PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Leon Hopkins (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mickey Avalon (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Hopkins
vs
Avalon

190 cm
25
203 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

188 cm
25
203 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Big heart

Dangerous GnP
Decent boxing
Experienced

FML NY -$25 Q159+ 90% Laundry/Bookie Transfers

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Leon Hopkins!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Mickey Avalon!
The judges for this bout are Elvis Blanc, Gregory Folan and Robert Douchet.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hopkins attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Hopkins tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Avalon manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Avalon keeps the fight on the outside.
Hopkins misses with a takedown attempt - Avalon sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Avalon throws a hook but Hopkins avoids it easily.
Hopkins wants to clinch up but Avalon keeps it at a distance.

Hopkins gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Avalon is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Avalonis looking to pass into half guard but Hopkins pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Hopkins is in guard.

Hopkins drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Hopkins jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Avalon looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Avalon is pulling down on Hopkins's head to control his posture.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Avalon trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.

Hopkins is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Avalon keeping moving, preventing Hopkins from controlling successfully.
Avalon wants to sweep here but Hopkins controlling him for the moment.
Hopkins passes Avalon's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Avalon controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hopkins is thwarting Avalon's attempts to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hopkins missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Hopkins throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Ground and pound from Hopkins.
Hopkins 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.
Avalon blocking the ground and pound attempt from Hopkins.
Avalon is in trouble now - Hopkins has advanced to mount!
Hopkins throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Avalon because Hopkins loaded up on that one.
Avalon tries to hold on but Hopkins postures up.
Avalon is wriggling around trying to escape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hopkins with a couple of short strikes.
Poor strikes thrown by Hopkins there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Hopkins throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Avalon is bucking up trying to escape but Hopkins cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Avalon is trying desperately to improve position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hopkins is in the full mount, landing strikes.

Hopkins is working for a guillotine from mount but Avalon frees his head quite easily.

Hopkins looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Avalon blocking the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Avalon tries to lock up and control but Hopkins gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

Hopkins wants to finish this one by submission but Avalon is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Hopkins.
Hopkins trying to control but Avalon is having none of it.
Avalon really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Avalon really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Hopkins. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Avalon holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Hopkins tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Hopkins thowing shots but they're missing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Leon Hopkins dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Avalon throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Hopkins fails with an attempt to clinch.
Hopkins ducks under a wild hook from Avalon.
Leon Hopkins is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Avalon misses with the combination.
Avalon stuffs the takedown attempt from Hopkins. Hopkins gets slowly back to his feet.
Hopkins tries to clinch but Avalon moves out of range.
Avalon misses with a jab, cross combination.
Hopkins misses with a takedown attempt

and Avalon counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Avalon throwing strikes but missing.
Avalon trying to control the position from guard on top but Hopkins is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Avalon is looking to work some ground and pound but Hopkins has wrist control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Avalon makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Avalon trying to control the position from guard on top but Hopkins is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Avalon is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

Hopkins has his foot on Avalon's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Avalon works his way back into a safe position though.
Avalon postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Hopkins keeping busy, throwing shots from the bottom.
Avalon wants to control from the top but Hopkins keeps moving.

Hopkins looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Avalon working some strikes from top position.

Avalon postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Hopkins is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Avalon, into his guard.
Avalon seems keen to control Hopkins's posture.
Hopkins loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Hopkins trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Avalon trying to control the position here.
Let's hope that Avalon 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.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hopkins working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Mickey Avalon wasn't active enough on the ground.
Hopkins with a lazy takedown attempt
and Avalon counters with a left and a right that stings Hopkins.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Leon Hopkins. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hopkins tries to clinch but Avalon moves out of range.
Hopkins wants to clinch.
Avalon connects with a nice looking jab.
Nice body punch from Avalon.
Avalon fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Hopkins tries for a takedown but Avalon sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A left lands for Avalon.

A jab-cross combination lands for Avalon and sends Hopkins crashing to the mat! Avalon follows him down to the mat - Hopkins regains half guard but he's not out of trouble yet!

Hopkins is rocked!

It looks like Leon Hopkins has been cut.
Avalon trying to mount his opponent but Hopkins defends it.
Oh Hopkins is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Avalon is nestled in close to Hopkins, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Avalon working over Hopkins with some ground and pound. Hopkins looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Avalon lands with a punch from half guard.
Hopkins seems to have got his legs back now.
Avalon seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Avalon working Hopkins over with strikes.
Ground and pound from Avalon.
Hopkins taking some punishment here, with Avalon in his half guard.

Avalon seems to be working for a kimura but Hopkins defends the submission attempt.
Mickey Avalon has got the better of the ground game so far.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Avalon in particular looking to stall.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Some wild striking there from Avalon.
Leon Hopkins seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Avalon dives in and scores a takedown into Hopkins's guard.
Avalon showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Avalon looking to sit in guard and control but Hopkins gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Hopkins drops back looking for a leg! Avalon is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Avalon manages to kick Hopkins off! Hopkins jumps back into Avalon's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Avalon is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Hopkins throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Avalon works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Hopkins loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Avalon wants to sweep but no luck.
Hopkins advances position into side control!
Avalon is trying to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hopkins lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Avalon is looking for a sweep.
Hopkins misses with the ground and pound.
Avalon is not content to let Hopkins control the position.
Hopkins misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Hopkins throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Avalon tries to buck Hopkins off but Hopkins is having none of it.
Hopkins working the ground and pound but Avalon is defending the strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Avalon tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Hopkins is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Avalon knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Avalon struggling a bit here.

Hopkins working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

Hopkins tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Hopkins has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hopkins throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.

Hopkins tries for a kimura but Avalon is defending well.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Avalon can do anything to dispel that myth.

Hopkins is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Avalon is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Avalon tries to improve position but can't.

And that's the end of the fight!
Leon Hopkins showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Hopkins has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Elvis Blanc scores the fight 29:28
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 29:28
Judge Robert Douchet scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Leon Hopkins!