PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Alberto Del Rio (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lalo Arango (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Del Rio comes to the cage accompanied by Requiem for a dream. Lalo Arango will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Del Rio
vs
Arango

197 cm
39
200 lbs
11 - 33 - 1

185 cm
20
188 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Good kicks
Very strong

Decent wrestler
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 11 - 33 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Alberto Del Rio!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Lalo Arango!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Timothy Bukovac and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Del Rio throws a head kick but Arango moves out of range.
Del Rio misses with a hook
and Arango counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Del Rio fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Arango avoids it really well and circles away.
Nice takedown defense from Arango. No joy for Del Rio on that attempt.

Del Rio gets a clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Del Rio tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Arango blocking some punches.
Del Rio working aggressively here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Arango on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Del Rio misses with a short punch on the inside.
Del Rio avoiding damage.

Del Rio gets control of Arango's arms and successfully pulls guard. Del Rio will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Arango prevents Del Rio from getting back to his feet.
Arango with a flurry of punches that miss.
Arango throwing strikes but missing.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Arango throws an elbow that misses. Del Rio uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Arango's guard. Nice move by Del Rio!

Arango keeping full guard, as Del Rio tries to pass.
Arango wants to stand but Del Rio is controlling the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Del Rio has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Arango is proving hard to escape from.
Del Rio prevents Arango from getting back to his feet.
Del Rio wanted to stand there but Arango had control of the position.
Arango is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Del Rio is controlling him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Del Rio has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Arango is proving hard to escape from.
Del Rio tries to free his leg and advance position but Arango is retaining full guard.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Del Rio tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Arango paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Arango moves into the clinch successfully.
Del Rio misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Arango.
Arango is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Del Rio pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Del Rio stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Arango.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Del Rio'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.
Arango blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Arango.
Arango managing to block the knees to the body from Del Rio.
Del Rio stalling in the clinch.

Arango works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Arango throws an elbow that misses. Del Rio uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Arango's guard. Nice move by Del Rio!

Arango is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alberto Del Rio dominated that 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.

Arango uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Del Rio.
Del Rio tries to clinch but Arango moves out of range.
Del Rio tries to clinch up.

Arango forces Del Rio back against the cage and clinches.
Del Rio lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Arango blocking some punches.
Arango gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Del Rio.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Arango is trying to drag Del Rio to the mat but Del Rio just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Del Rio'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.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Del Rio breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Arango clinches up against the cage.

Del Rio ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Del Rio no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Del Rio keeping full guard, as Arango tries to pass.
Del Rio is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Arango can do to turn this around?
Arango throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

Arango drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Del Rio dives on top into guard.

Del Rio wanted to stand there but Arango had control of the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Del Rio trying to control but Arango is working from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Arango wants to stand and escape but Del Rio is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Del Rio pushing down on Arango's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Arango is trying to stand up here but Del Rio is controlling him well.
Alberto Del Rio overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Del Rio wants to stand but Arango has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Arango can do anything to dispel that myth.
Arango is not content to let Del Rio control the position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Del Rio tries to close the distance and clinch up but Arango swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Arango is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
Del Rio tries to clinch up but Arango circles away and keeps his distance.
Arango tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Arango swinging wildly here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Arango ducks under a wild hook from Del Rio.
Del Rio tries to clinch up but Arango circles away and keeps his distance.
Del Rio moves to clinch but Arango breaks away

and Arango counters with a nice double leg into side control. Del Rio won't be happy with that.
Arango misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Arango working the ground and pound.
Del Rio regains half guard.
Del Rio tries to kick Arango off but Arango keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Arango missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Alberto Del Rio will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Del Rio tries to close the distance and clinch but Arango swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
As Del Rio backs off Arango throws a huge counter combo but Del Rio manages to avoid it all.
Del Rio misses with a takedown
and Arango counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

It looks like Alberto Del Rio has been cut.
Del Rio shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Arango but Arango pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Arango fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Del Rio, pushing him back against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Del Rio taking a breather.
Del Rio tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Del Rio lands with a light punch inside.
Del Rio prevents a takedown attempt there.
Del Rio leaning his opponent against the cage.
Del Rio throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.

Arango lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Del Rio keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Arango not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Arango lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Arango landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Arango is keen to just control but Del Rio is a slippery customer.
Del Rio pushes Arango off looking to stand but Arango dives back in and keeps control.
Arango missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

Arango is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Del Rio defends it well.
Del Rio blocking the ground and pound attempt from Arango.
Del Rio keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Del Rio wants to improve his position but Arango is controlling well.
Arango thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Del Rio's head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Arango scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Del Rio looks like he's trying to stand up.
Arango looks to land a strike but Del Rio avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Arango won't allow Del Rio to get back to his feet.
Arango must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Arango working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Arango works over Del Rio with some ground and pound from guard.
Arango throwing strikes from guard but Del Rio blocks nicely.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Del Rio tries to clinch
and Arango counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

Del Rio clinches.

Del Rio drags the fight down to the ground.
Del Rio utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Arango throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Arango scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Arango throws a big right hand that misses.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Del Rio is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Arango works over Del Rio with some ground and pound from guard.

Del Rio is rocked!
Arango connects with a couple of short punches.
Oh Del Rio is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Del Rio will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Arango postures up from his opponent's guard, before exploding into some vicious ground and pound! Del Rio covers up, he's hurt! Arango keeps throwing the strikes, glancing at the referee... Will he stop it?? One more big shot from Arango and the ref steps in to end the fight! Arango can't hide his delight as he celebrates with his corner.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:48 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Lalo Arango!
During a confident post fight interview, Lalo Arango thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.