PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Tracey Ellison (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dan Hardy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Dan Hardy has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Ellison
vs
Hardy

156 cm
20
177 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

183 cm
22
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
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 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Tracey Ellison!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Dan Hardy!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Gwen Towbar and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Hardy has taken the fight to the clinch.

Ellison drags the fight down to the ground.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Ellison has Hardy pulled in close to control his posture.
Hardy slips nicely into half guard, despite the strikes coming from Ellison.
Ellison is refusing to be controlled, as Hardy sits in half guard.
Ellison wants to sweep but Hardy has passed to side control!
Hardy working away.

Hardy tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Hardy has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Hardy throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Ellison could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Hardy throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
You can see the frustration on Ellison's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ellison is in a bad position, trying to hold on for dear life but he is really struggling to maintain any sort of control.
Hardy in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Hardy is looking to take a break and control but Ellison is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Who's going to make the next move?
Ellison is looking to reverse the position.

Hardy stands up.

Hardy scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hardy working away.
Hardy is looking to take a break and control but Ellison is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Hardy working away.
Hardy throws an elbow but Ellison slips to the side and avoids it well.
Hardy prevents Ellison from escaping the position.

Hardy tries for a kimura but Ellison is defending well.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Ellison wants to get back to his feet but Hardy drags him back down.

Hardy thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Ellison striking from the bottom but nothing landed.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ellison is looking for a sweep.
Hardy tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.

Hardy tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Hardy is trying to get an arm triangle but Ellison is defending well.

Hardy decides to stand up, so the ref orders Ellison to his feet.
Dan Hardy seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Ellison instigates a clinch.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Hardy obliges.
Hardy trying to land knees to the body.

Hardy manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Hardy wants to sweep here but Ellison controlling him for the moment.
Ellison chips away with some ground and pound.
Ellison working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Ellison throws an elbow that misses. Hardy uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Ellison's guard. Nice move by Hardy!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Ellison is trying to control the position but Hardy postures up.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ellison is really struggling to control Hardy but he's trying to hold on to the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Ellison rushes Hardy and presses him up against the cage.
Hardy keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Ellison's efforts to push away.
Hardy lands with a left to the head.

Hardy's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Ellison throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Hardy connects with a body shot that sends Ellison's belly button to the back.

Hardy shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Ellison napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Ellison is looking to reverse the position.
Ellison struggling a bit here.

Hardy stands up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ellison misses with a hook. Hardy ducked under it nicely.

Hardy clinches.
Hardy effectively controlling the action here.
Ellison is trying to pull guard but Hardy turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.

Hardy works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hardy controls from within his opponent's guard.
Hardy trying to control but Ellison is working from the bottom.
Ellison wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Hardy trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Ellison is pulling down on Hardy's head to control his posture.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Dan Hardy hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.

Hardy closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Ellison to the mat! Ellison manages to get full guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Ellison is trying to control the position but Hardy postures up.

Ellison throws his legs up looking for a submission but Hardy uses it to pass to side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ellison throwing some weak shots from the bottom that do no damage.

Hardy decides to take the fight back to the feet.

Ellison has closed the distance and engaged Hardy in a clinch.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Ellison wants to break the clinch but can't.

Hardy pulls Ellison into guard.
Ellison chips away with some ground and pound.
Hardy looking to control.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Ellison accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Ellison in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Ellison is looking to work some ground and pound but Hardy has wrist control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hardy is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Ellison throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Hardy works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Hardy 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.
Hardy working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Ellison.
Ellison throws a big right hand that misses.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Hardy has his hands on Ellison's head, controlling the position.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Hardy is on top in guard.
Ellison might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hardy works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Ellison has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Hardy is working away from the top position though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dan Hardy showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Hardy has taken the fight to the clinch.

Ellison gets control of Hardy's arms and successfully pulls guard. Ellison will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Ellison controls Hardy momentarily but Hardy frees himself.
Ellison can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Hardy controls the pace.

Ellison is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Hardy defends well.
Hardy 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.
Ellison not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Hardy controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Dan Hardy was stalling too much, according to the referee.

Ellison gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Hardy to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Ellison looking to control.
Hardy stays in close to Ellison's body and controls the position.
Ellison looking to control.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Ellison throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Hardy trying to control but Ellison is working from the bottom.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Tracey Ellison just wasn't active enough.

Hardy changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Ellison looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Check out the look on Hardy's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Ellison avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Hardy.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Ellison being controlled for a moment.
Ellison struggling a bit here.
Hardy blocks the strikes from Ellison.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hardy is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Ellison will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Ellison is holding Hardy down, trying to stall.
Hardy controls the position.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Ellison is trying to control Hardy's posture but Hardy avoids it.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Ellison shoots in and drives through. Hardy sprawls well.

Hardy closes the distance and clinches.
Ellison is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Hardy is defending well.

Hardy manages to pull guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ellison throwing strikes from guard but Hardy blocks nicely.
Ellison trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Ellison throws a big elbow that misses.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ellison trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Ellison throwing strikes but missing.

Ellison avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Hardy has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Ellison can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Ellison throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Hardy works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dan Hardy comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Hardy has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Chris Downing scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 27:30
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dan Hardy!