PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Wiremu Huia (ranked 2844 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ethan Wright (ranked 6539 p4p, 0 weight class). Huia comes to the cage accompanied by Poi E - Patea Maori Club. Wiremu Huia looks tired to me. Hopefully he has got enough gas left in the tank to put in a good performance.

Huia
vs
Wright

180 cm
32
166 lbs
16 - 18 - 0

178 cm
22
178 lbs
4 - 8 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
Lethal high kicks
Insanely flexible

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 16 - 18 - 0, fighting out of London, Wiremu Huia!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 8 - 1, fighting out of London, Ethan Wright!
The judges for this bout are Sam Margolis, Chris Edwards and Steven Brown.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Wright shoots in looking for a takedown but Huia manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Wright's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Nice sprawl there from Huia as Wright shoots in.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Huia.
Wright is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Wright moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Huia in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Huia won't allow Wright to sweep him here.
Huia postures up.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Wright holds on and takes a little breather.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Huia has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Wright is trying to control the position but Huia postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wright is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Huia wants to pass the guard but Wright is keeping the position.
Huia being controlled here momentarily.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Huia closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Wright's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Huia in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Wright wants to sweep but no luck.
Huia trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Wright looking for a sweep. Not yet Wright, not yet.
Wright controls Huia momentarily but Huia frees himself.
Wright wants to sweep here but Huia controlling him for the moment.
Wright is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wright looking for a sweep. Not yet Wright, not yet.
Huia controls from within his opponent's guard.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

Huia drives through with a takedown into guard.
Wright really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Huia. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Huia is breathing heavily.
Wright pulls Huia in to control the position.
Let's hope that Wright has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Wright is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Huia working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wright wants to sweep but no luck.
Huia tries to free his leg and advance position but Wright is retaining full guard.
Wright not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Huia throws a big right hand that misses.
Wright controls Huia momentarily but Huia frees himself.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Huia.
Wright looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Wiremu Huia has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ethan Wright.
Wright shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Huia as he jumps to the side.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Wright misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Wright misses with a takedown

and Huia counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Wright throws a leg kick but Huia sees it coming and moves out of range.

Huia closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Wright to the mat! Wright manages to get full guard.
Huia throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Huia postures up.
Wright wants to sweep here but Huia controlling him for the moment.
Huia postures up.
Huia sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Wright's guard.
Wright trying to hold on to Huia's head to control him but Huia postures up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Huia is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Huia content to control rather than advance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wright wants to improve his position but Huia is controlling well.
Huia tries to pass to full mount but Wright defends it.
Huia works his way into side control.
Wiremu Huia overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Huia is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Wright's shoulder. That is not cool.

Huia working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Wright tries to bench press Huia off him but Huia keeps the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Huia looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Wright is looking for a sweep.
Huia is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Wright can do to turn this around?

Huia wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Wright, who protects the arm well.
Wright is looking for a sweep.
Wright is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Huia off and has taken his back!
Huia is trapped and Wright is scoring with shots to the head and body.
Wright cracks Huia with a big shot to body and one to the head - really punishing Huia from the back mount here, looking to soften him up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Huia grimaces as he takes a shot to the body.
Wright cracks Huia with a big shot to body and one to the head - really punishing Huia from the back mount here, looking to soften him up.
Wright cracks Huia with a big shot to body and one to the head - really punishing Huia from the back mount here, looking to soften him up.
Wright is looking to finish with some ground and pound!
You can see the frustration on Huia's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.
Wright lands with a big left hand that may well have hurt his opponent. Can Huia hold on?!
Huia is trying to remain composed but Wright is hammering down strikes to the side of his head.
Wright is punishing Huia with strikes - can he finish him?!
Wright is throwing strikes from the back here. Oh that last one was to the back of the head. Wright gets a warning from the referee. He throws another strike to the back of the head straight away though and the referee has seen enough. He breaks up the two fighters and stands them back up. Wright gets a real talking to here and is lucky not to get a point deducted. Wright apologises and we restart here on the feet.
Horrible takedown attempt by Wright or perhaps it was just good defense by Huia, which made it look bad.
Wright has a takedown stuffed.
Wright darts in looking for a takedown but Huia gets double underhooks and turns Wright into the cage.
Wiremu Huia has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ethan Wright.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Wright changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Huia looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.

Huia explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
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!
Wright misses with a takedown

and Huia moves into the clinch.
Huia cracks Wright with a nice body shot.
Wright drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Huia gets the underhooks and prevents it.

Huia has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Wright clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!
Huia struggling to land strikes to the head as Wright covers up.
Huia somehow managing to miss with a strike from the back.

Wright fending off the submission attempt from Huia.
Wright tries to roll but Huia sticks to his back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Wiremu Huia dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Huia has Wright up against the cage in a clinch.
Huia is working for takedown but Wright is calmly controlling the position for now.
Wright wants a takedown but no success here.
Huia gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Wright.

Huia has hold of one of Wright's legs. Wright is fighting the takedown attempt but Huia gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Huia preventing the sweep.
Wright is trying to control the position from the bottom.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Wright manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Huia manages to get himself to full guard.

Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Huia not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Huia avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Wright trying to control the position from guard on top but Huia is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Wright missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Wright throws a big elbow that misses.

Huia looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Wright is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Wright is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Wright missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Huia has momentary wrist control but Wright slips an elbow through the middle.
Wright with a flurry of punches that miss.
Wright connects with a couple of short punches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Huia has momentary wrist control but Wright slips an elbow through the middle.
Huia working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Wright.

Huia has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Wright can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Wright distracts Huia with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Huia looking to control.
Wright landing with the ground and pound.
Wright missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Huia wants to sweep but no luck.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Wright looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Huia is fending him off so far but Wright persists. Nope, Huia circles away and we're back to standing.
Huia tries to counter by clinching up but Wright breaks away and moves out of range.
Wiremu Huia has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ethan Wright.
Sloppy strikes from Wright. Those never looked like landing.
Huia appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Wiremu Huia is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wright closes this distance looking for a takedown but Huia circles away.
Huia is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Wright.

Huia closes the distance and clinches.
Wright is trying to drag Huia to the mat but Huia just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Wright tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Huia just stands there and leans against the cage.
Huia lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Huia gets underhooks to prevent Wright's takedown attempt.
Huia prevents a body shot from Wright.
Wright is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Wright drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Huia gets the underhooks and prevents it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wright wants a takedown but no success here.

Huia jumps into guard, dragging Wright to the mat.
Wright throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Huia has his hands on Wright's head, controlling the position.
Wright working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Ethan Wright has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Huia is looking to cinch up a triangle. Wright throws the leg off to one side though and gets in tight to Huia's body to avoid the submission. Huia has instead reached around Wright's neck and now has a guillotine! Oh, this is biiiig trouble! Huia arches his back and squeezes and forces the tap from his hapless opponent.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:55 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Wiremu Huia!
An out of breath and clearly excited Wiremu Huia thanked Helsinki Xtreme Fightwear for their help and support (and free stuff they sent him).