PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Hofniel Apollyon (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Daryl Sharp (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Apollyon comes to the cage accompanied by On My Own-Alone . Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Apollyon
vs
Sharp

191 cm
32
193 lbs
21 - 10 - 0

188 cm
29
195 lbs
15 - 12 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Olympic wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Affordable Quality + Reliable Laundry

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 21 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Hofniel Apollyon!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Daryl Sharp!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Frank Dennis and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sharp throws a good cross that connects.
Apollyon darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Sharp tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Sharp shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Apollyon defends it nicely.

Sharp has closed the distance and engaged Apollyon in a clinch.
Apollyon prevents Sharp from breaking the clinch.

Sharp pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
The fight stays on the outside here - Apollyon looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Sharp will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
A low kick from Sharp misses
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Sharp tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Apollyon manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Sharp misses with a head kick.
Sharp misses with a takedown attempt

and Apollyon counters by clinching up.
Hofniel Apollyon has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Daryl Sharp.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sharp can't get the takedown.
Sharp stalling the fight.
Apollyon can't find room to land a body shot as Sharp controls the action.

Sharp manages to break the clinch.
Sharp fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Sharp looks to land a right hand but Apollyon moved out of range.
Sharp moves in looking to clinch but Apollyon pushes him off.
Sharp misses with an uppercut.

Sharp drives through with a takedown into Apollyon's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Sharp throwing strikes from guard but Apollyon blocks nicely.
Sharp throws a strike but Apollyon rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Apollyon trying to stand up but can't free himself from Sharp's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Apollyon preventing the sweep.
Sharp wants to stand but Apollyon is controlling the position.

Sharp working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Apollyon doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Apollyon manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Sharp managing to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Apollyon looking to sit in guard and control but Sharp gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Sharp is pushing down on Apollyon's leg trying to pass to half guard. Apollyon is fighting to maintain full guard but Sharp has managed to sneak the leg through.
Sharp throwing shots but Apollyon is blocking nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Apollyon is looking to escape.
Sharp thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Apollyon's head.
Sharp throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Sharp lands a nice short elbow.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sharp throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Apollyon avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Sharp.
Sharp tries to stand and escape but Apollyon actually recovers to full guard.
Sharp throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Apollyon works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sharp trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Sharp in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Sharp is pushing down on Apollyon's leg trying to pass to half guard. Apollyon is fighting to maintain full guard but Sharp has managed to sneak the leg through.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Sharp tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Apollyon walks into a jab.
Sharp shoots in looking for a takedown but Apollyon manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Sharp's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Sharp throws a sloppy head kick and Apollyon moves out of range easily.
Sharp misses with a body punch
and Apollyon counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Apollyon misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Sharp gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Apollyon tries to work over Sharp's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Apollyon misses with some punches.
A hook to the body from Apollyon.

Sharp pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Sharp fails with the takedown
and Apollyon counters with a left to the body.
Apollyon just misses with a punch to the body.
Apollyon fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Apollyon misses with a low kick as Sharp jumps back.
Apollyon avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Sharp will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Hofniel Apollyon has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Daryl Sharp.
Sharp fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Apollyon scores with a jab. Sharp acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
A slapping body kick lands there for Sharp.
Apollyon swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Jab, jab by Sharp - just one landing.
Sharp cracks Apollyon with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Sharp falls off balance throwing a combination
and Apollyon counters with a slapping leg kick.
Sharp scores with a punch to the head.
Apollyon throws a nice inside leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Sharp fails with an attempt to clinch.
Sharp tried to score with a low kick but Apollyon checks it.
Sharp avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Sharp throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Sharp lands a right hook to the body.
Sharp shoots in but no luck this time.
Sharp tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Sharp takes one to the chin there.
Sharp fails in his attempt to clinch.

Apollyon instigates a clinch.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Sharp.
Apollyon lands an elbow inside that Sharp shrugs off.
Sharp wants to take the fight to the mat but Apollyon manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Apollyon working aggressively here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sharp is trying to break the clinch but Apollyon has him pressed against the cage.
Apollyon creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Apollyon misses with some punches.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Apollyon throws a head punch that misses.
Sharp blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Sharp pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Apollyon avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Daryl Sharp seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sharp dives in for a single leg takedown but Apollyon sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.

Sharp breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Apollyon keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Apollyon is looking to chop away at Sharp's legs.
Sharp darts in looking for a takedown but Apollyon gets double underhooks and turns Sharp into the cage.
Apollyon scores with a hook to the body.
Sharp is breathing heavily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Apollyon pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Sharp has been looking to improve his clinch game in recent weeks. Apollyon seems to have the measure of him in the clinch so far, so let's see if Sharp can turn it around.
Apollyon tries to stall but Sharp uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Apollyon working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Sharp has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Sharp breaks the clinch.
Sharp throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Apollyon is looking to clinch but Sharp is avoiding it.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Sharp circles away from the clinch attempt.
Sharp throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Apollyon counters with a nice body kick.
Sharp walks into a stiff left hand from Apollyon.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

Sharp manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Apollyon on his heels. He'll look to pass Apollyon's guard now, I'm sure.
Sharp pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Apollyon is keeping the position for now.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Apollyon is on top in guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Hofniel Apollyon will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Apollyon thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Sharp if he has to take too many more of those.
Sharp throws a combination that misses
and Apollyon counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Sharp takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Apollyon wants to clinch.
Sharp moves out of range of the body kick.
Apollyon connects with a leg kick. Sharp looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Apollyon moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Sharp misses with a wild combination.
Sharp throws a head kick that misses
and Apollyon counters with a slapping leg kick.
Sharp throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Apollyon counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Sharp takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Apollyon blocks a head kick by Sharp.

Apollyon has managed to clinch.
Apollyon goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Apollyon misses with a punch to the body.
Apollyon lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

It looks like Daryl Sharp has been cut.
Apollyon misses with a hook to the ribs.
Sharp is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Sharp gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Daryl Sharp has got the better of the ground game so far.
Sharp is looking to stand up but he'll have to free his leg first. Instead, Apollyon manages to get to full guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Apollyon is on top in guard.
Apollyon trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sharp keeping moving, preventing Apollyon from controlling successfully.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Sharp is on top in guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Apollyon looking to control.
Sharp in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Sharp loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Sharp wants to control from the top but Apollyon keeps moving.
Sharp postures up in Apollyon's guard and throws a big left but Apollyon blocks it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sharp content to stall in guard here.
Sharp stands up over Apollyon, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Sharp throws a strike but Apollyon rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Apollyon prevents Sharp from getting back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Apollyon won't allow Sharp to sweep him here.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Apollyon uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Sharp.
Apollyon sizes up Sharp with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.

Sharp throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Apollyon was covering up waiting for the punch and Sharp finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Sharp missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Apollyon trying to control the position here.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Sharp trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Daryl Sharp.
I think Sharp 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 Wesley Smith scores the fight 28:30
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 28:29
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Daryl Sharp!
Daryl Sharp thanked the fans post fight for their support.