PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Black Leben (ranked 1834 p4p, 1540 weight class) and Ricardo Esponosa (ranked 238 p4p, 209 weight class). Leben comes to the cage accompanied by Wynona's Big Brown Beaver. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Leben
vs
Esponosa

182 cm
22
164
3 - 1 - 0

181 cm
22
163
5 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

The Pharmacy Phuket
Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing

Furnace Performance ðŸ”¥
Conviction

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 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Black Leben!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Ricardo Esponosa!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Tarja Halkonen and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Esponosa throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Leben counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Leben misses with an uppercut. Esponosa saw that one coming.
Esponosa tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Leben throws out a loose jab but Esponosa uses good head movement to avoid it.
Esponosa fails with an attempt to clinch.
Leben misses with a hook.
Leben lands a lovely overhand right.

Esponosa rushes Leben and presses him up against the cage.
Esponosa is trying to pull guard but Leben has him pressed against the cage.

Leben escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Esponosa walks into a straight right hand from Leben.
Leben misses with an uppercut. Esponosa saw that one coming.
A looping hook to the body misses from Leben. Esponosa does a little dance to reset his feet.
Leben jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Esponosa slips a jab from Leben.
Esponosa gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Leben counters with a nice uppercut.
Leben misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Esponosa.
Black Leben seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nice straight punches there by Leben. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Leben.
Esponosa slips a straight right by Leben.
Leben bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Leben getting the better of the striking in that exchange.

Esponosa has closed the distance and engaged Leben in a clinch.
Esponosa tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Leben just stands there and leans against the cage.
Black Leben has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ricardo Esponosa.
A short left from Leben.

Leben manages to break the clinch.
Leben takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
It looks like Leben has been trying to sharpen up his punching technique, as it looks crisper than last time we saw him.
Leben misses with a wild body shot.
Esponosa is looking to clinch but Leben is avoiding it.
Leben listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.

Esponosa shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Leben's guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Esponosa trying to control but Leben is working from the bottom.

Leben scrambles and gets back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Leben throws a lazy right hand but Esponosa sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.

Esponosa 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.
Leben not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Esponosa accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Leben trying to control the position.
Leben wants to stand and escape but Esponosa is having none of it.

Leben uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Esponosa is looking to clinch but Leben is avoiding it.
Esponosa shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Leben as he avoids it easily.
Leben cracks Esponosa with a right hand to the side of the head.
Leben thuds his right hand into Esponosa's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheers as Leben lands an impressive looking overhand right. Esponosa doesn't seem phased though.
Nice uppercut there from Leben.
Leben scores with a jab.
Leben is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Esponosa.
Leben is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Leben fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Esponosa looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Leben blocks a jab.
An attempted straight right counter from Leben misses the target.
A big left from Leben misses.
Esponosa tries to close the distance and clinch but Leben swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Leben lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Leben comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Esponosa shoots in but no luck this time.
Leben lands with an overhand left.
Esponosa wants to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Leben cracks a nice hook into Esponosa's ribs.
Leben throws a lazy right hand but Esponosa sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Esponosa avoids the body shot from Leben.
Leben swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Esponosa.
Leben just misses with a punch to the body.
Leben lands a jab to the head.
Esponosa steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Leben.
Nice straight punches there by Leben. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Leben.
Esponosa shoots for a double leg takedown but Leben sprawls well. He's pushed Esponosa's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Leben breaks from the clinch.
Leben lands a glancing blow to the side of Esponosa's head.
Leben jabs Esponosa right on the nose. Esponosa blinks but takes it well.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Black Leben dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Esponosa shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Esponosa ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Esponosa uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Leben.
Esponosa misses with a straight left.
Leben is looking to counter punch.
Leben scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Some wild striking there from Leben.
Esponosa with the counter takedown but Leben avoids it easily.
Black Leben is winning the standup battle so far.
Leben throws an overhand right that lands on Esponosa's shoulder, as Esponosa tries to avoid the shot.
Esponosa closes the distance looking to clinch
and Leben cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Esponosa takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Esponosa walks into a straight right hand from Leben.
Leben connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Esponosa momentarily.
The fight stays on the outside here - Esponosa looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Esponosa moves out of range as Leben strikes.
Leben defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Esponosa.
Leben scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Leben jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Leben misses with an uppercut

and Esponosa counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Leben!
Leben is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Esponosa off and has taken his back!
We've been informed that Esponosa has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Esponosa trying to control but not successfully.
Leben controlling from the back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Esponosa rolls, trying to escape but Leben keeps control of the position.
Leben is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Esponosa can do to turn this around?
Esponosa is still trying to improve position.
Esponosa keeps trying to improve his position.
Leben biding his time, looking for the opening.
Leben tries to get the hooks in deep but Esponosa pushed the leg off.
You know, I was talking to some of our celebrities at ringside tonight and they were split right down the middle on who was going to win this fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Leben is looking to control Esponosa but Esponosa is wriggling around and keeping busy.
Esponosa tries to break free.
Esponosa prevents Leben from getting a body triangle.
A bit of a pause in the action here. Leben controlling the positon.
Leben doesn't have the hooks in and Esponosa manages to turn into his guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Esponosa wants to pass the guard but Leben is keeping the position.
Esponosa landing some decent shots from guard.
Esponosa trying to control but Leben is working from the bottom.

Leben has an active guard here but Esponosa has managed to pass into half guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Esponosa tries to clinch up but Leben circles away and keeps his distance.
Leben stuffs the takedown attempt from Esponosa. Esponosa gets slowly back to his feet.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Esponosa.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Leben enables Esponosa to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Leben manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Leben keeping moving, preventing Esponosa from controlling successfully.
Black Leben overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Leben wants to stand up but Esponosa is controlling him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Leben keeping moving, preventing Esponosa from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Leben is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Esponosa wants to pass the guard but Leben is keeping the position.
Leben wants to stand but Esponosa is controlling the position.
Esponosa looking to sit in guard and control but Leben gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Esponosa looking for a guillotine here but Leben defends easily.
Black Leben is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Esponosa has his foot on Leben's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Leben works his way back into a safe position though.
Leben wants to stand but Esponosa has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

Esponosa is working for submissions here. He's thrown up his legs looking for a triangle but Leben frees his head nicely. Oh but Esponosa has switched to an armbar! Leben is tapping furiously! Lovely submission there!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:49 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle Armbar). Ricardo Esponosa!
Ricardo Esponosa decided to go for the less than humble approach in his post fight interview, telling everyone how he is going to conquer the world. The crowd seemed to like it when really that sort of approach could have gone either way.