PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Diego Escobar (ranked 164 p4p, 25 weight class) and Paddy Fagan (ranked 1314 p4p, 159 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Escobar
vs
Fagan

182 cm
23
160 lbs
12 - 2 - 0

180 cm
22
171 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Lethal high kicks
Insanely flexible

BJJ Purple Belt
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Urban Fighter
BuriedAlive// Fight Gear

IniTech Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the lightweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Diego Escobar!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Paddy Fagan!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Tiny Johnson and Chris Downing.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Fagan lands a nice hook to Escobar's body. Escobar takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
A shot to the liver by Fagan. Beautiful body shot.
Fagan swings away with a body shot that misses
and Escobar counters with a leg kick.
Fagan looks to throw the jab but Escobar is out of range.
Fagan misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Left hook, right uppercut from Fagan.
Escobar steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Fagan.
Escobar throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Fagan has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Fagan throws a sloppy body shot
and Escobar counters with a two punch combo.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Fagan swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Escobar lands a nice looking body shot.
Fagan lands a jab to Escobar's midsection.
Escobar throws a leg kick that misses.
Fagan looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Escobar stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Fagan scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Fagan misses with a right hand
and Escobar counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

Escobar darts in and clinches Fagan up against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Escobar lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Escobar.
Fagan blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Escobar.
Escobar blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Escobar doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Escobar tries to throw a body punch but Fagan avoids it by throwing Escobar back against the cage.
Fagan lands with a short shot to the head.
Escobar working aggressively here.
Escobar lands a body punch.
Escobar tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Escobar lands a left hand.
Fagan misses with a punch to the body.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Escobar.
Escobar pushes Fagan back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Fagan blocks a body shot from Escobar.
Fagan blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Escobar throws a head punch that misses.
Escobar tries to work over Fagan's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
A short right from Escobar on the inside.
Escobar misses with a punch to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Escobar can't find room to land a body shot as Fagan controls the action.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Escobar tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Fagan's elbow.

Escobar has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Fagan uses from the top position.
Fagan looking to pass the guard.
Both fighters have adopted an aggressive gameplan on the ground!
Escobar keeping moving, preventing Fagan from controlling successfully.
Escobar has improved his flexibility recently so we will have to see if he can use that to his advantage.
Fagan stopping the sweep attempt from Escobar.
Escobar controlling the position.
Escobar looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Fagan trying to control the position from guard on top but Escobar is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Escobar wants to sweep here but Fagan controlling him for the moment.
Fagan wants to control from the top but Escobar keeps moving.
Escobar wants to sweep here but Fagan controlling him for the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fagan must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Escobar keeping moving, preventing Fagan from controlling successfully.

Escobar had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Fagan defends it easily.
Fagan looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Escobar keeping full guard, as Fagan tries to pass.
Escobar lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Escobar slips nicely into half guard.
Fagan pushes Escobar off looking to stand but Escobar dives back in and keeps control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Escobar is keen to just control but Fagan is a slippery customer.

Escobar is looking for a kimura here.
Escobar is pressing down on Fagan's thigh, looking to free his foot. Fagan is holding on for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Fagan wants to improve his position but Escobar is controlling well.
Escobar keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Fagan is trying to get back to full guard.
Fagan wants to sweep but Escobar has passed to side control!
Fagan prevents Escobar from improving position.
Fagan is not content to let Escobar control the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Diego Escobar dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Fagan throws a lazy uppercut
and Escobar connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Fagan lands a jab-cross combination.

It looks like Diego Escobar has been cut.
Escobar misses with a low kick.
Nice straight punches there by Fagan. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Fagan.
Sloppy strikes from Fagan. Those never looked like landing.

Escobar closes the distance and clinches.
Escobar tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Escobar blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Escobar lands a body punch in the clinch.
Good body shot from Escobar.
Escobar blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
A short uppercut from Escobar.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Fagan blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Escobar misses with the head strike.
Escobar can't find room to land a body shot as Fagan controls the action.
Escobar prevents a body shot from Fagan.
Fagan blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Escobar working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Escobar.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fagan doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
A short uppercut from Escobar.
A body shot lands from Fagan.
Fagan lands a left hand that snaps the head of Escobar backwards.
Escobar throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Escobar fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Escobar misses with a body punch.
Escobar prevents a body shot from Fagan.
Escobar has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Escobar jumps guard but Fagan stands there with Escobar around his waist. Escobar gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Escobar is leaning against Fagan and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Escobar has a couple of punches blocked by Fagan.
Escobar lands a hook that snaps the head of Fagan backwards.
Fagan tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Escobar's elbow.
Escobar working aggressively here.
Escobar lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Fagan or not.
Escobar lands an uppercut.
Fagan misses with a body punch.
Fagan tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Escobar fails to pull guard.
A shot in the inside from Escobar.

Fagan is rocked!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
A body shot lands from Escobar.
Fagan is breathing heavily.
Escobar lands with a right to the head.
Fagan is still on wobbly legs! Can Escobar finish him?
Escobar lands a shoulder strike.
Escobar doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Fagan blocks an uppercut.
Fagan blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Fagan tries to throw a body punch but Escobar avoids it by throwing Fagan back against the cage.
Escobar working aggressively here.
Escobar works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Escobar lands a right hand.
Fagan misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Diego Escobar has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Fagan misses with some punches.
Fagan tries to work over Escobar's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Fagan tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Escobar's elbow.
Fagan seems to have recovered his senses.
Fagan can't find room to land a body shot as Escobar controls the action.
Escobar blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Escobar tries to pull guard but Fagan forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Diego Escobar. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Escobar throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Fagans head.
Escobar misses with a punch to the body.
Escobar tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Fagan tries to throw a body punch but Escobar avoids it by throwing Fagan back against the cage.
A right hook to the body lands for Escobar.
Escobar tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Fagan blocks an uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Escobar cracks Fagan with a nice body shot.
Escobar lands a right hand.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Escobar creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Escobar is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Fagan can do to turn this around?
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Escobar.

Escobar jumps into guard, dragging Fagan to the mat.
Escobar bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Fagan's guard.

Escobar pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Fagan is keeping the position for now.
Diego Escobar overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Escobar advances position into side control!
Fagan is looking to regain half guard here but Escobar keeps moving and retains side control.

Escobar looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Escobar passes to full mount! That's big trouble for Fagan!
Escobar controlling the position easily from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Escobar wants to finish this one by submission but Fagan is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Escobar.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Fagan has given up his back here. Will Escobar look for the submission or keep pounding away?

Escobar is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Fagan is defending well though. Escobar let's go of the attempt for now.
Fagan manages to reverse the position and now he's in Escobar's guard. Nice work there by Fagan.
Escobar wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Escobar keeping moving, preventing Fagan from controlling successfully.
Escobar controls Fagan momentarily but Fagan frees himself.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Diego Escobar dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Diego Escobar's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Escobar keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Fagan.
Fagan tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Escobar misses with a hook.
Paddy Fagan seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Fagan looks to land a left hand but Escobar moved out of range nicely.
Escobar swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
A nice combination there by Fagan.
Fagan jabs Escobar to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Fagan clobbers Escobar with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Fagan throws a series of punches but Escobar avoids them all with ease.
Fagan changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Fagan cracks Escobar with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Escobar misses with an uppercut.
Escobar connects with a body shot.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Fagan lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Escobar at a distance.
Fagan lands a nice shot that snaps Escobar's head back.
Paddy Fagan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nice cross by Escobar.
Fagan lands a two punch combo.

Escobar fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Fagan, pushing him back against the cage.
Fagan lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Escobar backwards.
A short uppercut from Escobar.
Fagan lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Escobar throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Fagan takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Escobar pulls Fagan into guard.

Fagan content to sit in guard, stalling... Great. Oh but he could get punished here because Escobar has locked up a guillotine! Escobar's face is contorted as he sqeezes tight on the submission attempt - will he finish? Fagan is holding on here and Escobar must be using up a lot of energy. Fagan has gone limp! He's out! He's out cold! Escobar gets to his feet, tossing aside his stricken foe. Arms raised, he milks the applause from the crowd. Great submission!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:47 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Diego Escobar!
Diego Escobar retains his lightweight title!
A very excited looking Diego Escobar rambled incoherently for about 5 minutes post fight about how awesome he is. It was kinda funny for a while but then everyone got annoyed.