PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Azrael Angel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gaige Raymond (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Angel
vs
Raymond

173 cm
22
193 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

179 cm
22
182 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Azrael Angel!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Gaige Raymond!
The judges for this bout are Josh West, Chris Saunders and Jeff Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Jab by Raymond.
Raymond tries to close the distance and clinch up but Angel swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Raymond throws a series of punches but Angel moves out of range.
Angel stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Angel wants it to stay on the feet.
Raymond fails with an attempt to clinch.
Raymond tries to work over Angel's front leg with a kick but Angel checks it.
Raymond misses with a looping left.
Angel closes this distance looking for a takedown but Raymond circles away.
Raymond throws a one two combo.
Angel shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Raymond sprawls well. Raymond wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Angel gets slowly back to his feet.
Raymond swinging wildly here.
Raymond throws a right hand that Angel ducks under and follows up with a left that Angel also avoids with ease.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Angel circles away from the clinch attempt.
Raymond tries to clinch but Angel is having none of it.
Raymond shoots in and drives through. Angel sprawls well.
Raymond doesn't manage to clinch there - Angel circles away.
Angel tries to clinch but Raymond is having none of it.
Raymond tries to clinch up but Angel circles away and keeps his distance.
Raymond swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Raymond pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Raymond throws a nice looking combination but Angel bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

Angel moves into range and clinches up with Raymond.
Angel is trying to pull guard but Raymond turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Azrael Angel. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Nice body punch from Raymond.
Angel tries for a takedown. No joy.

Angel gets a trip takedown into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Raymond is trying to maintain the position but Angel is very close to passing his half guard.
Angel passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Raymond!
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!

Angel is working for a guillotine from mount but Raymond frees his head quite easily.
Angel tries to control but Raymond wriggling away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Raymond taking shots to the head.
Angel trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Angel controlling the pace for now.
Angel lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Angel scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Raymond?

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Angel punishing his opponent with strikes.
Angel looking to control and managing it successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Angel cracks Raymond with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Raymond tries to hold on but Angel postures up.
Raymond is looking to improve his position but Angel isn't that keen on the idea.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Angel content just to control the position here.
Angel punishing his opponent with strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Azrael Angel dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Angel lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Angel shoots in but no luck this time.
Raymond throws a low kick but Angel moves out of range easily.
Raymond tries to clinch but Angel is having none of it.
Angel throws an overhand right that lands on Raymond's shoulder, as Raymond tries to avoid the shot.
Angel misses with a takedown
and Raymond counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Raymond dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Angel. That did some damage!
Azrael Angel is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Angel is looking to clinch.

Raymond moves into the clinch successfully.
Angel jumps guard but Raymond turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Azrael Angel. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Angel is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Angel tries to pull guard but Raymond forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Angel fails to pull guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Angel tries to stall but Raymond uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Angel has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Raymond working Angel over with knees to the body.
Raymond with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Raymond just misses with a elbow thrown towards Angel's brow.

Raymond's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Raymond throws a quick inside leg kick.
Raymond throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Raymond's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Raymond duly obliges.
Raymond scores with a decent looking hook.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Raymond works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Jab from Raymond.
Gaige Raymond seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Angel fails with a takedown attempt.
Angel thows a left - swing and a miss!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Left hook, right uppercut from Raymond.
Angel swats away the attempt to clinch by Raymond.

Raymond closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Raymond content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.

Raymond pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Raymond shoots in looking for a takedown. Angel tries to sprawl out of it but Raymond keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Angel manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Angel takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Raymond defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Angel.
Angel shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Raymond but Raymond pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Raymond has Angel up against the cage in a clinch.
Raymond controlling the action here for a moment.
Raymond is looking to control Angel's arms but Angel gets an underhook and turns him. Now Raymond has his back to the cage.

Raymond pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Raymond swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Raymond moves in looking to clinch but Angel pushes him off.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Angel fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Angel clinches.
Raymond effectively controlling the action here.
Angel tries to break free but Raymond pushes him back against the cage.
Knees to the body from Raymond.
Raymond trying to control the position but instead, Angel has worked for underhooks and has pushed Raymond into the cage.

Angel breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Raymond slaps away a takedown attempt from Angel, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Raymond tries for a takedown but Angel sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gaige Raymond showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Nice body kick there by Raymond.
Raymond throws a right and a left that Angel avoids nicely.
Raymond fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Angel misses with a double jab.
A bone on bone clash there as Raymond blocks the leg kick.
Angel looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Raymond scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Raymond is looking to clinch but Angel is avoiding it.
Raymond connects with a looping right hand.
An inside leg kick lands from Raymond.
Raymond tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Angel has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Raymond.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Angel closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Angel lands in his opponent's guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Angel throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Angel trying to control the position from guard on top but Raymond is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Angel pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Raymond is keeping the position for now.
Raymond is trying to keep Angel in close.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Angel wants to control from the top but Raymond keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Raymond is trying to control the position but Angel postures up.
Angel throwing strikes from guard but Raymond blocks nicely.
Angel throws a big elbow that misses.
Raymond pulls Angel in close to prevent any damage.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Gaige Raymond was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Raymond tries to clinch there but Angel circles away.
Raymond lands a two punch combo.
Gaige Raymond seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Raymond throws a right and a left that both miss.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Angel fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
A head kick misses from Raymond.
Raymond lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Angel circles away quickly and effectively.
Angel shoots in but no luck this time.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Azrael Angel. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Angel looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Angel shoots in and drives through. Raymond sprawls well.
Raymond tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Angel manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
A punch combination from Raymond misses.
Raymond swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Raymond throws a body kick that misses.

Raymond gets in close and instigates a clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Angel can't get the takedown.
Raymond prevents the takedown attempt.
Angel has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Raymond tries to work over Angel's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

Raymond breaks the clinch.
Angel slips a jab and a cross from Raymond.
Raymond wants to slow Angel down by chopping away at his legs.
Angel tries to score a power double leg takedown but Raymond sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Angel somewhat.
Raymond lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Raymond connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gaige Raymond comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Raymond 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 Josh West scores the fight 28:29
Judge Chris Saunders scores the fight 28:29
Judge Jeff Smith scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gaige Raymond!
Gaige Raymond took some time post fight to say the following; 'Big thanks to the guys at Hilo Pit(2428), couldn't have done this without the help of my coaches and training partners'.