PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Thufir Hawat (ranked 2477 p4p, 2862 weight class) and Klinx Maxwell (ranked 318 p4p, 368 weight class). I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Klinx Maxwell was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Hawat
vs
Maxwell

185 cm
26
178
13 - 15 - 0

180 cm
25
176
6 - 6 - 0

Good wrestling
World class MT
Granite chin

BJJ Brown Belt
Dangerous knees
Granite chin

Leiko Leaf Clothing

NARCOS
Un-Kaged Nutrition

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 13 - 15 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Thufir Hawat!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Klinx Maxwell!
The judges for this bout are Andrew Berry, Richard Clark and Daniel Bishop.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hawat circles away from the clinch attempt.
Hawat tried to counter with a leg kick but Maxwell avoided it.

Maxwell clinches up against the cage.
Maxwell missing with knees to the body.
Maxwell tries to land knees in the clinch but Hawat avoids the damage to the body.
Hawat with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Maxwell throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Hawat blocks it with crossed arms.
Maxwell lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Maxwell lands a knee to the head.

It looks like Thufir Hawat has been cut.
Maxwell misses with a knee to the head.
Hawat stalling the fight.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Maxwell tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Hawat avoids it.
Maxwell scores with a knee to the head.
Maxwell swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Hawat pressing his opponent against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maxwell tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Knees to the body from Maxwell.
Maxwell swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Maxwell lands a left hand that snaps the head of Hawat backwards.
Maxwell looking to throw knees to the head but Hawat is blocking nicely.
Hawat blocks an elbow strike.
Maxwell looking to throw knees to the head but Hawat is blocking nicely.

Hawat escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Maxwell closes the distance looking to clinch
and Hawat counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maxwell tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Hawat makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Maxwell tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Hawat manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Hawat has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Animal Fight Club in the buildup to the fight.
Hawat throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Maxwell tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Hawat paws at him with a jab and circles away.
As Maxwell looks to move away, Hawat throws a big counter combo but Maxwell just gets out of the way.
Maxwell tries to clinch but Hawat is having none of it.
Hawat is looking for a counter combo.
Maxwell is looking to clinch but Hawat is avoiding it.

Maxwell closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Maxwell with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Hawat tries to circle away but Maxwell has him pinned against the cage.
Hawat looking to slow down the pace here.
Maxwell looking to throw knees to the head but Hawat is blocking nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maxwell misses with a knee strike.
Maxwell trying to land knees to the body.
Maxwell tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Maxwell with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Maxwell misses with an elbow strike.

Hawat escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Maxwell wants to clinch up but Hawat keeps it at a distance.
Maxwell closes the distance but Hawat moves to the side
and Hawat counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Klinx Maxwell seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Maxwell tries to clinch up but Hawat circles away and keeps his distance.
An attempted straight right counter from Hawat misses the target.

Maxwell gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Maxwell misses with a knee strike.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hawat avoids a wild elbow strike from Maxwell.
Hawat blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Maxwell lands a hook that snaps the head of Hawat backwards.
Maxwell tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Maxwell tries a knee to the head but Hawat blocks it.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Hawat.
Maxwell looking to throw knees to the head but Hawat is blocking nicely.
Maxwell tries a knee to the head but Hawat blocks it.
Hawat slowing the pace effectively.
Knees to the body from Maxwell.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Hawat's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Maxwell lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Maxwell looking to throw knees to the head but Hawat is blocking nicely.
Maxwell displaying some good clinch control by pressing Hawat up against the cage.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Klinx Maxwell dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Thufir Hawat's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Maxwell tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Hawat counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Hawat scores with a punch to the head.
Maxwell wants to clinch up but Hawat keeps it at a distance.
Hawat was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Maxwell fails with an attempt to clinch.
Hawat swats away the attempt to clinch by Maxwell.
Hawat throwing a counter right hand but Maxwell manages to avoid it.
Maxwell has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Hawat circles away from the clinch attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Maxwell doesn't manage to clinch there - Hawat circles away.
Hawat seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Hawat scores with a jab to the head.
Maxwell tries to close the distance and clinch but Hawat swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Maxwell is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maxwell tries to clinch there but Hawat circles away.
Hawat circles away from the clinch attempt.
Hawat fires out a quick counter leg kick but Maxwell just manages to avoid it.
Hawat throws a big shot that misses.
Hawat keeps the fight on the outside.
Maxwell tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Hawat manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
A little feinted left hand from Hawat on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Maxwell closes the distance but Hawat moves to the side
and Hawat counters with a nice uppercut.
Maxwell tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
The fight stays on the outside here - Maxwell looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Maxwell tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Maxwell tries to clinch but Hawat moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hawat throws a jab but it's blocked by Maxwell.
Maxwell tries to clinch but Hawat is having none of it.
Klinx Maxwell is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
The fight stays on the outside here - Maxwell looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Hawat swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Maxwell tries to clinch but Hawat moves out of range.
Maxwell tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Hawat manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Hawat is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Hawat turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Maxwell lands a head shot.
Maxwell wants to clinch but Hawat slips to the side
and Hawat counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Maxwell tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Hawat connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hawat throws a lazy right hand but Maxwell sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Maxwell closes the distance but Hawat moves to the side
and Hawat counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Maxwell darts in trying to clinch
and Hawat counters with a stiff right hand.

Maxwell clinches up against the cage.
Maxwell tries to land knees in the clinch but Hawat avoids the damage to the body.
Maxwell with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Maxwell misses with an elbow over the top.
Maxwell lands a left hand that snaps the head of Hawat backwards.

Hawat escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maxwell wants to clinch up but Hawat keeps it at a distance.
Maxwell tries to clinch but Hawat is having none of it.
It looked like Hawat wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Hawat thuds his right hand into Maxwell's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Maxwell fails with an attempt to clinch.
Maxwell moves to clinch but Hawat breaks away
letting Hawat counter with a right hand.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Hawat throws a jab when Maxwell was well out of range.
Maxwell bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Maxwell tries to clinch
and Hawat cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Maxwell wants to clinch but Hawat slips to the side
and Hawat counters with a straight right hand.
Maxwell tries to clinch up but Hawat circles away and keeps his distance.
Maxwell is looking to clinch but Hawat is avoiding it.
Hawat feinted there with a counter leg kick.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Thufir Hawat dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Thufir Hawat's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Maxwell tries to clinch up.
Hawat is looking to counter punch.

Maxwell rushes Hawat and presses him up against the cage.
Hawat just leaning against Maxwell, taking a breather.
Maxwell with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Maxwell tries a knee to the head but Hawat blocks it.
Klinx Maxwell seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Hawat is trying to break free.
Hawat taking a breather.
Maxwell tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Maxwell pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Maxwell tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Hawat avoids a wild elbow strike from Maxwell.
Maxwell misses with a knee strike.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Hawat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maxwell looking to throw knees to the head but Hawat is blocking nicely.
Maxwell throws a knee to the head but misses.
Maxwell lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Hawat is trying to break free.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Maxwell takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Hawat wants to get back to striking at distance but Maxwell won't allow it.
Maxwell misses with a knee to the head.
Maxwell is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Maxwell tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Hawat prevents a body shot from Maxwell.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hawat takes a knee right on the jaw!
Maxwell misses with a knee to the head.

Hawat breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Hawat jabs Maxwell right on the nose. Maxwell blinks but takes it well.
Maxwell takes one on the chin but seems OK.

Maxwell has taken the fight to the clinch.
Maxwell tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Hawat avoids it.

Hawat breaks the clinch.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Hawat scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Hawat lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
The fight stays on the outside here - Maxwell looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Hawat throws a hook but Maxwell blocks it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maxwell tries to clinch but Hawat moves away
and Hawat cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Maxwell tries to close the distance and clinch but Hawat swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Hawat looked to counter that last move with a leg kick but didn't pull the trigger.
Maxwell wants to clinch.
A counter left hand to the body from Hawat misses its target.
Maxwell tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Hawat connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Maxwell tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Hawat counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Maxwell wants to clinch.
It appears Hawat was looking to counter with a kick there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hawat misses with a head kick.
A slow jab from Hawat misses its intended target.
Maxwell is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Thufir Hawat is winning the standup battle so far.
Hawat swats away the attempt to clinch by Maxwell.
Hawat throws a body shot but no joy.
Maxwell tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Hawat paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Maxwell is looking to clinch.
Maxwell tries to clinch but Hawat is having none of it.
Hawat misses with an uppercut. Maxwell saw that one coming.

And that's the end of the fight!
Thufir Hawat showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Hawat has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Andrew Berry scores the fight 29:28
Judge Richard Clark scores the fight 29:28
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Thufir Hawat!
After the fight, Thufir Hawat was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.