PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Leopoldo Sanchez (ranked 25228 p4p, 0 weight class) and Paolo Vallan (ranked 5820 p4p, 0 weight class). Vallan is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Bulls On Parade. On his way into the cage it seems that Leopoldo Sanchez has been attacked by a crazed fan! It looks like it might have been the just bleed guy! Luckily Leopoldo Sanchez seems to be OK! I thought that lunatic was in prison!?

Sanchez
vs
Vallan

192 cm
21
161 lbs
2 - 5 - 0

185 cm
18
165 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

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 2 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Leopoldo Sanchez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Paolo Vallan!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Timothy Bukovac and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Vallan decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Vallan is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Sanchez is trying to stand back up but Vallan is controlling him
Sanchez desperately trying to maintain half guard.

Vallan is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Vallan missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Vallan seems to be looking for submissions.
Vallan thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Sanchez's head.
Vallan wants to take a breather but Sanchez is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vallan stalling away here and it's allowed Sanchez to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Vallan postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Vallan stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Sanchez swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Vallan with a flurry of punches that miss.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Vallan with a flurry of punches that miss.
Vallan passes Sanchez's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Vallan missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez pushes Vallan off looking to stand but Vallan dives back in and keeps control.
Vallan drops an elbow to the side of Sanchez's head.
Sanchez is looking to improve his position.

Vallan is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Sanchez wants to get back to his feet.
Sanchez preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
Vallan thows a huge punch but Sanchez dodges it nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Vallan is looking for a kimura but Sanchez is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Vallan to get the leverage.
Vallan looks winded!

Vallan looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Vallan prevents Sanchez from improving his position.

Sanchez pushes Vallan off and gets back to his feet.

Vallan feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Vallan stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Sanchez swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Sanchez really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

The fighters are working up against the cage. Sanchez manages to wriggle his way back to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vallan tries a body shot but Sanchez blocks it.
Sanchez taking a breather.

Vallan manages to pull guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Sanchez engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Sanchez working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Vallan's head.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sanchez postures up and lands a big shot to Vallan's brow.
Sanchez is working Vallan over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Vallan has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Sanchez landing with the ground and pound.
Sanchez cracks Vallan with a solid left hand.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Paolo Vallan will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Vallan shoots in and bounces Sanchez off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.

Sanchez has managed to wall walk up one of the corner posts to get back to his feet. Vallan is pushing him up against the cage, looking to control the position.
Sanchez slows down the pace here.

Vallan is trying to trip Sanchez. He has hold of a leg but Sanchez is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Vallan persists though and gets the takedown into guard.

Sanchez is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Vallan missing with knees to the body.
Sanchez taking a breather.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Vallan breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Vallan connects with a solid leg kick.

Sanchez decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

Vallan has managed to escape just enough to sneak back to his feet but Sanchez is on him like a limpet, forcing Vallan back against the cage.
Vallan is breathing heavily.
A frustrated look appears on Vallan's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Vallan tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Sanchez is struggling to control the position.
Come on Sanchez - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Sanchez effectively controlling the action here.
Sanchez gets a warning from the ref for wasting time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vallan pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Vallan wants to break the clinch but can't.

Vallan has Sanchez pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Vallan pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Sanchez tumbling to the mat - Vallan dives into Sanchez's guard.

Sanchez pushes Vallan off and scrambles back to his feet.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Leopoldo Sanchez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Vallan drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.

Sanchez has managed to wall walk up one of the corner posts to get back to his feet. Vallan is pushing him up against the cage, looking to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Vallan is fighting off a takedown attempt but Sanchez is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Vallan to the mat. Vallan regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.

Sanchez stands up from Vallan's guard - Sanchez perhaps looking for a knockout.

Sanchez rushes Vallan and presses him up against the cage.
Sanchez is pushing Vallan up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.

Vallan jumps guard and drags Sanchez to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Sanchez distracts Vallan with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.

Sanchez drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Sanchez jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Vallan's head.
Sanchez is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Sanchez looking to pass the guard.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Sanchez's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Sanchez lands a couple of elbows.
Sanchez has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Sanchez trying to control the position from guard on top but Vallan is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sanchez working some strikes from top position.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Vallan can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Sanchez controls the pace.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Sanchez's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Sanchez's corner is telling him to maintain position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Leopoldo Sanchez dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Vallan throws a head kick that misses.
Sanchez thinks about countering with a head kick.
Vallan misses with an uppercut.
Vallan looks for the body kick but Sanchez saw that one coming.
Vallan connects with a jab.

Vallan clinches up with Sanchez and pushes him back against the cage.

Vallan tightens his grip and picks Sanchez up, before dumping him to the ground. Sanchez manages to land in guard.

Sanchez pushes Vallan off and gets back to his feet.
Vallan throws a combination that misses

and Sanchez counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Sanchez perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Vallan takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Vallan has one foot on Sanchez's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.

Sanchez darts in and clinches Vallan up against the cage.

Sanchez breaks from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sanchez shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Sanchez looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Sanchez takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Vallan is not content to let Sanchez control the position.
Sanchez scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Well, if Sanchez is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Sanchez wants to take a breather but Vallan is having none of it.
Sanchez lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Sanchez is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.

Vallan looking for submissions off his back.
Vallan is staying active underneath Sanchez, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Sanchez slips a nice elbow through Vallan's hands, connecting with Vallan's forehead.
Ground and pound from Sanchez.
Sanchez lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Sanchez lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Sanchez lands with a punch from half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sanchez is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Vallan has managed to free his arm - good work.
Sanchez winds up and cracks Vallan with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Sanchez is nestled in close to Vallan, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Sanchez slips a nice elbow through Vallan's hands, connecting with Vallan's forehead.
Sanchez scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Sanchez working the head and body with strikes.
Sanchez working the head and body with strikes.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Sanchez connects with a nice short shot to Vallan's temple.
Sanchez not doing much here.
Leopoldo Sanchez overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Ground and pound from Sanchez.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Vallan looking for submissions off his back.
Vallan wants to get back to his feet.
Sanchez trying to control from Vallan's half guard. Vallan has other ideas though and has regained full guard.

Vallan is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Sanchez is working Vallan over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

Vallan looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Vallan wants to stand up but Sanchez is controlling him.
Sanchez is working Vallan over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

And that's the end of the fight!
Leopoldo Sanchez showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Sanchez 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 Frank Antenori scores the fight 29:28
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 29:28
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Leopoldo Sanchez!
Paolo Vallan was interviewed post fight and said 'You win some, you lose some'.