PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Joe Derrick (ranked 1409 p4p, 177 weight class) and Derrick Lewis (ranked 1578 p4p, 195 weight class). Derrick Lewis will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Derrick
vs
Lewis

180 cm
21
215 lbs
6 - 7 - 0

192 cm
23
218 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

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 6 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Joe Derrick!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Derrick Lewis!
The judges for this bout are Wagner Zegers, Radbod Blank and Saam Ante.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Derrick on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Lewis has his takedown stuffed
and Derrick counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Lewis misses with a low kick.
Lewis keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Lewis swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Lewis throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Derrick.
Lewis scores with a kick to the body.
Derrick with a body punch. A glancing blow.
A looping hook to the body misses from Derrick. Lewis does a little dance to reset his feet.
Derrick with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Lewis shoots in for a double leg but Derrick sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Lewis misses with a leg kick
and Derrick counters with a straight right hand.

It looks like Derrick Lewis has been cut.
Derrick Lewis seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Derrick uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Lewis.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Lewis fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Joe Derrick has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Derrick Lewis.
Lewis misses with a right hand
and Derrick counters with a stiff right hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lewis uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.

Derrick closes the distance and pushes Lewis back into the cage.
A shot in the inside from Derrick.

Lewis breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Derrick throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Lewis throws out a counter right but Derrick avoids it with no problem.
Lewis avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Lewis thinks about the counter body kick.
Derrick tries to clinch but Lewis moves away
and Lewis counters with a one-two to the body.
Lewis throws a body kick, spinning off balance

and Derrick counters by moving into the clinch.
Derrick trying to land knees to the body.

Lewis is trying to trip Derrick. He has hold of a leg but Derrick is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Lewis persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Derrick trying to keep a closed guard but Lewis is proving a slippery customer.
Derrick looking for a sweep. Not yet Derrick, not yet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Derrick working a defensive guard here.
Derrick is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Lewis is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Derrick keeping moving, preventing Lewis from controlling successfully.
Lewis tries to free his leg and advance position but Derrick is retaining full guard.
Derrick wants to sweep here but Lewis controlling him for the moment.
Derrick is trying to control the position but Lewis postures up.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Derrick showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Lewis.
Derrick blocks the body kick.
Derrick scores with a sloppy right hand. Lewis should have avoided that one.
We've been told by Derrick's head coaches at Blanc Fitness Academy that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Derrick lands a really nice looking cross but Lewis seems unphased.
Derrick listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
The fighters circling - Derrick throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Derrick wants to clinch up but Lewis keeps it at a distance.
A good leg kick by Lewis.
Good shot there by Lewis.

Derrick clinches up against the cage.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Derrick.

Lewis pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Derrick tries to clinch but Lewis moves out of range.
Derrick stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Derrick wants it to stay on the feet.
Lewis shoots in for a double leg but Derrick sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Lewis takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Lewis has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Derrick throws a right and a left that Lewis avoids nicely.

Derrick instigates a clinch.
Derrick lands an elbow just above Lewis 's eye.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Lewis pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Lewis chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Derrick tries a head kick but it misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Derrick moves into range and clinches up with Lewis.
Derrick is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Lewis is defending well for now.
Derrick scores with a shoulder strike.
Lewis working aggressively here.
Lewis taking a breather.
Lewis wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Derrick missing with knees to the body.
Lewis tries to pull guard but Derrick won't allow it.
Lewis is trying to pull guard but Derrick has him pressed against the cage.
Derrick lands a hook that snaps the head of Lewis backwards.
Lewis managing to block the knees to the body from Derrick.
Derrick working some nice short punches in the clinch.

Lewis is rocked!
Lewis can't get the takedown.
Lewis is still on wobbly legs! Can Derrick finish him?
Lewis tries to break free but Derrick pushes him back against the cage.
Lewis seems to have recovered his senses.
Derrick gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Lewis.
Derrick tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Derrick jerks Lewis's head down, straight into the path of a devastating knee! Lewis drops to the floor in a crumpled heap! Derrick goes to throw a finishing haymaker but pulls out - good sportsmanship from Derrick because Lewis was completely out of it. That was a nice finish - just the right level of brutality to send everyone home happy.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:59 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Knee). Joe Derrick!
After winning the bout, Joe Derrick thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.