PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Martin Walter (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and james hatfield (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Walter
vs
hatfield

179 cm
19
169 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

176 cm
22
165 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Martin Walter!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, james hatfield!
The judges for this bout are Andrew Berry, James Glass and Donald Grub.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A head kick misses from Walter.
hatfield closes the distance and clinches up with Walter, looking for a takedown. hatfield pushes Walter against the cage but Walter circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
hatfield shoots in for a takedown but Walter shows good takedown defense.
hatfield shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Walter but Walter pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Martin Walter has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of james hatfield.
hatfield is trying hard to land a takedown here. Walter sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Walter with a lazy takedown attempt

and hatfield decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Walter's guard.
hatfield trying to control the position from guard on top but Walter is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Walter looking for a sweep. Not yet Walter, not yet.

Walter looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
hatfield won't allow Walter to sweep him here.

Walter is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. hatfield is aware though and is defending well.
hatfield in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

Walter is working an open guard so hatfield takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Walter closes the distance and clinches.

Walter breaks the clinch.
hatfield fails with a takedown attempt.
hatfield looks gassed!
Walter misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Walter has closed the distance and engaged hatfield in a clinch.

hatfield pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
hatfield misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Nice sprawl there from Walter as hatfield shoots in.
Walter lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.

hatfield gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Walter is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
hatfield keeping full guard, as Walter tries to pass.
Walter is stalling in the full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Walter pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. hatfield is keeping the position for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Walter trying to control but hatfield is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
hatfield looking to hit a scissor sweep but Walter is one step ahead there.
Walter wants to pass the guard but hatfield is keeping the position.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
hatfield stuffs the takedown attempt from Walter. Walter gets slowly back to his feet.
Walter lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Walter fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with hatfield, pushing him back against the cage.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Walter drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
hatfield is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Walter gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
The referee calls for Walter to work.
Walter scores a nice knee to the body.
Walter content to slow the pace in the clinch.
hatfield looking to slow down the pace here.
Walter goes for a takedown attempt but hatfield pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Walter rushes hatfield and presses him up against the cage.

Walter manages to break the clinch.
Martin Walter is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Walter is defended easily by hatfield.
Walter shoots in but no luck this time.
Walter gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and hatfield counters with a nice double leg into side control. Walter won't be happy with that.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Martin Walter. That's going to take a lot out of him.
hatfield trying to control the action but Walter is working from the bottom.
hatfield throws a strike aimed at the side of Walter's head but Walter avoids it well.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee asks hatfield politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. hatfield prefers to stall for the moment though.
Walter is trying to buck hatfield off.
hatfield trying to control the position but Walter is working away.
Walter is trying to control hatfield's posture but hatfield avoids it.
hatfield is looking to take a break and control but Walter is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's two 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.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Walter pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Walter scores with a leg kick.
Walter will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Walter throws a head kick but hatfield moves out of range.
A slow jab from Walter misses its intended target.
hatfield avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Walter lands a jab to the nose.
Walter shoots and misses

and hatfield holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, hatfield just misses with a elbow thrown towards Walter's brow.

Walter manages to break the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A low kick from Walter is predictable there

and hatfield counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
hatfield thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Walter to regain full guard.
Walter keeping moving, preventing hatfield from controlling successfully.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as hatfield accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
hatfield wants to control from the top but Walter keeps moving.
hatfield throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
hatfield being controlled here momentarily.
Walter is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst hatfield is controlling him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
hatfield trying to control but Walter is working from the bottom.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Walter thuds a left hand into hatfield's body.
Walter misses with a combination

and hatfield counters with a takedown into side control.
hatfield is looking to take a break and control but Walter is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

hatfield wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Walter, who protects the arm well.
Walter tries to improve position but can't.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

james hatfield showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. This is the final round!

Walter tries to close the distance and clinch but hatfield swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

hatfield looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Walter is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of hatfield's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take hatfield's back!
Walter wants to control but hatfield manages to buck him off and is now in Walter's guard! Nice work there by hatfield!
Walter utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Walter avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

Walter kicks hatfield off and gets to his feet.
Walter stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Walter lands with a slapping head kick.

Walter drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Walter drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Walter jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
hatfield has control of Walter's left arm, preventing Walter from doing any damage.
hatfield keeping full guard, as Walter tries to pass.
hatfield not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Walter with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

That's two 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.
Walter trying to control but hatfield is working from the bottom.
Walter loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
hatfield takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Walter scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Walter tries to clinch up.
Horrible takedown by Walter or perhaps it was just good defense by hatfield which made him look bad.
Both fighters circling a little - Walter finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Walter closes the distance but hatfield moves to the side

and hatfield decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Walter's guard.
Walter looking to hit a scissor sweep but hatfield is one step ahead there.

hatfield thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
hatfield working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
hatfield wants to control from the top but Walter keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
hatfield throws and elbow that misses. Walter uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in hatfield's guard. Nice move by Walter!
Walter has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Walter trying to control but hatfield is working from the bottom.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
hatfield moves out of range as Walter throws a body kick.

Walter gets a clinch.
Walter tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Walter is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Martin Walter. That's going to take a lot out of him.
hatfield tries for a takedown. No joy.

Walter breaks the clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Martin Walter.
I think Walter has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Andrew Berry scores the fight 29:28
Judge James Glass scores the fight 29:28
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight 29:29

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Martin Walter!