PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Diego Sanchez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and EJ Hart (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Diego Sanchez has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Sanchez
vs
Hart

180 cm
22
155 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

190 cm
21
150 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

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 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Diego Sanchez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, EJ Hart!
The judges for this bout are John Kavanagh, Anthony Taglia and Eddie Farnsworth.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Excellent takedown into side control there by Sanchez.
Sanchez misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Sanchez wants to control but Hart is keeping him busy.

Sanchez decides to take the fight back to the feet.

Sanchez shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Sanchez was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Sanchez lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sanchez landing shots from mount.
Hart sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Hart gets back to full guard.
Hart manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Sanchez can't escape the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hart landing shots from mount.
Sanchez is working to get back to half guard.
Sanchez is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.

Hart jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Sanchez manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Sanchez is trying to get back to his feet.
Sanchez can't do much from the bottom here.
Sanchez is breathing heavily.
Hart trying to control the position but Sanchez is working away.
Sanchez is looking to reverse the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Sanchez misses with a few strikes there.
Hart doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Sanchez counters with a two punch combo.

Sanchez fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Hart sprawls well initially but Sanchez persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Hart is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Sanchez thows a huge punch but Hart dodges it nicely.
Hart slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Hart wants to sweep here but Sanchez controlling him for the moment.
Hart is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Hart wants to free his trapped foot but Sanchez is holding on for dear life with his legs.

Hart wants to work for an arm triangle but Sanchez is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez trying to control here.
Sanchez tries to get to full guard but Hart has control of the leg.
Hart prevents Sanchez from standing back up.

Hart is trying to work for a kimura but Sanchez is defending well.
Sanchez striking from the bottom.
Hart trying to mount his opponent but Sanchez defends it.
Sanchez wants to control but Hart is keeping busy.

That's four 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.
Hart wants to control but Sanchez is keeping him busy.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Sanchez throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.

Hart looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Sanchez controlling the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hart won't allow Sanchez to get back to his feet.
Hart working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Hart wants to control from the top but Sanchez keeps moving.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Hart might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Sanchez kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
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 Diego Sanchez will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Sanchez lands a slapping body shot.
Sanchez lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Hart circles away quickly and effectively.

Sanchez scores a takedown into full mount!
Hart tries to reverse the position but Sanchez maintains control.
Sanchez sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Sanchez avoids the attempt from Hart to control.
Sanchez prevents Hart from getting the reversal.
Sanchez controlling the position easily from mount.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanchez with good strikes from the mount here!
Sanchez scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Hart?
Hart is wriggling around trying to escape.
Hart takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Sanchez trying to control but Hart is having none of it.
Hart blocking the ground and pound.
Sanchez trying to control but he's not successful this time.

Sanchez working for a submission but Hart is keeping him at bay.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Hart is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Sanchez is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Hart tries to get back to half guard but can't.
A nice elbow there by Sanchez.
Sanchez prevents Hart from getting the reversal.
Sanchez looking to control but Hart is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Hart is trying desperately to improve position.
Sanchez controlling from mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez looking to control but Hart is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Sanchez thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Hart regains half guard.
Sanchez wants to take a breather but Hart is having none of it.
Hart regains full guard. Nicely done.
Sanchez stopping the sweep attempt from Hart.
Sanchez trying to control the position from guard on top but Hart is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Hart working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Sanchez.
Sanchez stopping the sweep attempt from Hart.
Sanchez passes Hart's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Hart wants to control but Sanchez is keeping busy.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Sanchez is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Hart is just riding it out for now. Sanchez eventually gives up the hold.
Hart has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Sanchez is working away from the top position though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Diego Sanchez dominated that second 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. And we move into the final round!

Sanchez has taken the fight to the clinch.
Hart is trying to drag Sanchez to the mat but Sanchez just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Sanchez goes for a takedown in the clinch but Hart prevents it.
Sanchez tries to pull guard but Hart holds him up against the cage and eventually Sanchez drops back down to his feet.
Nice elbow from Hart.
Hart lands a nice uppercut.

Sanchez has hold of one of Hart's legs. Hart is fighting the takedown attempt but Sanchez gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Hart wants to sweep here but Sanchez controlling him for the moment.
Hart is trying to keep Sanchez in close.
Sanchez is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hart manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Sanchez is looking to improve his position but Hart isn't that keen on the idea.
Hart with shots to the head and body - Sanchez looks very uncomfortable down there.
Sanchez keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Hart takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Hart wants to control the pace but Sanchez is squirming around nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Sanchez really wants to buck Hart off and get back to his feet.
Sanchez is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Sanchez is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Hart trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Hart unloading with bombs!
Hart trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Sanchez tries to reverse the position but Hart maintains control.
Hart pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.

Hart is working for a guillotine from mount but Sanchez frees his head quite easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Hart lands a nice shot to the head.
Sanchez wants to get back to his feet.
Sanchez is looking to get to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Sanchez taking shots to the head.
Sanchez is wriggling around trying to escape.
Hart controlling the pace for now.
Sanchez swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Hart controlling the position easily from mount.
Hart trying to control but he's not successful this time.
EJ Hart has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Hart avoids the attempt from Sanchez to control.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to EJ Hart.
Well Sanchez 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 John Kavanagh scores the fight 30:27
Judge Anthony Taglia scores the fight 29:28
Judge Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Diego Sanchez!