PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Alexandros Margaritopoulos (ranked 4060 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ryohei Horie (ranked 6665 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

Margaritopoulos
vs
Horie

181 cm
25
157 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

180 cm
25
159 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Big right hand

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Heavy handed

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 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Alexandros Margaritopoulos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Ryohei Horie!
The judges for this bout are Reed Andrews, Franklyn Lucas and Jorge Garcia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Margaritopoulos throws a right and a left that both miss.
Margaritopoulos closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Good standup being displayed there by Margaritopoulos as he connects with a hook.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!

Margaritopoulos drives through and clinches with Horie against the cage.
Margaritopoulos pressing his opponent against the cage.

Horie pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Horie throws a nice head kick!
Horie misses with a jab, cross combination.
An attempted straight right counter from Margaritopoulos misses the target.
Margaritopoulos scores with a jab to the head.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Horie instigates a clinch.
Margaritopoulos tries a knee to the head but Horie blocks it.
Horie manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Horie lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.

Margaritopoulos pulls guard effortlessly.
Margaritopoulos trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Horie throwing strikes from guard but Margaritopoulos blocks nicely.
Both fighters have adopted an aggressive gameplan on the ground!
Margaritopoulos striking off his back but it's not causing Horie any problems.
Margaritopoulos preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Margaritopoulos has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Horie postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Margaritopoulos striking off his back, scoring a few points.
Margaritopoulos striking off his back but it's not causing Horie any problems.
Margaritopoulos preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Horie won't allow Margaritopoulos to get back to his feet.
Margaritopoulos throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Margaritopoulos is on top in guard.

Margaritopoulos trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Horie is trying to keep Margaritopoulos in close.
Margaritopoulos lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Margaritopoulos missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Margaritopoulos working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Margaritopoulos working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Margaritopoulos loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Margaritopoulos makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Margaritopoulos throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Horie working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Margaritopoulos.
Horie is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Margaritopoulos decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Horie misses with a head kick.

Horie tries to keep at a distance but Margaritopoulos has taken the fight into the clinch.
Horie looking to stall.

Horie breaks the clinch.

Margaritopoulos rushes Horie and presses him up against the cage.

Margaritopoulos pulls guard successfully.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Margaritopoulos will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Margaritopoulos trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Margaritopoulos doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Margaritopoulos thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Margaritopoulos avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Horie working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Margaritopoulos trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Horie would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Margaritopoulos tries to strike from the bottom.
Margaritopoulos wants to get back to his feet but Horie is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Margaritopoulos trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!

Margaritopoulos manages to wriggle out and sneak his way back up to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched up against the cage.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Margaritopoulos as Horie tries to tie him up.

Horie's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Margaritopoulos blocks a head kick by Horie.

Margaritopoulos moves into range and clinches up with Horie.

Horie's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Horie throws a body shot but no joy.
Horie looks to score with a jab to the body but Margaritopoulos is just out of range.
Margaritopoulos scores with a jab. Horie acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Horie wants to clinch.

Horie instigates a clinch.

Margaritopoulos gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Margaritopoulos throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Margaritopoulos throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Margaritopoulos sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Horie defending well though.
Margaritopoulos winds up and cracks Horie with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Margaritopoulos not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Horie avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Margaritopoulos.
Horie really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Margaritopoulos. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Margaritopoulos passes to side control.
Margaritopoulos lands some shots froms side control.
Horie looks winded!
Margaritopoulos sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Horie is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Margaritopoulos misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Margaritopoulos scores with punches from side control.
Margaritopoulos looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Horie is avoiding damage well.

Margaritopoulos has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
No joy there for Margaritopoulos, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Donk. Margaritopoulos catches Horie right on the button with a cross.
Some wild striking there from Margaritopoulos.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Margaritopoulos throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Nice jab there from Margaritopoulos.

Horie is rocked!
Horie looks up at the clock. Bad move! Margaritopoulos lands a right hand from hell, dropping Horie. Margaritopoulos pounces and finishes the fight with a flurry of punches and elbows.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:11 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Alexandros Margaritopoulos!