PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Aaron Knight (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tim Hardy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters will be looking to make this an exciting fight for the fans, I'm sure!

Knight
vs
Hardy

185 cm
30
195 lbs
9 - 6 - 1

187 cm
22
200 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Excellent boxer
Experienced

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

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 9 - 6 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Aaron Knight!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Tim Hardy!
The judges for this bout are Tatsuya Matsuyama, Sosuke Kotani and Yukihiro Yamamoto.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A jab from Hardy finds it's way through Knight's defenses.
Hardy moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Hardy misses with an uppercut. Knight saw that one coming.
Knight misses with a double jab.
Knight misses with a looping right.
Knight defending well as Hardy loads up on a big left hand.
Hardy walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Hardy scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Knight doesn't seem bothered though.
Knight lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Hardy takes a swing at Knight's ribcage but misses.
Aaron Knight seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Knight swats away the attempt to clinch by Hardy.

Hardy gets a clinch.
Hardy jumps guard but Knight stands there with Hardy around his waist. Hardy gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Hardy tries for a takedown but Knight manages to get underhooks.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hardy is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Hardy fails to pull guard.
Aaron Knight has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tim Hardy.
Knight controlling the action here for a moment.
Knight has had enough of the clinch but Hardy keeps him there for the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Hardy tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Knight just stands there and leans against the cage.
Hardy is trying to drag Knight to the mat but Knight just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Hardy tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Hardy breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
A combination from Knight does no damage.
Knight throws a series of punches but Hardy moves out of range.
Hardy looks for a takedown but Knight sprawls well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Knight throws a series of punches but Hardy moves out of range.
Knight checks the leg kick.
Knight stuffs the takedown attempt from Hardy. Hardy gets slowly back to his feet.
Hardy throws a shot from downtown. Knight moves away and avoids it.
Knight keeps the fight on the outside.
Knight bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Hardy's head backwards.
Hardy is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Sloppy strikes from Knight. Those never looked like landing.
Hardy throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Good standup being displayed there by Hardy as he connects with a hook.
Aaron Knight is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Hardy tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Knight was well out of range. Poor timing from Hardy.
Knight misses with a double jab.
Knight misses with a two punch combination.
Knight misses with a looping left.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hardy tries to clinch but Knight moves out of range.
Hardy catches Knight with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Knight uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Hardy.
Knight is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Hardy tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Knight paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Hardy jabs at Knight's body.
Hardy looks to clinch
and Knight counters with a straight right hand.
Hardy lands a slapping body shot.
Knight swinging wildly here.
Hardy wants to counter the offense by Knight and move into the clinch position.
Horrible takedown attempt by Hardy or perhaps it was just good defense by Knight, which made it look bad.
Hardy swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Knight counters with a left and a right that stings Hardy.
Knight with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Hardy to score with a decent uppercut.

Hardy darts in and clinches Knight up against the cage.

Hardy drags the fight down to the ground.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Aaron Knight will probably get the nod.
That's time! Knight's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Knight will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Hardy wants to clinch up but Knight keeps it at a distance.
Hardy moves in looking to clinch but Knight pushes him off.
Knight looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Hardy fails in his attempt to clinch.
Hardy lands with a straight right. Knight didn't see that one coming.
Hardy misses with a looping right.
Knight misses with a two punch combination.
Hardy tries to counter with a clinch but Knight shakes him off and moves away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Knight takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Hardy tries to close the distance and clinch but Knight swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Knight waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Hardy.
Hardy tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Hardy dodges the punch combination from Knight.
Hardy is clearly looking to counter with head kicks.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Knight throws a shot to the body.
Hardy throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Hardy thuds a left hand into Knight's body.
A combination from Knight does no damage.
Hardy fails in his attempt to clinch.
Nice shot lands for Knight.
Hardy cracks Knight with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Hardy fails in his attempt to clinch.
Knight looks to land a combination but Hardy avoids it well.
Knight dodges the punch combination from Hardy.
Hardy fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Hardy fails with an attempt to clinch.
Aaron Knight is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Hardy tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Knight manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hardy keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Knight.
Hardy shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Knight pinned against the cage. Knight gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Knight swats away the attempt to clinch by Hardy.
Knight looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Aaron Knight is winning the standup battle so far.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Hardy slips under a jab.
Hardy fails with the takedown.
Aaron Knight has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tim Hardy.
A punch combination from Hardy misses.
Knight closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Hardy takes one on the button.
Knight steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Hardy.
Knight is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Hardy can do to turn this around?

Hardy has Knight up against the cage in a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hardy tries to pull guard but Knight forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Hardy tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Knight smiles and moves away.
Hardy is looking to clinch but Knight is avoiding it.
Knight looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Hardy ducks under a wild hook from Knight.
Knight avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Hardy on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Hardy takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Nice takedown defense from Knight. No joy for Hardy on that attempt.
Knight slips a jab and a cross from Hardy.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.

Hardy drives through and clinches with Knight against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Hardy successfully pulls guard.

Knight stands up and waves to Hardy to follow him.
Hardy showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Knight.
Hardy tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Knight manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Hardy takes one on the button.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Hardy misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Knight misses with a few strikes there.
Hardy is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Hardy fails with an attempt to clinch.
Knight misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
The fight stays on the outside here - Hardy looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Hardy moves in looking to clinch but Knight pushes him off.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aaron Knight dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. And we move into the final round!

Knight swats away the attempt to clinch by Hardy.
Hardy misses with a looping left.
Knight misses with a wild combination.
Hardy scores with a hook to the body. Knight takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Knight misses with a series of wild punches.
Knight dodges the punch combination from Hardy.
Knight misses with the combination.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Hardy has closed the distance and engaged Knight in a clinch.
Knight is trying to force a seperation but Hardy has the dominant position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hardy tries to pull guard but Knight forces him back to his feet, against the cage.

Knight breaks the clinch.
Hardy on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Hardy comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Hardy moves in looking to clinch but Knight pushes him off.
Knight misses with a wild combination.
Hardy tries to counter by closing the distance.
Hardy is looking to clinch but Knight is avoiding it.
Hardy lands a right hook to the body.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Hardy.
Knight fails to land with a series of punches.
Knight circles away from the clinch attempt.
Knight looks to score with a jab to the body but Hardy is just out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Knight tries to bum rush Hardy with a series of wild strikes but Hardy uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Hardy wants to clinch up but Knight keeps it at a distance.
Knight connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Hardy momentarily.
Knight avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Knight throws a big counter combination but Hardy scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Hardy throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Knight sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Hardy on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Hardy swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Hardy avoids a punch combination nicely.
Hardy tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Knight paws at him with a jab and circles away.
It looked like Knight was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Knight lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Hardy circles away quickly and effectively.
Knight punishes Hardy's body with a nice straight punch.
Hardy misses with a straight right.
As Hardy looks to move away, Knight throws a big counter combo bu Hardy just gets out of the way.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hardy uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Knight.
Knight takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Hardy walks into a stiff left hand from Knight.
Knight throws a nice looking combination but Hardy bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Hardy fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
A counter left hand to the body from Knight misses its target.
Knight's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Knight duly obliges.
Knight misses with a wild body shot.
Hardy is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
As Hardy looks to move away, Knight throws a big counter combo bu Hardy just gets out of the way.
Hardy tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Knight paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Hardy is looking to clinch but Knight is avoiding it.
Knight connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hardy goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Knight stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Hardy tries to clinch up.
Knight misses the jab.
Hardy uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Knight.
Knight throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Hardy on the side of the head.
Knight works over Hardy's head and body with a nice combination.
Tim Hardy has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Hardy tries to clinch up but Knight circles away and keeps his distance.
Knight throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Hardy.
Hardy defending well as Knight loads up on a big left hand.
Hardy tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Knight paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Hardy has managed to clinch.

Knight breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

And that's the end of the fight!
Aaron Knight showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Knight, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 30:27
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Aaron Knight!