PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Chris Sanders (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matt Carter (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sanders comes to the cage accompanied by Con te Partiro. Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Sanders
vs
Carter

189 cm
23
205 lbs
5 - 4 - 1

189 cm
22
205 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Solid chin

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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 5 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Chris Sanders!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Matt Carter!
The judges for this bout are Frank Dennis, Stewart Dunkirk and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sanders gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Sanders closes this distance looking for a takedown but Carter circles away.
Carter jabs Sanders right on the nose. Sanders blinks but takes it well.
Carter is looking to chop away at Sanders's legs.
Sanders shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Carter as he avoids it easily.
Sanders is looking to clinch.
Sanders checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Carter scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Sanders moves in looking to clinch but Carter pushes him off.
Sanders throws a nice outside leg kick.
Carter misses with a few strikes there.
Carter listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Sanders tries to clinch up but Carter circles away and keeps his distance.
Carter throws a jab when Sanders was well out of range.

Sanders moves into the clinch successfully.
Sanders lands with a short punch from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanders lands an elbow inside.

It looks like Matt Carter has been cut.
Sanders stops a takedown attempt from Carter.
Carter drops down looking for an ankle pick but Sanders pulls his leg out and moves away.
Carter lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Sanders lands a body shot.
Carter looks gassed!
Sanders tries to clinch up but Carter circles away and keeps his distance.

Sanders forces Carter back against the cage and clinches.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Carter letting Sanders take a breather here.

Sanders lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Sanders working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Sanders wants to lay and pray for a moment but Carter keeps working.
Sanders landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

Sanders escapes and gets back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sanders tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Sanders is looking to clinch but Carter is avoiding it.
Sanders tries to clinch but Carter moves out of range.
Sanders walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
The fight stays on the outside here - Sanders looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Sanders tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Sanders shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Chris Sanders. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sanders moves out of range of the strikes.
Sanders tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Sanders closes the distance and clinches.
Carter is trying to drag Sanders to the mat but Sanders just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanders seems to have come into the fight with the intention of avoiding any damage in the clinch, rather than actually showing any aggression.
Sanders unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Nice elbow from Sanders.
Sanders gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Carter.
Carter takes a knee right on the jaw!

Sanders escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Sanders takes the fight into the clinch.
Sanders unloads a knee to the mid-section. Carter lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Sanders landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Sanders lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Sanders unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Carter tries to score a body lock takedown but Sanders shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Carter wants to get back to striking at distance but Sanders won't allow it.
Sanders comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Sanders prevents a takedown attempt there.
Carter changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Sanders fights it off and pushes away nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Carter takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Carter swats away the attempt to clinch by Sanders.
Carter scores with a punch to the head.
Sanders takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Carter lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Carter pivots, looking for a leg kick but Sanders is out of range and Carter settles back down.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Carter avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Carter lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Sanders fails in his attempt to clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chris Sanders dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Matt Carter's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Sanders takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Carter thows a left - swing and a miss!
Carter misses with a hook.
Carter tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Sanders was well out of range. Poor timing from Carter.
Carter's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Carter duly obliges.
Carter circles away from the clinch attempt.
Chris Sanders is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
The fight stays on the outside here - Sanders looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Carter shoots in but no luck this time.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sanders doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Carter counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sanders ducks right into an uppercut from Carter.
Sanders has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Carter finds it's way round the side to connect with Sanders's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Carter avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
A slow jab from Carter misses its intended target.
Carter jabs away that one connects to the head of his opponent.
Sanders takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Matt Carter seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Carter stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
The fighters circling - Carter throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Sanders takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.

Sanders gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Carter thows a big elbow that misses.
Carteris looking to pass into half guard but Sanders pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Sanders is in guard.
Carter wants to sweep here but Sanders controlling him for the moment.
Sanders throwing strikes from guard but Carter blocks nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Carter kicks Sanders off and gets to his feet.
Sanders doesn't manage to clinch there - Carter circles away.
Carter connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Sanders fails in his attempt to clinch.
Sanders fails with an attempt to clinch.
Sanders looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Sanders looks to clinch

and Carter counters with a single leg into guard. Sanders didn't expect that.
Sanders is pulling down on Carter's head to control his posture.
Carter throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

Sanders has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Carter can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Carter postures up and lands a big shot to Sanders's brow.
Carter wants to control from the top but Sanders keeps moving.

Carter got a little sloppy there for a moment and Sanders has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Carter has managed to get both his arms back between Sanders's legs - danger averted.
Carter with a nice head shot there.
Carter is looking to work some ground and pound but Sanders has wrist control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Carter working some strikes from top position.
Carter wants to control from the top but Sanders keeps moving.
Sanders utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Sanders is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Carter jabs Sanders right on the nose. Sanders blinks but takes it well.

Carter closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Sanders to the mat! Sanders manages to get full guard.
Carter working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Carter stands up over Sanders, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Sanders is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Carter is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matt Carter showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Matt Carter'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. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Carter lands with an uppercut that bounces Sanders off the cage and back into rage.
Carter lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Carter.
Carter moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Carter lands with a hook. Sanders tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Sanders takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.

Sanders moves into the clinch.
Carter takes a knee right on the jaw!
Carter takes a knee to the side of the body.
Sanders lands an elbow that stopped Carter in his tracks for a moment.
Sanders gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Sanders lands an elbow inside that Carter shrugs off.
Sanders landing knees to the body.
A bit of stalling here from Sanders.
Sanders drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Sanders gets underhooks to prevent Carter's takedown attempt.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Sanders decides to pull guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sanders is trying to control the position but Carter postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanders looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Carter must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Carter lands a couple of decent looking shots.

Sanders has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Carter off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Sanders tries to clinch up.
Carter scores with a jab. Sanders acknowledges it with a nod of the head.

Carter scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Carter thows a huge punch but Sanders dodges it nicely.
Sanders trying to control from the bottom.
Sanders is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Carter is looking for a kimura but Sanders is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Carter to get the leverage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sanders is trying to maintain the position but Carter is very close to passing his half guard.
Sanders is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Carter scores with a couple of nice shots.
Sanders is trying to stand back up but Carter is controlling him
Sanders is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Carter scores with a couple of nice shots.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Sanders doesn't manage to clinch there - Carter circles away.

Carter shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Sanders's guard.
Sanders wants to stand but Carter is controlling the position.
Carter thows a big elbow that misses.
Carter thows a big elbow that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Carter in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Sanders keeping moving, preventing Carter from controlling successfully.

Sanders looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Carter trying to control but Sanders is working from the bottom.
Carter chips away with some ground and pound.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Carter throws a combination. Sanders tries to block but a couple of punches get through.

Sanders takes the fight into the clinch.
Sanders throws a knee to the head but misses.
Sanders goes for a takedown attempt but Carter pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Carter lands a jab.
Carter lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Carter scores with a sloppy right hand. Sanders should have avoided that one.
Carter throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Sanders on the side of the head.
Carter avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Sanders darts in trying to clinch
letting Carter counter with a right hand.
Sanders on the wrong end of a nice jab.

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 Chris Sanders.
I think Sanders has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Frank Dennis scores the fight 29:28
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 28:29
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Chris Sanders!