PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Mark Hughes (ranked 24716 p4p, 2770 weight class) and Jonathan St Pierre (ranked 633 p4p, 265 weight class). Both fighters will be looking to make this an exciting fight for the fans, I'm sure!

Hughes
vs
St Pierre

180 cm
19
180
3 - 3 - 0

180 cm
26
179
3 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Mark Hughes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Jonathan St Pierre!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Frank Antenori and Percy O'Donnell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Hughes closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. St Pierre quickly recovers to half guard.
Hughes missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
St Pierre gets full guard.
St Pierre keeping full guard, as Hughes tries to pass.
Hughes passes St Pierre's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
St Pierre is refusing to be controlled, as Hughes sits in half guard.

Hughes looking for a submission but St Pierre manages to get full guard, putting an end to that submission attempt.
St Pierre keeping moving, preventing Hughes from controlling successfully.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hughes looking to pass the guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hughes is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
St Pierre is adopting a defensive guard.
Hughes postures up in St Pierre's guard and throws a big left but St Pierre blocks it.
Hughes postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Hughes won't allow St Pierre to sweep him here.
Hughes passes St Pierre's right leg, so he's now in half guard.

That's two 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.
Hughes stalling away here and it's allowed St Pierre to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
St Pierre keeping moving, preventing Hughes from controlling successfully.
St Pierre keeping full guard, as Hughes tries to pass.
St Pierre managing to control the position.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Hughes postures up.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Hughes takes a kick to the side of the head.
Hughes scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Hughes looks to score with a jab to the body but St Pierre is just out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hughes catches St Pierre with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
St Pierre shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Hughes but Hughes pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Hughes scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. St Pierre doesn't seem bothered though.
St Pierre throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
St Pierre on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.

Hughes throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. St Pierre was covering up waiting for the punch and Hughes finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Hughes trying to control the position from guard on top but St Pierre is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
St Pierre not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Hughes trying to control but St Pierre is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
St Pierre is trying to control the position but Hughes postures up.
Hughes has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Hughes seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Hughes trying to control but St Pierre is working from the bottom.
Hughes is really struggling to control St Pierre but he's trying to hold on to the position.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.

Hughes is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! St Pierre is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! St Pierre has escaped and now he's on top!

Hughes seems to have improved his submission grappling technique since last time we saw him. Let's see if he can pull off a submission.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Hughes working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because St Pierre has passed into half guard!
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Mark Hughes dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

St Pierre throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Hughes.
We've been informed that St Pierre has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
Hughes misses with a wild combination.
St Pierre tries a head kick but it misses.
Hughes throws a shot from downtown. St Pierre moves away and avoids it.
St Pierre misses with a head kick.
St Pierre throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
St Pierre bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Hughes connects with a looping right hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hughes throws a hook but St Pierre blocks it.
St Pierre closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.

It looks like Jonathan St Pierre has been cut.
St Pierre doesn't manage to clinch there - Hughes circles away.
Hughes lands with an overhand left.
St Pierre misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
St Pierre goes for a high kick. It partially lands.

St Pierre gets the takedown into side control.
Hughes gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Hughes is not content to let St Pierre control the position.

Hughes looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
St Pierre is pressing down on Hughes's thigh, looking to free his foot. Hughes is holding on for now.
Hughes is refusing to be controlled, as St Pierre sits in half guard.

Hughes actively working from the bottom here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hughes is trying to defend against the ground and pound but St Pierre scores with a couple of nice shots.
Mark Hughes overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Hughes has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. St Pierre is working away from the top position though.
St Pierre is trying to control. Hughes wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
St Pierre perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

Hughes actively working from the bottom here.
Well, if St Pierre is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
St Pierre trying to control from half guard but Hughes is working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hughes is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Hughes throws an ugly left hook that misses

and St Pierre counters with a takedown into side control.
Hughes is trying to improve his position.
Hughes taking punishment in the form of punches.
Hughes being controlled for a moment.
St Pierre connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Hughes some visible discomfort.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hughes is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
St Pierre working the head with strikes.
Hughes is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Hughes is trying to control St Pierre's posture but St Pierre avoids it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
St Pierre trying to control the action but Hughes is working from the bottom.
St Pierre controls the position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Jonathan St Pierre showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Jonathan St Pierre's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Hughes misses with a hook. St Pierre ducked under it nicely.
St Pierre tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Hughes paws at him with a jab and circles away.
An inside leg kick lands from St Pierre.
St Pierre uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Hughes.
A big left from Hughes misses.
Hughes connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between St Pierre's hands.
Hughes fails with the takedown.
Hughes takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
St Pierre lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
St Pierre fails with an attempt to clinch.

St Pierre is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Hughes's half guard.
Well, if St Pierre is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.

That's one minute gone in the round.
St Pierre seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Hughes does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
St Pierre missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Hughes makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Hughes.
St Pierre trying to control the position from guard on top but Hughes is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hughes preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

Hughes working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. St Pierre doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. St Pierre manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
St Pierre cracks Hughes with a solid left hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
St Pierre looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Hughes has momentary wrist control but St Pierre slips an elbow through the middle.
Hughes working a defensive guard but St Pierre manages to pass into side control anyway.
Hughes is trying to work for a sweep but St Pierre has mounted him!
St Pierre landing shots from mount.
Hughes tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Hughes defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from St Pierre.
St Pierre lands a big shot there that rocks Hughes but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Hughes is desperately trying to improve his position but St Pierre has a good base and remains in mount.
St Pierre tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Hughes is wriggling around trying to escape.
St Pierre breaks from Hughes's wrist control and lands an elbow.
St Pierre working Hughes over with strikes here.
St Pierre wants to take Hughes's back but he can't do it this time.
St Pierre lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Hughes hang on?

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hughes is looking to get to half guard.
St Pierre sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
St Pierre trying to control but he's not successful this time.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Hughes keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jonathan St Pierre comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think St Pierre has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Jack Bonds scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 28:29
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jonathan St Pierre!
Jonathan St Pierre thanked the fans post fight for their support.