PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Yuanjia Huo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Pedro Lopez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Huo
vs
Lopez

170 cm
22
150 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

175 cm
22
155 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Yuanjia Huo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Pedro Lopez!
The judges for this bout are Ren Mimura, Yuuki Gou and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Lopez scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Huo looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Lopez trying to control the position but Huo is working away.
Lopez working the ground and pound.

Huo is rocked!
Huo prevents Lopez from moving into mount.
Lopez throws a strike aimed at the side of Huo's head but Huo avoids it well.

Lopez tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Lopez has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Lopez is looking to take a break and control but Huo is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Lopez fails to land a wild elbow strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lopez advances nicely into full mount.
Lopez throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.

Lopez get's back to his feet.
Lopez tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Lopez misses with a head kick.
Lopez throws and low kick but Huo moves out of range easily.
Lopez looks for the body kick but Huo saw that one coming.
Lopez moves in looking to clinch but Huo pushes him off.
Huo swats away the attempt to clinch by Lopez.

Lopez drives through with a takedown into guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lopez stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Huo swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Lopez wants to stand but Huo has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Lopez looking to sit in guard and control but Huo gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Lopez working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Huo doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Huo manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Lopez is on top in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lopez trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Lopez wants to control from the top but Huo keeps moving.
Lopez sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Huo's guard.

Lopez is working for a kimura but Huo is defending it quite comfortably.
Lopez works his foot free and advances to mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Lopez landing punches.

Lopez moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Huo has worked his arm free - good work by Huo!

Lopez thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

Lopez thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pedro Lopez dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Huo shoots for a takedown but Lopez saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

Lopez moves into the clinch.
A nice left hand lands by Lopez.
Huo is trying to break the clinch but Lopez has him pressed against the cage.
Lopez lands a left hand.
Lopez avoiding damage.

Lopez breaks from the clinch.
Lopez with a poor takedown
and Huo counters with an outside leg kick.
Lopez tries to clinch up.

Lopez darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Oh Huo is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Lopez connects with a nice short shot to Huo's temple.
Lopez has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Lopez works his foot free and advances to mount.
Huo seems to have got his legs back now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Poor strikes thrown by Lopez there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Lopez wants to control the pace but Huo is squirming around nicely.
Lopez with shots to the head and body - Huo looks very uncomfortable down there.
BOOM! Lopez connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Huo taking shots to the head.
Huo in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Huo defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Lopez.
Lopez looking to control and managing it successfully.
Huo taking shots to the head.

Lopez moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Huo has worked his arm free - good work by Huo!
Lopez has knee on belly and moves into mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Lopez jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Huo is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Huo and Lopez has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
Lopez trying to control the position but Huo is working away.
Lopez landing strikes.

Lopez working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Huo avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Lopez.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Lopez decides to stand up, so the ref orders Huo to his feet.
Huo circles away from the clinch attempt.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Huo tries to clinch but Lopez moves out of range.
Lopez takes one to the chin there.
Lopez tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Huo with a poor takedown

and Lopez counters with a shoot takedown. Huo fights it but they end up in guard.
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.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. And we move into the final round!

Lopez wants to clinch but Huo slips to the side
and Huo counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Huo swats away the attempt to clinch by Lopez.
Huo swats away the attempt to clinch by Lopez.
Lopez tries to clinch up but Huo circles away and keeps his distance.
Lopez fails with an attempt to clinch.
Lopez throws a head kick that misses.
Lopez closes the distance but Huo moves to the side
and Huo counters with a series of strikes. Lopez will be more careful next time no doubt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lopez closes the distance but Huo moves to the side
and Huo counters with an outside leg kick.
Lopez doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Huo counters with a good low kick that Lopez was not able to check.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Good standup being displayed there by Huo as he connects with a hook.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Lopez rushes Huo and presses him up against the cage.
The referee calls for Lopez to work.
Knees to the body from Lopez.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Lopez takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Lopez wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Huo has him pressed against the cage.

Lopez breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Huo fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Lopez wants to clinch but Huo slips to the side
and Huo counters with a left to the body.
Lopez tries to close the distance and clinch up but Huo swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Lopez throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Huo's waist but Huo gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Lopez off to one side.
Huo fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Lopez moves in looking to clinch but Huo pushes him off.
Lopez throws a head kick but Huo moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lopez scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Lopez misses with a head kick.
Lopez throws a head kick that half lands.
Lopez is looking to clinch.

Huo moves into the clinch.
Huo looking to slow down the pace here.
A shot in the inside from Lopez.
Lopez throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Huo blocks it with crossed arms.
Huo connects with a nasty looking knee right to Lopez's face.

It looks like Pedro Lopez has been cut.
Lopez manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Huo pushes off an throws an elbow but Lopez leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Lopez is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Lopez is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Huo blocks an uppercut.
Huo misses with a knee strike.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Huo.

Lopez has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Huo uses from the top position.
Lopez manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Lopez working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Lopez lands a nice shot to the head.

Lopez quickly switches position and commits to an armbar! It's a big risk for Lopez but it's paid off an Huo is forced to tap! Nice work by Lopez.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:57 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Pedro Lopez!