PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Hagen Potente (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Leandro Espada (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Espada comes into a darkened arena with his song building. "Juice" by Rakim kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Leandro Espada has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Hagen Potente's chin.

Potente
vs
Espada

190 cm
23
212 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

186 cm
20
205 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Granite 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 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Hagen Potente!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Leandro Espada!
The judges for this bout are Reed Andrews, Joseph Jones and Alyssa Summers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Espada changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Potente wants to clinch.
Potente throws the left hand but Espada avoids the punch easily.
Potente feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Espada's calf.
Espada looks gassed!
Espada misses with the combination.
Potente throws a nice head kick!

It looks like Leandro Espada has been cut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Espada keeps the fight on the outside.

Potente rushes Espada and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Espada.
Potente is working for takedown but Espada is calmly controlling the position for now.
Potente lands a knee to the body.
Potente is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.

Potente escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Potente tries to clinch but Espada is having none of it.
Potente throws a nice inside leg kick.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Espada fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Potente tries to close the distance and clinch but Espada swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Potente throws a leg kick which misses Espada's front leg but catches the back leg as Espada tries to avoid it.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.
Potente closes this distance looking for a takedown but Espada circles away.
Potente moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Potente tries to clinch but Espada moves out of range.
Potente is looking to clinch but Espada is avoiding it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A solid leg kick lands there for Potente.

Potente moves into the clinch.
Potente lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Espada takes a knee to the side of the body.
Espada is pressed up against the cage. Potente has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Espada down to the mat. Espada avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hagen Potente. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Potente doesn't manage to clinch there - Espada circles away.
Potente looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Espada is fending him off so far but Potente persists. Nope, Espada circles away and we're back to standing.

Potente looking for a takedown here - he's got it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Potente stopping the sweep attempt from Espada.
Espada is trying to keep Potente in close.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hagen Potente dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Leandro Espada's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Potente fails with an attempt to clinch.
Espada swinging wilding here.
Hagen Potente is winning the standup battle so far.
Potente tries to close the distance and clinch but Espada swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Potente wants to clinch.
Espada is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Potente is looking to clinch but Espada is avoiding it.
Nice body kick there by Potente.
Potente shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Espada but Espada pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Espada swats away the attempt to clinch by Potente.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Potente has closed the distance and engaged Espada in a clinch.

Potente jumps into guard, dragging Espada to the mat.
Espada postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Potente looking for a sweep. Not yet Potente, not yet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Potente is on top in guard.

Potente decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Potente wants to clinch up but Espada keeps it at a distance.
Potente throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
A low kick from Espada is predictable there
and Potente counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Potente fails with a takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Potente doesn't manage to clinch there - Espada circles away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Potente looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Espada throws a left and a right that both miss
and Potente counters with a leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hagen Potente dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Leandro Espada's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Potente moves in looking to clinch but Espada pushes him off.

Potente drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Espada can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Potente controls the pace.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Potente has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Potente has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Potente wants to stand but Espada has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Potente knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Espada on the ground.

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.
Potente stopping the sweep attempt from Espada.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Potente stands up from Espada's guard - Potente perhaps looking for a knockout.
Espada throws a left and a right that both miss
and Potente counters with a head kick.
A nice combination there by Espada.

That's four 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.

Potente clinches up with Espada and pushes him back against the cage.
Espada looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Espada gets underhooks to prevent Potente's takedown attempt.
Potente changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Espada fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Leandro Espada is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Espada throws a combination that misses

and Potente counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Espada!
Potente controlling the position easily from mount.
Leandro Espada has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

And that's the end of the fight!
Hagen Potente showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Potente 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 Reed Andrews scores the fight 30:27
Judge Joseph Jones scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alyssa Summers scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Hagen Potente!