PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Steven Lee (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nick Church (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Lee might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Big in Japan - Guano Apes Cover. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Lee
vs
Church

180 cm
26
161 lbs
10 - 5 - 0

170 cm
21
155 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

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 10 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Steven Lee!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nick Church!
The judges for this bout are George Francis, Robert Twigg and Frank Dennis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Church digs a good hook to Lee's body.
Church loads up on a big right hand but Lee slips the punch.
Church connects with a solid leg kick.
Lee slips under a jab.
Church stuns Lee with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Church stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Church wants it to stay on the feet.
Church lands a lovely overhand right.
Church scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Lee on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Church tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Church throws a hook but Lee avoids it easily.
An inside leg kick from Church misses.

Lee looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Church!
Church is trying to stand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Poor strikes thrown by Lee there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Lee throwing strikes but Church bucks up and reverses the position. He's now in guard on top.
Lee controlling from the top position.
Lee makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Lee tries to free his leg and advance position but Church is retaining full guard.
Lee trying to control the position from guard on top but Church is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two 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.

Lee drops back looking for a leg! Church is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Church manages to kick Lee off! Lee jumps back into Church's guard.
Lee trying to control but Church is working from the bottom.
Lee tries to free his leg and advance position but Church is retaining full guard.
Church really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Lee. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Church throws the kick towards the body but Lee avoids it.
Lee swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Church avoids the body shot from Lee.
Church scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Church misses with a head kick.
Church works Lee's body with a nice hook.
Church lands a two punch combo.
Donk. Church catches Lee right on the button with a cross.
Church throws a leg kick but Lee checks it.
Church goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Lee avoids a kick to the body.
Church circles away from the clinch attempt.
Church lands an overhand right.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Church misses with a jab, cross combination.
Lee fails with a takedown attempt.

Lee drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Church wants to stand up but Lee is controlling him.
Lee looking to pass the guard.
Lee has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Lee throwing strikes from guard but Church blocks nicely.

Lee postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Church is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Lee, into his guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nick Church dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Lee bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Nice shot lands for Church.
Lee shoots in for a takedown but Church shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Lee slips a jab from Church.
Church throws the kick towards the body but Lee avoids it.
Lee tries for a takedown but Church sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Lee ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Nick Church seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nice takedown defense from Church. No joy for Lee on that attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Steven Lee. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Church swinging wildly here.
Church connects with a solid leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Church lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Church throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Lee blocks a leg kick.
Church pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
A slow jab from Church misses its intended target.
Lee avoids a kick to the body.
Church throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Church connects with a solid leg kick.
Nick Church seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Church will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Lee.
Lee looks for a takedown but Church sprawls well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Good exchange - Church coming out on top.
Lee displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Church throws out the jab.
Church throws the left hand but Lee avoids the punch easily.
Church tries a head kick but it misses.
Church throws a nice inside leg kick.
Church throws a right and a left that both miss.
Church dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Church tries a head kick but it misses.
Nick Church is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Church tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Church swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Church throws a body punch but Lee moves out of range.
Church throws a sloppy head kick and Lee moves out of range easily.
Nice uppercut lands for Church. That snapped Lee's head back.
Church fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Lee on the side of the head.
Church scores with the left hand. Lee knows he should have avoided that one.
Lee is looking to clinch.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Church, as that shot connected.
Church misses with a head kick.
Lee closes this distance looking for a takedown but Church circles away.
Church wants to slow Lee down by chopping away at his legs.
Church moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Church jabs at Lee's body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Church is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Lee.
Church misses with a straight left.
Lee walks into a straight right hand from Church.
Church throws out a leg kick but Lee moves out of range and Church only half commits.
Church throws a looping overhand right but Lee ducks down to avoid it.
A big right from Church misses.
Lee walks forward, straight into a front kick from Church.
Lee shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Church as he jumps to the side.
Church is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Church stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Church wants it to stay on the feet.
Lee shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nick Church showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Church connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Church works the jab nicely.
Church misses with an attempted mid kick.
Lee uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Church.
Lee takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
A punch lands to the side of Lee 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Lee comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Church stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Church thumps Lee with a low kick.
Church fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Lee manages to avoid it.
Lee tries to close the distance and clinch up but Church swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Lee fails with a takedown attempt.
Lee misses with a double jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lee has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Church.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Church cracks Lee with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Church looks to score with a jab to the body but Lee is just out of range.
Church throws a jab when Lee was well out of range.
Lee closes the distance and clinches up with Church, looking for a takedown. Lee pushes Church against the cage but Church circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
The fighters circling - Church throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Church scores with a spinning back kick!
Church lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Lee at a distance.
Church cracks Lee with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Nice uppercut lands for Church. That snapped Lee's head back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Church swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Church misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Nice body punch from Church.
Church scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Church goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Church throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Church bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Lee fails to land the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Steven Lee. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Church throws a head kick that Lee semi-blocks.
Church jabs at Lee's body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lee staying out of range there.
Lee is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Church.

Lee is rocked!
Church lands a brutal uppercut that launches Lee off his feet! Lee tumbles to the floor, barely conscious - the referee jumps in to save him from a beating! Wow, what an ending!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:17 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Nick Church!