PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Steve Lopez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Joe Strummer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Lopez might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Fight for this love. Steve Lopez had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Lopez
vs
Strummer

171 cm
22
163 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

172 cm
22
156 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Steve Lopez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Joe Strummer!
The judges for this bout are Donald Grub, Paul Tew and Chris Edwards.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lopez shoots in for a takedown but Strummer shows good takedown defense.
Lopez throws a sloppy head kick and Strummer moves out of range easily.

Lopez closes the distance and clinches.
Strummer wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Strummer can't break the clinch.
Lopez misses with a short punch on the inside.
Strummer lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Lopez is trying to stall.
Strummer cracks Lopez with a nice body shot.
Strummer wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Strummer wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Strummer wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Lopez has him pressed against the cage.
Strummer scores with a shot to the side of Lopez's head.
Strummer pressing his opponent against the cage.
Lopez is trying to maintain a safe position but Strummer gets an underhook and turns Lopez into the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Strummer wants to break the clinch but can't.
A right hand to the body from Lopez.
Lopez blocks an uppercut.
Lopez is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Strummer pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Lopez breaks the clinch.
Joe Strummer is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Strummer throws a leg kick but Lopez moved away.
Lopez throws a head kick but Strummer moves out of range.
Strummer throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Strummer misses with a few strikes there.
A head kick misses from Strummer.

Lopez scores with a takedown into Strummer's guard.
Strummer throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Lopez stands and throws Strummer's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Lopez scoring with punches from side control.
Strummer is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Lopez is chipping away with strikes.
Lopez is looking to take a break and control but Strummer is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
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.

Lopez decides to stand back up.
Strummer stuffs the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Steve Lopez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Lopez goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Strummer listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Strummer misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
No joy there for Strummer, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Strummer looks gassed!
Lopez shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Strummer but Strummer pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Joe Strummer seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Lopez fails with an attempt to clinch.
Lopez tries for a takedown but Strummer sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Lopez wants to clinch up but Strummer keeps it at a distance.
Strummer misses with a straight right.
Strummer throws a right and a left that Lopez avoids nicely.
Strummer swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Strummer wants to clinch up but Lopez keeps it at a distance.

Lopez gets a clinch.
Lopez lands an elbow inside.
Strummer lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Lopez jumps guard but Strummer stands there with Lopez around his waist. Lopez gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
A short left from Strummer.

Lopez manages to break the clinch.
Lopez throws a leg kick which misses Strummer's front leg but catches the back leg as Strummer tries to avoid it.
Lopez uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Strummer.
Strummer swinging wilding here.
Lopez shoots in looking for a takedown. Strummer tries to sprawl out of it but Lopez keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Strummer manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
A decent looking cross lands there for Strummer.
Strummer cracks Lopez with a right hand to the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Strummer lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Lopez tries to clinch up but Strummer circles away and keeps his distance.
A left lands for Lopez.
Strummer waving his hands out infront of him, looking to distract Lopez.
Strummer works the jab nicely.

Lopez rushes Strummer and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Strummer prevents the takedown attempt.

Lopez breaks the clinch.
Strummer tries to clinch up but Lopez circles away and keeps his distance.
Lopez fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Strummer connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Strummer thuds his right hand into Lopez's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Strummer paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Strummer misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
An inside leg kick lands from Lopez.
Lopez uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Strummer.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Steve Lopez dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Lopez connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Lopez shoots for a double leg takedown but Strummer sprawls well. He's pushed Lopez's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Strummer circles away from the clinch attempt.
Strummer lands a nice hook to Lopez's body. Lopez takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Strummer throws a leg kick

so Lopez counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Lopez throws a strike but Strummer rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Lopez is on top in guard.
Lopez wants to control from the top but Strummer keeps moving.
Strummer looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Strummer wants to get back to his feet but Lopez is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Strummer keeping moving, preventing Lopez from controlling successfully.
Lopez won't allow Strummer to sweep him here.
Lopez trying to control but Strummer is working from the bottom.
Strummer utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Strummer 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 wants to pass the guard but Strummer is keeping the position.

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

and Lopez counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Lopez lands a couple of digs.
Lopez trying to control but Strummer is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Strummer keeping full guard, as Lopez tries to pass.
Strummer is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Lopez throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Strummer looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Lopez missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Lopez trying to control the position from guard on top but Strummer is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Lopez swings and misses with a hook to the body.

Strummer drives through and clinches with Lopez against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Strummer wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Lopez fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Lopez breaks from the clinch.
Strummer tries a head kick but it misses.
Some wild striking there from Strummer.
Lopez punishes Strummer's body with a nice straight punch.

Lopez instigates a clinch.
Strummer is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Lopez prevents Strummer from breaking the clinch.
Strummer tries to throw a body punch but Lopez avoids it by throwing Strummer back against the cage.

Lopez breaks from the clinch.
Lopez shoots for a takedown but Strummer saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Steve Lopez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Lopez tries to clinch up.
Strummer misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Lopez.
Lopez misses with a series of wild punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
A punch combination from Strummer misses.
Lopez wants to clinch but Strummer slips to the side
and Strummer cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Lopez shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Strummer as he jumps to the side.
Strummer misses with a double jab
and Lopez counters with a good, hard body kick but Strummer shrugs it off.

Lopez bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Strummer tries to bench press Lopez off him but Lopez keeps the position.
Lopez is looking to take a break and control but Strummer is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Strummer can do anything to dispel that myth.

Strummer throws Lopez to one side and escapes!
Strummer throws a lazy head kick

and Lopez counters with a nice double leg into side control. Strummer won't be happy with that.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Strummer taking punishment in the form of punches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Steve Lopez dominated that second 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. And we move into the final round!

Lopez tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Lopez forces Strummer back against the cage and clinches.

Lopez breaks from the clinch.
Strummer lands a lovely overhand right.
Strummer throws a right and a left that Lopez avoids nicely.
Strummer tries to clinch
and Lopez counters with a flying knee. Nice.

It looks like Joe Strummer has been cut.
Strummer avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Lopez tries to clinch but Strummer is having none of it.
Lopez closes the distance and clinches up with Strummer, looking for a takedown. Lopez pushes Strummer against the cage but Strummer circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Lopez fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Strummer is looking to clinch but Lopez is avoiding it.
No joy there for Strummer, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Lopez avoids a punch combination nicely.
Lopez tries to clinch up but Strummer circles away and keeps his distance.
Strummer throws a sloppy head kick

and Lopez counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Strummer!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lopez lands a heavy elbow.
Lopez lands a heavy elbow.
Strummer swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Strummer is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Lopez can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Strummer is looking to escape.
Strummer tries to buck Lopez off but he can't manage it.
Strummer manages to regain half guard. Good work.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Strummer is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's two 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.
Lopez is pressing down on Strummer's thigh, looking to free his foot. Strummer is holding on for now.
Lopez trying to control the action but Strummer is working from the bottom.
Strummer punching from the bottom.
Strummer tries to get to full guard but Lopez has control of the leg.
Lopez is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Ground and pound from Lopez.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Strummer tries to get to full guard but Lopez has control of the leg.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Strummer takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Strummer misses with a combination

and Lopez counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Strummer!
Lopez sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
BOOM! Lopez connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Strummer is trying desperately to improve position.
Lopez lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Strummer hang on?
Lopez avoids the attempt from Strummer to control.
Lopez looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Joe Strummer has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Strummer flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Lopez trying to control but Strummer is having none of it.
Lopez with the ground and pound from mount.
Strummer takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Strummer swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Strummer is trying to stand.
Strummer flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Lopez connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Lopez with the ground and pound from mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Steve Lopez showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Lopez 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 Donald Grub scores the fight 30:27
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight 30:27
Judge Chris Edwards scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Steve Lopez!