PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Haral Dir (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Macho Savage (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Macho Savage will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Dir
vs
Savage

181 cm
28
205 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

194 cm
26
220 lbs
10 - 9 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Very strong

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Haral Dir!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Macho Savage!
The judges for this bout are Winston Howard, Steve Erwin and Donatello Bradman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Savage throws the left hand but Dir avoids the punch easily.
Savage scores with a nice strike.
Dir defending well as Savage loads up on a big left hand.
Savage has a takedown stuffed.
Savage throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Dir shoots in and drives through. Savage sprawls well.
Dir takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Dir walks into a jab.
Savage thuds his right hand into Dir's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Dir keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Macho Savage seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Dir takes a jab right on the kisser.
Savage comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dir takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Savage closes this distance looking for a takedown but Dir circles away.
Savage misses with a lunging right hand

and Dir counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Dir stalling.
Savage trying to control but Dir postures up.
Dir controlling the action here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Haral Dir has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Dir moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Savage lands an overhand right.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Savage dives in and grabs Dir's left leg, looking for a takedown. Dir pushes down on Savage's head and hops out.
Haral Dir has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Macho Savage.
Savage throws the left hand but Dir avoids the punch easily.
Dir moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Dir keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Dir misses the jab.
Nice uppercut there from Savage.
Savage feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Dirs jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Dir keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Savage.
Savage is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Dir had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into pâté.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dir shoots in and drives through. Savage sprawls well.
Dir closes the distance and clinches up with Savage, looking for a takedown. Dir pushes Savage against the cage but Savage circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Savage misses with a looping left.
Dir displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Savage throws out the jab.
Savage just misses with a punch to the body.

Savage shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Dir's guard.
Savage stands up over Dir, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Savage throwing strikes but missing.
Savage stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Dir swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Savage postures up in Dir's guard and throws a big left but Dir blocks it.
Savage won't allow Dir to get back to his feet.
Dir avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Savage wants to control from the top but Dir keeps moving.
Savage might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Dir kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Savage is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Savage postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Macho Savage dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

A looping hook to the body misses from Savage. Dir does a little dance to reset his feet.
A punch lands to the side of Dir 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Dir slips under a jab from Savage.
Dir slips a jab from Savage.
Dir is looking to chop away at Savage's legs.
Savage is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Dir.
Savage ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Savage uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Dir.
Dir keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Savage is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Savage throws a shot to the body.
Savage shoots in for a takedown but Dir shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Savage connects with a crisp jab.
Savage misses the shot to the body.
Savage shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Dir pinned against the cage. Dir gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Savage with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Savage tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Dir swivels and escapes.
Haral Dir has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Macho Savage.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Savage checks a leg kick.
Savage jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Dir takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Savage missing with a left hand there. Dir was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Savage misses with an uppercut.
Savage fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Dir manages to avoid it.
Savage lands a nice shot that snaps Dir's head back.
Dir takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Dir on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Savage misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Savage throws a shot from downtown. Dir moves away and avoids it.

Savage closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Savage lands in his opponent's guard.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Savage throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dir seems keen to control Savage's posture.
Dir manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Savage manages to get himself to full guard.
Dir might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Dir tries to free his leg and advance position but Savage is retaining full guard.
Dir has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Savage being controlled here, momentarily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dir stopping the sweep attempt from Savage.
Savage is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
A left lands for Savage.
Savage scores with a body shot.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Savage dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Savage looks to score with a jab to the body but Dir is just out of range.
Savage misses with a straight right.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Macho Savage showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Jab, jab by Savage - just one landing.
Savage slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.

Savage shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Macho Savage has got the better of the ground game so far.
Dir looks like he's trying to stand up.
Dir keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Savage thows a huge punch but Dir dodges it nicely.
Dir desperately trying to maintain half guard.
Dir is trying to stand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dir blocking the ground and pound attempt from Savage.
Savage has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Dir is staying active underneath Savage, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Dir works his way to full guard. Good work.
Dir keeping moving, preventing Savage from controlling successfully.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Macho Savage wasn't active enough on the ground.
Savage thows a body shot but no joy.
Macho Savage seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Savage tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Dir was well out of range. Poor timing from Savage.
Savage shoots in and drives through. Dir sprawls well.
Savage throws a sloppy body shot

and Dir counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Savage!
Dir controlling his opponent.
Dir's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Dir trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dir controlling from mount.
Macho Savage is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

We're going to have a standup here because Haral Dir wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Savage shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Dir as he avoids it easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Savage just misses with a punch to the body.
Savage cracks Dir with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Savage throws a hook but Dir avoids it easily.
Savage thows a body shot but no joy.
Dir slaps away a takedown attempt from Savage, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Haral Dir has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Macho Savage.
Dir moves out of range of the strikes.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Good standup being displayed there by Savage as he connects with a hook.
Savage swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Haral Dir has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Savage darts in and out, connecting with a jab.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Macho Savage.
I've got Savage winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Winston Howard scores the fight 27:30
Judge Steve Erwin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Donatello Bradman scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Macho Savage!