PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Esko Takanen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Pedro Lopez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Lopez has chosen South Texas Death Ride as his entrance music. Pedro Lopez told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Takanen
vs
Lopez

175 cm
27
179 lbs
20 - 10 - 2

177 cm
22
172 lbs
7 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Fast

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 20 - 10 - 2, fighting out of Las Vegas, Esko Takanen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Pedro Lopez!
The judges for this bout are Stewart Dunkirk, Frank Dennis and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Takanen takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Takanen tries to bum rush Lopez with a series of wild strikes but Lopez uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Lopez misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Lopez throws a right hand that Takanen ducks under and follows up with a left that Takanen also avoids with ease.
Lopez swings for the body but Takanen moves out of range.
Takanen throws a sloppy head kick
and Lopez counters with a straight right hand.
Takanen slips a jab and a cross from Lopez.
Lopez shoots in looking for a takedown but Takanen manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Lopez's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lopez misses with a hook
and Takanen counters with an outside leg kick.
Takanen fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Lopez has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Takanen closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Lopez shoots for a takedown but Takanen saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Takanen waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Lopez.
Takanen throws a shot from downtown. Lopez moves away and avoids it.
Lopez misses with an uppercut
and Takanen counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
A big right from Takanen misses.
Takanen looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Lopez on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Lopez listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Takanen keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Lopez scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Lopez moves out of range of the body kick from Takanen.
Takanen throws a right hand that misses
and Lopez counters with a straight right hand.
Takanen misses the jab.
Takanen on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Lopez. Lopez obviously looking to wear him down.
Takanen catches Lopez with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Lopez stuns Takanen with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
A clash of legs there as Takanen blocks the low kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lopez scores with a shot to the body.
Takanen misses with a left hand
and Lopez counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Takanen on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Esko Takanen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Takanen checks a leg kick.
Lopez tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Takanen throws a front kick aimed at Lopez's knee but Lopez avoids it well.
Lopez avoids the body shot from Takanen.
Lopez misses with a right hand
and Takanen connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Takanen throws an off balance right hand
and Lopez counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Lopez ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Lopez misses with a body kick.
Lopez throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Takanen attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Lopez lands a front kick.
Lopez throws a chopping leg kick but Takanen manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Takanen fails in his attempt to clinch.
Lopez shoots in looking for a takedown. Takanen tries to sprawl out of it but Lopez keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Takanen manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Pedro Lopez will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

A punch lands to the side of Lopez 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Lopez swinging wildly here.
Lopez lands with an overhand left.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Takanen avoids the body shot from Lopez.
Takanen misses with a straight right.
Takanen misses with a leg kick
and Lopez counters with a left and a right that stings Takanen.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Takanen throws a right hand that misses
and Lopez counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Lopez takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Lopez misses with a hook
and Takanen connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Lopez lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Lopez lands a nice looking body shot.
Lopez misses with a straight left.
Lopez is looking to score with low kicks.
Takanen wants to clinch.
Lopez tries to score with a low kick but Takanen moves his leg out of the way.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Takanen misses with a hook

and Lopez counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Takanen!
Takanen holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Lopez tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Lopez trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Lopez putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Lopez punching from mount but Takanen doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Lopez unloads with some shots from mount but Takanen bucks and avoids them well.
Lopez looking to finish with strikes here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Takanen avoids a series of strikes thrown by Lopez.
Lopez avoids the attempt from Takanen to control.
Takanen is in a bad position, trying to hold on for dear life but he is really struggling to maintain any sort of control.
Takanen is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Lopez is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Takanen gets back to half guard.
Takanen avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Lopez.
Lopez prevents Takanen from standing back up.

Lopez is actively looking for submissions here but good counter grappling here from Takanen as he works his way to full guard.
Lopez stopping the sweep attempt from Takanen.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lopez trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Lopez throws and elbow that misses. Takanen uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Lopez's guard. Nice move by Takanen!
Lopez looking for a sweep. Not yet Lopez, not yet.
Lopez is looking to stand up but Takanen isn't so interested in that idea.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Takanen trying to control the position from guard on top but Lopez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Lopez is looking for a triangle here but Takanen uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pedro Lopez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Takanen lands with a right hand.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.
Lopez misses with a shot to the body
and Takanen counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Takanen swings widly with a right hand
and Lopez counters with a series of strikes. Takanen will be more careful next time no doubt.
Takanen misses with a straight right.
Takanen throws a left and a right that both miss
and Lopez counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Takanen thinking.
Lopez scores with a jab.
Takanen throws a lazy uppercut

and Lopez counters with a shoot takedown. Takanen fights it but they end up in guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lopez pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Takanen is keeping the position for now.
Lopez must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Takanen is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Takanen is really struggling to control Lopez but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Lopez trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Lopez throws a big right hand that misses.
Lopez trying to control but Takanen is working from the bottom.
Lopez postures up in Takanen's guard and throws a big left but Takanen blocks it.
Takanen controls Lopez momentarily but Lopez frees himself.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Takanen looking to hit a scissor sweep but Lopez is one step ahead there.
Takanen has control of Lopez's left arm, preventing Lopez from doing any damage.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Esko Takanen wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Lopez steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Takanen.
Takanen lands a jab.
Takanen swings widly with a right hand
letting Lopez counter with a right hand.
Lopez fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Takanen manages to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lopez ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Takanen moves away.
Takanen throws a poor cross that misses
and Lopez counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Lopez looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Jab, jab by Takanen - just one landing.
Takanen swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Lopez counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Takanen misses with a right hand
and Lopez counters with a nice uppercut.
Takanen misses with an uppercut
and Takanen takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Esko Takanen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Takanen looks to land a left hand but Lopez moved out of range nicely.
Takanen connects with a good right hand that stumbles Lopez. Lopez circles away out of range and recomposes himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Takanen wants to clinch.
A telegraphed right hand from Takanen misses the target.
Takanen throws a head kick that misses.
Lopez stalks Takanen and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Takanen's face. Takanen staggers backwards, shaken.
Takanen takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Lopez.

And that's the end of the fight!
Pedro Lopez comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Lopez 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 Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 27:30
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 27:30
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Pedro Lopez!