PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jorge Lopez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dmitri Tarasov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Lopez
vs
Tarasov

180 cm
20
210 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

188 cm
20
210 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Intelligent

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Solid chin

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Jorge Lopez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Dmitri Tarasov!
The judges for this bout are Winston Howard, John Mangel and Damien Edna.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Tarasov shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Tarasov thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Lopez's head.
Lopez trying to control but Tarasov postures up.

Lopez looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Lopez is looking to control Tarasov's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Lopez avoid being mounted?
Tarasov thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

Lopez looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Lopez is looking to control Tarasov's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Lopez avoid being mounted?
Tarasov really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Lopez. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Tarasov scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lopez wants to control but Tarasov is keeping busy.

Lopez is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Tarasov pulls his head out easily.
Tarasov misses with a head shot. Lopez uses the momentum to regain guard.
Tarasov thows a big elbow that misses.
Lopez has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Tarasov accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Tarasov working some strikes from top position.
Tarasov throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Tarasov missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Tarasov postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.

The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Lopez is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Tarasov is aware though and is defending well.
Lopez is breathing heavily.
Tarasov makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Lopez keeping moving, preventing Tarasov from controlling successfully.
Lopez trying to keep a closed guard but Tarasov is proving a slippery customer.
Tarasov throwing strikes from guard but Lopez blocks nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tarasov throwing strikes from guard but Lopez blocks nicely.
Lopez has momentary wrist control but Tarasov slips an elbow through the middle.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Tarasov postures up.
Tarasov missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Lopez utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Tarasov stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Lopez swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Tarasov trying to control the position from guard on top but Lopez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Lopez looking for a guillotine here but Tarasov defends easily.
Lopez keeping full guard, as Tarasov tries to pass.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Tarasov changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Lopez looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
The ground and pound from Tarasov seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Lopez is working to avoid the ground and pound but Tarasov connects with a decent elbow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dmitri Tarasov dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Lopez tries to keep at a distance but Tarasov has taken the fight into the clinch.

Tarasov has picked Lopez up - he's going for a ride! Tarasov dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Lopez keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Tarasov throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

Lopez is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Tarasov pulls his head out easily.
Tarasov misses with a head shot. Lopez uses the momentum to regain guard.
Tarasov missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Lopez throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lopez trying to control the position.
Lopez avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Lopez has his takedown stuffed

and Tarasov counters with a nice double leg into side control. Lopez won't be happy with that.
Tarasov working the ground and pound.
Tarasov misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Tarasov with the ground and pound but Lopez regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Lopez works his way to full guard. Good work.
Tarasov with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lopez tries to strike from the bottom.
Tarasov pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Lopez is keeping the position for now.

Lopez working for a triangle but Tarasov defends it easily.
Lopez manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Tarasov manages to get himself to full guard.
Lopez won't allow Tarasov to sweep him here.
Tarasov striking off his back but it's not causing Lopez any problems.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lopez lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

Lopez is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Tarasov working a defensive guard here.
Lopez works over Tarasov with some ground and pound from guard.

Lopez is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Lopez stopping the sweep attempt from Tarasov.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Tarasov misses with a looping left.
Tarasov jabbing away but nothing is landing.

Tarasov closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Lopez gets full guard.

Lopez throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Tarasov avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Dmitri Tarasov will probably get the nod - 10:9.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Tarasov scores with a hook.
Lopez misses with a takedown

and Tarasov counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Tarasov.
Tarasov postures up.
Tarasov in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Tarasov keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Lopez's head.
Tarasov throws and elbow that misses. Lopez uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Tarasov's guard. Nice move by Lopez!

Lopez thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Connects with an elbow from the bottom, proving to the judges that he's still active off his back.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lopez preventing the sweep.
Tarasov doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.

Lopez thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Tarasov trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Tarasov will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Tarasov lands a good elbow from the bottom.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Tarasov closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Lopez takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Lopez wants to control but Tarasov postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lopez sneaks back into half guard.

Lopez looking for submissions off his back.
Tarasov is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Lopez blocking the ground and pound attempt from Tarasov.
Lopez trying to control from the bottom.
Lopez keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lopez wants to control but Tarasov is keeping busy.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Tarasov.
Tarasov looks up at the clock and then as Lopez takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Tarasov smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Lopez on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Tarasov trying to control the action but Lopez is working from the bottom.
Dmitri Tarasov has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tarasov tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Tarasov blocks the strikes from Lopez.
Lopez wants to control but Tarasov postures up.
Tarasov lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Tarasov fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Tarasov throwing strikes but Lopez manages to buck up and roll into a nice reversal - now he's on top in side control!
Tarasov is trying to get back to half guard.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Tarasov.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dmitri Tarasov comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Tarasov 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 Winston Howard scores the fight 27:30
Judge John Mangel scores the fight 27:30
Judge Damien Edna scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dmitri Tarasov!