PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Vagner Love (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Haloti Gnata (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.

Love
vs
Gnata

188 cm
26
206 lbs
8 - 2 - 0

192 cm
30
209 lbs
23 - 11 - 0

Good wrestling
Lethal high kicks
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

VIRAL COMBAT

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, for the light heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Vagner Love!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 23 - 11 - 0, fighting out of London, Haloti Gnata!
The judges for this bout are Sam Margolis, Colin Fotheringham and Steven Brown.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gnata throws a body punch but Love moves out of range.
Love ducks under a wild hook from Gnata.
Love throws a lazy body kick
and Gnata counters with a lovely straight right hand!
A jab from Love finds it's way through Gnata's defenses.
Love keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Love slips under a jab from Gnata.
Gnata stuns Love with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Gnata on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Love. Love obviously looking to wear him down.
Love tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Gnata was well out of range. Poor timing from Love.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A jab from Gnata misses.
Gnata gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Gnata throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Love stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gnata throws a big shot that misses.
Love connects with a body shot.
Gnata tries to clinch but Love moves out of range.
Love defending well as Gnata loads up on a big left hand.
Love swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Gnata.
Gnata misses with a body shot.
Love tests Gnata's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Love comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Gnata stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Love.
Love misses with a low kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Love misses with an uppercut
and Gnata counters with a straight right hand.
Gnata throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Gnata misses the jab.
Good leg kick by Love there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Gnata wants to land a leg kick but Love is out of range.

Gnata clinches.
Gnata misses with a knee to the head.

Love manages to break the clinch.
Gnata cracks Love with an open hand slap.
Gnata avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Love throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Love throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gnata tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Love is able to avoid easily.
Gnata thows a left - swing and a miss!
Love closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Gnata misses with a head kick.
Love throws a head kick that misses.
Love throws a big shot that misses.
Gnata lands with a thumping leg kick.
A telegraphed right hand from Gnata misses the target.
Both fighters circling a little - Love finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Love connects with a leg kick. Gnata looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Gnata tries to move into range but Love moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Love avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
A jab from Gnata misses.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Love looks for the body kick but Gnata saw that one coming.
Gnata connects with a jab.
Gnata scores with a crisp jab that stopped Love in his tracks.
Love takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Love lands a jab.
Gnata throws a lazy right hand but Love sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Gnata throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Gnata tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Vagner Love will probably get the nod.
That's time! Love's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Love lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Love catches Gnata with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!

It looks like Haloti Gnata has been cut.
Love ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Gnata moves away.
Love throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Love dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Gnata. That did some damage!

Gnata moves into the clinch successfully.
Gnata tries a body shot but Love blocks it.
Gnata has a couple of punches blocked by Love.
Gnata's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
I was talking to Love's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Love ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Love no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Love pulls Gnata in close to prevent any damage.
Love trying to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Love wants to sweep but no luck.
Gnata missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

Gnata stands up from guard. Let's bang!
A telegraphed right hand from Love misses the target.
Love connects with a jab.
Love misses with a low kick.
Love throws a head kick that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gnata tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
A clash of legs there as Love blocks the low kick.
Love is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Gnata can do to turn this around?
A solid body kick from Love.
Gnata misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Love.
Good leg kick by Love there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Gnata ducks right into an uppercut from Love.
Gnata attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Gnata cracks the inside of Love's front leg.
Gnata fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Love manages to avoid it.
Gnata throws a low kick but Love avoids it.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Love misses with a kick to the body.
Vagner Love is winning the standup battle so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Love checks a leg kick.
Love with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Love lands a body shot.
Gnata has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Love.
Gnata shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Love cracks Gnata with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Gnata is looking to score with low kicks.
Love lands with a nice body kick.
Gnata smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Love lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
A big right from Gnata misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Gnata ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Love moves away.
Gnata stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Love.
Love misses with a low kick as Gnata jumps back.
Gnata throws a leg kick but Love moved away.
Gnata throws out a loose jab but Love uses good head movement to avoid it.
Love avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
That kick from Gnata tenderised Love's leg. Love is trying to keep his angry face on.
Gnata on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Love misses with a hook.
Love swings and misses with a hook to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vagner Love dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Haloti Gnata's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. And we move into the final round!

Gnata fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Gnata fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Love lands with a thumping leg kick.
Love misses with a series of wild punches.
Love jabs at Gnata's body.
A jab from Love finds it's way through Gnata's defenses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Love throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Gnata misses with a wild body shot.
Love tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Love looks to score with a jab to the body but Gnata is just out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gnata rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Love moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
You can see that Gnata has visibly slowed down as a result of the leg kicks
Love tries a head kick but it misses.
Gnata tries to clinch there but Love circles away.
Gnata throws a leg kick
and Love counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Love smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Gnata attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Love takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Love takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
A looping hook to the body misses from Gnata. Love does a little dance to reset his feet.
Love takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Haloti Gnata has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gnata takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Love missing with a left hand there. Gnata was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Love tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Gnata is able to avoid easily.
Love scores with a jab to the head.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Gnata wants to clinch up but Love keeps it at a distance.
Gnata moves in looking to clinch but Love pushes him off.
Gnata throws a looping overhand right but Love ducks down to avoid it.
Love defending well as Gnata loads up on a big left hand.
Gnata ducks under a wild hook from Love.
Love cracks the inside of Gnata's front leg.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gnata tries to clinch there but Love circles away.
An inside leg kick lands from Love.
Love pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Gnata throws a series of punches but Love moves out of range.
Nice uppercut there from Love.
Gnata is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Love avoids the body shot from Gnata.
A slapping leg kick lands for Love.
Love thuds a left hand into Gnata's body.
Love lands a jab to the nose.
Love throws an off balance right hand
and Gnata counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Love thinking.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Love connects with a crisp jab.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Love lands with a straight right. Gnata didn't see that one coming.
Gnata moves out of range of the strikes.
Gnata throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Love counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Gnata's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Love connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Gnata scrambles back to his feet.
Vagner Love is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Gnata is rocked!
Gnata's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
The fighters circling - Gnata throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Gnata is looking to clinch.
Love lands with a shot to the body.
Love turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.

And that's the end of the fight!
Vagner Love showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Love, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Sam Margolis scores the fight 30:27
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 30:27
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Vagner Love!
Vagner Love retains his light heavyweight title!
A relieved looking Vagner Love thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.