PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Salomon Diakte (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Billy Durant (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Billy Durant is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Diakte
vs
Durant

194 cm
25
260 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

225 cm
26
300 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Salomon Diakte!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Billy Durant!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Diakte with a poor takedown

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

Diakte breaks the clinch.
Diakte swats away the attempt to clinch by Durant.
Diakte looks for a takedown but Durant sprawls well.
Diakte misses with a takedown attempt

and Durant moves into the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Salomon Diakte. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Diakte prevents the takedown attempt.
Durant swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Diakte is trying to push Durant away but Durant has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Diakte is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Durant fails to pull guard.

Diakte breaks from the clinch.
Diakte circles away from the clinch attempt
and Diakte counters with a head kick.
Diakte throws a lazy uppercut

and Durant holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Durant can't break the clinch.
Diakte looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Diakte escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Durant tries to clinch up but Diakte circles away and keeps his distance.
Diakte shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Durant counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Durant.
Durant has Diakte pressed against the cage, preventing Diakte from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Diakte has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Diakte breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Durant tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Durant is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Durant is looking to clinch but Diakte is avoiding it.

Durant closes the distance and clinches.
Durant keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Diakte's efforts to push away.
Diakte is looking to break free of the clinch but Durant has double underhooks.
Durant wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Diakte pulls guard successfully.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Diakte has his hands on Durant's head, controlling the position.
Diakte is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Durant stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Diakte swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Durant trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Diakte manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!
Diakte might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Diakte stands up and waves to Durant to follow him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Durant closes the distance but Diakte moves to the side
and Diakte counters with a nice body kick.
Diakte shoots in but Durant avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Durant tries to clinch up.
Diakte has his takedown stuffed

and Durant holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Diakte is breathing heavily.

Durant breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Diakte misses with a takedown

and Durant holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Diakte escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Durant moves to clinch but Diakte breaks away
and Diakte makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Diakte misses with a takedown

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Durant tries to pull guard but Diakte forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Durant drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Diakte gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Diakte using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Durant wants a takedown but no success here.
Durant jumps guard but Diakte stands there with Durant around his waist. Durant gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Durant tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Diakte smiles and moves away.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Durant tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Diakte manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Billy Durant is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Durant tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Diakte paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Diakte misses with a takedown

and Durant counters by moving into the clinch.

Diakte breaks from the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Salomon Diakte will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Durant doesn't manage to clinch there - Diakte circles away.
Diakte throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Durant's head.

It looks like Billy Durant has been cut.
Diakte misses with a combination

and Durant holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Diakte manages to break the clinch.
Diakte could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Durant tries to clinch up but Diakte circles away and keeps his distance.
Durant tries to clinch but Diakte moves out of range.
Durant wants to clinch.
Diakte doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Durant counters by moving into the clinch.

Diakte pulls guard effortlessly.
Durant landing some decent shots from guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Durant stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Diakte swivels though and keeps the full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Durant is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Diakte is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Diakte has escaped and now he's on top!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diakte wants to get up but he can't break Durant's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Diakte with a flurry of punches that miss.

Durant escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Diakte gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Diakte tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Durant manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Durant closes the distance looking to clinch

and Diakte holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Durant working hard to break the clinch.

Diakte breaks from the clinch.
Durant is looking to clinch.
Durant tries to clinch up but Diakte circles away and keeps his distance.
Durant tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Diakte manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Durant tries to close the distance and clinch up but Diakte swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Durant is looking to clinch but Diakte is avoiding it.
Durant is looking to clinch.
Durant moves in looking to clinch but Diakte pushes him off.
Durant is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Diakte avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Diakte keeps the fight on the outside.
Nice sprawl there from Durant as Diakte shoots in.
The fight stays on the outside here - Durant looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Durant avoids the head kick by Diakte.
Durant tries to clinch there but Diakte circles away.
Durant is looking to clinch.
Durant fails with an attempt to clinch.
Salomon Diakte seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Diakte clinches with his opponent.

Diakte pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Diakte with a poor takedown

and Durant counters by moving into the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Salomon Diakte. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Diakte on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Diakte wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Durant wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Diakte wants to break the clinch but can't.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Durant is looking for a takedown.
Durant wants a takedown.
Durant is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Diakte to keep the fight standing.
Diakte wants to break free but Durant has control.
Diakte can't break the clinch.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Diakte looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Durant is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Diakte wants a takedown but no success here.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Durant.
Diakte looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Durant keeps control of Diakte as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Diakte escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Durant tries to clinch but Diakte moves out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Billy Durant will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Billy Durant's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. And we move into the final round!

Durant tries to clinch but Diakte is having none of it.
Durant tries to clinch up but Diakte circles away and keeps his distance.
Diakte keeps the fight on the outside.
Durant tries to clinch there but Diakte circles away.
Diakte shoots and misses

and Durant moves into the clinch.
Diakte has had enough of the clinch but Durant keeps him there for the moment.
Diakte is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Durant pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Durant jumps guard but Diakte turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.

Durant successfully pulls guard.

Diakte decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Durant, up you get!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Durant tries to clinch but Diakte is having none of it.
A combination from Diakte does no damage.
Durant tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Diakte manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Salomon Diakte is winning the standup battle so far.
Durant is looking to clinch but Diakte is avoiding it.
Durant slaps away a takedown attempt from Diakte, before circling back to the center of the mat.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Salomon Diakte. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diakte avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Durant looks to clinch
and Diakte counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
Diakte circles away from the clinch attempt.
Durant is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Diakte fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
The fight stays on the outside here - Durant looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Durant wants to clinch.
Diakte swats away the attempt to clinch by Durant.
Salomon Diakte is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Diakte keeps the fight on the outside.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Durant is looking to clinch but Diakte is avoiding it.
Durant tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Diakte paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Durant fails with an attempt to clinch.
Durant wants to clinch.
Durant tries to clinch there but Diakte circles away.
Horrible takedown by Diakte or perhaps it was just good defense by Durant which made him look bad.
Diakte shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Durant counters by clinching up.
Durant tries to land knees in the clinch but Diakte avoids the damage to the body.
Diakte has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Diakte taking a breather.
Durant looking for a takedown.
Durant drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Durant escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Durant tries to clinch there but Diakte circles away.

Durant closes the distance and clinches.
Diakte is trying to pull guard but Durant turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Durant jumps guard but Diakte stands there with Durant around his waist. Durant gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Durant is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Durant prevents Diakte from breaking the clinch.
Durant is looking to break free of the clinch but Diakte has double underhooks.

Diakte breaks from the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Durant wants to clinch.
Durant tries to close the distance and clinch but Diakte swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Diakte avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Diakte shoots and misses

and Durant moves into the clinch.
Durant tries to pull guard but Diakte forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Diakte is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Diakte has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Durant drops down looking for an ankle pick but Diakte pulls his leg out and moves away.
Durant is looking to clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Durant doesn't manage to clinch there - Diakte circles away.
Durant wants to clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Billy Durant comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Durant 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 28:29
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Billy Durant!
After the fight, Billy Durant was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.