PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Lesley Espinoza (ranked 25484 p4p, 0 weight class) and Floyd Cena (ranked 6480 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Espinoza
vs
Cena

200 cm
18
346 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

200 cm
21
300 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Likes comics

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Lesley Espinoza!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Floyd Cena!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Ben Zyskovitsi and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cena closes this distance looking for a takedown but Espinoza circles away.
Espinoza seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.

Cena gets a clinch.

Cena pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Cena slaps away a takedown attempt from Espinoza, before circling back to the center of the mat.
No luck for Espinoza with that takedown attempt.

Espinoza rushes Cena and presses him up against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Espinoza has Cena pressed against the cage, preventing Cena from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Cena tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Espinoza avoids it.
Espinoza misses with a hook to the ribs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Espinoza keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Cena's efforts to push away.
Cena is trying to pull guard but Espinoza turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.

Espinoza manages to break the clinch.

Cena has Espinoza up against the cage in a clinch.
Cena is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Espinoza is defending well.
Lesley Espinoza has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Floyd Cena.

Espinoza escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Espinoza darts in and clinches Cena up against the cage.

Espinoza's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Cena fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Espinoza wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Espinoza fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Cena avoids it really well and circles away.
Good standup being displayed there by Cena as he connects with a hook.

It looks like Lesley Espinoza has been cut.

Espinoza shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Cena missing with punches from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cena is holding on to half guard well.
Espinoza is figuring out what he wants to do next.

Cena kicks off Espinoza and gets to his feet.
Cena shoots for a double leg takedown but Espinoza sprawls well. He's pushed Cena's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Espinoza has managed to clinch.
Cena has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Espinoza after a bit of a struggle.
Cena wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Cena wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Espinoza avoids a wild elbow strike from Cena.
Cena is trying to pull guard but Espinoza has him pressed against the cage.
Espinoza throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Cena blocks it with crossed arms.
Cena jumps guard but Espinoza stands there with Cena around his waist. Cena gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Cena missing with knees to the body.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cena misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Espinoza.

Espinoza manages to break the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Lesley Espinoza will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Lesley Espinoza's cut.
That's time! Espinoza's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Espinoza fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Cena sprawls well initially but Espinoza persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Espinoza could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Espinoza controlling the action here.
Cena tries to push off, looking to stand up, but Espinoza manages to move to mount!
Cena prevents any damage by holding on tight.
Cena is desperately trying to improve his position but Espinoza has a good base and remains in mount.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cena wants to control but Espinoza is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cena is in all sorts of trouble here.
Cena is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Espinoza controlling the position easily from mount.
Cena is trying to reverse the position but instead Espinoza has taken his back - oops!
Cena looking very determined here, making life difficult for Espinoza.
Cena wants to control his opponent's hands but Espinoza gets his hands free.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Cena is trying to stand back up.
Cena is being controlled on the ground here - he must escape this position otherwise surely the end is near.

Espinoza looking for the choke from the back.
Cena wants to escape the position.
Espinoza avoiding Cena 's attempts to control his hands.
Cena is really stuck here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Espinoza looking for the RNC.
Cena trying to control but not successfully.
Espinoza is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Cena can do to turn this around?

Cena is trying escape back to his feet. He turns into his opponent's guard and eventually finds his way back to his feet.
Espinoza keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Espinoza half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Espinoza fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Cena to the ground. Espinoza is now in Cena's guard.
Cena wants to get back to his feet but Espinoza passes into half guard.
Cena is breathing heavily.

Espinoza looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Cena is not content to let Espinoza control the position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Espinoza is working for a submission of some sort.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lesley Espinoza dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Lesley Espinoza's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Cena shoots in for a takedown but Espinoza shows good takedown defense.
Cena fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Espinoza avoids it really well and circles away.
As Cena tries to get set, Espinoza tries to push him back and clinch up but Cena manages to avoid the attempt.
Cena tries to close the distance and clinch but Espinoza swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Espinoza clinches.

Espinoza manages to break the clinch.
Cena fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Espinoza avoids it really well and circles away.
As Cena tries to get set, Espinoza tries to push him back and clinch up but Cena manages to avoid the attempt.
Lesley Espinoza has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Floyd Cena.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Espinoza has closed the distance and engaged Cena in a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cena tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Espinoza keeps control of Cena as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Cena pushes Espinoza back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Cena wants to get back to striking at distance but Espinoza won't allow it.
Cena avoids the elbow strike from Espinoza, against the cage.
Cena jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Espinoza walks away with a smile on his face. Cena gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Cena shoots in for a takedown but Espinoza shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Espinoza tries to clinch but Cena moves away
enabling Cena to counter with a crisp jab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Cena closes the distance and pushes Espinoza back into the cage.
Cena wants a takedown.
Cena takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Cena is working for takedown but Espinoza is calmly controlling the position for now.
Cena is trying to force a seperation but Espinoza has the dominant position.

Espinoza pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Cena gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Espinoza's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Cena tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Espinoza manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Cena pushes Espinoza up against the cage in a clinch.
Espinoza goes for a takedown attempt but Cena pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cena tries to close the distance and clinch up but Espinoza swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Espinoza tries to counter by clinching up but Cena breaks away and moves out of range.
Cena connects with a crisp jab.
Lesley Espinoza is winning the standup battle so far.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Cena.
Espinoza half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Cena tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Espinoza paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Espinoza gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Espinoza breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Espinoza avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Cena throws a head kick but Espinoza moves out of range.
Espinoza shoots in but no luck this time.
Cena misses with a body kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cena shoots in looking for a takedown. Espinoza tries to sprawl out of it but Cena keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Espinoza manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Espinoza shoots for a double leg takedown but Cena sprawls well. He's pushed Espinoza's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Espinoza darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

Espinoza seems to be looking for submissions.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cena tries to roll over but Espinoza keeps him under control.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Lesley Espinoza.
Well Espinoza has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 30:28
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 30:27
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Lesley Espinoza!