PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Abi Tural (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sexton Hardcastle (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hardcastle has chosen How I Could Just Kill a Man- Rage Against the Machine as his entrance music. This should be a great matchup!

Tural
vs
Hardcastle

170 cm
31
153 lbs
14 - 10 - 1

175 cm
24
151 lbs
8 - 8 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 14 - 10 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Abi Tural!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 8 - 0, fighting out of New York, Sexton Hardcastle!
The judges for this bout are Wagner Zegers, Aafke Stam and Radbod Blank.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hardcastle shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Tural defends it nicely.
Tural tries a low kick but Hardcastle avoids it.
Hardcastle changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Hardcastle takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Tural throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Hardcastle counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Hardcastle.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
Tural keeping moving, preventing Hardcastle from controlling successfully.
Hardcastle might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Tural haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hardcastle pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Tural is keeping the position for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Hardcastle drops back, looking for a kneebar! Tural looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Tural looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Tural!

Tural working away.
Hardcastle is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
A control attempt from Hardcastle but he's now mounted!
Hardcastle tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Tural controlling the pace for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hardcastle is looking to get to half guard.
Hardcastle is still trying to improve position.
Hardcastle wants to hold on but Tural pushes him away.
Hardcastle is looking to improve his position but Tural isn't that keen on the idea.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hardcastle is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Hardcastle is looking to get to half guard.
Tural blocks Hardcastle's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Hardcastle keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Tural landing punches.
Hardcastle throwing hammer fists to the chest of Tural. What's that going to do exactly?
Hardcastle throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Hardcastle can't escape the position.
Tural controlling from the full mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hardcastle is desperately trying to improve his position but Tural has a good base and remains in mount.
Tural controlling from mount.
Tural's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Hardcastle tries to get back to half guard but can't.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Abi Tural dominated that round.
That's time! Tural's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Hardcastle uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Tural.
Tural lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Hardcastle at a distance.
Hardcastle misses with a low kick.
A slow jab from Tural misses its intended target.
Tural looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Tural lands with a cross.
Hardcastle looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Tural is fending him off so far but Hardcastle persists. Nope, Tural circles away and we're back to standing.
Tural misses with a straight right.
Hardcastle takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Hardcastle tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Tural defends well and Hardcastle ends up having to push Tural into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tural listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Hardcastle throws a series of strikes that have Tural backpedaling.
Hardcastle's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Tural connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Hardcastle scrambles back to his feet.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Tural throws a solid leg kick but Hardcastle takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Tural.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Good shot there by Tural.
Tural throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Hardcastle.
Hardcastle has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
Hardcastle blocks a jab.
And Hardcastle tries to counter it with a takedown but Tural pushes his down on his head and steps out.

Hardcastle shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Hardcastle was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
You can see the frustration on Tural's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Hardcastle trying to control the action but Tural is working from the bottom.
Tural tries to improve position but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hardcastle trying to control the position but Tural is working away.
Tural tries to improve position but can't.
Hardcastle looking to control but instead Tural has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.
Hardcastle is trying to advance to mount but he's lost his balance and Tural reverses the position - he's now on top in Hardcastle's guard.
Hardcastle can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Tural controls the pace.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Hardcastle looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Tural puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hardcastle has a hand on Tural's thigh, trying to get back to full guard. Tural takes advantage of the position though and mounts him!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Tural controlling from the full mount.
Hardcastle keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Hardcastle regains half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hardcastle wants to control but Tural is keeping busy.
Hardcastle is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Hardcastle is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Tural with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Hardcastle trying to control here but he's found himself mounted! Oh no!
Hardcastle throwing hammer fists to the chest of Tural. What's that going to do exactly?
Hardcastle tries to lock up and control but Tural gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Abi Tural dominated that second round.
That's time! Tural's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Tural throws a jab when Hardcastle was well out of range.

Tural has Hardcastle up against the cage in a clinch.
Tural keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Hardcastle's efforts to push away.
Tural gets through Hardcastle's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Tural has a couple of punches blocked by Hardcastle.
Hardcastle blocks a punch to the side of the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tural lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Hardcastle blocking some punches.
Tural lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Hardcastle backwards.
Hardcastle drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Tural breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Tural's corner calls for a 1-2. Tural obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Hardcastle fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Hardcastle tries to land a leg kick but Tural saw it coming and moves away.
Tural scores with a nice strike.
Hardcastle takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Tural lands a two punch combo.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Hardcastle.
Hardcastle swats away the attempt to clinch by Tural.
And Hardcastle tries to counter it with a takedown but Tural pushes his down on his head and steps out.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tural throws a nice outside leg kick.
Tural throws a jab when Hardcastle was well out of range.
Hardcastle fails with the takedown.
Abi Tural has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Sexton Hardcastle.
Tural fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
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!
Hardcastle changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Tural just misses with a punch to the body.
Tural ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Hardcastle moves away.
A left lands for Tural.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tural throws a good cross that connects.
Hardcastle throws an off balance right hand
and Tural counters with a lovely shot to the body.

Hardcastle closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Tural quickly recovers to half guard.
Tural is controlling Hardcastle's position as best he can from this difficult position.
Hardcastle wants to pass to mount but Tural is defending the position.
Tural keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Hardcastle missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Hardcastle missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tural regains full guard. Nicely done.
Hardcastle throws a strike but Tural rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Tural passes into half guard under a barage of strikes.
Sexton Hardcastle has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Tural is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Abi Tural overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Tural uses his free foot to push down on Hardcastle's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Hardcastle.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Tural controlling the position easily from mount.
Hardcastle tries to reverse the position but Tural maintains control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Abi Tural showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Tural has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Wagner Zegers scores the fight 30:27
Judge Aafke Stam scores the fight 30:27
Judge Radbod Blank scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Abi Tural!
During a confident post fight interview, Abi Tural thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.