PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Dexter Lopez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Shawn Michaels (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Lopez
vs
Michaels

206 cm
24
140 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
25
140 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Dexter Lopez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Shawn Michaels!
The judges for this bout are Francis DeMontford, Damien Edna and Chris Dean.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Michaels shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Lopez pinned against the cage. Lopez gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
As Michaels looks to move away, Lopez throws a big counter combo but Michaels just gets out of the way.

Michaels clinches with his opponent.

Michaels pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Michaels misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Lopez seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Michaels tries for a takedown but Lopez sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Dexter Lopez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Shawn Michaels.
Michaels has his takedown stuffed
and Lopez counters with a one-two to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A head kick by Michaels misses
and Lopez counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

Michaels has taken the fight to the clinch.
Lopez can't break the clinch.
Michaels misses with a hook from the clinch.
Lopez doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Michaels gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Lopez tries to break the clinch but Michaels is controlling the position.

Michaels escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Michaels's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Michaels duly obliges.
Dexter Lopez is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Michaels shoots for a double leg takedown but Lopez sprawls well. He's pushed Michaels's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
It looked like Lopez was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Michaels swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Michaels throws a big shot that misses.
Lopez throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Michaels.
Michaels wants to counter with a clinch but Lopez pushes him away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lopez displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Michaels.
Some wild striking there from Lopez.
Shawn Michaels seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
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!

Michaels rushes Lopez and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
A bit of stalling here from Lopez.
Lopez avoiding damage.

Michaels escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Lopez throws a series of punches but Michaels avoids them all with ease.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lopez avoids the head kick by Michaels.
Michaels showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Lopez.
Michaels goes for a double leg but Lopez avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Lopez continues to drive forward.

Michaels has closed the distance and engaged Lopez in a clinch.
Lopez wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Lopez is trying to break the clinch but Michaels has him pressed against the cage.

Michaels successfully pulls guard.
Lopez is working Michaels over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Michaels looking to hit a scissor sweep but Lopez is one step ahead there.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Lopez's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lopez throws a big right hand that misses.
Michaels is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Lopez stands up over Michaels, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Michaels wants to improve his position but instead Lopez has moved into half guard.
Lopez is nestled in close to Michaels, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Michaels trying to control from the bottom.
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 Dexter Lopez will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Michaels closes the distance and clinches.

Lopez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Some wild striking there from Michaels.
Lopez has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.

Michaels instigates a clinch.
Lopez wants to get back to striking at distance but Michaels won't allow it.

Lopez breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Michaels fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Lopez has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Lopez misses with a series of wild punches.
Michaels misses with the combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Michaels shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Lopez counters with a three punch combo that has Michaels backing up. Michaels nods at Lopez to acknowledge the strikes.

Michaels gets a clinch.
Michaels tries to pull guard but Lopez forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Lopez as Michaels tries to tie him up.
Michaels's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Lopez is trying to break the clinch but Michaels is controlling him.
Lopez wants to break free but Michaels has control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Lopez.
Michaels using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Michaels keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Lopez's efforts to push away.
Michaels is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Lopez is defending well.
Dexter Lopez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Shawn Michaels.
Michaels is trying to stall.
Michaels is trying to pull guard but Lopez turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Michaels keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Lopez's efforts to push away.
Michaels has had enough of the clinch but Lopez keeps him there for the moment.

Lopez pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Some wild striking there from Michaels.
Lopez motions for Michaels to come forward. Lopez throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.

Michaels gets a clinch.
Michaels tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Lopez tries to break free but Michaels pushes him back against the cage.

Lopez pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Michaels closes the distance and clinches.
Lopez can't break the clinch.
Lopez is trying to break the clinch but Michaels is controlling him.
Lopez prevents a takedown attempt there.
Shawn Michaels seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Michaels misses with some punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lopez is trying to force a seperation but Michaels has the dominant position.
Michaels tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Lopez smiles and moves away.
Lopez really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Michaels gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Michaels pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Michaels showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Lopez.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Lopez fails to land with a series of punches.
Michaels unleashes a big counter combination but Lopez bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Michaels looks to land a combination but Lopez avoids it well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shawn Michaels showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Michaels has managed to clinch.

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

Michaels takes the fight into the clinch.

Michaels breaks the clinch.
A big left from Michaels misses.
It looked like Lopez was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.

Michaels clinches up against the cage.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lopez tries to land knees in the clinch but Michaels avoids the damage to the body.
Michaels is looking to take this one to the mat.
Lopez wants to break the clinch but can't.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Michaels lands with a left to the head.
Michaels is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Lopez gets underhooks to prevent Michaels's takedown attempt.
Lopez content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Lopez wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Michaels has him pressed against the cage.

Lopez escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Michaels fails with the takedown.
As Michaels looks to move away, Lopez throws a big counter combo but Michaels just gets out of the way.
Dexter Lopez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Shawn Michaels.
Michaels slips a jab and a cross from Lopez.
Michaels fails with the takedown.
Lopez appears to be looking for a big counter.
Michaels takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lopez looks for the body kick but Michaels saw that one coming.

Michaels fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Lopez, pushing him back against the cage.
Lopez trying to land knees to the body.
A short left from Lopez.
Lopez working hard to break the clinch.
Lopez stops a takedown attempt from Michaels.
Michaels lands a left hand.
Michaels fails to pull guard.
Michaels tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Michaels is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Lopez to keep the fight standing.

Michaels's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lopez swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

Michaels moves into range and clinches up with Lopez.

Michaels escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Dexter Lopez is winning the standup battle so far.

Michaels moves into the clinch successfully.
Lopez blocks an elbow strike from Michaels.

Michaels breaks the clinch.
Michaels throws a sloppy head kick and Lopez moves out of range easily.
Michaels misses with a takedown
and Lopez counters with a series of strikes. Michaels will be more careful next time no doubt.
Lopez misses with a few strikes there.
Horrible takedown attempt by Michaels or perhaps it was just good defense by Lopez, which made it look bad.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Michaels tries to work over Lopez's front leg with a kick but Lopez checks it.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Lopez breaks from the clinch.
Lopez throws a series of punches but Michaels avoids them all with ease.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Michaels has managed to clinch.

Michaels breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Michaels darts in looking for a takedown but Lopez gets double underhooks and turns Michaels into the cage.
Michaels throws a lazy head kick
and Lopez counters with a series of strikes. Michaels will be more careful next time no doubt.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Shawn Michaels.
I think Michaels has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Francis DeMontford scores the fight 27:30
Judge Damien Edna scores the fight 27:30
Judge Chris Dean scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Shawn Michaels!