PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Lipe Ribeiro (ranked 3125 p4p, 4224 weight class) and Salvatore Santiago (ranked 150 p4p, 0 weight class). Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Ribeiro
vs
Santiago

200 cm
25
280
2 - 0 - 0

200 cm
25
270
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Big heart

Decent wrestler
Decent knees
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Lipe Ribeiro!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Salvatore Santiago!
The judges for this bout are Bart Greer, Sandra Marshall and Winston Alpacca.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ribeiro circles away from the clinch attempt.
Santiago tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Ribeiro manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Ribeiro keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
A counter left hand to the body from Ribeiro misses its target.
Ribeiro definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Santiago moves in looking to clinch but Ribeiro pushes him off.
Santiago is looking to clinch.
Santiago throws a body punch but Ribeiro moves out of range.
Ribeiro takes a swing at Santiago's ribcage but misses.

Santiago closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Ribeiro is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Santiago to keep the fight standing.
Santiago throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Ribeiro blocks it with crossed arms.
Ribeiro managing to block the knees to the body from Santiago.
Ribeiro tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Santiago.
Santiago tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Ribeiro manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.

Ribeiro has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Santiago can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Santiago is stalling in the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ribeiro is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Santiago won't allow Ribeiro to sweep him here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ribeiro lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Ribeiro trying to control but Santiago is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Ribeiro distracts Santiago with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Ribeiro wants to control from the top but Santiago keeps moving.
Santiago is adopting a defensive guard.
Ribeiro throws a big right hand that misses.
Ribeiro trying to control but Santiago is working from the bottom.
Ribeiro is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ribeiro working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Ribeiro is stalling in the full guard.
Santiago keeping full guard, as Ribeiro tries to pass.
Santiago pulls Ribeiro in to control the position.
Ribeiro throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Santiago works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Ribeiro is in close to Santiago's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Ribeiro stopping the sweep attempt from Santiago.
Ribeiro trying to control the position from guard on top but Santiago is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Ribeiro accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Ribeiro feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Santiagos jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Santiago wants to clinch up but Ribeiro keeps it at a distance.
Santiago fails in his attempt to clinch.
Ribeiro misses with a straight right.
Ribeiro lands a right hook to the body.
Santiago throws a body shot but no joy.
Santiago uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Ribeiro has time to react.
The fight stays on the outside here - Santiago looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Santiago takes a swing at Ribeiro's ribcage but misses.
Santiago doesn't manage to clinch there - Ribeiro circles away.
Ribeiro throws a shot to the body.
Santiago looks winded!
Santiago throws a jab but it's blocked by Ribeiro.
Ribeiro was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Ribeiro bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Santiago's head.
Ribeiro swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
A little jabbing left from Santiago on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Ribeiro ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Ribeiro on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Santiago tries to clinch but Ribeiro is having none of it.
Lipe Ribeiro is winning the standup battle so far.
Ribeiro connects with a body shot that sends Santiago's belly button to the back.

Ribeiro cracks Santiago with a big right hand that sends him to the floor! Santiago looks wobbly but he's sprung back up to his feet straight away… can Ribeiro finish him?

Santiago is rocked!
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!
Sloppy strikes from Ribeiro. Those never looked like landing.
Santiago is still on wobbly legs! Can Ribeiro finish him?
Ribeiro drops a shoulder and throws a monster hook that connects perfectly to the side of Santiago's head, knocking him out cold! Ribeiro is extatic as he celebrates with his cornermen.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:37 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Lipe Ribeiro!