PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Pablo Escobar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Leo Manta (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Escobar comes to the cage accompanied by Dr. Kitch. Leo Manta told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Escobar
vs
Manta

175 cm
20
163 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

170 cm
24
167 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Granite chin

Powerful takedowns
Decent boxing
Powerful

ENDLESS 152
Evil Spirit Clothing Co. (KOF partner)

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Pablo Escobar!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Leo Manta!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Chris Downing and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Escobar tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Manta swivels and escapes.
Escobar fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Nice takedown defense from Manta. No joy for Escobar on that attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Pablo Escobar. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Manta misses with a looping right.
Donk. Manta catches Escobar right on the button with a cross.
Escobar throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Manta swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Manta lands a glancing blow to the side of Escobar's head.
Escobar uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Manta.
Escobar bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.

Manta gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Escobar wants to control from the top but Manta keeps moving.
Escobar thows a big elbow that misses.
Manta keeping full guard, as Escobar tries to pass.
Manta has his hands on Escobar's head, controlling the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Manta wants to sweep here but Escobar controlling him for the moment.
Escobar throwing strikes from guard but Manta blocks nicely.
Escobar in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

Manta looking for a guillotine here but Escobar defends easily.
Escobar working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's two 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.

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

Escobar gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Escobar controls Manta momentarily but Manta frees himself.
Manta trying to control the position from guard on top but Escobar is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Escobar is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Escobar wants to lay and pray for a moment but Manta keeps working.
Escobar is controlling the pace.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Escobar is stalling here. Manta is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Escobar seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Manta has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Manta working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Manta working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Escobar is trying to control Manta's posture but Manta avoids it.
Manta throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
The ground and pound from Manta seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Escobar wants to control but Manta postures up.
Manta lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Manta working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
The strikes coming from Manta are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Escobar gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Manta thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Escobar's head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Escobar is trying to get back to full guard.

Manta is trying to work for a kimura but Escobar is defending well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Escobar moves into full guard.
Escobar working a defensive guard here.
Escobar trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Escobar preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Escobar tries to clinch up but Manta circles away and keeps his distance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Leo Manta dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Manta ducks under a wild hook from Escobar.
Manta blocks a head kick by Escobar.

Escobar has managed to clinch.
Manta drops down looking for an ankle pick but Escobar pulls his leg out and moves away.
Escobar is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Nice body punch from Manta.
Manta misses with a double jab.
Escobar takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Escobar moves away from the strike by Manta.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Escobar wants to clinch.
Escobar wants to clinch.
Escobar rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Manta moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Escobar clinches.
Escobar working aggressively here.

Manta has picked Escobar up - he's going for a ride! Manta dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Manta winds up and cracks Escobar with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Escobar blocking the ground and pound attempt from Manta.
Escobar slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Escobar tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Escobar working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Manta doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Manta manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Manta trying to move into half guard but instead Escobar has managed to sweep!
Manta looking to hit a scissor sweep but Escobar is one step ahead there.
Escobar wants to control from the top but Manta keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Escobar won't allow Manta to sweep him here.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Manta misses with the combination.
Escobar fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Manta manages to avoid it.

Escobar instigates a clinch.
Escobar stops a takedown attempt from Manta.

Escobar breaks the clinch.
Manta looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Escobar clinches up with Manta and pushes him back against the cage.
Manta can't break the clinch.
Manta drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Pablo Escobar has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Leo Manta.
Manta is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Escobar changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Manta fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Escobar tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Manta was well out of range. Poor timing from Escobar.
Escobar throws a shot to the body.
Escobar is looking to clinch but Manta is avoiding it.
Manta takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Manta tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Escobar was well out of range. Poor timing from Manta.
Escobar is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Escobar avoids the body shot from Manta.
Escobar fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Manta is out of range.
Manta lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Escobar circles away quickly and effectively.
Escobar wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.

Escobar gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Escobar has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Manta uses from the top position.
Manta throwing strikes from guard but Escobar blocks nicely.
Escobar is controlling Manta's posture.
Escobar is trying to keep Manta in close.
Manta preventing the sweep.
Escobar working a defensive guard here.
Escobar looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pablo Escobar dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Escobar doesn't manage to clinch there - Manta circles away.

Manta darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Manta is thwarting Escobar's attempts to control the position.
Manta missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Manta missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Escobar trying to hold on to Manta's head to control him but Manta postures up.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Pablo Escobar just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Escobar throws a sloppy head kick and Manta moves out of range easily.
Pablo Escobar is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Manta connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Escobar momentarily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Manta on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Manta scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!

Escobar decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Manta trying to control from the bottom.
Manta might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Escobar kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Manta takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Manta taking some punishment here, with Escobar in his half guard.
Escobar working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Escobar is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Escobar is trying to control. Manta wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

Escobar is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Escobar not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Manta is looking for a sweep. Escobar is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Escobar seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Escobar is keen to just control but Manta is a slippery customer.
Manta gets full guard.
Manta has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Manta trying to control the position.
Escobar trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Manta not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Manta trying to strike off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Escobar is stalling in the full guard.

Escobar drops back looking for a leg! Manta is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Manta manages to kick Escobar off! Escobar jumps back into Manta's guard.

Manta wriggles free and stands up.
Escobar lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Manta moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Escobar fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Escobar dodges the punch combination from Manta.
Manta fails to land with a series of punches.
Manta with a poor takedown

and Escobar counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Escobar is controlling the pace.
Escobar sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Manta defending well though.
Manta is looking for a sweep. Escobar is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Manta is trying to maintain the position but Escobar is very close to passing his half guard.
Manta blocking the ground and pound attempt from Escobar.

And that's the end of the fight!
Pablo Escobar showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Escobar has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Tiny Johnson scores the fight 29:28
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 29:28
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 29:28

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