PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between James Bond (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mark Hughes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bond comes into the arena with james bond theme tune blaring out of the sound system. I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Mark Hughes was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Bond
vs
Hughes

172 cm
25
170 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

176 cm
21
176 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, James Bond!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Mark Hughes!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Marco Blurström and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Hughes forces Bond back against the cage and clinches.
Hughes tries for a takedown but Bond manages to get underhooks.

Hughes lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.

Hughes is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Bond sees it coming and defends easily.
Bond is pressing down on Hughes's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Hughes throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

Hughes thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Hughes's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Hughes lands a couple of digs.
Hughes makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Bond throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Bond not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Bond avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Bond 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.

Bond looking for a guillotine here but Hughes defends easily.
Hughes trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bond working a defensive guard here.

Bond has his foot on Hughes's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Hughes works his way back into a safe position though.
Bond is breathing heavily.
Bond utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Bond utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Hughes won't allow Bond to sweep him here.
Hughes must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Hughes's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Hughes lands a couple of digs.
Bond keeping full guard, as Hughes tries to pass.
Bond preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Bond avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Hughes trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Bond has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Hughes can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Hughes works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Hughes throwing shots but Bond is blocking nicely.
Bond keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Hughes seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

Hughes looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

Bond is defending against the submission attempts here by Hughes.

Hughes is working for a kimura but Bond is defending it quite comfortably.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bond moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Bond avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Hughes pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Bond is keeping the position for now.
Hughes in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Hughes postures up in Bond's guard and throws a big left but Bond blocks it.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Hughes fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Bond avoids it really well and circles away.

Hughes clinches up with Bond and pushes him back against the cage.

Hughes lands a takedown into guard.
Bond is looking to stand up but Hughes isn't so interested in that idea.
Hughes distracts Bond with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Hughes chips away with some ground and pound.
Hughes missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Hughes throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Bond works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Bond trying to keep a closed guard but Hughes is proving a slippery customer.
Bond manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Bond looking to control but Hughes is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mark Hughes dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Hughes shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Bond pinned against the cage. Bond gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Hughes closes the distance and clinches up with Bond, looking for a takedown. Hughes pushes Bond against the cage but Bond circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

Hughes scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Bond is looking to get back to is feet but Hughes passes into side control.
Hughes lands a decent elbow from side control.
Hughes misses with the ground and pound.
Bond is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Bond managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Hughes.
The ground and pound from Hughes seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Bond avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Hughes.
The strikes coming from Hughes are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bond can't do much from the bottom here.

Hughes is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Bond is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Hughes fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
James Bond has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mark Hughes.
Hughes shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Bond pinned against the cage. Bond gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Hughes is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Hughes shoots in for a takedown but Bond shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

Hughes tries to keep at a distance but Bond has taken the fight into the clinch.
Bond gets underhooks to prevent Hughes's takedown attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bond looking for a takedown.

Hughes works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Bond avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

Bond looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Hughes is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

Bond throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Hughes thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Hughes working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Hughes thows a big elbow that misses.
Hughes lands a couple of digs.
Hughes throws and elbow that misses. Bond uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Hughes's guard. Nice move by Bond!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hughes pulls Bond in close to his closed guard and prevents Bond from doing any damage or advancing position.
Hughes looking to control.

Hughes is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Bond is aware though and is defending well.

Hughes looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

Bond gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Bond is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Hughes closes this distance looking for a takedown but Bond circles away.

Hughes instigates a clinch.
Hughes wants a takedown.
With the fighters up against the cage, Bond throws an elbow but misses.
Hughes has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Bond is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Hughes goes for a takedown in the clinch but Bond prevents it.

Bond has picked Hughes up - he's going for a ride! Bond dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that James Bond will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Hughes shoots in but Bond avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Hughes shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Bond slaps away a takedown attempt from Hughes, before circling back to the center of the mat.
James Bond has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mark Hughes.
Hughes keeps the fight on the outside.
Hughes swats away the attempt to clinch by Bond.
Bond fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Hughes avoids it really well and circles away.
Mark Hughes is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Hughes feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Hughes throws a strike but Bond rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Hughes is working an open guard so Bond takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bond fails with a takedown attempt.
Hughes doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Bond counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Hughes is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Bond is controlling him.
Hughes wants to sweep but no luck.

Hughes throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Bond escapes and throws Hughes's legs to the side, diving into side control!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bond is looking to take a break and control but Hughes is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Bond is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Hughes is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Hughes gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Hughes looking for submissions off his back.
Hughes wants to control but Bond is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Hughes wants to get back to his feet.

Hughes pushes Bond off and gets back to his feet.
Bond shoots in but no luck this time.
Mark Hughes seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Bond looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Hughes is fending him off so far but Bond persists. Nope, Hughes circles away and we're back to standing.

Hughes shoots in and bounces Bond off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Hughes throwing strikes but missing.
Bond tries to land a sweep but no joy.

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 James Bond.
I think Bond 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 Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 28:29
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 29:28
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... James Bond!