PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mammed Khalidov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Aloft Hither (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Khalidov kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhN7SG-H-3k. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Khalidov
vs
Hither

188 cm
20
254 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

200 cm
20
240 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Mammed Khalidov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Aloft Hither!
The judges for this bout are Paul Gruel, Ryoma Takatsuka and Micheangelo Fripello.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hither throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Khalidov throws a push kick but Hither slaps the foot to one side.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Hither.
Khalidov scores with a kick to the body.
Hither shoots for a takedown but Khalidov saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Hither keeps the fight on the outside.
Hither closes the distance and clinches up with Khalidov, looking for a takedown. Hither pushes Khalidov against the cage but Khalidov circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Mammed Khalidov has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Aloft Hither.
Khalidov throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Khalidov throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Hither was covering up waiting for the punch and Khalidov finishes the takedown easily into guard.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Khalidov trying to control the position from guard on top but Hither is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Khalidov throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Khalidov throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Hither works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Hither can do anything to dispel that myth.
Khalidov wants to control from the top but Hither keeps moving.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Khalidov with a flurry of punches that miss.
Khalidov trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Khalidov in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Khalidov tries to free his leg and advance position but Hither is retaining full guard.
Hither controlling the position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Nice sprawl there from Khalidov as Hither shoots in.
Khalidov tries to clinch but Hither is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Khalidov scores with a takedown into Hither's guard.
Khalidov throws a strike but Hither rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Hither stopping the sweep attempt from Khalidov.
Hither wants to pass the guard but Khalidov is keeping the position.
Khalidov controlling Hither's posture.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Khalidov looking to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hither controls from within his opponent's guard.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Hither throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

Mammed Khalidov has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Khalidov tries to close the distance and clinch but Hither swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Khalidov tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Khalidov fails in his attempt to clinch.

Hither looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Khalidov!
Khalidov takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Khalidov managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Hither.
Khalidov is not content to let Hither control the position.
Hither in side control, throwing shots but Khalidov defends.
Hither trying to control the action but Khalidov is working from the bottom.
Hither is trying to ground and pound but Khalidov uses the momentary lack of control by Hither to regain half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hither trying to control the action but Khalidov is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mammed Khalidov dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Khalidov slaps away a takedown attempt from Hither, before circling back to the center of the mat.

Khalidov shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Khalidov showed some decent athleticism there.
Hither is positioning himself well to prevent Khalidov advancing to mount.
Hither trying to control here.
Khalidov wants to lay and pray for a moment but Hither keeps working.
Khalidov not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hither is holding on to half guard well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hither wants to get back to full guard.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Aloft Hither.
Khalidov misses with a kick to the body.
Khalidov throws a nice head kick!

It looks like Aloft Hither has been cut.

Hither scores with a takedown into Khalidov's guard.
Hither throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Hither won't allow Khalidov to get back to his feet.
Hither is looking to work some ground and pound but Khalidov has wrist control.
Hither lands a couple of elbows.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Hither drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Hither jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Hither has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Hither working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Khalidov wants to stand and escape but Hither is having none of it.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Hither trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Hither trying to control the position from guard on top but Khalidov is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Khalidov wants to sweep here but Hither controlling him for the moment.
Khalidov is trying to control the position from the bottom.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Hither drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Aloft Hither has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hither throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Khalidov works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Hither throwing strikes but missing.
Hither looking to pass the guard.
Hither working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Hither works over Khalidov with some ground and pound from guard.
Khalidov looking to hit a scissor sweep but Hither is one step ahead there.
Hither's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Hither scoring with some ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Khalidov wants to stand and escape but Hither is having none of it.
Hither controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Khalidov could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Aloft Hither hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Some wild striking there from Khalidov.

Hither closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
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!
Khalidov takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Khalidov takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hither is working Khalidov over with some ground and pound from side control.
Hither slows the pace down.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aloft Hither showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Aloft Hither's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. And we move into the final round!

Hither shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Khalidov as he avoids it easily.
Hither fails to land the takedown.
Khalidov lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Khalidov stuffs the takedown attempt from Hither. Hither gets slowly back to his feet.
Mammed Khalidov has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Aloft Hither.
Khalidov misses with a wild combination.

Khalidov fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Hither to the ground. Khalidov is now in Hither's guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Hither has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Hither has a closed guard, preventing Khalidov from standing up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hither is trying to keep Khalidov in close.
Hither looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Khalidov passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Khalidov fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Hither throwing some weak shots from the bottom that do no damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Khalidov in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Khalidov tries to stand but Hither is controlling his head.
You can see the frustration on Hither's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Hither might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Khalidov haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Hither is not content to let Khalidov control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hither wants to control but Khalidov postures up.
Hither wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Hither is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Hither won't allow Khalidov to pass to mount.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Khalidov gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Hither to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Hither is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Khalidov keeping moving, preventing Hither from controlling successfully.
Khalidov wants to get back to his feet but Hither is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Hither trying to control but Khalidov is working from the bottom.
Khalidov wants to stand up but Hither is controlling him.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Hither content to stall in guard here.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Aloft Hither wasn't active enough on the ground.
A slow jab from Khalidov misses its intended target.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Mammed Khalidov.
I think Khalidov has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Paul Gruel scores the fight 29:28
Judge Ryoma Takatsuka scores the fight 29:28
Judge Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Mammed Khalidov!