PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Igorr Lang (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Lewis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Lewis comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Numb kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Lang is coming into this fight with a significant injury, which will no doubt have an effect on his cardio. John Lewis 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!

Lang
vs
Lewis

196 cm
23
220 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

200 cm
23
200 lbs
4 - 8 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Knockout power

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Igorr Lang!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 8 - 0, fighting out of New York, John Lewis!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Daniel Franklin and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lewis staying out of range there.
Lewis looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!

Lewis moves into the clinch.
Lewis working Lang over with knees to the body.

Lewis breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Lang defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Lewis.
Lewis on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Lang cracks Lewis with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.

Lewis has closed the distance and engaged Lang in a clinch.
Lang is trying to break the clinch but Lewis is controlling him.

Lewis's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Lang misses with an uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lang connects with a jab.
Lewis tries to clinch but Lang moves away
and Lang counters with a series of strikes. Lewis will be more careful next time no doubt.

Lewis pushes Lang up against the cage in a clinch.

Lewis breaks from the clinch.
Lewis changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Lang tries to avoid it but Lewis manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Lang to the ground. Lang escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Lewis misses with a hook to the body
and Lang counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Lewis thinking.
Lewis tries to clinch there but Lang circles away.
Lang lands with a straight right. Lewis didn't see that one coming.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lang smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Lang swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Lewis is looking to clinch.
Lewis fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Lewis tries to clinch up but Lang circles away and keeps his distance.
Lewis wants to clinch up but Lang keeps it at a distance.
Lang misses with a body shot.
Lewis misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lang ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Lewis moves away.
Lewis tries to clinch up.
Lewis ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Lang misses with a looping left.

Lewis scores with a takedown into Lang's guard.
Lewis trying to control the position from guard on top but Lang is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lewis is stalling in the full guard.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. John Lewis wasn't active enough on the ground.
Lewis tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Lang manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Lewis dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Lang scores with a nice head shot.

Lewis closes the distance and clinches.
Lang managing to block the knees to the body from Lewis.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Lewis wants to take the fight to the mat but Lang manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
A nice right hand lands inside from Lang.
Lang is looking to break free of the clinch but Lewis has double underhooks.
Lang digs a right hand into Lewis's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Lewis's gas tank.
A hook to the body from Lang.
Lang is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Lang wants to break free but Lewis has control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Lang tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lang lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Lang misses with a body punch.
Lewis keeps control of Lang as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Lewis breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
The fight stays on the outside here - Lewis looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Lewis throws a series of punches but Lang moves out of range.
Lang bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Lewis's head.
Lewis fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Lang changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lewis takes one to the side of the head.

Lewis drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Lang is looking to regain half guard here but Lewis keeps moving and retains side control.
Lang wants to control but Lewis postures up.
Lewis remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.

Lewis decides to stand back up.
John Lewis seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Lewis has taken the fight to the clinch.

Lewis's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Lewis takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Lang cracks Lewis with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Lang scores with a body shot.
Lewis is looking to clinch but Lang is avoiding it.
Lang circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lewis looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Igorr Lang has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of John Lewis.
Lewis tries to close the distance and clinch but Lang swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Lewis rushes Lang and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Lang is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Lewis is keeping busy.

Lewis breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Lewis shoots in but no luck this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but John Lewis will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Lang tests Lewis's chin there with a solid looking shot.

Lewis pushes Lang up against the cage in a clinch.
Lang has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Lang misses with a hook to the ribs.
Lang on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

Lang manages to break the clinch.

Lewis gets a clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Lewis tries to circle away but Lang has him pinned against the cage.
The referee calls for Lang to work.

Lewis has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Lang uses from the top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lang looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Lang prevents Lewis from getting back to his feet.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Igorr Lang.
Lang misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Lewis.
Igorr Lang is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

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.
Lewis misses with a head kick.
Lewis throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Lang's waist but Lang gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Lewis off to one side.
Lang catches Lewis with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Lang scores with a shot to the body.
Lang ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Lang lands a jab.
Lewis takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lewis tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Lang lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Lewis shoots for a double leg takedown but Lang sprawls well. He's pushed Lewis's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Igorr Lang has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Lewis is looking to clinch but Lang is avoiding it.
Lang works the jab nicely.
Lang with a body punch. A glancing blow.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Lewis.
Igorr Lang has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of John Lewis.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lang bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Lang dips to his left and cracks Lewis with an uppercut!
Lang misses with a wild body shot.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Lewis lands a body shot in the clinch.
John Lewis is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Lang misses with a short punch on the inside.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Igorr Lang.
I think Lewis has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Gwen Towbar scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 28:29
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... John Lewis!
A determined John Lewis didn't want to dwell on this fight in his post fight interview. Instead he was more keen to state he wants a title shot. Let's see if he gets it!