PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Pepe Lopez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jason Rage (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rage is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: For Heavy Metal we will die!. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Lopez
vs
Rage

179 cm
33
202 lbs
17 - 12 - 0

178 cm
30
190 lbs
15 - 6 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Lethal high kicks
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Sully's Bar & Grill

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 17 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Pepe Lopez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Jason Rage!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Jack Bonds and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rage takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Rage throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Lopez.
Rage slips a straight right by Lopez.
Rage throws a nice looking combination but Lopez bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Rage keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Rage scores with a jab to the jaw.
Rage misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Nice cross by Rage.
Rage swings for the body but Lopez moves out of range.
Rage avoids the body shot from Lopez.
Lopez jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Rage drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Lopez defends it well.
Rage defending well as Lopez loads up on a big left hand.
A nice combination there by Rage.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Lopez stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Rage.
Rage thuds a left hand into Lopez's body.
Rage has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Lopez swings for the body but Rage moves out of range.
Lopez looks to throw the jab but Rage is out of range.
Rage lands a nice shot to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rage feints and as Lopez raises his hands in defense, Rage changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Lopez utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Rage throwing strikes but missing.
Rage stopping the sweep attempt from Lopez.
Lopez pulls Rage in close to his closed guard and prevents Rage from doing any damage or advancing position.
Rage throwing strikes but missing.
Rage trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rage distracts Lopez with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Rage slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Lopez keeping full guard, as Rage tries to pass.
Rage chips away with some ground and pound.
Rage is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Lopez is controlling Rage's posture.
Rage stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Lopez swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Rage wants to control from the top but Lopez keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lopez wants to sweep here but Rage controlling him for the moment.
Lopez wants to improve his position but instead Rage has moved into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Lopez wants to get back to full guard but Rage has mounted him!
Lopez keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Rage pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Lopez holds on to Rage as tight as he can, avoiding damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rage postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Lopez looks a forlorn figure.
Rage takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Lopez really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Lopez wants to control but Rage is having none of it.
Rage looking to control but Lopez is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Rage scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Lopez?
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jason Rage dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Rage throws a head kick that misses.
Lopez feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Rages jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Rage is looking to score with low kicks.
Rage takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Lopez misses with an uppercut. Rage saw that one coming.
Lopez has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Lopez on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Rage throws a right and a left that Lopez avoids nicely.
Lopez swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Lopez throws a sloppy head kick and Rage moves out of range easily.
Lopez slips a jab and a cross from Rage.
A looping hook to the body misses from Rage. Lopez does a little dance to reset his feet.
Rage has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Lopez finds it's way round the side to connect with Rage's head.
Lopez connects with the punch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Rage jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Lopez lands a jab to the head.
Lopez misses with a head kick.
Rage has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Rage cracks Lopez with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lopez tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Rage with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Rage uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Lopez.
Rage fails to land with a series of punches.
Rage slips a straight right by Lopez.
Rage's jab looks to have found its range, popping Lopez under the eye.
Rage lands with an overhand left.
Rage looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Rage thows a left - swing and a miss!
Rage darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Lopez takes one to the chin there.

Lopez is rocked!
Rage fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Oh Lopez is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Lopez throws a body punch but Rage moves out of range.
Jason Rage seems to be getting the better of the standup.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Nice jab there from Lopez.
Lopez seems to have got his legs back now.
Rage bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Lopez moves out of range as Rage throws a body kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rage lands a left and a right that send Lopez crashing to the mat, dazed. Rage thinks about following him to the mat but decides to wave him back up to his feet!
Nice jab there from Lopez.

It looks like Jason Rage has been cut.
A jab from Lopez misses.
Lopez digs a good body shot into Rage's ribs.
Lopez throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Rage throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Lopez's waist but Lopez gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Rage off to one side.
Rage fails to land with a series of punches.
Lopez with a hook.
Jason Rage seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rage takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Rage finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Rage.
Rage takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Rage is breathing heavily.
Lopez misses with a jab, cross combination.
Lopez ducks down and throws a hook to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rage looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Lopez moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Donk. Lopez catches Rage right on the button with a cross.
Rage swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Rage throws the left hand but Lopez avoids the punch easily.
Lopez swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
A left lands for Lopez.
Lopez displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Rage throws out the jab.
Rage uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Lopez.
Lopez looks to land a left hand but Rage moved out of range nicely.
Rage uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Lopez.
Rage connects with a leg kick. Lopez looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Rage is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Rage dives in for a single leg takedown but Lopez sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Rage will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Lopez loads up on a big right hand but Rage slips the punch.
Lopez fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Lopez connects with the punch.
Lopez thows a left - swing and a miss!
Rage fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Lopez looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Rage throws a leg kick but Lopez checks it.
Rage on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Rage connects with a crisp jab.
Rage throws a low kick, looking for Lopez's leg but Lopez calmly moves out of range.
Rage scoring well with a low kick there.
Rage uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Lopez.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Lopez tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
A punch combination from Lopez misses.
Rage stuns Lopez with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Rage avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Jason Rage will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Jason Rage's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Rage throws a leg kick
and Lopez counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Lopez connects with a crisp jab.
Lopez takes a jab right on the kisser.
Lopez is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Rage.
Rage was about to counter that last move with a leg kick but changes his mind.
Lopez keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Rage.
Rage throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Lopez.
Lopez throws a series of strikes that have Rage backpedaling.
Lopez misses with a hook.
Rage fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Lopez.
No joy there for Lopez, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Lopez misses with a hook

and Rage counters with a nice double leg into side control. Lopez won't be happy with that.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Lopez is trying to get back to half guard.
Lopez is in a bad spot here and he knows it... just holding on for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rage laying and praying for a moment but Lopez takes advantage and regains half guard.
Rage thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Lopez's head.
Rage works his way into side control.
Rage working the ground and pound but Lopez is defending the strikes.
Rage misses with the ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Lopez is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Rage's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Lopez wants to get back to full guard.
Rage with the ground and pound but Lopez uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Rage missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Lopez seems keen to control Rage's posture.
Lopez is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Rage must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Rage in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rage with a flurry of punches that miss.
Rage trying to control the position from guard on top but Lopez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Lopez cracks a nice hook into Rage's ribs.
Rage moves out of range of the strikes.
Pepe Lopez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Rage lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Rage.
Rage throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Lopez misses with a head kick.
Lopez dodges the punch combination from Rage.
A telegraphed right hand from Rage misses the target.
It looked like Lopez wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Nice body kick from Rage.
Lopez connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rage throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Lopez on the side of the head.
Good standup being displayed there by Rage as he connects with a hook.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Rage with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Rage uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Lopez.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Rage.
Rage shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Lopez but Lopez pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Rage takes a kick to the side of the head.
A cross from Rage lands.
Rage swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
A telegraphed right hand from Lopez misses the target.
Rage swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Rage works Lopez's body with a nice hook.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Lopez lands a glancing blow to the side of Rage's head.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Jason Rage.
Well Rage has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Don Winkell scores the fight 27:30
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 29:28
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Jason Rage!
Jason Rage decided to hype himself up post fight. It was going well but he went on about it a bit too long and the crowd turned on him a little.