PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Kenny Penn (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Pablo Escobar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Escobar has chosen Dr. Kitch as his entrance music. Both fighters really staring eachother down here, as Pablo Escobar enters the cage!

Penn
vs
Escobar

175 cm
22
160 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

175 cm
19
165 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Granite chin

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 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Kenny Penn!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Pablo Escobar!
The judges for this bout are Cecil Peabody, Wesley Smith and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Escobar tries to clinch but Penn moves out of range.

Escobar 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.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Penn has his foot on Escobar's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Escobar works his way back into a safe position though.
Penn controls Escobar momentarily but Escobar frees himself.
Escobar lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Escobar trying to control but Penn is working from the bottom.
Escobar looking to pass the guard.

Penn is looking for a triangle but Escobar pushes his legs off easily.
Penn tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Penn not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Escobar looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Escobar avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Penn bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Escobar's guard.
Penn thows a big elbow that misses.
Escobar is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Penn wants to pass the guard but Escobar is keeping the position.
Escobar bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Penn's guard.
Escobar sitting in guard, not really doing much.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Penn is looking for a triangle but Escobar pushes his legs off easily.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Penn is breathing heavily.

Penn has his foot on Escobar's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Escobar works his way back into a safe position though.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Escobar is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Escobar stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Penn swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Escobar working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Escobar forces his way into half guard.
Escobar sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Let's hope that Escobar has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
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. Escobar connects with a nice short shot to Penn's temple.
Escobar is controlling the pace.
Penn tries to roll over but Escobar keeps him under control.
Escobar slows the pace down in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Despite being in the dominant position, Pablo Escobar just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Escobar checks a leg kick.
Penn throws a series of punches but Escobar moves out of range.
Escobar wants to clinch up but Penn keeps it at a distance.
The fight stays on the outside here - Escobar looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Escobar looks to score with a jab to the body but Penn is just out of range.
Escobar lands with a straight right. Penn didn't see that one coming.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Escobar.
Penn takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Escobar controlling the position from side mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pablo Escobar dominated that round.
That's time! Penn's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Penn misses with a straight left.
No luck for Escobar with that takedown attempt.

Escobar closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Escobar gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Penn works his way to full guard. Good work.

Penn escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Escobar gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Escobar wants to control from the top but Penn keeps moving.
Penn is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Penn is looking to sweep but instead, Escobar has passed into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Escobar lands strikes from half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Escobar content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Escobar slips a nice elbow through Penn's hands, connecting with Penn's forehead.
Escobar controlling the pace.
Escobar lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Escobar content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Penn gets full guard.
Escobar controlling from the top position.
Escobar wants to control from the top but Penn keeps moving.
Penn can't keep his opponent in guard - Escobar advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Escobar has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Penn slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Pablo Escobar has got the better of the ground game so far.
Escobar slips a nice elbow through Penn's hands, connecting with Penn's forehead.
Escobar wants to take a breather but Penn is having none of it.
Escobar sitting and controlling from the half guard.

Despite being in the dominant position, Pablo Escobar just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Penn misses with an uppercut.
The fight stays on the outside here - Escobar looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Nice body kick there by Penn.

Escobar drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Escobar keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Penn's head.

Penn is looking for a triangle but Escobar pushes his legs off easily.
Escobar with a nice head shot there.
Escobar controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Escobar passes Penn's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Escobar is taking a breather. Penn says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pablo Escobar showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Escobar tries to close the distance and clinch up but Penn swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Penn's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Penn duly obliges.
Escobar lands a right hook to the body.
Penn displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Escobar.

Escobar clinches.
Penn drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Escobar gets the underhooks and prevents it.

Penn jumps guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Escobar trying to control the position from guard on top but Penn is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Escobar is in close to Penn's body, working some short punches and elbows.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Escobar trying to control but Penn is working from the bottom.
Penn looking to control.
Escobar slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Escobar's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Escobar must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Penn has momentary wrist control but Escobar slips an elbow through the middle.
Penn can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Escobar controls the pace.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

Despite being in the dominant position, Pablo Escobar just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Penn dips to his left and cracks Escobar with an uppercut!
Escobar fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Penn doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Penn fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Kenny Penn is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Escobar throws a right and a left that Penn avoids nicely.
Escobar lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Penn tries a head kick but it misses.
Escobar tries to clinch but Penn is having none of it.
A jab from Penn misses.

Escobar drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Escobar trying to control but Penn is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Penn wants to sweep but no luck.
Escobar passes Penn's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Penn wants to improve his position but Escobar is controlling well.
Penn has hold of Escobar's hands but Escobar slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Escobar controlling the action here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Penn trying to control here.
Escobar is taking a breather. Penn says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Escobar is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.

Penn actively working from the bottom here.
Kenny Penn has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Escobar controlling the pace.
Pablo Escobar is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

And that's the end of the fight!
Pablo Escobar comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Escobar has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Cecil Peabody scores the fight 27:30
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Pablo Escobar!