PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Joshua Branham (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Emanuel Estevez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Branham comes to the cage accompanied by You Can Hate Me Now. There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Branham
vs
Estevez

200 cm
20
155 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

178 cm
19
155 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Knockout power

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Joshua Branham!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Emanuel Estevez!
The judges for this bout are Alan Glass, Tiny Johnson and Frank Dennis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Estevez tries to close the distance and clinch up but Branham swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Branham throws a good cross that connects.
Branham knocks Estevez to the floor with a head kick! Can he finish him!?

Estevez is rocked!

It looks like Emanuel Estevez has been cut.

Branham stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Estevez is still on wobbly legs! Can Branham finish him?

Branham pushes Estevez up against the cage in a clinch.
Estevez tries to stall but Branham uses the opportunity to gain a better position.

Branham pulls guard effortlessly.
Branham wants to stand but Estevez is controlling the position.

Branham has his feet on Estevez's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Estevez seems to have recovered his senses.
Estevez takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.

Estevez has managed to clinch.
Estevez tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Branham can't break the clinch.
Estevez tries for a takedown. No joy.
Branham lands a body shot.

Branham jumps into guard, dragging Estevez to the mat.
Branham 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 crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Branham wants to stand but Estevez is controlling the position.
Estevez stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Branham swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Estevez trying to control the position from guard on top but Branham is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Estevez looks gassed!
Estevez is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Branham trying to control the position.
Estevez won't allow Branham to sweep him here.
Branham is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Estevez takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.

Branham looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Estevez preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Estevez is trying to keep Branham in close.
Branham wants to pass the guard but Estevez is keeping the position.

Estevez is looking for a triangle but Branham pushes his legs off easily.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Estevez trying to control the position.
Branham tries to stand but Estevez is controlling from the bottom.
Estevez looking to control.
Branham trying to control but Estevez is working from the bottom.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Estevez gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Estevez has his hands on Branham's head, controlling the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Branham wanted to stand there but Estevez had control of the position.
Estevez trying to keep a closed guard but Branham is proving a slippery customer.
Branham slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
A lull in the action here.
Branham looks up at the clock and then as Estevez takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Branham smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!

Branham decides to stand up, so the ref orders Estevez to his feet.
Branham wants to clinch but Estevez slips to the side
and Estevez counters with a body kick that stops Branham in his tracks momentarily.
Estevez darts in trying to clinch

and Branham moves into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Estevez is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Branham pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Branham lands a knee to the head.
Branham lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Branham goes for a takedown in the clinch but Estevez prevents it.
Branham prevents the takedown attempt.
Joshua Branham has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Emanuel Estevez.
Branham scores with a hook to the body.

Branham manages to break the clinch.

Branham moves into the clinch successfully.
Branham is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Estevez tries for a takedown. No joy.
Estevez misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Branham.
Branham connects with a knee to the head.
Branham lands a knee to the body.

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

Branham gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Estevez has had enough of the clinch but Branham keeps him there for the moment.
A hook to the body from Branham.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Branham escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Branham clinches up with Estevez and pushes him back against the cage.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Branham escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Branham clinches.
Branham lands a body shot in the clinch.
Branham connects with a knee to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joshua Branham dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Emanuel Estevez's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Oooh a lovely combination from Branham sends Estevez down but not out. Branham dives into side control looking to finish.

Branham wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Estevez, who protects the arm well.
Branham tries to advance to mount but Estevez denies him.
Estevez struggling a bit here.
Branham working the ground and pound.
Estevez is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Estevez is trying to improve his position.
Estevez is breathing heavily.
Branham working the head and body with strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Branham tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.

Branham tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Branham has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Branham scores with a couple of short elbows.

Branham decides to stand back up. Branham steps back and let's Estevez get back to his feet.
Estevez fails to land with a series of punches.
Joshua Branham is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Branham pushes Estevez up against the cage in a clinch.
Estevez is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.

Branham manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Estevez content to stall in guard here.
Branham keeping moving, preventing Estevez from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Estevez slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Branham wants to get back to his feet but Estevez is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Branham not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Estevez works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Estevez perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

Branham is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Estevez pulls his head out easily.
Estevez not doing much here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Branham makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!

Branham closes the distance and clinches.
Estevez wants a takedown but no success here.
Branham lands a left hand.
Estevez takes a knee right on the jaw!

Branham pulls guard successfully.
Branham working a defensive guard here.
Branham bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Estevez's guard.

Estevez looking for a guillotine here but Branham defends easily.

Branham stands up from guard. Let's bang!

Branham drives through and clinches with Estevez against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Branham misses with an elbow over the top.
A short right from Branham.
Branham blocks an elbow strike from Estevez.
Branham has had enough of the clinch but Estevez keeps him there for the moment.

Branham escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Branham misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Estevez tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Branham counters by moving into the clinch.
Branham with a knee to the head.
Branham tries to pull guard but Estevez won't allow it.
Branham works on Estevez's body with a couple of short punches.
Branham is pressed up against the cage. Estevez has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Branham down to the mat. Branham avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Branham throws a nice inside leg kick.
Branham fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Joshua Branham. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Estevez doesn't manage to clinch there - Branham circles away.
Estevez misses with a takedown

and Branham counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Branham breaks from the clinch.
Branham lands with an overhand left.

Estevez looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Branham!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joshua Branham dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Emanuel Estevez's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Branham breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Estevez tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Branham counters with a nice uppercut.
Estevez tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Branham is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Estevez misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Estevez closes this distance looking for a takedown but Branham circles away.

Branham looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Branham prevents Estevez from improving his position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Estevez is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Branham scores with a couple of nice shots.
Estevez is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Branham scores with a couple of nice shots.
Estevez is trying to maintain the position but Branham is very close to passing his half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Estevez keeping hold of Branham's head, controlling as best he can.
Branham is pressing down on Estevez's thigh, looking to free his foot. Estevez is holding on for now.

Branham is working for a kimura but Estevez is defending it quite comfortably.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Estevez tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Branham lands a brutal head kick. Estevez looks out on his feet and Branham throws more strikes until the ref is forced to stop the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:47 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Kick and Punches). Joshua Branham!