PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Javier Esposito (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dan Gombos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters will be looking to make this an exciting fight for the fans, I'm sure!

Esposito
vs
Gombos

186 cm
27
205 lbs
9 - 5 - 0

189 cm
27
203 lbs
15 - 9 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
World class boxer
Granite chin

KAISER Nutrition - Q160/$250
Hellbent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 5 - 0, fighting out of New York, Javier Esposito!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Dan Gombos!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Viktor Lagutenko and Aleksandr Martynov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gombos lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Dan Gombos seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gombos shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Esposito as he jumps to the side.
Esposito lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Esposito uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Gombos.

Gombos closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Esposito quickly recovers to half guard.
Esposito is pressing down on Gombos's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Esposito being controlled here, momentarily.
Gombos pushing down on Esposito's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Esposito is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Esposito is pressing down on Gombos's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Esposito keeping moving, preventing Gombos from controlling successfully.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Gombos working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gombos stopping the sweep attempt from Esposito.
Esposito lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Esposito has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Gombos trying to keep a closed guard but Esposito is proving a slippery customer.
Esposito is in close to Gombos's body, working some short punches and elbows.

Gombos had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Esposito defends it easily.

Gombos has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Esposito can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Gombos is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Esposito working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Gombos's head.
Esposito showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Gombos is trying to keep Esposito in close.
Esposito is working Gombos over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

Gombos looking for a guillotine here but Esposito defends easily.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Gombos has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Esposito can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Esposito throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Esposito stopping the sweep attempt from Gombos.
Gombos is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Esposito tries to free his leg and advance position but Gombos is retaining full guard.
Esposito stays in close to Gombos's body and controls the position.
Esposito chips away with some ground and pound.
We've been hearing good reports from Esposito'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.
Esposito slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Esposito with a nice head shot there.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Gombos escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Esposito gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Esposito lands a couple of elbows.

Gombos had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Esposito defends it easily.
Esposito stands up over Gombos, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Esposito lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Esposito's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Esposito's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Gombos is trying to keep Esposito in close.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Javier Esposito dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Esposito misses with a left hand
and Gombos counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Esposito thinking.
Esposito looks to score with a jab to the body but Gombos is just out of range.
A cross from Esposito lands.
Gombos misses the jab.
Esposito changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Gombos scores with a jab.
Gombos throws a big shot that misses.
Gombos bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Esposito's head.
Gombos looks for a takedown but Esposito sprawls well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gombos tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Esposito was well out of range. Poor timing from Gombos.
Gombos lands a really nice looking cross but Esposito seems unphased.
A big right from Esposito misses.
Esposito throws a leg kick but Gombos sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Gombos misses with an uppercut. Esposito saw that one coming.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A slow jab from Gombos misses its intended target.
A cross from Gombos lands.
Gombos just misses with a punch to the body.
Esposito pushing out the jab but it's not landing.

Gombos gets a takedown into half guard.
Esposito is holding on to half guard well.
Gombos stalling away here and it's allowed Esposito to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Gombos looking to pass the guard.
Gombos preventing the sweep.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Esposito keeping moving, preventing Gombos from controlling successfully.
Esposito looking to hit a scissor sweep but Gombos is one step ahead there.
Gombos throwing strikes from guard but Esposito blocks nicely.
Gombos trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Esposito manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!

Esposito pushing down on Gombos's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Esposito controlling the action here.
Esposito is keen to just control but Gombos is a slippery customer.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Esposito is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Gombos slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Esposito working some strikes from top position.

Gombos is looking for a triangle but Esposito pushes his legs off easily.
Esposito trying to control but Gombos is working from the bottom.
Esposito works over Gombos with some ground and pound from guard.
Esposito's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Esposito scoring with punches to the head and body.
Gombos not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Gombos is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Esposito defends well.

Gombos has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Esposito can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Gombos throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Esposito's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Gombos looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Esposito stands up over Gombos, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Dan Gombos will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Esposito closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Esposito works his way into full mount!
Gombos is trying to escape the mount.
Gombos tries to lock up and control but Esposito gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Esposito scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Gombos?
Esposito looking to finish Gombos with some ground and pound. This is bad for Gombos!
Gombos tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Esposito wants to control but instead Gombos manages to regain half guard.
Gombos slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Esposito content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Esposito looking to pass the guard.
Esposito is stalling in the full guard.
Esposito cracks Gombos with a solid left hand.
Esposito working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Esposito is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

Gombos is looking to cinch up a triangle. Esposito throws the leg off to one side though and gets in tight to Gombos's body to avoid the submission. Gombos has instead reached around Esposito's neck and now has a guillotine! Oh, this is biiiig trouble! Gombos arches his back and squeezes and forces the tap from his hapless opponent.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:59 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Dan Gombos!
After the fight, Dan Gombos was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.