PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Chet Manley (ranked 1704 p4p, 260 weight class) and Martez Lopez (ranked 1474 p4p, 218 weight class). Chet Manley has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Manley
vs
Lopez

192 cm
22
214 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

178 cm
22
220 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
World class MT
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

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 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Chet Manley!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Martez Lopez!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Tiny Johnson and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lopez misses with a double jab.
Lopez changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Lopez just misses with a punch to the body.
A telegraphed right hand from Manley misses the target.
Lopez lands a right hook to the body.
Lopez misses with a hook to the body
and Manley counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

Lopez manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Manley on his heels. He'll look to pass Manley's guard now, I'm sure.
Lopez trying to control but Manley is working from the bottom.
Lopez slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lopez slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Lopez tries to move to mount but Manley blocks the move with his legs.
Lopez misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Lopez with the ground and pound but Manley regains half guard under the barage of strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Manley keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Manley is refusing to be controlled, as Lopez sits in half guard.
Manley's coaches at Urban Achievers have been working on his defensive grappling in preparation for this fight so let's see if he can get out of this tricky position.
Lopez sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Manley defending well though.
Manley gets full guard.
Lopez working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Lopez throwing strikes but missing.
Lopez has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Lopez sitting in guard, not really doing much.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Lopez trying to control but Manley is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lopez throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Manley utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Lopez is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Manley swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Lopez misses with a few strikes there.
An attempted straight right counter from Manley misses the target.
Lopez connects with a jab.
Lopez tries for a takedown but Manley sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lopez closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Lopez misses with a takedown attempt
and Manley connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Chet Manley is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Manley takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Lopez avoids a punch combination nicely.
Lopez changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Lopez cracks a nice hook into Manley's ribs.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Manley pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Lopez sizes up Manley with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Martez Lopez 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.

Lopez shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Manley but Manley pushes him off and we're back to square one.
A little feinted left hand from Manley on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Lopez throws a body punch but Manley moves out of range.
Nice defenses there by Manley.
Manley was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Manley misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Lopez.
Lopez is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Manley rather than just go for the knockout.
Manley dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lopez misses with a body shot
enabling Manley to counter with a crisp jab.
Manley misses the jab.
Lopez connects with a right hand. Manley shakes it off.
Martez Lopez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lopez scores with a nice right hand.
Lopez stuns Manley with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Lopez throws a poor cross that misses
and Manley counters with a stiff right hand.
Manley catches Lopez with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Manley misses the jab.
Lopez fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Lopez throws a body shot but no joy.
A shot to the body from Lopez misses
and Manley counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Manley misses with a hook

and Lopez counters with a takedown into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Manley dodges the ground and pound from Lopez.
Lopez misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Check out the look on Lopez's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Lopez looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Manley is avoiding damage well.
Lopez wants to lay and pray for a moment but Manley keeps working.
Lopez throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Manley knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Lopez on the ground.
Manley wants to get back to his feet but Lopez drags him back down.
Manley managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Lopez.
Lopez throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lopez scores with punches from side control.
Lopez lands a nice forearm strike.
Lopez is putting a hurting on Manley here, landing some big shots from side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Lopez misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Manley takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Lopez wants to lay and pray for a moment but Manley keeps working.
Lopez working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Lopez taking a breather here.
Lopez creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lopez scoring with punches and elbows.
Manley is looking to regain half guard here but Lopez keeps moving and retains side control.
Lopez in side control, throwing shots but Manley defends.
Lopez throws an elbow but Manley slips to the side and avoids it well.
Lopez controlling the position.
Lopez cracks Manley with a big elbow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Martez Lopez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Lopez closes the distance and clinches up with Manley, looking for a takedown. Lopez pushes Manley against the cage but Manley circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Manley is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Lopez shoots in but Manley avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Manley looks to land a right hand but Lopez moved out of range.
Lopez avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Lopez with the counter takedown but Manley avoids it easily.
Nice jab there from Manley.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lopez cracks Manley with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Lopez throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Manley misses with a hook. Lopez ducked under it nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lopez misses the body punch
and Manley connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Manley dodges the punch combination from Lopez.
Manley drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Manley takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Lopez catches Manley with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Lopez misses with a lunging right hand
and Manley counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Chet Manley has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Manley jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Lopez now looks to counter with a shot at the body.

Lopez shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.

Manley has managed to escape just enough to sneak back to his feet but Lopez is on him like a limpet, forcing Manley back against the cage.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A frustrated look appears on Manley's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Lopez wants a takedown but no success here.
Chet Manley has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Martez Lopez.
Lopez digs a right hand underneath Manley's ribcage. Manley let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Lopez lands a body punch in the clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Lopez throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Manleys head.
Lopez has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Manley throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Lopezs head.
Manley blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Lopez working some nice short punches in the clinch.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Lopez.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Lopez breaks from the clinch.
Manley closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Manley misses with a body shot.
Manley takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
A lazy left from Lopez finds it's target.
Lopez misses with a looping left.

Lopez scores with a takedown into Manley's guard.
Lopez pushes down on Manley's leg and manages to get into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lopez thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Manley's head.
Lopez is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Lopez slips a nice elbow through Manley's hands, connecting with Manley's forehead.
Lopez is trying to control. Manley wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Lopez with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Lopez is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Lopez is trying to control. Manley wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

And that's the end of the fight!
Martez Lopez comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Lopez 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 Wesley Smith scores the fight 27:30
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 27:30
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Martez Lopez!
During a confident post fight interview, Martez Lopez thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.