PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Arthur Abelyan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dwayne Hicks (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Arthur Abelyan has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Abelyan
vs
Hicks

185 cm
21
185 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

186 cm
22
183 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Intelligent

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Arthur Abelyan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Dwayne Hicks !
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Jack Bonds and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hicks tries to clinch up but Abelyan circles away and keeps his distance.
Hicks throws a head kick but Abelyan moves out of range.
Abelyan tries a head kick but it misses.
Hicks slips a jab and a cross from Abelyan.
Some bone on bone action there as Abelyan checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Abelyan plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Hicks lunges at Abelyan with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Abelyan's hand.
Abelyan throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Hicks 's head.
Abelyan avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
A head kick from Abelyan lands but Hicks takes it in his stride.
Abelyan misses with a leg kick.
Abelyan tries to score with a low kick but Hicks moves his leg out of the way.
Hicks wants to clinch up but Abelyan keeps it at a distance.
Hicks takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Abelyan tries a head kick but it misses.
Abelyan misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Nice body punch from Hicks .
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Abelyan throws a head kick that misses.
Hicks scores with a three punch combo!

It looks like Arthur Abelyan has been cut.
Hicks throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Hicks is looking to clinch.
Abelyan swats away the attempt to clinch by Hicks .

That's one minute gone in the round.
Abelyan throws a sloppy head kick and Hicks moves out of range easily.
Abelyan looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Hicks lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Abelyan circles away quickly and effectively.
Hicks swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Abelyan counters with an outside leg kick.
Abelyan scores with a push kick.

Hicks has taken the fight to the clinch.

Abelyan breaks the clinch.

Abelyan closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Hicks has a couple of punches blocked by Abelyan.

Hicks pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
A head kick from Abelyan lands but Hicks takes it in his stride.
Abelyan circles away from the clinch attempt.
Abelyan tries a head kick but it misses.
Hicks wants to clinch.
Abelyan tries a head kick but it misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A telegraphed right hand from Abelyan misses the target.

Abelyan clinches up against the cage.
Hicks is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Hicks content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Abelyan misses with a knee to the head.

Abelyan breaks from the clinch.
Abelyan throws a sloppy head kick and Hicks moves out of range easily.
Abelyan throws a big shot that misses.
Abelyan on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Abelyan is breathing heavily.
Abelyan jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Hicks tries to clinch up

and Abelyan moves into the clinch.
Abelyan wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Hicks wants to break the clinch but can't.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Abelyan connects with a nasty looking knee right to Hicks 's face.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Abelyan tries to land a knee to the head but Hicks blocks with his arms.
Abelyan is looking to break free of the clinch but Hicks has double underhooks.
Hicks can't break the clinch.
Hicks keeps control of Abelyan as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Abelyan tries to break the clinch but Hicks is controlling the position.
Hicks wants to break the clinch but can't.
Abelyan can't break the clinch.
Abelyan wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Hicks has him pressed against the cage.

Abelyan breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Hicks 's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Hicks duly obliges.
Hicks throws a head kick but Abelyan moves out of range.
Hicks tries to clinch but Abelyan moves out of range.
Abelyan avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Hicks closes the distance but Abelyan moves to the side
and Abelyan makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Hicks really felt that one!
Hicks tries to clinch up but Abelyan circles away and keeps his distance.
Abelyan misses with a head kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hicks stuns Abelyan with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Hicks 's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Hicks duly obliges.
Abelyan takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.

Abelyan is rocked!
Hicks tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Abelyan avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Abelyan tries to clinch but Hicks moves out of range.

Abelyan tries to keep at a distance but Hicks has taken the fight into the clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Abelyan keeps control of Hicks as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Hicks breaks the clinch.
Abelyan misses with a head kick.
Hicks tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hicks misses with a double jab.

Hicks closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Hicks wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Hicks is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dwayne Hicks dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Arthur Abelyan's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Abelyan misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Abelyan throws a series of punches but Hicks moves out of range.
Hicks misses with a series of wild punches.
Some wild striking there from Hicks .
Hicks walks into a straight right hand from Abelyan.
Hicks tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Abelyan paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Abelyan takes one on the button.
Abelyan throws a head kick that misses
enabling Hicks to counter with a crisp jab.
Abelyan misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Hicks fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Abelyan checks it well.
Hicks scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.

Abelyan closes the distance and clinches.
Hicks is breathing heavily.
Abelyan keeps control of Hicks as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Abelyan with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

Abelyan breaks the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hicks swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Hicks tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Abelyan counters with a nice leg kick.
Donk. Hicks catches Abelyan right on the button with a cross.
Abelyan tries to bum rush Hicks with a series of wild strikes but Hicks uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Hicks darts in trying to clinch
and Abelyan makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Arthur Abelyan is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Hicks takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Abelyan cracks Hicks with a right hand to the side of the head.
Hicks tries to clinch but Abelyan moves away
and Abelyan counters with a head kick.
A slapping leg kick lands for Abelyan.
Hicks tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Abelyan counters with a head kick.
Abelyan misses with a combination
and Hicks connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Abelyan looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Hicks closes the distance but Abelyan moves to the side
and Abelyan counters with a head kick. That will keep Hicks thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A right-left combo lands from Hicks .
Nice body kick from Abelyan.
Abelyan keeps the fight on the outside.
Hicks closes the distance but Abelyan moves to the side
and Abelyan counters with a head kick.
Hicks throws a jab but it's blocked by Abelyan.

Abelyan gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Hicks .
Abelyan is struggling to control the position.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Hicks wants to get back to striking at distance but Abelyan won't allow it.
Abelyan looking to throw knees to the head but Hicks is blocking nicely.
Abelyan wants to break free but Hicks has control.
Hicks is looking to control Abelyan's arms but Abelyan gets an underhook and turns him. Now Hicks has his back to the cage.

Abelyan pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hicks throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
A left and a right from Hicks both land. Nice combination.
Abelyan takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
A combination from Hicks does no damage.
Abelyan misses with a head kick.
Hicks darts in trying to clinch
and Abelyan counters with a big head kick but Hicks shrugs it off.

Abelyan has closed the distance and engaged Hicks in a clinch.
Hicks is trying to break free.

Abelyan breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Hicks tries to clinch up
and Abelyan counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Hicks closes the distance looking to clinch
and Abelyan counters with a head kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Abelyan misses with a head kick.
Abelyan lands with a nice combination. Hicks backs away looking to recover.
Abelyan misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Hicks looks to clinch
and Abelyan counters with a head kick. That will keep Hicks thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Jab from Hicks .
Abelyan takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
A right-left combo lands from Hicks .
Hicks tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Abelyan paws at him with a jab and circles away.
A right-left combo lands from Hicks .
Abelyan on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Hicks is working the combinations to good effect here.

Abelyan gets in close and instigates a clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Abelyan can't break the clinch.
Hicks has had enough of the clinch but Abelyan keeps him there for the moment.

Hicks pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Abelyan takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Arthur Abelyan will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Arthur Abelyan's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Abelyan tries a head kick but it misses.
Hicks 's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Hicks duly obliges.
Abelyan throws a head kick that misses.
Hicks lands with a nice combination. Abelyan backs away looking to recover.
Abelyan throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Abelyan circles away from the clinch attempt
and Abelyan counters with a slapping leg kick.
Hicks tries to score with a low kick but Abelyan moves his leg out of the way.
Abelyan throws a head kick that misses.
Hicks blocks a head kick by Abelyan.
Dwayne Hicks seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Abelyan tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Hicks wants to clinch but Abelyan slips to the side
and Abelyan counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Abelyan misses with a head kick.
Hicks wants to clinch but Abelyan slips to the side
and Abelyan counters with a body kick that stops Hicks in his tracks momentarily.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Hicks swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Hicks finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Abelyan throws a head kick but Hicks moves out of range.
Abelyan misses with the combination.
Abelyan tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Hicks throws a series of strikes that have Abelyan backpedaling.
Hicks listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Abelyan avoids the head kick by Hicks .
Hicks sizes up Abelyan with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Abelyan scores with a head kick.
Hicks tries to clinch up.

Abelyan clinches with his opponent.
Abelyan is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.

Abelyan breaks the clinch.
Hicks darts in trying to clinch

and Abelyan moves into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Abelyan tries to break the clinch but Hicks is controlling the position.
Abelyan wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Hicks has him pressed against the cage.
Hicks digs a right hand underneath Abelyan's ribcage. Abelyan let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Hicks has a couple of punches blocked by Abelyan.

Abelyan breaks the clinch.
Hicks lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Abelyan circles away quickly and effectively.
Abelyan tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Hicks tries to clinch up but Abelyan circles away and keeps his distance.
Hicks swats away the attempt to clinch by Abelyan.
Hicks wants to clinch.
Abelyan looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Hicks moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hicks throws a leg kick
and Abelyan counters with a head kick.
Abelyan misses with a head kick.
Hicks misses with the combination.
Abelyan throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Hicks lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Hicks .
Abelyan lands a head kick. Hicks smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Hicks looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Hicks blocks a head kick by Abelyan.
Abelyan pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Hicks avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Hicks lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Hicks closes the distance looking to clinch
and Abelyan counters with a flying knee. Nice.
A head kick misses from Abelyan.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Hicks throws a head kick but Abelyan moves out of range.
Hicks lands with a nice combination. Abelyan backs away looking to recover.
Hicks throws a right and a left that both miss.
A telegraphed right hand from Abelyan misses the target.
Hicks misses with a series of wild punches.

Abelyan pushes Hicks up against the cage in a clinch.

Abelyan breaks from the clinch.
Abelyan takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.

Abelyan moves into the clinch.

Abelyan breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Hicks avoids the head kick by Abelyan.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Hicks , as that shot connected.
Hicks tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Abelyan counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Hicks is lucky that one didn't land flush.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Dwayne Hicks .
I think Hicks 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 28:29
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dwayne Hicks !