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PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Johnny Luca (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gabriel Whitaker (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gabriel Whitaker is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.
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| 180 cm
22
185 lbs
4 - 1 - 1 |
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185 cm
24
184 lbs
8 - 3 - 0 |
BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Very strong |
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Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Powerful |
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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
4 - 1 - 1, fighting out of Amsterdam, Johnny Luca!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of
8 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Gabriel Whitaker!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, and Jack Bonds.
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Luca ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Whitaker moves away.
Luca swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Whitaker counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Whitaker is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Luca defends it well.
We've been hearing good reports from Luca's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.
Luca keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Whitaker missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Luca tries to roll over but Whitaker keeps him under control.
Luca trying to control but Whitaker postures up.
Whitaker is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Whitaker is working for a kimura but Luca is defending it quite comfortably.
Luca wants to improve his position but Whitaker is controlling well.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Whitaker is looking for a kimura but Luca is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Whitaker to get the leverage.
Whitaker prevents Luca from improving his position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Whitaker is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Luca trying to hold on to Whitaker's head to control him but Whitaker postures up.
Whitaker is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Luca defends it well.
Whitaker is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Luca defends it well.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Luca trying to control from the bottom.
Whitaker is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Luca works his way to full guard. Good work.
Whitaker drops back, looking for a kneebar! Luca looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Luca looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Luca!
Luca tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.
Whitaker looking for a sweep but Luca has passed into full mount! Oh no!
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Luca is trying to stand up but he's being controlled by his opponent.
Luca trying to control but Whitaker is having none of it.
Whitaker sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Whitaker gets full guard.
Whitaker working for a triangle but Luca defends it easily.
Whitaker looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Luca has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Whitaker had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Luca defends it easily.
Whitaker looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Luca trying to control the position from guard on top but Whitaker is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Whitaker throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Luca avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Luca trying to control but Whitaker is working from the bottom.
Whitaker is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Luca pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Whitaker is keeping the position for now.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Whitaker is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Whitaker is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Gabriel Whitaker dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!
Whitaker takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Luca connects with a solid leg kick.
Luca tries to close the distance and clinch but Whitaker swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Luca bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Luca scores with a sloppy right hand. Whitaker should have avoided that one.
It looks like Gabriel Whitaker has been cut.
A leg kick checked by Whitaker.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Whitaker takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Luca swings for the body but Whitaker moves out of range.
Johnny Luca is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
A slapping body kick lands there for Luca.
Johnny Luca seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Luca takes a swing at Whitaker's ribcage but misses.
Luca throws a body shot but no joy.
Luca throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Whitaker.
Whitaker is rocked!
Luca misses with a jab to the body
and Whitaker counters with a takedown into side control.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Whitaker goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Luca rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Whitaker's guard! Nice work there by Luca!
Whitaker has his foot on Luca's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Luca works his way back into a safe position though.
Whitaker has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Luca can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Whitaker can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Luca controls the pace.
Whitaker is looking for a triangle but Luca pushes his legs off easily.
Whitaker looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Luca passes into half guard.
Luca tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Whitaker.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Whitaker missing with punches from the bottom.
Luca tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
Luca passes to side control.
Whitaker is looking for a sweep.
Whitaker sneaks back into half guard.
Luca is taking a breather. Whitaker says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Luca wants to stand but Whitaker has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Whitaker looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Luca is looking to advance position but Whitaker won't allow it.
Whitaker looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Luca seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Whitaker does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Whitaker tries to roll over but Luca keeps him under control.
Whitaker moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Luca avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Luca is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Whitaker is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Johnny Luca dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Gabriel Whitaker's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. And we move into the final round!
Luca throws a head kick but Whitaker moves out of range.
Luca tries to clinch up.
Luca lands a leg kick that knocks Whitaker off balance momentarily.
Whitaker uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Luca.
Luca tries to clinch but Whitaker moves out of range.
Luca looks to score with a jab to the body but Whitaker is just out of range.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Whitaker moves out of range of the body kick from Luca.
Luca throws a quick inside leg kick.
Luca is looking to wear down Whitaker with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Luca jabs at Whitaker's body.
Luca throws a head kick that misses.
Luca scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Luca moves in looking to clinch but Whitaker pushes him off.
Johnny Luca is winning the standup battle so far.
Luca throws a big shot that misses.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Luca tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Whitaker decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Luca's guard.
Whitaker stands up from Luca's guard - Whitaker perhaps looking for a knockout.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Luca lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Whitaker has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Whitaker and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Luca throws a body shot but no joy.
Luca fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Luca misses with an uppercut.
Luca swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Luca tries a low kick but Whitaker avoids it.
A looping hook to the body misses from Luca. Whitaker does a little dance to reset his feet.
Luca throws out a loose jab but Whitaker uses good head movement to avoid it.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Luca throws a sloppy body shot
so Whitaker counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Whitaker drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Luca dives on top into guard.
Luca won't allow Whitaker to sweep him here.
Luca wanted to stand there but Whitaker had control of the position.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Whitaker has an active guard here but Luca has managed to pass into half guard.
Whitaker punching from the bottom.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Luca looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Whitaker looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Johnny Luca.
I think Luca 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 29:28
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 29:28
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 29:28
In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Johnny Luca!
A victorious Johnny Luca thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.
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| S |
C
A |
G |
S |
C
B |
G |
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S |
C |
G |
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energy
A | B |
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hype
A | B |
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pop
A | B |
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mgr
A | B |
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FIGHT
RATING
71% |
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