PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Claudio Espinoza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Malachi Hagert (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hagert is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Jungle Love- Morris Day And The Time . Claudio Espinoza is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples... Tweaking his own nipples that is.

Espinoza
vs
Hagert

188 cm
35
222 lbs
29 - 20 - 0

197 cm
27
240 lbs
14 - 9 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
Dangerous knees
Good gas tank

KAISER Nutrition (160!/220$)

VIRAL COMBAT
Zipp Zapp

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 29 - 20 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Claudio Espinoza!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Malachi Hagert!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Frank Antenori and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Espinoza lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Hagert at a distance.

Espinoza fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Hagert to the ground. Espinoza is now in Hagert's guard.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Hagert trying to control the position here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Espinoza tries to free his leg and advance position but Hagert is retaining full guard.
Espinoza passes Hagert's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Hagert manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Espinoza tries to free his leg and advance position but Hagert is retaining full guard.
Hagert working a defensive guard here.
Espinoza is pushing down on Hagert's leg trying to pass to half guard. Hagert is fighting to maintain full guard but Espinoza has managed to sneak the leg through.
We've been hearing good reports from Espinoza's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.

Espinoza is looking for a kimura but Hagert is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Espinoza to get the leverage.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Hagert looking for submissions off his back.
The fighters are battling for position here. Hagert manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Espinoza accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Espinoza is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

Hagert has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Espinoza can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Hagert looking to hit a scissor sweep but Espinoza is one step ahead there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Espinoza wants to pass the guard but Hagert is keeping the position.
Hagert trying to keep a closed guard but Espinoza is proving a slippery customer.
Espinoza engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Espinoza wants to control from the top but Hagert keeps moving.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Hagert misses with a lunging right hand

and Espinoza counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Espinoza is stalling here. Hagert is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Espinoza seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Hagert has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.

Hagert is trying to get an arm triangle but Espinoza is defending well.
Espinoza gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Hagert looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Hagert is working for an americana but Espinoza has been sneaky and has managed to get back to half guard, whilst Hagert was thinking about the submission.
Hagert trying to control but Espinoza is working from the bottom.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hagert pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Espinoza is keeping the position for now.
Espinoza keeping moving, preventing Hagert from controlling successfully.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Claudio Espinoza dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Nice jab there from Hagert.
Hagert throws a sloppy head kick and Espinoza moves out of range easily.
A shot to the liver by Hagert. Beautiful body shot.
Nice shot by Hagert.
Jab by Hagert.
An inside leg kick lands from Hagert.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Hagert swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Espinoza.

It looks like Claudio Espinoza has been cut.
Hagert throws a low kick but it's checked well by Espinoza.
Espinoza lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Espinoza misses with a wild body shot.
Hagert misses with a straight right.
Hagert scoring well with a low kick there.
Hagert fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Espinoza loads up on a big right hand but Hagert slips the punch.
Malachi Hagert seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Espinoza tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Hagert was well out of range. Poor timing from Espinoza.
Malachi Hagert seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Espinoza keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Hagert.
Hagert throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Espinoza.
Espinoza moves away from the strike by Hagert.
Hagert fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Hagert misses with a looping left.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Hagert enables Espinoza to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Hagert manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Hagert working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Espinoza.
Espinoza stopping the sweep attempt from Hagert.
Espinoza throwing strikes from guard but Hagert blocks nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hagert is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Espinoza makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Hagert controlling Espinoza's posture.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Espinoza trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Espinoza in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hagert looking for a sweep. Not yet Hagert, not yet.
Espinoza trying to stand up but can't free himself from Hagert's guard.
Hagert not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Espinoza trying to control but Hagert is working from the bottom.
Espinoza passes Hagert's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Espinoza is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Hagert!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Espinoza looking to control but Hagert is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

Espinoza goes for an armbar but Hagert turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Hagert.
Hagert tries to free his leg and advance position but Espinoza is retaining full guard.
Espinoza seems keen to control Hagert's posture.
Hagert pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Espinoza is keeping the position for now.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Hagert wants to control from the top but Espinoza keeps moving.
Hagert trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Espinoza manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Malachi Hagert showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Claudio Espinoza's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Espinoza ducks under a wild hook from Hagert.
Hagert throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Espinoza staying out of range there.
Hagert misses with a wild body shot.
A big right from Hagert misses.
Espinoza scores with a shot to the body.
Espinoza misses with a hook
letting Hagert counter with a right hand.
Hagert throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Claudio Espinoza is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Espinoza, as that shot connected.
Hagert connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Espinoza's hands.
Espinoza shoots in for a takedown but Hagert shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Hagert misses with a left hand

and Espinoza counters with a shoot takedown. Hagert fights it but they end up in guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Espinoza trying to control the position from guard on top but Hagert is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Espinoza advances position into side control!
Espinoza with the ground and pound but Hagert regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Espinoza wants to lay and pray for a moment but Hagert keeps working.

Espinoza is working for a kimura but Hagert is defending it quite comfortably.
Espinoza not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hagert preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
Espinoza not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Hagert is looking to improve his position.
Espinoza is looking to take a break and control but Hagert is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hagert wants to get back to full guard.

Espinoza is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Hagert on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Espinoza tries to pass the half guard into mount. Hagert knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Espinoza passes to side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Espinoza tries to advance to mount but can't.
Hagert is looking to reverse the position.
Espinoza wants to lay and pray for a moment but Hagert keeps working.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hagert tries to buck Espinoza off but Espinoza is having none of it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Claudio Espinoza showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Espinoza 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 Don Winkell scores the fight 29:28
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 29:28
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Claudio Espinoza!
Claudio Espinoza managed to slip a mention for his sponsors, KAISER Nutrition (160!/220$), into his post fight interview.