PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Merik Hunt (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Derek Riggs (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hunt comes to the cage accompanied by Comfortably Numb. Derek Riggs has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Merik Hunt's chin.

Hunt
vs
Riggs

175 cm
28
170 lbs
20 - 10 - 0

177 cm
27
168 lbs
20 - 12 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Lethal high kicks
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Brute

Perkele!
Brute

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the lightweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 20 - 10 - 0, fighting out of London, Merik Hunt!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 20 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Derek Riggs!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Johanna Lukiainen and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hunt just misses with a punch to the body.
Riggs swings for the body but Hunt moves out of range.
Hunt misses with a looping left.
Hunt tries to move into range but Riggs moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Hunt fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Riggs checks it well.
Riggs takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Riggs throws a poor cross that misses

and Hunt counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Riggs keeping moving, preventing Hunt from controlling successfully.
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!
Riggs trying to keep a closed guard but Hunt is proving a slippery customer.
Hunt throwing strikes but missing.
Riggs looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Riggs not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Hunt won't allow Riggs to sweep him here.
Hunt scoring with some ground and pound.
Riggs managing to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hunt in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Hunt pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Riggs is keeping the position for now.
Hunt throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Hunt throwing strikes but missing.
Hunt throws a big elbow that misses.
Riggs wants to sweep but no luck.
Riggs working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Hunt.
Hunt chips away with some ground and pound.
Hunt trying to control but Riggs is working from the bottom.
Hunt pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Riggs is keeping the position for now.
Riggs wants to sweep here but Hunt controlling him for the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Riggs trying to keep a closed guard but Hunt is proving a slippery customer.
Riggs keeping full guard, as Hunt tries to pass.
Hunt is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Riggs working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Hunt.
Riggs is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Hunt with a nice head shot there.
Riggs controls Hunt momentarily but Hunt frees himself.
Riggs has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hunt throws a big elbow that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Riggs manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Riggs throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Hunt because Riggs loaded up on that one.
Riggs unloads with some shots from mount but Hunt bucks and avoids them well.
Hunt working to try and regain half guard.
Riggs trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Hunt regains half guard.
Riggs lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Riggs seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Hunt does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Hunt is looking to control Riggs's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Hunt avoid being mounted?
Riggs wants to lay and pray for a moment but Hunt keeps working.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Riggs with the ground and pound but Hunt uses the opportunity to regain guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Merik Hunt dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Hunt loads up on a big right hand but Riggs slips the punch.

Hunt shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Riggs's guard.
Riggs is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Riggs throws a big elbow that misses, also allowing Hunt to regain full guard.
Hunt working a defensive guard here.
Riggs tries to free his leg and advance position but Hunt is retaining full guard.
Riggs throws a big elbow that misses.
Hunt is trying to control the position but Riggs postures up.
Riggs loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Hunt wants to sweep here but Riggs controlling him for the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hunt has his hands on Riggs's head, controlling the position.
Riggs working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Riggs wants to control from the top but Hunt keeps moving.
Riggs throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Riggs must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Riggs loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Riggs in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Riggs lands a couple of decent looking shots.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Riggs stopping the sweep attempt from Hunt.
Merik Hunt overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Hunt has momentary wrist control but Riggs slips an elbow through the middle.
Riggs postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Riggs throws a strike but Hunt rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Hunt 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.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Riggs is on top in guard.
Riggs postures up in Hunt's guard and throws a big left but Hunt blocks it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Riggs throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Hunt works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Riggs accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Riggs stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Hunt swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Riggs throwing strikes but missing.
Riggs in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Hunt pulls Riggs in close to prevent any damage.
Riggs postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Riggs throwing strikes from guard but Hunt blocks nicely.
Riggs cracks Hunt with a solid left hand.
Hunt keeping full guard, as Riggs tries to pass.
Riggs working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Riggs lands a couple of elbows.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Riggs missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Riggs distracts Hunt with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Riggs throws an elbow that misses. Hunt uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Riggs's guard. Nice move by Hunt!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Derek Riggs showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Hunt turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Riggs scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Riggs throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Riggs misses with a straight left.
Hunt keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Hunt gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Riggs.
Hunt cracks Riggs with a good jab.
Riggs getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Riggs misses with a looping left.
Hunt scoring well with a low kick there.
Hunt slips a straight right by Riggs.
Hunt uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Riggs.
Hunt scores with a body shot.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Riggs on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
A jab from Riggs misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Riggs throws out a loose jab but Hunt uses good head movement to avoid it.
Riggs waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Hunt.
Riggs misses with an uppercut. Hunt saw that one coming.
Riggs might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Riggs misses the jab.
Hunt has a takedown stuffed.
Hunt feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Riggs's calf.
Riggs cracks Hunt with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Hunt thumps Riggs with a low kick.
Hunt pivots, looking for a leg kick but Riggs is out of range and Hunt settles back down.
Hunt tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Riggs misses with a looping right.
Hunt just misses with a punch to the body.
Riggs lands with an overhand left.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Riggs lands a left and a right that sends Hunt crashing to the canvas! Riggs dives into mount looking to finish!

Hunt is rocked!
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!
Oooh a big shot lands for Riggs! Hunt is out! The ref dives in to save him from more punishment!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:23 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Strikes). Derek Riggs!
Derek Riggs is the new lightweight champion!
Derek Riggs seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.