - 1

200 cm
27
275
10 - 4 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Very quick

Olympic wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Brooklyn Threads

30th Century Beer Store
Conviction

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 20 - 12 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Don Cortez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 4 - 0, fighting out of New York, John Wesley Hardin!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Frank Antenori and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cortez misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Hardin.
Cortez rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Hardin moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Hardin doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Cortez will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Hardin doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Cortez cracks Hardin with a good jab.
Hardin walks into a stiff left hand from Cortez.
Don Cortez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A jab from Cortez does it's job there.
Cortez lands a nice hook to Hardin's body. Hardin takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Cortez shoots in looking for a takedown but Hardin manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Cortez's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cortez connects with a body shot that sends Hardin's belly button to the back.

Cortez closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
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!
Cortez throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Cortez wants to free his trapped foot but Hardin is holding on for dear life with his legs.
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.
Cortez has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Cortez throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Cortez scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Cortez looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Hardin with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Cortez is pressing down on Hardin's thigh, looking to free his foot. Hardin is holding on for now.
Cortez looks to land a strike but Hardin avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Cortez sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Cortez looking to sit in guard and control but Hardin gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hardin stopping the sweep attempt from Cortez.
Cortez pulls Hardin in close to prevent any damage.
Cortez is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Hardin is looking to improve his position.
Cortez is looking to take a break and control but Hardin is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Cortez is really struggling to control Hardin but he's trying to hold on to the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cortez not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Cortez trying to control the action but Hardin is working from the bottom.
Cortez is looking to stall here but Hardin recovers full guard.
Hardin wants to sweep but no luck.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Cortez accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Cortez throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Hardin works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Cortez stopping the sweep attempt from Hardin.
Hardin keeping moving, preventing Cortez from controlling successfully.
Cortez looking to pass the guard.

Cortez drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Hardin manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Cortez has Hardin in his guard.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Cortez is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Hardin is trying to maintain the position but Cortez is very close to passing his half guard.
Cortez looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Don Cortez dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action.

Cortez shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Hardin's guard.
Cortez trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Cortez is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Hardin can do to turn this around?
Cortez trying to control but Hardin is working from the bottom.
Don Cortez overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cortez keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Hardin's head.
Hardin wants to sweep but no luck.
Hardin is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cortez trying to control but Hardin is working from the bottom.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Cortez connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Hardin momentarily.
Hardin is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Cortez.
A punch lands to the side of Hardin 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Cortez throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Hardin is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Cortez with a body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cortez misses the shot to the body.
Cortez lands a body shot.
Cortez jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Hardin looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Cortez throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Hardin's waist but Hardin gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Cortez off to one side.
Cortez scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Hardin bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Hardin let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
Decent striking displayed by Cortez there.
Hardin on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Cortez shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Hardin sprawls well. Hardin wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Cortez gets slowly back to his feet.
A lazy left from Cortez finds it's target.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cortez connects with a crisp jab.
Cortez throws a right and a left that Hardin avoids nicely.
It seemed like Hardin was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Cortez swings widly with a right hand
and Hardin counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Cortez throws a big shot that misses.
Cortez tries for a takedown but Hardin sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Don Cortez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cortez throws the left hand but Hardin avoids the punch easily.

Cortez closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Hardin quickly recovers to half guard.
Hardin is refusing to be controlled, as Cortez sits in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hardin wants to get back to his feet.

Cortez is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Hardin has managed to free his arm - good work.
Cortez wants to pass to mount but Hardin is defending the position.
Hardin is not content to let Cortez control the position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cortez moves nicely into side control.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Don Cortez dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Cortez dives in and scores a takedown into Hardin's guard.
Cortez postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Hardin keeping moving, preventing Cortez from controlling successfully.
Cortez stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Hardin swivels though and keeps the full guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cortez working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Cortez's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hardin being controlled here, momentarily.
Cortez might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Hardin keeping full guard, as Cortez tries to pass.
Cortez trying to control the position from guard on top but Hardin is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cortez is fighting to break Hardin's control of his arms but Hardin is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Cortez sitting in guard here, content to control.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
A jab from Hardin misses.
John Wesley Hardin has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
John Wesley Hardin is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Cortez ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Hardin moves away.
A countering left hand to the body from Hardin misses.
Cortez tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Hardin was well out of range. Poor timing from Cortez.
Cortez fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Cortez swings for the body but Hardin moves out of range.
Hardin doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Cortez rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Hardin counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

It looks like Don Cortez has been cut.
Cortez misses with a wild combination.

Cortez shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Hardin napping and manages to drive through into side control!

Cortez tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Hardin is looking to regain half guard here but Cortez keeps moving and retains side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cortez throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Cortez has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Hardin is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Cortez has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Cortez trying to control the action but Hardin is working from the bottom.
Hardin tries to improve position but can't.
Cortez throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Hardin works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Cortez controlling the pace.
Hardin on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Cortez wants to pass to mount but Hardin is defending the position.
Cortez moves into full mount! Hardin won't be happy about that!
Don Cortez is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Cortez trying to control but he's not successful this time.

And that's the end of the fight!
Don Cortez showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Cortez has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Jack Bonds scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 30:27
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Don Cortez!
Don Cortez decided to hype himself up post fight. It was going well but he went on about it a bit too long and the crowd turned on him a little.
John Wesley Hardin was interviewed post fight and said 'This is a very disappointing loss for my camp. We'll bust our asses to improve and run this one back.'.