PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ramiz Hassan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Maurice Matthews (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Matthews comes into a darkened arena with his song building. You May Be - Brother Lynch Hung kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Maurice Matthews is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Hassan
vs
Matthews

180 cm
19
170 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

181 cm
19
170 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the welterweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Ramiz Hassan!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Maurice Matthews!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Jack Bonds and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Hassan moves into the clinch successfully.

Hassan gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Hassan is trying to control the action in half guard but Matthews is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Hassan tries to stand but his arm is trapped.

Hassan is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Matthews has managed to free his arm - good work.
Matthews misses with some strikes from the bottom.

Hassan is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Matthews has managed to free his arm - good work.
Matthews is pressing down on Hassan's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Matthews has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Hassan stands and steps away. Matthews gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Matthews fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Matthews fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Matthews lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Matthews.
Hassan lands a nice hook to Matthews's body. Matthews takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hassan misses with a body kick.
Matthews throws a leg kick but Hassan sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Hassan shoots in but Matthews avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Hassan ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Matthews moves away.

Matthews has closed the distance and engaged Hassan in a clinch.
Matthews keeps control of Hassan as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Hassan breaks from the clinch.
Hassan dodges the punch combination from Matthews.
Hassan connects with a single shot there.
Hassan checks a low kick from Matthews.
Hassan has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Matthews throws a series of punches but Hassan moves out of range.
Matthews misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

Matthews gets the takedown into side control.
Hassan is breathing heavily.

Hassan throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!
Hassan throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hassan tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Matthews thuds a left hand into Hassan's body.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Matthews is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Hassan lands a jab to the nose.
Ramiz Hassan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
The fight stays on the outside here - Matthews looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Hassan misses with the combination.
Matthews shoots in for a takedown but Hassan shows good takedown defense.
Hassan tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Matthews was well out of range. Poor timing from Hassan.
No luck for Matthews with that takedown attempt.
Ramiz Hassan has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Maurice Matthews.
Hassan clinches but Matthews breaks the clinch

and Matthews moves into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Hassan breaks the clinch.
Hassan looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Hassan drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Matthews wants to control but Hassan postures up.

Hassan decides to stand back up. Hassan steps back and let's Matthews get back to his feet.

Hassan drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Hassan would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

Hassan avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Matthews working a defensive guard here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Matthews has a closed guard, preventing Hassan from standing up.
Hassan trying to control but Matthews is working from the bottom.

Matthews has his feet on Hassan's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Nice takedown defense from Hassan. No joy for Matthews on that attempt.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hassan lands a head shot.
Matthews takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Hassan slips a jab and a cross from Matthews.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Maurice Matthews will probably get the nod.
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.

Hassan misses with a few strikes there.
Matthews's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Matthews duly obliges.
A combination from Hassan does no damage.
Hassan catches Matthews with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
No joy there for Hassan, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Hassan blocks a low kick nicely.

Matthews takes the fight into the clinch.
Hassan is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
With the fighters up against the cage, Matthews throws an elbow but misses.
Hassan has had enough of the clinch but Matthews keeps him there for the moment.
Matthews keeps control of Hassan as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Hassan is pressed up against the cage. Matthews has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Hassan down to the mat. Hassan avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Hassan lands with a nice combination. Matthews backs away looking to recover.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Matthews shoots in for a takedown but Hassan shows good takedown defense.
Hassan throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Hassan moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Jab by Hassan.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Matthews misses with a jab, cross combination.

Hassan takes the fight into the clinch.

Hassan pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Hassan throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Matthews.
Matthews closes this distance looking for a takedown but Hassan circles away.
Ramiz Hassan has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Maurice Matthews.
Hassan lands a two punch combo.
Hassan misses with a head kick.

Hassan feints and as Matthews raises his hands in defense, Hassan changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Matthews looking to control.
Matthews is trying to hold Hassan in close to prevent damage but Hassan has managed to pass into half guard.
Matthews is trying to maintain the position but Hassan is very close to passing his half guard.

Hassan stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Matthews to get to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Matthews closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.

Hassan is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Matthews pulls his head out easily.
Hassan is looking to escape.
Matthews wants to lay and pray for a moment but Hassan keeps working.
Hassan looks like he's trying to stand up.

Hassan looking for subs from the bottom but Matthews mounts him!
Hassan trying desperately to get to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hassan is squirming around, avoiding Matthews's attempts to control the action.
Ramiz Hassan overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Matthews jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Hassan manages to avoid the submission attempt.

Matthews is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Hassan has escaped the position, nice work there.

Hassan sneaks out the side door and pushes Matthews away - he's back to his feet. The crowd show their appreciation for the escape.
Hassan fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Hassan tries to close the distance and clinch but Matthews swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Matthews swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Matthews shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Hassan but Hassan pushes him off and we're back to square one.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Matthews wants to clinch up but Hassan keeps it at a distance.

Hassan moves into the clinch.

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

Matthews fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Hassan sprawls well initially but Matthews persists and gets the takedown into half guard.

Hassan has one foot on Matthews's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Hassan throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Matthews drives through and clinches with Hassan against the cage.
Matthews tries to break the clinch but Hassan is controlling the position.

Hassan manages to break the clinch.
Matthews tries for a takedown but Hassan circles away easily

and Hassan counters with a takedown into side control.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Hassan decides to stand back up.
Hassan throws a nice looking combination but Matthews bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Hassan tries to clinch up but Matthews circles away and keeps his distance.
Matthews fails with the takedown
and Hassan counters with a nice uppercut.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Hassan closes the distance looking to clinch

and Matthews counters by moving into the clinch.
Matthews wants to break the clinch but can't.
Hassan swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Hassan wants to break free but Matthews has control.
Hassan is looking to break free of the clinch but Matthews has double underhooks.

Hassan's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Hassan moves in looking to clinch but Matthews pushes him off.

Hassan moves into range and clinches up with Matthews.
Hassan wants a takedown but no success here.
A battle for position here, against the cage.

Matthews breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Ramiz Hassan is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Matthews throws a right and a left that both miss.
Matthews is looking to clinch but Hassan is avoiding it.
Matthews keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Matthews attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A left and a right from Matthews both land. Nice combination.
Hassan falls off balance throwing a combination

and Matthews holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Matthews decides to pull guard.
Hassan tries to stand but Matthews is controlling from the bottom.
Matthews manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

Matthews working from mount. He moves in close and looks like he might be going for an arm triangle... He's hopped off to the side and he's transitioned into an Anaconda choke. Hassan turning a nasty shade of purple. He's refusing to tap but he's gone! He's out! The ref rips Matthews off and cradles Hassan's limp body as Matthews celebrates with his corner.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:47 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Anaconda Choke). Maurice Matthews! Maurice Matthews retains his welterweight title!