PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ernesto Salas (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dan Hardy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hardy has chosen England Belongs To Me as his entrance music. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Salas
vs
Hardy

185 cm
18
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

183 cm
25
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Tends to cut

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, Ernesto Salas!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Dan Hardy!
The judges for this bout are Paul Tew, Andrew Berry and William Gold.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hardy moves out of range as Salas throws a body kick.

Salas shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Salas showed some decent athleticism there.

Hardy pushes Salas off and gets back to his feet.
Hardy thumps Salas with a low kick.

Hardy clinches with his opponent.

Hardy manages to break the clinch.
Hardy is looking to clinch but Salas is avoiding it.
No luck for Salas with that takedown attempt.
No joy there for Hardy, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

Hardy closes the distance and clinches.
Hardy has had enough of the clinch but Salas keeps him there for the moment.
Salas fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Salas misses with some punches.
Salas tries to break the clinch but Hardy is controlling the position.

Hardy breaks from the clinch.
Salas closes the distance and clinches up with Hardy, looking for a takedown. Salas pushes Hardy against the cage but Hardy circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ernesto Salas. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hardy tries to close the distance and clinch up but Salas swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hardy tries to clinch but Salas moves out of range.
Danga de danga de dang - Hardy scores with a four punch combination!
Hardy avoids a punch combination nicely.
Hardy's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Hardy duly obliges.

Hardy has taken the fight to the clinch.
A nice right hand lands inside from Salas.

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

Hardy has Salas up against the cage in a clinch.
Salas is looking to control Hardy's arms but Hardy gets an underhook and turns him. Now Salas has his back to the cage.
Salas tries to break the clinch but Hardy is controlling the position.
Salas jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Hardy walks away with a smile on his face. Salas gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Salas tries to clinch
and Hardy counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

Hardy closes the distance and clinches.
Hardy is pushing Salas up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Salas trying to stall but Hardy improves his position.
Hardy has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hardy tries to score a body lock takedown but Salas shows good agility there to stay on his feet.

Hardy breaks the clinch.

Hardy scores with a takedown into Salas's guard.
Salas looking for a sweep. Not yet Salas, not yet.
Hardy trying to control but Salas is working from the bottom.
Salas wants to sweep here but Hardy controlling him for the moment.
Salas controlling the position.
Salas is breathing heavily.
Hardy wants to control from the top but Salas keeps moving.
Salas avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Hardy gets to his feet. Salas looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Hardy getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Salas tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Hardy looks for a takedown but Salas sprawls well.
Salas dodges the punch combination from Hardy.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Salas.
Salas misses with a takedown attempt - Hardy sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Salas defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Hardy.
Dan Hardy seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Salas misses with a double jab.
Hardy tries to clinch but Salas is having none of it.
Salas avoids a punch combination nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Salas takes the fight into the clinch.

Hardy pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Salas shoots for a takedown but Hardy saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
A head kick by Salas misses
and Hardy counters with a three punch combo that has Salas backing up. Salas nods at Hardy to acknowledge the strikes.
Hardy fails to land with a series of punches.
Good standup being displayed there by Hardy as he connects with a hook.
Salas misses with a few strikes there.
Hardy shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Salas counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

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

Salas gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Hardy's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Nice takedown defense from Salas. No joy for Hardy on that attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dan Hardy dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Salas shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Hardy but Hardy pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Salas has his takedown stuffed
and Hardy counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Salas has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.

Hardy forces Salas back against the cage and clinches.
Salas fails to pull guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ernesto Salas. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Hardy manages to break the clinch.
Salas on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Hardy. Hardy obviously looking to wear him down.

Hardy shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Hardy was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Hardy lands a big shot there that rocks Salas but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Hardy lands a big elbow.
Salas is in all sorts of trouble here.
Salas tries to lock up and control but Hardy gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Salas is squirming around, avoiding Hardy's attempts to control the action.
Salas wants to control but Hardy is having none of it.

Hardy is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Salas can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Salas is squirming around, avoiding Hardy's attempts to control the action.
Salas tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Salas is working hard here to advance position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Hardy controlling from mount.
Salas flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Salas is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Hardy connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Salas tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Hardy looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.

Hardy looking for a guillotine from mount but Salas is having none of it.
Salas tries to hold on but Hardy pushes him away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hardy raining down shots from the mount!
Hardy looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Hardy trying to control but Salas is having none of it.
Salas tries to hold on but Hardy pushes him away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Hardy is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Salas to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Salas shrugs it off.
Salas wants to hold on but Hardy pushes him away.
Hardy is landing with some decent strikes but Salas is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Salas wants to hold on but Hardy pushes him away.
Hardy putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Salas really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Salas is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dan Hardy showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Salas leaves Hardy with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Hardy tries to clinch up.
Hardy fails with a takedown attempt.
Salas defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Hardy.
Ernesto Salas has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dan Hardy.

Salas moves into the clinch.
Salas can't get the takedown.
Salas prevents a takedown attempt there.
Salas looks to throw an elbow but misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Salas jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Hardy walks away with a smile on his face. Salas gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Hardy slaps away a takedown attempt from Salas, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Salas fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Salas doesn't manage to clinch there - Hardy circles away.
Salas takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
No luck for Salas with that takedown attempt.
Hardy misses with a takedown attempt - Salas sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Hardy fails to land with a series of punches.
Salas is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Hardy.
Salas with a poor takedown
and Hardy counters with a series of strikes. Salas will be more careful next time no doubt.
A left and a right from Hardy both land. Nice combination.
Hardy has his takedown stuffed

and Salas counters with a nice double leg into side control. Hardy won't be happy with that.
Hardy pushes Salas away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Salas gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Salas trying to control the action but Hardy is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hardy wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Salas with the ground and pound but Hardy regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Salas trying to control from half guard but Hardy is working away.
Hardy is trying to stand up here but Salas is controlling him well.
Hardy pushes Salas off but Salas dives into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hardy tries to escape but Salas is in control.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Salas stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Salas wants it to stay on the feet.
Hardy tries to clinch but Salas moves out of range.
Salas swats away the attempt to clinch by Hardy.
Hardy fails with the takedown

and Salas counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Hardy's guard now.

Hardy is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
Salas tries to pull guard but Hardy holds him up against the cage and eventually Salas drops back down to his feet.

Hardy breaks from the clinch.
Hardy uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Salas.

Hardy closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Salas is staying active underneath Hardy, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hardy thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Salas to regain full guard.
Hardy has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Salas is proving hard to escape from.
Salas keeping moving, preventing Hardy from controlling successfully.
Salas preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Salas has Hardy pulled in close to control his posture.
Salas looking to hit a scissor sweep but Hardy is one step ahead there.
Dan Hardy is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

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

And that's the end of the fight!
Ernesto Salas showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Hardy has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Paul Tew scores the fight 28:29
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight 28:29
Judge William Gold scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dan Hardy!