PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Haral Dir (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jack Dempsey (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Dir
vs
Dempsey

181 cm
33
205 lbs
14 - 14 - 0

185 cm
31
210 lbs
13 - 14 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid Muay Thai
Very strong

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Powerful

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 14 - 14 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Haral Dir!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 14 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Jack Dempsey!
The judges for this bout are Hugh Johnson, Steve Erwin and Eliza Hachem.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dempsey bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Dir's head.
Dempsey rushes in with a sloppy looking punch

and Dir counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Dempsey is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Dempsey is trying to push Dir away but Dir has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Dempsey blocks an uppercut.

Dir breaks the clinch.
Dempsey digs a good body shot into Dir's ribs.
Dempsey works over Dir's head and body with a nice combination.

It looks like Haral Dir has been cut.
Dempsey connects with a good right hand that stumbles Dir. Dir circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Dir tries to clinch but Dempsey is having none of it.
Dempsey keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dir keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

Dir fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Dempsey to the ground. Dir is now in Dempsey's guard.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Dir pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Dempsey is keeping the position for now.
Dir trying to control but Dempsey is working from the bottom.
Dempsey looking to control.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Haral Dir.
Dempsey looks to score with a jab to the body but Dir is just out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dempsey scores with a body shot.
Dempsey lands with a good body shot.
Dempsey tries to bum rush Dir with a series of wild strikes but Dir uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Dempsey throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Dempsey misses with a few strikes there.
Dempsey scores with a hook.
Dempsey wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Dir tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Dir tries to move into range but Dempsey moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Nice body punch from Dempsey.
Dempsey fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Dempsey misses with a body shot.
Dir takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dir moves away from the strike by Dempsey.
Dempsey throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Dempsey works the jab nicely.
Dempsey scores with a sloppy right hand. Dir should have avoided that one.
Dempsey throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Dir stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Dempsey works the jab nicely.
Dempsey looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Dir ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Dempsey fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Dir walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Dempsey misses with a series of wild punches.
Dempsey lands a nice shot that snaps Dir's head back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dir pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Dempsey lands a nice looking body shot.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Dir has closed the distance and engaged Dempsey in a clinch.
The referee is keeping an eye on Dir - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Dir is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Dempsey goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Dir blocks an uppercut.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jack Dempsey dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Haral Dir's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Dempsey scores with a nice strike.
Dir is trying hard to land a takedown here. Dempsey sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Dempsey fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Dempsey lands a slapping body shot.
Dempsey lands the left hand.
Dir is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Dempsey scores with a body shot.
Dempsey circles away from the clinch attempt
and Dempsey makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Dir shoots in for a takedown but Dempsey shows good takedown defense.
Dempsey connects with a right hand. Dir shakes it off.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dir takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Dir shoots in but Dempsey avoids the takedown attempt easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Haral Dir. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Dempsey keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Jack Dempsey seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Dempsey lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Dir backs up against the cage.
Dir shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Dir takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Jack Dempsey is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Dir tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Dempsey manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Dempsey throws a series of punches but Dir moves out of range.
Dempsey lands a jab.
Dempsey throws out a loose jab but Dir uses good head movement to avoid it.
Some wild striking there from Dempsey.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dempsey scores with a body shot.
Dempsey throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Dir on the side of the head.
Jack Dempsey seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Dir fails to land the takedown.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Dir tries to clinch up but Dempsey circles away and keeps his distance.
Dempsey lands with a straight right. Dir didn't see that one coming.
Dempsey lands a jab to Dir's midsection.
Dir tries to close the distance and clinch up but Dempsey swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Dempsey closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Dir takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Dempsey ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A jab from Dempsey misses.
Dempsey scores with a crisp jab that stopped Dir in his tracks.
The crowd cheers as Dempsey lands an impressive looking overhand right. Dir doesn't seem phased though.

Dir shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Dir showed some decent athleticism there.
Dempsey looks like he's trying to stand up.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Dempsey makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Dempsey.
Dempsey throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

Haral Dir has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Dempsey leaves Dir with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Dir tries to move into range but Dempsey moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.

Dir clinches up with Dempsey and pushes him back against the cage.
Dempsey works on Dir's body with a couple of short punches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jack Dempsey showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Haral Dir's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Dir tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Dempsey paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Dempsey scores with a hook.
Dir is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Dir walks into a jab.
Dempsey misses with a hook. Dir ducked under it nicely.
Dir looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Dempsey throws an overhand right that lands on Dir's shoulder, as Dir tries to avoid the shot.
Dempsey throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Dempsey enables Dir to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Dempsey manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Dir looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Dir seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Dempsey for as long as he can get away with.

That's one minute gone in the round.

We're going to have a standup here because Haral Dir wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Dempsey throws a right hand that Dir ducks under and follows up with a left that Dir also avoids with ease.
Jack Dempsey is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Dir fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Dempsey sprawls well initially but Dir persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Dir controlling the pace.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Dempsey keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Haral Dir just wasn't active enough.
Dempsey throws a right and a left that Dir avoids nicely.
Dempsey throws out a powerful jab.
Dir tries to move into range but Dempsey moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Dempsey is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Dir takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
A punch combination from Dempsey misses.
Dir on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dempsey cracks Dir with an open hand slap.
No joy there for Dempsey, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Dir drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.

Dir has Dempsey up against the cage in a clinch.
Dir leaning against his opponent.
Dir has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Dempsey is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Dempsey scores with a hook to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dir prevents a body shot from Dempsey.
Dir has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Dempsey after a bit of a struggle.
Jack Dempsey is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

Dempsey escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
A lazy left from Dempsey finds it's target.
Dir shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Dempsey sprawls well. Dempsey wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Dir gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Haral Dir. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Dempsey scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Dempsey with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Haral Dir has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Dir throws a low kick, looking for Dempsey's leg but Dempsey calmly moves out of range.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jack Dempsey comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Dempsey 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 Hugh Johnson scores the fight 27:30
Judge Steve Erwin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Eliza Hachem scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jack Dempsey!