PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Raf Leona (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Coco Lopez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Leona
vs
Lopez

175 cm
18
178 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

170 cm
18
162 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent knees
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Raf Leona!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Coco Lopez!
The judges for this bout are Richard Clark, Daniel Bishop and James Ackerman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Leona clinches up against the cage.
Leona will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Lopez up against the cage.
Nice elbow from Leona.

It looks like Coco Lopez has been cut.
Leona lands an elbow that stopped Lopez in his tracks for a moment.
Lopez jumps guard but Leona stands there with Lopez around his waist. Lopez gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Leona tries to land a knee to the head but Lopez blocks with his arms.
Lopez drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Leona gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Leona lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

Lopez is rocked!
Lopez on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Lopez has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Leona avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Raf Leona has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Coco Lopez.
Lopez misses with a knee strike.
Lopez looks gassed!
Leona lands a damaging elbow.
Stalling in the clinch from Leona.
Leona throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Lopez blocks it with crossed arms.
Lopez throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Leona with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Leona trying to land knees to the body.
Leona taking a breather.
Leona gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Lopez fails to pull guard.
Lopez has had enough of the clinch but Leona keeps him there for the moment.
Leona crunches a lovely knee into Lopez's ribcage.
Leona gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lopez takes an elbow to the temple.
Leona using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Lopez has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Leona avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Leona lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Lopez with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Lopez drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Leona has Lopez pushed against the cage.
Lopez tries for a takedown. No joy.
Lopez tries to break the clinch but Leona is controlling the position.
Lopez is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Lopez is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Leona lands an elbow inside.
Lopez is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Leona pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Leona has Lopez pressed against the cage.
Lopez blocks an elbow strike.
A knee to the head by Leona.
Leona tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Leona throws a knee to the head but misses.

Lopez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Leona misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Lopez shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Leona pinned against the cage. Leona gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Lopez keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Leona throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Leona works Lopez's body with a nice hook.
Leona throws a sloppy head kick and Lopez moves out of range easily.
Lopez closes the distance looking to clinch

and Leona holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Leona taking a breather.
Leona tries to land knees in the clinch but Lopez avoids the damage to the body.
Leona just leaning against Lopez, taking a breather.
Leona lands an elbow that stopped Lopez in his tracks for a moment.
Lopez looking to slow down the pace here.
Leona unloads a knee to the mid-section. Lopez lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
A bit of stalling here from Leona.
Leona misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Lopez.
Lopez tries to stall but Leona uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Lopez with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Leona creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Lopez connects with a nasty looking knee right to Leona's face.
Leona throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Lopez blocks it with crossed arms.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lopez is looking to control Leona's arms but Leona gets an underhook and turns him. Now Lopez has his back to the cage.
Leona stops a takedown attempt from Lopez.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Leona lands an elbow inside that Lopez shrugs off.

That has opened up Coco Lopez's cut even more.
Leona stalling.
Lopez is trying to break the clinch but Leona has him pressed against the cage.
Leona slows down the pace here.
Leona trying to land knees to the body.
Leona connects with a knee to the head.
The referee calls for Leona to work.
Leona tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Lopez blocks the elbow strike.

Lopez drags the fight down to the ground.

Leona gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Lopez on the wrong end of a kick to the body.

Leona has taken the fight to the clinch.
Leona gets underhooks to prevent Lopez's takedown attempt.
Leona misses with a knee strike.
Lopez tries for a takedown. No joy.
Lopez tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Leona just stands there and leans against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lopez goes for a takedown in the clinch but Leona prevents it.
Leona lands an elbow that stopped Lopez in his tracks for a moment.
Lopez avoids the elbow strike from Leona, against the cage.
Leona content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Lopez wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Lopez tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Lopez wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Leona has him pressed against the cage.
Lopez tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Leona prevents Lopez from breaking the clinch.
Lopez with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Leona tries to land a knee to the head but Lopez blocks with his arms.
Lopez blocks an elbow strike.
Leona lands a nice elbow.
Lopez has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Leona avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Leona tries to land knees in the clinch but Lopez avoids the damage to the body.
Lopez wants a takedown.

Lopez pulls guard.

Lopez is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Leona trying to control the position from guard on top but Lopez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Raf Leona dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Coco Lopez's cut.
That's time! Leona's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Leona tries a head kick but it misses.
Leona connects with a solid leg kick.
Raf Leona is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Lopez showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Leona.
Lopez moves out of range of the body kick from Leona.
A punch combination from Leona misses.
Leona throws a head kick that misses.
Leona misses with a head kick.
Leona keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Leona knocks Lopez to the floor with a head kick! Can he finish him!?
Lopez is still in real trouble! Can Leona finish him?
Leona prevents Lopez from escaping the position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Lopez tries to get back to his feet but has found himself mounted instead. Damn, that's gotta suck.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Leona content just to control the position here.
Lopez seems to have recovered his senses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lopez is in all sorts of trouble here.

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.
Lopez's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Lopez is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Leona looking to control and managing it successfully.
Lopez is desperately trying to improve his position but Leona has a good base and remains in mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Leona controlling his opponent.
Lopez tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Leona controlling the pace for now.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Raf Leona dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Coco Lopez's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. And we move into the final round!

Lopez clinches but Leona breaks the clinch
and Leona counters with a nice body kick.

Lopez tries to keep at a distance but Leona has taken the fight into the clinch.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Leona.
Lopez takes an elbow to the temple.
Leona is stalling here.
Leona gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Leona lands an elbow inside that Lopez shrugs off.

The cut above Coco Lopez's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
Leona tries a knee to the head but Lopez blocks it.
Leona landing knees to the head.
Leona lands a nice knee to the body.
Leona comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
A knee to the head by Leona.
Lopez avoids the elbow strike from Leona, against the cage.
Leona looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Leona tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Leona misses with a knee to the head.
Lopez connects with a knee to the head.
Lopez is trying to break free.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Lopez wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Leona has him pressed against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Leona is trying to stall.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Raf Leona has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Lopez is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Leona tries a knee to the head but Lopez blocks it.
Lopez has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Leona avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Lopez takes an elbow to the temple.
Leona misses with a knee to the head.
Leona tries to land knees in the clinch but Lopez avoids the damage to the body.
Lopez is trying to break free.
Leona tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Leona scores with a knee to the head.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Leona tries a knee to the head but Lopez blocks it.
Knees to the body from Leona.
Leona lands a knee to the head.

Lopez jumps guard and drags Leona to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Leona lands a couple of decent looking shots.

Lopez working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Leona has passed into half guard!
Leona controlling the pace.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Leona passes into side control, despite Lopez's attempt to control the position.
Leona just content to control the position.
Lopez is looking to regain half guard here but Leona keeps moving and retains side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Leona in side control lands a decent elbow.
Leona gets to mount! Lopez was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Leona lands a big elbow.
Lopez can't escape the position.
Lopez takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Lopez sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Leona passes to full mount!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lopez keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Leona looking to control and managing it successfully.
Coco Lopez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Lopez is trying to escape the mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Raf Leona showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Leona has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Richard Clark scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight 30:27
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Raf Leona!