PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Andy Ruchel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and RJ Lopez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ruchel's entrance music is Blow Me Away. A fine choice. Lopez has chosen Amazing as his entrance music. Both fighters will be looking to make this an exciting fight for the fans, I'm sure!

Ruchel
vs
Lopez

190 cm
20
175 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

183 cm
18
170 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Prefers ground

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
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 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Andy Ruchel!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, RJ Lopez!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Stewart Dunkirk and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Ruchel drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Lopez taking punishment in the form of punches.
Ruchel landing a few strikes.
Lopez is working to avoid the ground and pound but Ruchel connects with a decent elbow.
Ruchel cracks Lopez with an elbow. That is naaassty.

Lopez is rocked!
Lopez is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Lopez is still in real trouble! Can Ruchel finish him?
Ruchel landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Ruchel has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Ruchel working Lopez over with strikes here.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Ruchel lands a big elbow.
Ruchel unloading with bombs!
Lopez is trying to escape the mount.
Ruchel lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Lopez hang on?
Ruchel putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ruchel looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Ruchel prevents Lopez from getting the reversal.
Ruchel landing strikes from the mount and Lopez is in trouble!
Lopez is looking to improve his position but Ruchel isn't that keen on the idea.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ruchel landing strikes, looking to finish!
Lopez tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Ruchel is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Ruchel connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Ruchel lands a nice shot to the head.
Ruchel landing shots from mount.
Lopez keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Ruchel 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.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Ruchel working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Lopez is looking to get to half guard.
Ruchel in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
A nice elbow there by Ruchel.
Ruchel landing punches.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Lopez is working to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ruchel cracks Lopez with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Ruchel cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Lopez slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Ruchel looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Ruchel working over Lopez with some ground and pound. Lopez looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Lopez tries to roll over but Ruchel keeps him under control.
Lopez looks gassed!
Ruchel looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Lopez with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Ruchel looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Lopez with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Ruchel slips a nice elbow through Lopez's hands, connecting with Lopez's forehead.
Lopez is trying to maintain the position but Ruchel is very close to passing his half guard.
Ruchel is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Ground and pound from Ruchel.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for leaving it all in the cage!
Ruchel is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Ground and pound from Ruchel.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lopez tries to roll over but Ruchel keeps him under control.
Ruchel is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Lopez seems to have recovered his senses.
Ruchel working Lopez over with strikes.

Lopez actively working from the bottom here.
Ruchel drops an elbow to the side of Lopez's head.
Ruchel landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Ruchel landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Ruchel looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Lopez with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Ruchel uses his free foot to push down on Lopez's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Lopez.
Ruchel with the ground and pound from mount.
Ruchel is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Ruchel lands with some strikes.
Lopez taking shots to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ruchel connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Lopez is wriggling around trying to escape.
Ruchel dominating with strikes here.
Ruchel cracks Lopez with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Lopez is wriggling around trying to escape.
Ruchel postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Lopez looks a forlorn figure.
Ruchel cracks Lopez with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Ruchel raining down shots from the mount!
Ruchel cracks Lopez with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Ruchel scoring with strikes but Lopez is staying in there.
Ruchel working Lopez over with strikes here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Ruchel postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Lopez looks a forlorn figure.
Ruchel landing punches.
Ruchel landing punches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Andy Ruchel dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Ruchel gets a takedown into half guard.

Lopez looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Andy Ruchel overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Ruchel winds up and cracks Lopez with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Lopez wants to improve his position but Ruchel is controlling well.
Ruchel 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.
Lopez misses with some strikes from the bottom.
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. Ruchel connects with a nice short shot to Lopez's temple.
Lopez on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Ruchel working the head and body with strikes.
Lopez is breathing heavily.

Lopez is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Ruchel pulls his head out easily.
Ruchel slips a nice elbow through Lopez's hands, connecting with Lopez's forehead.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ruchel lands strikes from half guard.
Ruchel 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.
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. Ruchel connects with a nice short shot to Lopez's temple.
Ruchel looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Ruchel works his way into side control.
Ruchel working the head and body with strikes.
Lopez tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Ruchel wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Ruchel grinds an elbow into Lopez's temple.
Lopez is trying to control Ruchel's posture but Ruchel avoids it.
Lopez is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Ruchel misses with the ground and pound.
Lopez is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Lopez manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Ruchel scoring with punches to the head and body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lopez is looking to stand up but Ruchel isn't so interested in that idea.
Ruchel postures up and lands a big shot to Lopez's brow.

Lopez has his foot on Ruchel's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Ruchel works his way back into a safe position though.
Ruchel with a flurry of punches that miss.
Lopez avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Lopez throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Lopez is trying to control the position from the bottom.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Lopez scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Lopez tries to move to mount but Ruchel blocks the move with his legs.
Ruchel is looking for a sweep.
Lopez tries to move to mount but Ruchel blocks the move with his legs.
Ruchel is looking to reverse the position.
Ruchel manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Ruchel is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Lopez's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Lopez's back!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ruchel connects with a big shot to the side of Lopez's head.
Ruchel is throwing punches to the body, looking to soften Lopez up.
Lopez rolls, trying to escape but Ruchel keeps control of the position.
Ruchel lands a punch to the side of the head from the back.
Can Lopez hold on?! Ruchel is landing more strikes to his hapless foe.
Lopez breaks Ruchel's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Ruchel tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Lopez trying to control the position from guard on top but Ruchel is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Ruchel has his takedown stuffed

and Lopez counters with a takedown into side control.
Ruchel regains half guard.
Lopez throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Ruchel punching from the bottom.
Lopez looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Lopez trying to control from half guard but Ruchel is working away.
Ruchel manages to get to full guard.
Ruchel manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Ruchel cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Ruchel is in the full mount, landing strikes.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ruchel punishing his opponent with strikes.
Ruchel drops a big elbow. That's hurt Lopez! More shots from Ruchel and the ref steps in! The fight is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:41 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Andy Ruchel!