PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Mike Lopez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Royce Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Royce Gracie has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Lopez
vs
Gracie

182 cm
22
178 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

175 cm
26
171 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight 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, Mike Lopez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Royce Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Frank Antenori and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie wants to clinch.
Gracie has a takedown stuffed.
Lopez throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Lopez circles away from the clinch attempt.
Gracie tries to clinch there but Lopez circles away.

Lopez rushes Gracie and presses him up against the cage.
Lopez jumps guard but Gracie turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Lopez stalling the fight.
Gracie is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Gracie pulls Lopez into guard.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Lopez looking to pass the guard.
Gracie wants to stand but Lopez is controlling the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lopez wants to stand and escape but instead Gracie has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Gracie trying to control but Lopez is working from the bottom.

Lopez has his foot on Gracie's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Gracie works his way back into a safe position though.
Gracie trying to control the position from guard on top but Lopez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Gracie tries to free his leg and advance position but Lopez is retaining full guard.
Gracie sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Lopez wants to get back to his feet but Gracie is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Royce Gracie.
Lopez keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Gracie.
Gracie shoots in and drives through. Lopez sprawls well.
Gracie throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Lopez pushes Gracie up against the cage in a clinch.

Gracie is fighting off a takedown attempt but Lopez is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Gracie to the mat. Gracie regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Lopez seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Lopez wants to stand but Gracie is controlling his posture from full guard.
Gracie looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Mike Lopez wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Lopez goes for a double leg but Gracie avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Gracie continues to drive forward.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lopez tries to throw a body punch but Gracie avoids it by throwing Lopez back against the cage.
Lopez looking for a takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mike Lopez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gracie is looking to control Lopez's arms but Lopez gets an underhook and turns him. Now Gracie has his back to the cage.
Gracie wants a takedown.
Lopez tries to pull guard but Gracie forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Gracie looking to stall.
Lopez misses with a hook to the ribs.

Lopez pulls guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Gracie drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Gracie jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Lopez looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Lopez dominated that round.
That's time! Lopez's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Gracie fails to land the takedown.
Gracie is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Gracie tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Lopez swivels and escapes.
Gracie shoots in looking for a takedown but Lopez manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Gracie's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Mike Lopez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Royce Gracie.
Lopez shoots in for a takedown but Gracie shows good takedown defense.
Lopez is looking light on his feet compared to last time was saw him fight.
Gracie throws a right and a left that Lopez avoids nicely.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Lopez sprawls well. Lopez wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Gracie gets slowly back to his feet.

Gracie tries to keep at a distance but Lopez has taken the fight into the clinch.
Gracie is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie looking for a takedown.
Lopez tries to pull guard but Gracie forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Gracie throws a knee to the head but misses.
Gracie wants to take the fight to the mat but Lopez manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.

Lopez pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Lopez tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Gracie paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Mike Lopez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Lopez forces Gracie back against the cage and clinches.
Lopez with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Lopez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Lopez throws a wild body kick that Gracie sees coming a mile off.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie shoots in and drives through. Lopez sprawls well.
Lopez is trying hard to land a takedown here. Gracie sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Lopez sprawls well. Lopez wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Gracie gets slowly back to his feet.
Gracie has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Lopez.
Lopez shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Gracie as he jumps to the side.
Gracie shoots in looking for a takedown. Lopez tries to sprawl out of it but Gracie keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Lopez manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Lopez darts in looking for a takedown but Gracie gets double underhooks and turns Lopez into the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lopez is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Gracie to keep the fight standing.
Gracie wants to take the fight to the mat but Lopez manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.

Lopez pulls guard successfully.
Gracie being controlled here momentarily.
Lopez looking to hit a scissor sweep but Gracie is one step ahead there.
Lopez is working hard here to advance position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Lopez is keeping the position for now.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Lopez fails with the takedown

and Gracie counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Lopez escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Gracie gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Lopez keeps moving.
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 Mike Lopez will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Gracie defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Lopez.
Lopez slaps away a takedown attempt from Gracie, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Gracie fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Gracie is looking to clinch.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Gracie.
Mike Lopez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Royce Gracie.
Lopez shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Gracie.
Lopez is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Gracie takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie misses with a takedown attempt - Lopez sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Gracie is defended easily by Lopez.

Lopez drives through with a takedown into guard.
Lopez's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Gracie looking for a sweep. Not yet Gracie, not yet.
Lopez would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Mike Lopez overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lopez is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Lopez looking to pass the guard.
Lopez knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Gracie on the ground.

We're going to have a standup here because Mike Lopez wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
No luck for Lopez with that takedown attempt.
Horrible takedown by Lopez or perhaps it was just good defense by Gracie which made him look bad.
Gracie tries to close the distance and clinch up but Lopez swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Mike Lopez is winning the standup battle so far.
Lopez fails with a takedown attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lopez looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Gracie avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Lopez circles away from the clinch attempt

and Lopez counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Lopez is looking to take this one to the mat.
Lopez blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Gracie is trying to pull guard but Lopez turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Lopez trying to land knees to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie goes for a takedown in the clinch but Lopez prevents it.
Gracie blocking some punches.
Lopez tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Gracie is trying to force a seperation but Lopez has the dominant position.

Lopez escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Lopez lands with a nice body kick.

Lopez rushes Gracie and presses him up against the cage.
Gracie is trying to maintain a safe position but Lopez gets an underhook and turns Gracie into the cage.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Lopez breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Lopez moves into range and clinches up with Gracie.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mike Lopez showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Lopez has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Don Winkell scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 30:27
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mike Lopez!