PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Joe Hughs (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Little Hardon (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Hughs
vs
Hardon

178 cm
40
167 lbs
35 - 21 - 0

172 cm
23
165 lbs
2 - 4 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
KO power

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 35 - 21 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Joe Hughs!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Little Hardon!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, George Francis and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hardon scores with a leg kick.
Hardon throws a sloppy head kick and Hughs moves out of range easily.
Hardon misses with a head kick.
Hughs throws a hook to the side of Hardon's head but Hardon sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Hardon swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Joe Hughs seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Hughs tries to clinch but Hardon is having none of it.
Hughs is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
A nice inside leg kick there by Hardon. That's going to slow Hughs down.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hardon moves away from the strike by Hughs.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Hughs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hughs misses with the combination.
Hardon ducks under a wild hook from Hughs.
Hardon throws a sloppy head kick and Hughs moves out of range easily.
Hardon has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Hughs is landing a low percentage of strikes.
Hughs on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Hughs swings for the body but Hardon moves out of range.
Hardon dodges the punch combination from Hughs.
Hughs loads up on a big right hand but Hardon slips the punch.
Hardon looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Hardon missing with a left hand there. Hughs was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
It looked like Hughs wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hughs tries to clinch but Hardon moves out of range.
Hughs looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Hardon fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Hughs, pushing him back against the cage.
Hughs misses with an elbow strike.
Hughs misses with an elbow strike.
Hughs tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Hardon takes an elbow to the forehead.

It looks like Little Hardon has been cut.
Hardon managing to block the knees to the body from Hughs.
Hughs tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Hardon's elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hughs scores with a shot to the side of Hardon's head.
Hughs tries to land knees in the clinch but Hardon avoids the damage to the body.
Hughs misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Hardon.
Hardon landing knees to the body.
Hughs landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
A hook to the body from Hardon.
Hughs missing with knees to the body.
Hughs avoids a wild elbow strike from Hardon.
Hughs throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Hardon avoiding damage as Hughs throws knees to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hughs tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Hardon avoids it.
Hughs throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Hardon blocks it with crossed arms.
Hughs struggles to land a body shot inside as Hardon controls his hands.
Hardon misses with a knee strike.
Hughs tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Hardon avoids it.
Hughs goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Hughs is looking to break free of the clinch but Hardon has double underhooks.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Hughs throws a knee to the head but misses.
Hardon misses with a knee strike.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Joe Hughs will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Little Hardon's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Hardon tries to land a leg kick but Hughs saw it coming and moves away.
Hardon tries a head kick but it misses.
Hughs is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Hardon avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
A slapping leg kick lands for Hardon.

Hughs forces Hardon back against the cage and clinches.
Hughs tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Hardon avoids it.
Hardon putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Hughs in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A frustrated look appears on Hughs's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Hughs tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Hardon avoids it.
Hughs throws an elbow but it's blocked.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hardon scores with a knee to the head.

It looks like Joe Hughs has been cut.
Hughs misses with an elbow over the top.
Hughs throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Hughs lands a left hand.
Hughs makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
A short right from Hughs on the inside.
Hughs misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Hardon.
Joe Hughs has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Hardon scores with a knee to the head.
Hughs using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Hardon has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Hughs doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hardon lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Hughs.
Hughs working hard to break the clinch.
Hughs trying to land knees to the body.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Hardon slows down the pace here.
Hughs stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Hardon looking to throw knees to the head but Hughs is blocking nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hardon tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Hughs tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Hardon avoids it.
Hardon scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Hardon on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Hughs wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Hughs tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Hardon avoids it.
Hughs swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Hughs throws a knee to the head but misses.
Hardon blocks an uppercut.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hardon avoiding damage as Hughs throws knees to the body.
A nice left hand lands by Hardon.
Hardon blocks the elbow strike.
Hardon scores with a shoulder strike.
Hardon blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Hardon with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Hardon with a knee to the head.

Hughs is rocked!
Hughs missing with knees to the body.
Oh Hughs is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Hughs misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Hardon.
Hughs seems to have got his legs back now.
Hughs tries to land knees in the clinch but Hardon avoids the damage to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Little Hardon will probably get the nod - 10:9.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! And we move into the final round!

Hardon misses with an attempted mid kick.
Hughs looks to clinch
and Hardon connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Hardon ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Hughs moves away.
Hardon lets loose with a powerful body kick. Hughs will feel that in the morning.
Hughs throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Hardon is looking to slow Hughs down with leg kicks.
Hughs tries to close the distance and clinch up but Hardon swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Hardon was about to counter that last move with a leg kick but changes his mind.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hardon fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Hardon steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Hughs.
Hardon throws a big counter head kick but Hughs avoids it with no problem.
Little Hardon seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Hughs avoids the head kick by Hardon.
Hughs appears to be looking for a big counter.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hardon scores with a jab to the body.
Hughs tries to close the distance and clinch but Hardon swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
A chopping leg kick lands by Hardon.
Hughs lands with a kick to the temple. Hardon shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Hughs pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Hughs throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Hardon.

Hughs closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Hardon did well to prevent Hughs getting side control.
Hughs prevents Hardon from standing back up.
Hughs not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Hughs prevents Hardon from standing back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hughs prevents Hardon from improving his position.
Hardon regains full guard. Nicely done.
Hardon wants to stand but Hughs is controlling the position.
Hardon has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Hardon wants to stand and escape but Hughs is having none of it.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Hardon throws a nice outside leg kick.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Nice takedown defense from Hardon. No joy for Hughs on that attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hardon avoids a punch combination nicely.
Little Hardon is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Hughs misses the shot to the body.
Hardon drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Hughs defends it well.
Hughs doesn't manage to clinch there - Hardon circles away.
Hughs attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Hardon throws a leg kick but Hughs checks it.
Hughs scores with a jab to the jaw.
Hardon chopping away at his opponent's legs.

Hardon closes the distance and pushes Hughs back into the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hughs throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Hardon blocks it with crossed arms.
Hughs is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Hardon is defending well for now.
Hughs tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Hughs misses with a knee strike.
Hughs avoiding damage as Hardon throws knees to the body.
Hughs missing with knees to the body.
Hardon makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Hardon stalling in the clinch.
Hughs misses with a shot to the kidneys.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Little Hardon.
I think Hardon has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 30:29
Judge George Francis scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Little Hardon!