PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Brian Lopez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Declan Newell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Brian Lopez has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Lopez
vs
Newell

190 cm
22
196 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

190 cm
22
183 lbs
4 - 5 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Knockout power

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Brian Lopez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Declan Newell!
The judges for this bout are Cecil Peabody, Frank Dennis and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Newell is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Lopez.
Newell misses with a straight right.
Newell lands with an uppercut that bounces Lopez off the ropes and back into rage.
Newell throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Newell lands a nice shot to the body.
Lopez shoots in for a takedown but Newell shows good takedown defense.
Newell lands a glancing blow to the side of Lopez's head.
Newell scores with a jab to the jaw.
Newell swinging wilding here.
Lopez fails with the takedown.
Lopez showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Newell.
Newell looks to throw the jab but Lopez is out of range.
Newell misses with a hook. Lopez ducked under it nicely.
Newell looks to land a left hand but Lopez moved out of range nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lopez is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Newell.
Newell throws a big shot that misses.
Lopez shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Newell as he jumps to the side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Brian Lopez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Newell scores with a three punch combo!

It looks like Brian Lopez has been cut.
Declan Newell is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Lopez ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Newell works Lopez's body with a nice hook.
Newell misses with an uppercut.
Newell connects with a right hand. Lopez shakes it off.
Newell tests Lopez's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Lopez bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Newell misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
A jab from Newell misses.
Newell throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Some wild striking there from Newell.
Lopez keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Newell.
Newell stuffs the takedown attempt from Lopez. Lopez gets slowly back to his feet.
Newell throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Newell checks a leg kick.
Newell comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Newell looks to land a combination but Lopez avoids it well.
A big left from Newell misses.
Lopez is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Newell.
The fighters circling - Newell throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Newell fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Lopez manages to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Newell throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Lopez sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Newell checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Lopez.

Lopez drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Newell striking off his back, scoring a few points.
Newell wants to sweep but no luck.
Lopez stops Newell from standing up.
Lopez with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Lopez works over Newell with some ground and pound from guard.
Lopez is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Lopez trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Newell wants to stand and escape but Lopez is having none of it.
Lopez throwing strikes from guard but Newell blocks nicely.
Lopez is breathing heavily.
Lopez working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Newell's head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Newell wants to stand up but Lopez is controlling him.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Lopez working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Newell throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Newell clobbers Lopez with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Newell fails to land with a series of punches.
Newell looks to land a left hand but Lopez moved out of range nicely.
A lazy left from Newell finds it's target.
Declan Newell seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Newell misses with a series of wild punches.
Lopez takes one to the side of the head.
Lopez walks into a jab.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Lopez has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Lopez there as he acknowledges the shot.
A punch combination from Newell misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Declan Newell dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Brian Lopez's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Newell misses with a looping right.
Newell swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Lopez moves away from the strike by Newell.
Newell just misses with a punch to the body.
Newell cracks Lopez with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the ropes.
Lopez is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Newell.
Newell misses with an uppercut.
Declan Newell is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Lopez has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Newell looks to score with a jab to the body but Lopez is just out of range.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Lopez.
Newell takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
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.
Lopez is chipping away with strikes.
Newell is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the ropes but Lopez has just dragged him back down to the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Newell is breathing heavily.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Lopez looks up at the clock and then as Newell takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Lopez smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Newell is trying to improve his position.
Lopez in side control lands a decent elbow.

Lopez wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Newell, who protects the arm well.

Lopez is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Newell has escaped the position, nice work there.

Lopez is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Newell has escaped the position, nice work there.
Newell is looking to reverse the position.

Lopez is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Newell is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Newell tries to strike but it doesn't land.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Newell is pushing Lopez's head away, looking to escape. Lopez manages to hold on to the position though.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Newell throws a couple of punches but he's in a bad position and they don't land.
Newell is trying to buck Lopez off.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Newell lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Lopez circles away quickly and effectively.
Lopez fails with a takedown attempt.
Lopez defending well as Newell loads up on a big left hand.
Lopez slips under a jab from Newell.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lopez staying out of range there.
Newell will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Newell throws a lazy right hand but Lopez sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Nice sprawl there from Newell as Lopez shoots in.
Lopez gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Lopez uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Newell.
Newell throws a good cross that connects.
Newell might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Lopez defending well as Newell loads up on a big left hand.
Newell lands an overhand right.
Lopez avoids a lazy jab quite easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
The crowd cheers as Newell lands an impressive looking overhand right. Lopez doesn't seem phased though.
Lopez fails with the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Brian Lopez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Newell connects with the punch.
Declan Newell seems to be getting the better of the standup.

Lopez bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.

Lopez tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Lopez has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Newell is trying to buck Lopez off.

Lopez thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

Newell throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Brian Lopez dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Brian Lopez's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Newell with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Lopez fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Lopez has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Lopez there as he acknowledges the shot.
Newell connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
A telegraphed right hand from Newell misses the target.
Danga de danga de dang - Newell scores with a four punch combination!
Newell throws a nice looking combination but Lopez bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Newell moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Newell misses with a double jab.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Lopez takes one to the chin there.
Newell throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lopez moves out of range of the strikes.
Newell lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Lopez looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Newell misses with a hook.
Lopez slips a straight right by Newell.
Newell ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Lopez moves away.
Newell works Lopez's body with a nice hook.
Newell cracks Lopez with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the ropes.
Lopez uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Newell.
Newell takes a swing at Lopez's ribcage but misses.
Newell blocks a head kick by Lopez.
Newell throws a big shot that misses.
Newell misses with a straight left.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Newell lands a really nice looking cross but Lopez seems unphased.
Lopez on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Lopez looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.

Lopez shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Lopez showed some decent athleticism there.

Lopez is trying to work for a kimura but Newell is defending well.

Lopez seems to be looking for submissions.
Newell is trying to get back to full guard.
Newell punching from the bottom.
Newell missing with punches from the bottom.

Newell manages to escape and get back to his feet!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Newell scores with a jab to the jaw.
Newell cracks Lopez with an open hand slap.
Newell swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Newell jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Lopez takes one on the chin but seems OK.
A left and a right from Newell both land. Nice combination.

Newell gets caught flat footed, as Lopez shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Newell trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Newell is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Lopez is controlling him.
Lopez is working Newell over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Lopez landing with the ground and pound.
Lopez works over Newell with some ground and pound from guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lopez working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Newell's head.
Lopez in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Newell is looking to stand up but Lopez isn't so interested in that idea.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Newell misses with the combination.
Newell cracks Lopez with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Newell throws a big shot that misses.
Newell misses with a looping left.
Lopez has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Lopez there as he acknowledges the shot.
Lopez moves out of range of the strikes.
Newell waving his hands out infront of him, looking to distract Lopez.

And that's the end of the fight!
Declan Newell comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Newell has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Cecil Peabody scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 28:29
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Declan Newell!