PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Mister Spock (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gerard Esqueda (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Spock comes into the arena with Rolling Stones- 2000 Light Years blaring out of the sound system. Esqueda comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Cant del Barça kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Gerard Esqueda has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Spock
vs
Esqueda

172 cm
33
162 lbs
14 - 4 - 2

179 cm
24
168 lbs
8 - 5 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
World class MT
Cardio machine

ADCC Champion
Lethal high kicks
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 14 - 4 - 2, fighting out of Montreal, Mister Spock!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Gerard Esqueda!
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Steve Smith and Elvis Blanc.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Spock lands a nice shot that snaps Esqueda's head back.
Spock throws a head kick but Esqueda moves out of range.
Nice shot lands for Spock.
Spock misses with a body kick.
Esqueda throws a front kick aimed at Spock's knee but Spock avoids it well.

Esqueda shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Spock keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Esqueda looking to control but Spock is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Esqueda in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Esqueda looking to finish with strikes here!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Esqueda tries to control but Spock wriggling away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Spock avoids a series of strikes thrown by Esqueda.
Esqueda pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Esqueda throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Esqueda has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Esqueda takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Esqueda looking to land elbow strikes but Spock uses the position to regain half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Spock is trying to stand.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Spock keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Esqueda sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Esqueda missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Esqueda throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Spock tries to kick Esqueda off but Esqueda keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Esqueda throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Esqueda is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Esqueda missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Esqueda connects with a solid leg kick.
Spock ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Spock fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Esqueda manages to avoid it.

Esqueda shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Spock blocking the ground and pound attempt from Esqueda.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Esqueda thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Esqueda missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Esqueda throwing shots but Spock is blocking nicely.
Esqueda slows the pace down in half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Spock is in trouble now - Esqueda has advanced to mount!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gerard Esqueda dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Esqueda avoids the body shot from Spock.
Esqueda misses with a straight left.
Esqueda throws an overhand right that lands on Spock's shoulder, as Spock tries to avoid the shot.
Spock on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Spock scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Esqueda doesn't seem bothered though.
Esqueda closes this distance looking for a takedown but Spock circles away.
Spock throws a leg kick that is checked
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Spock misses with a low kick.
Spock thows a body shot but no joy.
Esqueda moves out of range as Spock throws a body kick.
Spock misses with a wild body shot.

Esqueda closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Spock's guard.
Esqueda looking to pass the guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Esqueda cracks Spock with a solid left hand.
Esqueda trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Gerard Esqueda has got the better of the ground game so far.
Esqueda in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Esqueda is looking to work some ground and pound but Spock has wrist control.
Esqueda trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Esqueda is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Esqueda wants to control from the top but Spock keeps moving.
Spock keeping full guard, as Esqueda tries to pass.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Esqueda thows a body shot but no joy.
Esqueda misses with an uppercut.
Spock tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Esqueda was well out of range. Poor timing from Spock.
Spock lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Esqueda at a distance.
Spock misses with a hook to the body
and Esqueda counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Mister Spock is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Spock scores with a jab to the jaw.
Esqueda takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Esqueda misses with a body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Spock stuffs the takedown attempt from Esqueda. Esqueda gets slowly back to his feet.
Spock steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Esqueda.
Spock throws a big shot that misses.
Spock lands a jab to the head.
Spock takes a swing at Esqueda's ribcage but misses.
Esqueda looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Mister Spock has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gerard Esqueda.
Esqueda changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Esqueda on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Esqueda pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Spock ducks under a wild hook from Esqueda.
A looping hook to the body misses from Spock. Esqueda does a little dance to reset his feet.

Esqueda manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Spock on his heels. He'll look to pass Spock's guard now, I'm sure.
Esqueda postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Esqueda looking to pass the guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Esqueda accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Spock looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Spock knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Esqueda on the ground.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Esqueda accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Esqueda pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Spock is keeping the position for now.
Esqueda throwing strikes from guard but Spock blocks nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gerard Esqueda showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Decent striking displayed by Spock there.
Esqueda pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Esqueda blocks a leg kick.
Esqueda fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
A slapping leg kick lands for Spock.
Spock tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Esqueda manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Spock lands a jab to Esqueda's midsection.
Esqueda keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Esqueda ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Spock lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Spock.
Esqueda throws a body punch but Spock moves out of range.
Esqueda misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Spock.
Spock throws a low kick but Esqueda moves out of range easily.
A jab from Esqueda finds it's way through Spock's defenses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Spock takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Esqueda takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
A swing and a miss from Esqueda.
Esqueda closes this distance looking for a takedown but Spock circles away.
Nice cross by Spock.
Esqueda pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Spock swings for the body but Esqueda moves out of range.
Esqueda moves out of range of the body kick from Spock.
Spock walks into a jab.
Esqueda lands a nice shot to the body.
Nice body punch from Esqueda.
Spock throws a leg kick but Esqueda sees it coming and moves out of range.
Spock throws a head kick that half lands.
Spock fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Esqueda.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Spock throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Mister Spock has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Esqueda cracks Spock with a good jab.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Spock scoring well with a low kick there.
Esqueda throws a nice outside leg kick.
Spock does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Spock with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Esqueda to score with a decent uppercut.
Esqueda tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Esqueda misses with a body shot.
Spock throws a head kick that misses.
Mister Spock is winning the standup battle so far.
Jab by Esqueda.

Esqueda decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Esqueda throws a big elbow that misses, also allowing Spock to regain full guard.
Esqueda postures up and lands a big shot to Spock's brow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Spock is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Gerard Esqueda is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Esqueda sitting in guard here, content to control.
Esqueda looking to pass the guard.
Esqueda is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Esqueda won't allow Spock to sweep him here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Mister Spock wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Esqueda tries to score a power double leg takedown but Spock sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Esqueda somewhat.
Mister Spock has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gerard Esqueda.
Spock tries to land a leg kick but Esqueda saw it coming and moves away.
Esqueda slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Spock connects with a leg kick. Esqueda looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Nice shot by Esqueda.
Spock misses with a low kick as Esqueda jumps back.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Esqueda swings away with a body shot that misses
and Spock counters with an outside leg kick.
Esqueda's jab looks to have found its range, popping Spock under the eye.
Spock is looking to clinch but Esqueda is avoiding it.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Gerard Esqueda.
I've got Esqueda winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 William Peck scores the fight 27:30
Judge Steve Smith scores the fight 27:30
Judge Elvis Blanc scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gerard Esqueda!
Gerard Esqueda very nearly forgot to thank $10 amongst all the excitement of his win but just as the interview came to a close, he screamed their name. Hopefully he'll get a few nice freebies in the mail as a thank you.