PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Emanuel Le Delma (ranked 1559 p4p, 1535 weight class) and Pablo Noriega (ranked 140 p4p, 139 weight class). Le Delma comes to the cage accompanied by Je Reste Ghetto. Noriega is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: MS-13 Mara Salvatrucha. Emanuel Le Delma had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Le Delma
vs
Noriega

176 cm
26
152
9 - 10 - 0

181 cm
46
148
39 - 27 - 2

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Fantasy Threads

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Emanuel Le Delma!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 39 - 27 - 2, fighting out of Amsterdam, Pablo Noriega!
The judges for this bout are Ben Watson, Eliza Hachem and Hugh Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A punch combination from Noriega misses.
Le Delma half committed to a counter leg kick.
Le Delma shoots in and drives through. Noriega sprawls well.
Noriega thows a left - swing and a miss!
A solid leg kick lands there for Noriega.
Noriega takes a kick to the side of the head.
Noriega keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Le Delma moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Noriega fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Noriega misses with a hook. Le Delma ducked under it nicely.
Le Delma blocks a low kick nicely.
Noriega throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Le Delma takes one to the chin there.
Noriega paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Le Delma tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Le Delma uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Noriega.
Le Delma thinks about countering with a head kick.
Noriega is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Noriega throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Le Delma fires out a quick counter leg kick but Noriega just manages to avoid it.
Le Delma changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Noriega tries to avoid it but Le Delma manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Noriega to the ground. Noriega escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Emanuel Le Delma. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Le Delma closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Le Delma lands in his opponent's guard.
Noriega wants to sweep but no luck.
Le Delma throws a strike but Noriega rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Le Delma wants to stand and escape but Noriega is having none of it.
Noriega must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Noriega wants to stand but Le Delma has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Noriega prevents Le Delma from getting back to his feet.
Le Delma has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Le Delma misses with a head kick.
Noriega looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Pablo Noriega seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Le Delma lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Le Delma looks to throw a body kick
and Noriega counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Noriega tests Le Delma's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Noriega throws a leg kick but Le Delma moved away.
Le Delma looked to counter with a high kick but didn't commit.
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!
Noriega smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Noriega gets caught napping as Le Delma dives in and scores a takedown. Noriega manages to retain guard.
Le Delma throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Noriega works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Noriega can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Le Delma controls the pace.

Noriega is working an open guard so Le Delma takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Noriega pivots, looking for a leg kick but Le Delma is out of range and Noriega settles back down.
Noriega lands with a kick to the temple. Le Delma shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Noriega throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Le Delma.
A slapping leg kick lands for Noriega.
Noriega misses with a body punch
and Le Delma counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Noriega throws a leg kick but Le Delma moved away.
Le Delma checks a leg kick.
Noriega throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Noriega wants to slow Le Delma down by chopping away at his legs.
Le Delma lands a jab.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Noriega moves out of range of the strikes.
Noriega misses with an uppercut. Le Delma saw that one coming.
Le Delma goes for a double leg but Noriega avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Noriega continues to drive forward.
Noriega swings away with an uppercut that misses.

Le Delma breaks the clinch.
Le Delma feints a jab promting Noriega to slip. Le Delma then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Noriega slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Noriega throws a head kick that misses.
Noriega avoids the head kick by Le Delma.
Noriega misses the body punch
and Le Delma counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Noriega misses with a lunging right hand
and Le Delma counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Le Delma connects with a high kick.
Noriega throws a leg kick but Le Delma checks it.
Le Delma appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.
Le Delma pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Noriega has been working his punching technique in the buildup to the fight and it appears to be paying off.
Noriega throws a nice inside leg kick.
Noriega lands a nice leg kick that just misses Le Delma's sensitive parts.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Pablo Noriega dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Le Delma dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Noriega. That did some damage!
Noriega throws the left hand but Le Delma avoids the punch easily.
Le Delma thumps Noriega with a low kick.
Le Delma tries for a takedown but Noriega circles away easily
and Noriega connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Noriega throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Le Delma sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Le Delma looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Le Delma throws out a powerful jab.

Le Delma manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Noriega on his heels. He'll look to pass Noriega's guard now, I'm sure.
Le Delma loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Le Delma with a flurry of punches that miss.
Le Delma trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Noriega manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!

Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Le Delma is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Le Delma is wriggling around but Noriega manages to pass to half guard.
Le Delma is trying to stand.
Le Delma trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.
Noriega keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Le Delma is trying to stand up here but Noriega is controlling him well.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Le Delma connects with a solid leg kick.
A leg kick checked by Le Delma.
Pablo Noriega is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
A chopping leg kick lands by Le Delma.
Noriega throws a low kick but Le Delma avoids it.
Le Delma half committed to a counter leg kick.

Le Delma shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Noriega manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Le Delma throwing strikes but missing.
Le Delma throwing strikes but missing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Le Delma distracts Noriega with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Le Delma in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Noriega avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Le Delma keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Noriega's head.
Le Delma postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Noriega preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Le Delma missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Le Delma content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Le Delma wants to control from the top but Noriega keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Le Delma lands a couple of digs.
Le Delma throws a strike but Noriega rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Le Delma is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Noriega is controlling him.
Le Delma keeping moving, preventing Noriega from controlling successfully.
Emanuel Le Delma overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Le Delma wants to stand but Noriega is controlling the position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Noriega is standing up over Le Delma. Le Delma looks to escape but Noriega dives into side control.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Emanuel Le Delma dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Noriega scores with a kick to the body.
Le Delma misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Noriega blocks a head kick by Le Delma.
A slow jab from Noriega misses its intended target.
Le Delma tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Noriega defends well and Le Delma ends up having to push Noriega into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Noriega throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Le Delma managing to block the knees to the body from Noriega.

Le Delma breaks the clinch.
Noriega fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Le Delma has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Le Delma dives in for a single leg takedown but Noriega sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Noriega appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.

Le Delma breaks the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Le Delma uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Noriega.
Le Delma appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.
Pablo Noriega seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Noriega throws a body punch but Le Delma moves out of range.
Le Delma takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.

Le Delma throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Noriega was covering up waiting for the punch and Le Delma finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Noriega wants to get back to his feet but Le Delma passes into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Le Delma winds up and cracks Noriega with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Le Delma lands strikes from half guard.
Le Delma throws a strike but Noriega avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Le Delma stopping the sweep attempt from Noriega.
We've been hearing that Le Delma has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.
Le Delma controls from within his opponent's guard.
Le Delma trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Noriega trying to control the position.
Noriega avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Noriega tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Le Delma throws a strike but Noriega rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Le Delma is looking to stand up but Noriega isn't so interested in that idea.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Le Delma throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Le Delma goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.

Le Delma manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Noriega on his heels. He'll look to pass Noriega's guard now, I'm sure.
Le Delma in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Le Delma postures up in Noriega's guard and throws a big left but Noriega blocks it.
Le Delma missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Le Delma in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Le Delma trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Le Delma loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Le Delma throws a big right hand that misses.
Le Delma is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Le Delma scoring with punches to the head and body.
Noriega has momentary wrist control but Le Delma slips an elbow through the middle.
Noriega takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Le Delma with a flurry of punches that miss.
Le Delma controls from within his opponent's guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Emanuel Le Delma showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Le Delma has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Ben Watson scores the fight 29:27
Judge Eliza Hachem scores the fight 29:28
Judge Hugh Johnson scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Emanuel Le Delma!
Emanuel Le Delma spent the whole post fight interview bigging himself up. It didn't go down that well with the fans after a while as they thought it was a bit arrogant.
The defeated Pablo Noriega had this to say: 'Don’t Worry Im Gonna Put A Hit On Him Ese'.