PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Connor Hughes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Liam Sanchez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hughes kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genuis that is No Easy Way Out - Bullet For My Valentine. Liam Sanchez has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Connor Hughes's chin.

Hughes
vs
Sanchez

168 cm
18
172 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

185 cm
20
177 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Attliction

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Connor Hughes!
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, Liam Sanchez!
The judges for this bout are Franklyn Lucas, Joseph Jones and Bruno Lombardi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Hughes takes the fight into the clinch.

Hughes pulls Sanchez into guard.
Hughes might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Hughes is striking but Sanchez is not phased and passes to half guard.
Sanchez is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.
Hughes wants to get back to full guard.
Sanchez sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Sanchez frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Hughes wants to control but Sanchez is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hughes can't escape the position.
Sanchez trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Hughes is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

Hughes defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Sanchez.

Sanchez gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!

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.
Sanchez circles away from the clinch attempt.
Hughes is looking to clinch.

Sanchez closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Sanchez is looking to take a break and control but Hughes is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Sanchez working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Sanchez looks gassed!
Hughes tries to improve position but can't.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sanchez trying to control the position but Hughes is working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez working away.
Hughes is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Sanchez's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Hughes could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Sanchez is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Sanchez's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Hughes trying to control from the bottom.
Sanchez with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Hughes is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.

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.
Sanchez lands strikes from half guard.
Hughes moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Hughes wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Hughes being controlled here, momentarily.
Sanchez pushes down on Hughes's leg and manages to get into half guard.

Sanchez wants to work for an arm triangle but Hughes is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Hughes on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Liam Sanchez dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Hughes tries to clinch up.
Connor Hughes is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Sanchez showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Hughes.
Hughes throws a nice looking combination but Sanchez bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Sanchez keeps the fight on the outside.

Sanchez has Hughes up against the cage in a clinch.
Sanchez lands a left hand.

Sanchez breaks the clinch.
Hughes tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Sanchez paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Hughes looks to clinch

and Sanchez counters with a nice double leg into side control. Hughes won't be happy with that.
Sanchez tries to move into full mount but can't pass Hughes's legs.
Sanchez advances nicely into full mount.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sanchez unloading with bombs!
Sanchez tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hughes is looking to get to half guard.
Sanchez working the ground and pound effectively.
Hughes is looking to improve his position but Sanchez isn't that keen on the idea.
Hughes wants to hold on but Sanchez pushes him away.
Hughes is trying desperately to improve position.
Sanchez avoids the attempt from Hughes to control.
Hughes working to try and regain half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Hughes wants to hold on but Sanchez pushes him away.
Hughes is trying to escape the mount.
Hughes is working hard here to advance position.
Sanchez trying to control but Hughes is having none of it.

Sanchez swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Hughes is now in Sanchez's guard. A big mistake from Sanchez there, giving up the dominant position!
Sanchez trying to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sanchez is working an open guard so Hughes takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Hughes.
Sanchez can't do much from the bottom here.
Hughes throws a strike aimed at the side of Sanchez's head but Sanchez avoids it well.
Hughes working away.
Hughes sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Sanchez is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Hughes wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sanchez keeps working.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Hughes stands up and we're back to a striking position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez avoids the head kick by Hughes.
Hughes fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Sanchez blocks a head kick by Hughes.
Sanchez circles away from the clinch attempt.
Hughes fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Hughes closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Hughes lands in his opponent's guard.
Hughes trying to control but Sanchez is working from the bottom.

Hughes drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Sanchez dives on top into guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Liam Sanchez will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's time! Hughes's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Hughes drives through and clinches with Sanchez against the cage.
A bit of stalling here from Hughes.
Hughes is trying to maintain a safe position but Sanchez gets an underhook and turns Hughes into the cage.
Sanchez prevents the takedown attempt.

Sanchez pulls guard successfully.
Hughes stopping the sweep attempt from Sanchez.
Hughes trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Sanchez keeping moving, preventing Hughes from controlling successfully.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hughes throwing strikes from guard but Sanchez blocks nicely.
Sanchez manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanchez dominating with strikes here.

Hughes is rocked!

It looks like Connor Hughes has been cut.
Hughes looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
Oh Hughes is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!

Sanchez is working hard for the rear naked choke here.
Sanchez keeps control of the position easily here as Hughes tries to buck him off.
Hughes seems to have got his legs back now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez is punishing Hughes with strikes - can he finish him?!
Sanchez is controlling his opponent, waiting for an opportunity to finish.
Hughes wants to get back to his feet.
Sanchez just keeping the dominant position. He can't wait too long though, otherwise the referee will stand them back up.
Liam Sanchez has got the better of the ground game so far.
Hughes staying busy and making it hard for Sanchez to control.
I really don't envy Hughes right now.
Hughes turns into Sanchez and is now in his guard.
Hughes wants to get up but he can't break Sanchez's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Hughes stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Sanchez swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez wants to stand but Hughes is controlling the position.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
The fight stays on the outside here - Hughes looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Sanchez tries to score with a low kick but Hughes moves his leg out of the way.
Hughes misses with a leg kick.
Sanchez misses with a low kick.
Hughes misses with a two punch combination.
Sanchez moves in looking to clinch but Hughes pushes him off.
Hughes fails with a takedown attempt.

Hughes closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Sanchez is looking to control Hughes's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Sanchez avoid being mounted?
Hughes wants to control but Sanchez is keeping him busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez wants to improve his position but Hughes is controlling well.
Hughes passes to full mount!
Sanchez is in all sorts of trouble here.
Sanchez is squirming around, avoiding Hughes's attempts to control the action.
Sanchez is just holding on here. Hughes manages to take his back.
Hughes gets his hands free as Sanchez looks to control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Liam Sanchez comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Sanchez 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 Franklyn Lucas scores the fight 28:29
Judge Joseph Jones scores the fight 27:30
Judge Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 27:30

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