PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Alexander Blanco (ranked 3341 p4p, 0 weight class) and Aaron Swingewood (ranked 4196 p4p, 0 weight class). Swingewood has a niggling injury. He would have liked to come in 100% fit but that's not always possible. The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Blanco
vs
Swingewood

176 cm
25
156 lbs
5 - 6 - 0

178 cm
25
155 lbs
6 - 6 - 2

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 6 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Alexander Blanco!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 6 - 2, fighting out of The Island, Aaron Swingewood!
The judges for this bout are Santiago Holmes, David Hoff and Winston Alpacca.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Swingewood doesn't manage to clinch there - Blanco circles away.
Blanco throws a sloppy head kick and Swingewood moves out of range easily.
Nice sprawl there from Swingewood as Blanco shoots in.
And Swingewood tries to counter it with a takedown but Blanco pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Blanco shoots in for a takedown but Swingewood shows good takedown defense.
Blanco throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

Blanco clinches up against the cage.
Blanco wants to break the clinch but can't.
Swingewood fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Swingewood tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Swingewood breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Swingewood stuffs the takedown attempt from Blanco. Blanco gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alexander Blanco. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Blanco throws a head kick but Swingewood moves out of range.
Blanco throws a head kick that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Blanco has managed to clinch.
Swingewood avoids the elbow strike from Blanco, against the cage.
Blanco drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Swingewood gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Blanco wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Swingewood jumps guard but Blanco turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Swingewood missing with knees to the body.
Swingewood is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Blanco is defending well for now.
Swingewood on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Swingewood wants to take the fight to the mat but Blanco manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Swingewood looks winded!
Blanco jumps guard but Swingewood stands there with Blanco around his waist. Blanco gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Blanco wants to get back to striking at distance but Swingewood won't allow it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Blanco tightens his grip and picks Swingewood up, before dumping him to the ground. Swingewood manages to land in guard.
Blanco has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Blanco postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Blanco trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Blanco is working hard here to advance position.
Swingewood working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Blanco.
Blanco is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Blanco postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Blanco wants to control from the top but Swingewood keeps moving.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Blanco wants to stand but Swingewood is controlling his posture from full guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Swingewood tries for a takedown but Blanco circles away easily
and Blanco counters with a left and a right that stings Swingewood.
Blanco dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Blanco misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Swingewood with a poor takedown
and Blanco counters with a nice uppercut.
Blanco looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Swingewood is fending him off so far but Blanco persists. Nope, Swingewood circles away and we're back to standing.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Blanco is defended easily by Swingewood.
Swingewood throws a counter combo.
Blanco shoots in but Swingewood avoids the takedown attempt easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Blanco scores with a body shot.
Blanco shoots in but no luck this time.

Blanco has closed the distance and engaged Swingewood in a clinch.
Swingewood tries for a takedown but Blanco manages to get underhooks.
Swingewood jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Blanco walks away with a smile on his face. Swingewood gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Blanco gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Blanco.
Blanco drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Swingewood gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Swingewood gets underhooks to prevent Blanco's takedown attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alexander Blanco dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Blanco instigates a clinch.
Swingewood is trying to pull guard but Blanco has him pressed against the cage.
Blanco drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Swingewood gets the underhooks and prevents it.

Swingewood breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Blanco lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Swingewood stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Swingewood wants it to stay on the feet.
Blanco shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Swingewood defends it nicely.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alexander Blanco. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Blanco has taken the fight to the clinch.
Swingewood is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Blanco is looking to break free of the clinch but Swingewood has double underhooks.
Blanco tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Swingewood just stands there and leans against the cage.
Blanco has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Swingewood avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.

Swingewood pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Blanco is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Swingewood can do to turn this around?
Blanco tries a head kick but it misses.
Alexander Blanco is winning the standup battle so far.
Blanco throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Swingewood wants to counter the offense by Blanco and move into the clinch position.

Blanco takes the fight into the clinch.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Swingewood stalling in the clinch but Blanco improves position.
Swingewood seems frustrated at his inability to get double underhooks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Blanco lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Swingewood.
Blanco fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Blanco displaying some good clinch control by pressing Swingewood up against the cage.
Blanco is trying to push Swingewood away but Swingewood has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Swingewood breaks the clinch.
Blanco fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Swingewood fails with a takedown attempt.

Swingewood has taken the fight to the clinch.
Alexander Blanco has scored more points in the clinch so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Blanco lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Swingewood backwards.
Blanco is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Swingewood jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Blanco walks away with a smile on his face. Swingewood gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Blanco tries a head kick but it misses.
Blanco shoots in for a takedown but Swingewood shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

Blanco closes the distance and clinches.
Blanco lands a right hand that snaps the head of Swingewood backwards.
Blanco wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Swingewood has him pressed against the cage.

Blanco jumps guard.
Blanco throwing strikes off his back to little effect.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Swingewood trying to control but Blanco is working from the bottom.
Blanco has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Swingewood has passed into side control.
Blanco is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Swingewood off and has taken his back!

Swingewood is displaying good submission defense - not really looking in danger of submitting to the rear naked choke at the moment. That could change in an instant of course if Blanco gets his way!
A bit of a pause in the action here. Blanco controlling the positon.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alexander Blanco dominated that second round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Swingewood keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Blanco lands with a good body shot.
Blanco tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Swingewood defends well and Blanco ends up having to push Swingewood into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Blanco shoots in looking for a takedown. Swingewood tries to sprawl out of it but Blanco keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Swingewood manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alexander Blanco. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Blanco wants to land a leg kick but Swingewood is out of range.
Swingewood shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Blanco sprawls well. Blanco wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Swingewood gets slowly back to his feet.
Blanco is looking for a counter combo.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Blanco shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Swingewood defends it nicely.
Swingewood takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Blanco tries to score a power double leg takedown but Swingewood sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Blanco somewhat.
Swingewood shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Blanco as he avoids it easily.
Swingewood looks for a takedown but Blanco sprawls well.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Blanco lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Swingewood has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Swingewood and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Blanco misses with a head kick.
Blanco dives in for a single leg takedown but Swingewood sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Blanco closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Swingewood is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Blanco gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Blanco decides to pull guard.
Blanco looking for a sweep. Not yet Blanco, not yet.
Blanco looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.

Swingewood got a little sloppy there for a moment and Blanco has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Swingewood has managed to get both his arms back between Blanco's legs - danger averted.
Blanco controlling Swingewood's posture.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Blanco controls Swingewood momentarily but Swingewood frees himself.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Blanco manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Swingewood manages to get himself to full guard.

Swingewood keeping moving, preventing Blanco from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Blanco forces his way into half guard.
Blanco stalling.
The fighters are battling for position here. Swingewood manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Blanco not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Aaron Swingewood has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Alexander Blanco is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

And that's the end of the fight!
Alexander Blanco showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Blanco 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 Santiago Holmes scores the fight 30:27
Judge David Hoff scores the fight 30:27
Judge Winston Alpacca scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Alexander Blanco!