PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Gerard Esqueda (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matias Alderson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Esqueda kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Cant del Barça. Alderson has chosen Dark moon High tide as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Esqueda
vs
Alderson

179 cm
22
168 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

170 cm
29
168 lbs
16 - 7 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Powerful takedowns
Decent boxing
Powerful

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 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Gerard Esqueda!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 7 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Matias Alderson!
The judges for this bout are Igor Prikhodko, Ivan Kurochkin and Valeri Chadov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Esqueda uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Alderson has time to react.
Alderson tries to close the distance and clinch up but Esqueda swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Alderson misses with a head kick.
Esqueda 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.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Alderson.
Alderson in side control, throwing shots but Esqueda defends.
Esqueda is looking for a sweep.
What's Esqueda going to do here then? He's in a bit of a pickle.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Esqueda can't do much from the bottom here.
Esqueda defending against the ground and pound.
Esqueda misses with an elbow from the bottom.
Alderson advances nicely into full mount.
Esqueda tries to lock up and control but Alderson gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Esqueda 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.
Alderson looking to control but Esqueda is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alderson avoids the attempt from Esqueda to control.
Esqueda sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Alderson scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Alderson working over Esqueda with some ground and pound. Esqueda looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Alderson prevents Esqueda from improving his position.
Esqueda on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Alderson is keen to just control but Esqueda is a slippery customer.
Esqueda is looking for a sweep. Alderson is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
The fighters are battling for position here. Esqueda manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Alderson with a flurry of punches that miss.
Esqueda wants to sweep but no luck.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Alderson being controlled here momentarily.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Alderson throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Esqueda works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Alderson trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Alderson is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Alderson is fighting to break Esqueda's control of his arms but Esqueda is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Alderson looking to sit in guard and control but Esqueda gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Esqueda trying to control the position from guard on top but Alderson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Alderson is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Alderson wants to sweep but no luck.
Alderson keeping moving, preventing Esqueda from controlling successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Esqueda wants to pass the guard but Alderson is keeping the position.
Esqueda lands a couple of digs.
Alderson keeping moving, preventing Esqueda from controlling successfully.

Alderson pushes Esqueda off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Alderson shoots for a takedown but Esqueda saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Alderson moves in looking to clinch but Esqueda pushes him off.

Esqueda clinches.
Esqueda is pushing Alderson up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Alderson using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Esqueda has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Esqueda stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Alderson wants a takedown but no success here.
Come on Esqueda - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Alderson keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Esqueda's efforts to push away.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Esqueda as Alderson tries to tie him up.
Esqueda is looking to control Alderson's arms but Alderson gets an underhook and turns him. Now Esqueda has his back to the cage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Alderson looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Alderson has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Esqueda avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Gerard Esqueda has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Matias Alderson.
Esqueda wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
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 Gerard Esqueda will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Esqueda is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Alderson's half guard.
Esqueda looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Alderson is looking to control Esqueda's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Alderson avoid being mounted?
Esqueda slips a nice elbow through Alderson's hands, connecting with Alderson's forehead.

Alderson looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Esqueda trying to mount his opponent but Alderson defends it.
Alderson is trying to stand back up but Esqueda is controlling him
Alderson really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Esqueda. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Esqueda trying to control from half guard but Alderson is working away.
Esqueda frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Esqueda controlling his opponent.
Esqueda is landing with some decent strikes but Alderson is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Esqueda looking to control but Alderson is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Esqueda won't let Alderson get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
Esqueda with the ground and pound from mount.
Alderson wants to control but Esqueda is having none of it.
Esqueda wants to control the pace but Alderson is squirming around nicely.
Esqueda dominating with strikes here.

Alderson is rocked!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Alderson working to try and regain half guard.
Alderson is still in real trouble! Can Esqueda finish him?
Alderson wants to try and get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Esqueda controlling the position easily from mount.
Alderson seems to have recovered his senses.
Esqueda with shots to the head and body - Alderson looks very uncomfortable down there.
Alderson is wriggling around trying to escape.
Esqueda with shots to the head and body - Alderson looks very uncomfortable down there.
Alderson is squirming around, avoiding Esqueda's attempts to control the action.
Esqueda landing shots from mount.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Alderson is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
Esqueda trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Alderson is trying to escape the mount.
Esqueda with shots to the head and body - Alderson looks very uncomfortable down there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Esqueda looking to finish here with some ground and pound. He lands one big shot that has Alderson covering up... and two more big strikes land, forcing the referee to step in and put and end to proceedings! This fight is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:20 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Gerard Esqueda!
A loyal slave to those sponsorship dollars, Gerard Esqueda made sure he mentioned Skin-Clothes Designing, along with how happy he was to win his fight.