PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Hoof Face (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ecif Irhcaz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hoof Face has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Face
vs
Irhcaz

192 cm
22
195 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

193 cm
21
187 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Improved boxing
Granite chin

Dangerous GnP
Brawler
Likes ground

ZSTAR

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 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Hoof Face!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Ecif Irhcaz!
The judges for this bout are Summer Carpenter, Hugh Johnson and Winston Howard.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Face keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Face tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Irhcaz swivels and escapes.

Irhcaz fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Face sprawls well initially but Irhcaz persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Irhcaz moves nicely into side control.
Face tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Irhcaz wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Face struggling a bit here.
Irhcaz really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Face. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Irhcaz cracks Face with a big right hand but Face just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Face sneaks back into half guard.
Face is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Irhcaz jumps into side control!
Irhcaz controlling from side mount.
Face is working to avoid the ground and pound but Irhcaz connects with a decent elbow.
Irhcaz takes a little break here. Face wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Face gets back to half guard.
Irhcaz perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Face is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Irhcaz scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Irhcaz prevents Face from improving his position.
Irhcaz working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Irhcaz lands strikes from half guard.
Irhcaz lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Irhcaz takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Irhcaz is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Irhcaz is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Irhcaz looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Face with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Irhcaz controlling the action here.
Face tries to roll over but Irhcaz keeps him under control.

Face actively working from the bottom here.
Face is breathing heavily.
Irhcaz trying to control the pace.
Face is looking for a sweep. Irhcaz is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Irhcaz takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Irhcaz controlling the pace.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Irhcaz's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Face is trying to get back to full guard.
Irhcaz working over Face with some ground and pound. Face looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Well, if Irhcaz 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.
Irhcaz takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Irhcaz controlling the action here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Face looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

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.
Irhcaz content to control rather than advance.

Despite being in the dominant position, Ecif Irhcaz just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Irhcaz has closed the distance and engaged Face in a clinch.

Irhcaz gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Irhcaz slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Face is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Irhcaz looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Irhcaz won't allow Face to sweep him here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ecif Irhcaz dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Face shoots and misses

and Irhcaz counters with a single leg into guard. Face didn't expect that.
Irhcaz controlling from the top position.

Face has his foot on Irhcaz's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Irhcaz works his way back into a safe position though.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Irhcaz slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Irhcaz makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Irhcaz works a leg free and moves into half guard.

Face actively working from the bottom here.
Face tries to get to full guard but Irhcaz has control of the leg.
Irhcaz looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Face with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Face has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Irhcaz is working away from the top position though.
Face missing with punches from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Face slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Irhcaz lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

Face has his foot on Irhcaz's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Irhcaz works his way back into a safe position though.
Face tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Irhcaz working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Irhcaz stands up over Face, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Face wants to sweep here but Irhcaz controlling him for the moment.

Face escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Irhcaz gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Irhcaz scoring with some ground and pound.
Irhcaz landing with the ground and pound.
Irhcaz looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Irhcaz lands a couple of digs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Face has his foot on Irhcaz's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Irhcaz works his way back into a safe position though.

Face escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Irhcaz gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Irhcaz postures up.
Irhcaz looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

Face is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Face being controlled here, momentarily.
Irhcaz tries to free his leg and advance position but Face is retaining full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Irhcaz sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Face's guard.
Face has hold of Irhcaz's hands but Irhcaz slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Irhcaz is taking a breather. Face says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Let's hope that Irhcaz has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Face is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Irhcaz working over Face with some ground and pound. Face looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Face wants to improve his position but Irhcaz is controlling well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Irhcaz performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Face is trying to control but can't.
Irhcaz takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Irhcaz seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Face is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Face actively working from the bottom here.
Ecif Irhcaz has got the better of the ground game so far.
Face is pressing down on Irhcaz's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Face looking for a sweep. Not yet Face, not yet.
Irhcaz throws a big right hand that misses.
Face is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ecif Irhcaz showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

A left and a right from Face both land. Nice combination.
Face takes a jab right on the kisser.
Face with a poor takedown

and Irhcaz counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

Face has his foot on Irhcaz's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Irhcaz works his way back into a safe position though.
Irhcaz postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Irhcaz controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

Face working for a triangle but Irhcaz defends it easily.
Face has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Irhcaz has passed into side control.
Irhcaz in side control lands a decent elbow.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Face is looking for a sweep.
Irhcaz tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Face is trying to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Face gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Face is wriggling around trying to escape.
Irhcaz lands a nice shot to the head.
Irhcaz putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
A nice elbow there by Irhcaz.
Irhcaz sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Face is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Irhcaz with good strikes from the mount here!
Face tries to reverse the position but Irhcaz maintains control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Face sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Face is trying to maintain the position but Irhcaz is very close to passing his half guard.
Irhcaz is trying to control the action in half guard but Face is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Face tries to roll over but Irhcaz keeps him under control.

Face looking for submissions off his back.
Face manages to get to full guard.
Irhcaz postures up.
Face throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Face wants to sweep but no luck.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Irhcaz scores with a takedown into Face's guard.
Irhcaz is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Face avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Face tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Irhcaz looking to pass the guard.
Irhcaz wants to control from the top but Face keeps moving.
Irhcaz thows a big elbow that misses.

Face has his foot on Irhcaz's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Irhcaz works his way back into a safe position though.
Irhcaz 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.
Irhcaz won't allow Face to sweep him here.

Face had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Irhcaz is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Face Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Irhcaz's back instead.

Irhcaz is displaying good submission defense - not really looking in danger of submitting to the rear naked choke at the moment. That could change in an instant of course if Face gets his way!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Face is working for a rear naked choke. Irhcaz is not defending it well and Face has tightened it up quickly! This could be all over! Irhcaz refuses to tap and goes to sleep, forcing the referee to intervene. A little trickle of blood came out of Irhcaz's nose as his head slumped to the floor. That is naaaasty!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:27 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Hoof Face!