PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Lester Pearson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hector Rodriguez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rodriguez has chosen Leper Messiah By Metallica as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Pearson
vs
Rodriguez

195 cm
21
278 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

193 cm
19
264 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Basic striking
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Lester Pearson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Hector Rodriguez!
The judges for this bout are Ian Loll, Steve Smith and Robert Douchet.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pearson lands a nice looking body shot.
Rodriguez looks for a takedown but Pearson sprawls well.
Pearson misses with a body kick.
A slow jab from Pearson misses its intended target.
Pearson throws a shot from downtown. Rodriguez moves away and avoids it.

Rodriguez gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Pearson working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Rodriguez keeping moving, preventing Pearson from controlling successfully.
Pearson scoring with punches to the head and body.
Pearson with a flurry of punches that miss.
Rodriguez is trying to keep Pearson in close.
Pearson looking to pass the guard.

Rodriguez throws his legs up looking for a submission but Pearson uses it to pass to side control.
Rodriguez prevents Pearson from moving into mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pearson is working hard here to advance position.
Pearson happy to just control the position for now.
Rodriguez is working to avoid the ground and pound but Pearson connects with a decent elbow.
Pearson working the head and body with strikes.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rodriguez holding on.
Pearson is looking to take a break and control but Rodriguez is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Rodriguez is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pearson scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Rodriguez to see if he's OK.
Pearson looks up at the clock and then as Rodriguez takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Pearson smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Pearson trying to control the action but Rodriguez is working from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Pearson creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Pearson wants to lay and pray for a moment but Rodriguez keeps working.
Rodriguez can't do much from the bottom here.
Pearson working the ground and pound from side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez tries to strike from the bottom but misses.
Rodriguez is trying to escape the position but Pearson is controlling the position.
Pearson trying to control the action but Rodriguez is working from the bottom.
Rodriguez wants to get back to his feet but Pearson drags him back down.
Rodriguez looks gassed!
Pearson wants to control but Rodriguez is keeping him busy.
Rodriguez sneaks back into half guard.
Pearson wants to lay and pray for a moment but Rodriguez keeps working.
Pearson is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Pearson looking to control but Rodriguez is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Pearson content just to control the position here.
Rodriguez is in a horrible position here. Pearson smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Pearson trying to control but Rodriguez is having none of it.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Lester Pearson just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Rodriguez misses with a takedown

and Pearson counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Rodriguez's guard now.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Pearson is working Rodriguez over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Pearson trying to control the position from guard on top but Rodriguez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lester Pearson dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Rodriguez uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Pearson.
Pearson pushing out the jab but it's not landing.

Rodriguez drives through with a takedown into guard.
Pearson trying to strike off his back.
Pearson wants to sweep here but Rodriguez controlling him for the moment.
Rodriguez trying to control the position from guard on top but Pearson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Lester Pearson overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Pearson thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Rodriguez is breathing heavily.
Pearson avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Pearson looking for a sweep. Not yet Pearson, not yet.
Rodriguez throwing strikes from guard but Pearson blocks nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Pearson misses with a low kick.
Rodriguez ducks under a wild hook from Pearson.
Rodriguez gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Pearson counters with a shoot takedown. Rodriguez fights it but they end up in guard.
Rodriguez wants to sweep but no luck.
Pearson with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Pearson is working Rodriguez over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Rodriguez controls Pearson momentarily but Pearson frees himself.
Pearson wants to control from the top but Rodriguez keeps moving.
Pearson tries to free his leg and advance position but Rodriguez is retaining full guard.
Rodriguez controls Pearson momentarily but Pearson frees himself.
Pearson lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pearson content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Pearson sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Pearson pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Rodriguez is keeping the position for now.
Pearson trying to control but Rodriguez is working from the bottom.
Pearson won't allow Rodriguez to sweep him here.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Pearson's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Pearson working some strikes from top position.
Rodriguez looking to hit a scissor sweep but Pearson is one step ahead there.
Pearson content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pearson wants to control from the top but Rodriguez keeps moving.
Pearson makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Pearson lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Pearson lands a couple of digs.
Pearson is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Pearson's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Pearson not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Pearson passes into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pearson is looking to take a break and control but Rodriguez is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Rodriguez is trying to control but can't.
Pearson seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Rodriguez does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Rodriguez tries to roll over but Pearson keeps him under control.
Pearson wants to pass the guard but Rodriguez is defending well.
Rodriguez tries to roll over but Pearson keeps him under control.
Pearson winds up and cracks Rodriguez with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Pearson is keen to just control but Rodriguez is a slippery customer.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lester Pearson dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Pearson thows a left - swing and a miss!
Pearson circles away from the clinch attempt.
Pearson throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Rodriguez's waist but Rodriguez gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Pearson off to one side.
Rodriguez shoots in but Pearson avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Rodriguez tries to clinch but Pearson moves out of range.
Pearson misses with a looping left.
Pearson misses with a looping right.
Hector Rodriguez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rodriguez shoots in but no luck this time.
Lester Pearson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Pearson dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

Pearson drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Rodriguez on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Pearson looks up at the clock and then as Rodriguez takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Pearson smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Pearson wants to control but Rodriguez is keeping him busy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pearson slows the pace down.
Pearson is chipping away with strikes.
Pearson scores with punches from side control.
Pearson in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Pearson is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Rodriguez can do to turn this around?
Rodriguez is trying to control Pearson's posture but Pearson avoids it.
Rodriguez stops Pearson from passing to mount.
Rodriguez is not in a great position here, taking some shots.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez is trying to control Pearson's posture but Pearson avoids it.
Pearson wants to lay and pray for a moment but Rodriguez keeps working.
Rodriguez seems a little lost for a moment, as Pearson dominates the positioning.
Pearson grinds an elbow into Rodriguez's temple.
Rodriguez on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Pearson grinds an elbow into Rodriguez's temple.
Pearson is working Rodriguez over with some ground and pound from side control.
Pearson working the ground and pound from side control.
Pearson trying to control the action but Rodriguez is working from the bottom.
Rodriguez misses with an elbow from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pearson controlling from side mount.
Rodriguez is trying to improve his position.
Pearson controlling from side mount.

Pearson stands up.
Pearson misses with a wild body shot.
Pearson connects with a jab.

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.

Rodriguez drives through and clinches with Pearson against the cage.
Rodriguez is trying to drag Pearson to the mat but Pearson just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Lester Pearson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Hector Rodriguez.
Rodriguez drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Pearson gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Rodriguez drops down looking for an ankle pick but Pearson pulls his leg out and moves away.

Pearson looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Hector Rodriguez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Pearson trying to control but Rodriguez is working from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Lester Pearson showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Pearson 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 Ian Loll scores the fight 30:26
Judge Steve Smith scores the fight 30:26
Judge Robert Douchet scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Lester Pearson!