PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Alejandro Lopez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Maxi Marin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Lopez's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Last of a Dying Breed. Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Lopez
vs
Marin

174 cm
22
160 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

200 cm
22
158 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Enjoys gardening

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Alejandro Lopez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Maxi Marin!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Roosa Järviläinen and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Marin closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.

Marin goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Lopez rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Marin's guard! Nice work there by Lopez!

Marin looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Lopez passes into half guard.
Marin keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Marin really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Lopez. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Lopez sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Marin defending well though.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Lopez is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Marin sees it coming and defends easily.
Ground and pound from Lopez.
Lopez working the head and body with strikes.
Marin wants to improve his position but Lopez is controlling well.
Lopez thows a huge punch but Marin dodges it nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
It looks like Lopez is going to stand back up.
Lopez looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Marin tries to get to full guard but Lopez has control of the leg.
Lopez lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Marin has hold of Lopez's hands but Lopez slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Lopez not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Marin tries to roll over but Lopez keeps him under control.
Lopez has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Marin is positioning himself well to prevent Lopez advancing to mount.
Marin taking some punishment here, with Lopez in his half guard.
Lopez winds up and cracks Marin with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Marin is trying to get back to full guard.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Marin gets back to full guard.
Lopez is breathing heavily.
Marin has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Lopez has passed into side control.
Lopez working the head with strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A control attempt from Marin but he's now mounted!
Lopez tries to control but Marin wriggling away.
Lopez landing strikes, looking to finish!
Lopez prevents Marin from getting the reversal.
Marin wants to control but Lopez is having none of it.
Lopez lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Marin hang on?
Lopez can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Marin is looking to escape.
Marin is trying to escape the mount.

That's four 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.
Lopez scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Marin?
Lopez with good strikes from the mount here!
Lopez connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Lopez trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Lopez with the ground and pound from mount.
Lopez landing strikes from the mount and Marin is in trouble!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alejandro Lopez dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Marin fails with the takedown.
Lopez tries for a takedown but Marin circles away easily
and Marin counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Marin misses with the combination.
Lopez shoots in for a double leg but Marin sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Lopez with a poor takedown

and Marin holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alejandro Lopez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Marin.
Marin is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Marin is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Marin ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Marin no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Lopez scoring with some ground and pound.
Marin working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Lopez.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Marin can do anything to dispel that myth.
Lopez wants to get up but he can't break Marin's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Marin keeping moving, preventing Lopez from controlling successfully.
Lopez makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Lopez postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Marin uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Lopez tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Marin paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Lopez misses with a takedown attempt

and Marin counters by moving into the clinch.

Marin breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Marin misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

Marin takes the fight into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Lopez has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Marin clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!
Lopez throws a big right hand but he misses and hits the mat. Ouch.
Marin covers up after that shot from Lopez.
Lopez lands a shot to the head.
Marin breaks Lopez's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Lopez looking for a sweep. Not yet Lopez, not yet.
Marin looking to pass the guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lopez is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Lopez has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Lopez has a closed guard, preventing Marin from standing up.
Lopez looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Lopez looking for a sweep. Not yet Lopez, not yet.
Marin must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Marin closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Marin tries to move to mount but Lopez blocks the move with his legs.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Maxi Marin showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Lopez darts in trying to clinch

so Marin counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Lopez is trying to keep Marin in close.
Marin postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Marin gets to his feet. Lopez looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Lopez avoids the head kick by Marin.
Marin keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Marin shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Lopez is trying to defend but Marin finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Lopez might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lopez wants to get back to full guard.
Marin throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Marin tries to pass the half guard into mount. Lopez knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

Lopez manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Marin lands with a kick to the temple. Lopez shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Lopez is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Marin is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Lopez tries for a takedown but Marin circles away easily

and Marin decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Lopez's guard.
Marin trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Lopez has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Marin has passed into side control.
Lopez manages to work his way to half guard, despite Marin's best efforts.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lopez regains full guard. Nicely done.

Lopez pushes Marin off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.

Lopez clinches up against the cage.
Lopez swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Marin tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Lopez just stands there and leans against the cage.
Marin tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Lopez just stands there and leans against the cage.

Lopez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Marin tries to clinch there but Lopez circles away.

Marin gets a clinch.
Marin keeps control of Lopez as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Marin jumps guard and drags Lopez to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lopez wants to control from the top but Marin keeps moving.
Lopez with a flurry of punches that miss.
Lopez loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Lopez connects with a couple of short punches.
Lopez missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Lopez is in close to Marin's body, working some short punches and elbows.

Lopez stands up and waves to Marin to follow him.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Lopez moves into range and clinches up with Marin.

And that's the end of the fight!
Maxi Marin comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Marin 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 Tarja Halkonen scores the fight for Maxi Marin!
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight for Maxi Marin!
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight for Maxi Marin!

Maxi Marin wins by unanimous decision!