PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between David Lilja (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sam Hitz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). David Lilja had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Lilja
vs
Hitz

187 cm
26
200 lbs
9 - 10 - 0

182 cm
21
190 lbs
7 - 6 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter striker
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, David Lilja!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Sam Hitz!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Mauricio Rocha and Luis Engracia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hitz swats away the attempt to clinch by Lilja.
Hitz throws a sloppy head kick and Lilja moves out of range easily.
Hitz tries to bum rush Lilja with a series of wild strikes but Lilja uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Hitz looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
The fight stays on the outside here - Lilja looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Lilja has closed the distance and engaged Hitz in a clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Lilja escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Lilja tries to close the distance and clinch but Hitz swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Lilja has taken the fight to the clinch.
Lilja avoids a wild elbow strike from Hitz.
Lilja lands a nice elbow.
Lilja blocks an elbow strike.
Hitz landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Lilja avoids a wild elbow strike from Hitz.
Hitz trying to stall but Lilja improves his position.
Hitz lands a knee to the body.
Hitz throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Lilja is trying to force a seperation but Hitz has the dominant position.

Lilja pulls guard.
Lilja has momentary wrist control but Hitz slips an elbow through the middle.
Hitz trying to stand up but can't free himself from Lilja's guard.
Hitz with a flurry of punches that miss.

Lilja kicks Hitz off and gets to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lilja tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Sam Hitz is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Hitz lands a lovely overhand right.
Hitz avoids a punch combination nicely.
Hitz stuffs the takedown attempt from Lilja. Lilja gets slowly back to his feet.
Lilja tries to close the distance and clinch up but Hitz swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hitz pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Lilja moves into the clinch successfully.
Hitz digs a right hand underneath Lilja's ribcage. Lilja let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Hitz lands a hook to the side of the head.
Lilja tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Lilja tries to land knees in the clinch but Hitz avoids the damage to the body.
Lilja avoiding damage as Hitz throws knees to the body.
With the fighters up against the cage, Lilja throws an elbow but misses.
Hitz stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Lilja is breathing heavily.
Hitz scores with a shot to the side of Lilja's head.
Lilja lands with a left to the head.
Hitz lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Hitz stalls.
Hitz's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Hitz throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Lilja blocks it with crossed arms.
Hitz is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Lilja is defending well for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Knees to the body from Hitz.
Hitz looking to throw knees to the head but Lilja is blocking nicely.
Hitz avoids a wild elbow strike from Lilja.
Lilja avoids the elbow strike from Hitz, against the cage.
Hitz is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Hitz lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Hitz misses with a short punch on the inside.
Lilja blocks the elbow strike.
Hitz keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Lilja's efforts to push away.
A head punch on the inside from Hitz fails to land.
Lilja looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Lilja looking to throw knees to the head but Hitz is blocking nicely.
Hitz working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Hitz lands a nice uppercut.
Hitz utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Lilja wants to break free but Hitz has control.
Lilja managing to block the knees to the body from Hitz.
Lilja lands a nice elbow.
Lilja is trying to force a seperation but Hitz has the dominant position.
Lilja looking to slow down the pace here.
Hitz pushes off an throws an elbow but Lilja leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sam Hitz dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Hitz swats away the attempt to clinch by Lilja.
Lilja displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Hitz throws out the jab.
Hitz is looking to clinch.
Hitz is looking to clinch but Lilja is avoiding it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lilja avoids the body shot from Hitz.
Lilja closes the distance looking to clinch

and Hitz counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Hitz.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hitz lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Hitz lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Lilja lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Hitz stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Hitz throws a head punch that misses.
Lilja blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Hitz lands a body shot.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Lilja.

Lilja ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Lilja no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.

Lilja pushes Hitz off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Lilja closes the distance but Hitz moves to the side
and Hitz counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jab from Hitz.
A swing and a miss from Lilja.
Hitz circles away from the clinch attempt

and Hitz counters by clinching up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hitz lands a good knee to the midsection. Lilja won't want to take too many of those.
Nice elbow from Hitz.
Hitz lands an elbow just above Lilja 's eye.
Lilja swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Hitz struggles to land a body shot inside as Lilja controls his hands.
Lilja blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Lilja pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Hitz throws a lazy right hand but Lilja sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Hitz tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Lilja misses with a wild combination.
Hitz tries to clinch there but Lilja circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lilja dives in and grabs Hitz's left leg, looking for a takedown. Hitz pushes down on Lilja's head and hops out.
Lilja walks into a jab.
David Lilja seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Lilja looks to clinch
and Hitz counters with a series of strikes. Lilja will be more careful next time no doubt.
Lilja tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Hitz counters with a left to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sam Hitz showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Lilja tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Hitz counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Hitz tries to land a front kick but Lilja steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Lilja lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Hitz at a distance.

Hitz closes the distance and clinches.
Hitz lands with a short shot to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Lilja connects with a knee to the head.
A shot in the inside from Hitz.
Lilja misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Hitz.
A body shot lands from Hitz.
Hitz takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Lilja with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Hitz works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Lilja wants to break the clinch but can't.
Hitz gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Lilja.
Hitz working aggressively here.
Sam Hitz seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Hitz prevents Lilja from breaking the clinch.
Hitz lands a hook that snaps the head of Lilja backwards.
Hitz throws a knee to the head but misses.

Lilja breaks from the clinch.

Hitz moves into the clinch.
Hitz throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
A short left from Hitz.
A short left from Hitz.
Hitz lands a body punch in the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hitz makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Hitz softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Hitz scores a nice knee to the body.
Hitz lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Lilja misses with a knee to the head.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Hitz.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Hitz.
Hitz lands an uppercut.
Hitz working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Hitz scores with a nice hook to the head.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Lilja blocks an elbow strike from Hitz.
The referee is keeping an eye on Hitz - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Hitz looks to throw an elbow but misses.
With the fighters up against the cage, Lilja throws an elbow but misses.
Hitz stalling in the clinch but Lilja improves position.
Lilja stalling in the clinch but Hitz improves position.
Lilja lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Hitz lands with a light punch inside.
Lilja using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Hitz has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Hitz stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Hitz misses with a hook to the ribs.
Lilja blocks an uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hitz trying to land knees to the body.
Hitz throws a head punch that misses.
Lilja stalling against the cage.
Nice elbow from Lilja.
Lilja avoids the elbow strike from Hitz, against the cage.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.

Lilja's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Lilja darts in trying to clinch
and Hitz counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Lilja misses with a body punch
and Hitz counters with a stiff right hand.

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.
Lilja throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Hitz swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
A punch combination from Lilja misses.
David Lilja is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Lilja throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
David Lilja has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Lilja darts in trying to clinch
and Hitz counters with a straight right hand.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sam Hitz comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Hitz winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Thiago Cunha scores the fight 27:30
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 27:30
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sam Hitz!