PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Michael O Leary (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ben Hursh (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Hursh's choice of entrance music: Mama said knock you out. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

O Leary
vs
Hursh

172 cm
18
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

171 cm
21
154 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Michael O Leary!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Ben Hursh!
The judges for this bout are , Timothy Bukovac and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

O Leary throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Hursh was covering up waiting for the punch and O Leary finishes the takedown easily into guard.
O Leary wants to stand but Hursh has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
O Leary tries to free his leg and advance position but Hursh is retaining full guard.
Hursh trying to control the position.
Hursh 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 fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hursh lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Hursh performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
O Leary has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Hursh is working away from the top position though.
Hursh wants to pass to mount but O Leary is defending the position.
Hursh tries to stand but his arm is trapped.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hursh lands strikes from half guard.

O Leary actively working from the bottom here.
O Leary keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Hursh is trying to control. O Leary wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
O Leary avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Hursh.
O Leary wants to control but Hursh is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Hursh wants to control but O Leary is keeping him busy.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hursh is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Hursh prevents O Leary from improving his position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Hursh shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and O Leary counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by O Leary.
O Leary is breathing heavily.
O Leary wants to control from the top but Hursh keeps moving.
Hursh pulls O Leary in close to prevent any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hursh keeping full guard, as O Leary tries to pass.
Hursh pulls O Leary in close to his closed guard and prevents O Leary from doing any damage or advancing position.
O Leary stopping the sweep attempt from Hursh.
Hursh trying to strike off his back.
Hursh manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
O Leary working to try and regain half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
O Leary taking shots to the head.
Hursh scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish O Leary?
Hursh landing strikes from the mount and O Leary is in trouble!
Hursh looking to finish O Leary with some ground and pound. This is bad for O Leary!
O Leary wants to hold on but Hursh pushes him away.
Hursh with the ground and pound from mount.
Hursh looking to control and managing it successfully.
Hursh landing punches.
O Leary tries to lock up and control but Hursh gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hursh is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Hursh fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
O Leary wants to control but Hursh is having none of it.
Hursh trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Hursh scoring with strikes but O Leary is staying in there.
Hursh scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Hursh lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Hursh is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. O Leary can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Hursh looking to control and managing it successfully.
Hursh landing punches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ben Hursh dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Hursh shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and O Leary counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Hursh!
Hursh tries to hold on but O Leary postures up.
Hursh swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Hursh is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Hursh sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Hursh throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Hursh wants to control but O Leary is keeping busy.
O Leary tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Hursh.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
O Leary wants to control but Hursh is keeping him busy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
O Leary performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Ben Hursh has got the better of the ground game so far.

O Leary is working for a kimura but Hursh is defending it quite comfortably.

O Leary is looking for a kimura but Hursh is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for O Leary to get the leverage.
Hursh misses with some strikes from the bottom.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

O Leary gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Hursh to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Hursh controlling from the top position.
Hursh postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hursh showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Hursh's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

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

Hursh darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
O Leary wants to control but Hursh is keeping busy and won't allow it.
O Leary is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Hursh jumps into side control!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hursh in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
O Leary on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Hursh connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused O Leary some visible discomfort.
Hursh moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
O Leary manages to get back to half guard.
Hursh working the head and body with strikes.
O Leary keeps control of the position for the meantime.
Hursh lands with a punch from half guard.
O Leary trying to control but Hursh postures up.
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. Hursh connects with a nice short shot to O Leary's temple.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Hursh trying to control from half guard but O Leary is working away.
Hursh seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
O Leary wants to control but Hursh is keeping busy and won't allow it.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Hursh scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
O Leary manages to get to full guard.
Hursh cracks O Leary with a solid left hand.
O Leary keeping moving, preventing Hursh from controlling successfully.
O Leary controls Hursh momentarily but Hursh frees himself.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ben Hursh showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

O Leary doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Hursh counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Hursh.
Hursh with a flurry of punches that miss.
Hursh chips away with some ground and pound.

O Leary escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Hursh gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Hursh cracks O Leary with a solid left hand.
Hursh working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Hursh missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Hursh lands a couple of digs.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Hursh scoring with punches to the head and body.
O Leary is trying to keep Hursh in close.
Hursh passes O Leary's right leg, so he's now in half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hursh drops an elbow to the side of O Leary's head.
O Leary tries to roll over but Hursh keeps him under control.
Hursh not landing any meaningful shots this time.
O Leary on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
O Leary wants to control but Hursh is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Hursh scoring with strikes to the body and head.
O Leary has hold of Hursh's hands but Hursh slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Hursh seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but O Leary does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
O Leary scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!

Hursh scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Hursh prevents O Leary from improving his position.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hursh content to control rather than advance.
O Leary is staying active underneath Hursh, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
O Leary avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Hursh.
Hursh thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Hursh not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Hursh thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed O Leary's head.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

O Leary drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
O Leary wants to stand but Hursh has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

Hursh pushes O Leary off and gets back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
O Leary misses with a takedown attempt

and Hursh counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Hursh.

Hursh tightens his grip and picks O Leary up, before dumping him to the ground. O Leary manages to land in guard.
Hursh wanted to stand there but O Leary had control of the position.
O Leary controls Hursh momentarily but Hursh frees himself.
O Leary tries to land a sweep but no joy.
O Leary keeping moving, preventing Hursh from controlling successfully.
O Leary utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
O Leary bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Hursh's guard.
O Leary stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Hursh swivels though and keeps the full guard.
O Leary wants to control from the top but Hursh keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hursh working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from O Leary.
Hursh wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

O Leary is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Hursh is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Hursh has escaped and now he's on top!
O Leary keeping moving, preventing Hursh from controlling successfully.
Michael O Leary has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Hursh chips away with some ground and pound.

Hursh stands over his opponent and dives in with a flying punch! O Leary throws up his legs and catches Hursh in a triangle! Oh this looks tight! Hursh tries to escape but he's forced to tap! Wow, fantastic work there by O Leary! That came out of nowhere!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:58 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle Choke). Michael O Leary!