PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Chuck Shamrock (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Joey Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Shamrock might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Thunder strike. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Shamrock
vs
Santos

174 cm
20
194 lbs
4 - 6 - 0

185 cm
24
186 lbs
4 - 6 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 6 - 0, fighting out of London, Chuck Shamrock!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 6 - 0, fighting out of London, Joey Santos!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Bishop, James Ackerman and Colin Fotheringham.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Santos fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Shamrock sprawls well initially but Santos persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Santos sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Shamrock defending well though.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Santos is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Santos has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Santos looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Shamrock might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Shamrock moves into full guard.
Shamrock tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Santos lands a couple of elbows.
Santos postures up in Shamrock's guard and throws a big left but Shamrock blocks it.
Santos thows a big elbow that misses.
Santos looking to pass the guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Shamrock is on top in guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Shamrock's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

Shamrock decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Santos, up you get!
Santos lands a two punch combo.
Santos misses with the combination.

Shamrock feints and as Santos raises his hands in defense, Shamrock changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Santos looks gassed!
Shamrock wants to get up but he can't break Santos's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Shamrock throwing strikes but missing.
Santos trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Shamrock wants to control from the top but Santos keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shamrock looking to sit in guard and control but Santos gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Shamrock is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Santos is controlling him.
Shamrock wants to sweep but no luck.
Santos slips nicely into half guard.
Santos wants to free his trapped foot but Shamrock is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Shamrock is trying to maintain the position but Santos is very close to passing his half guard.
Santos is trying to control the action in half guard but Shamrock is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Shamrock moves into full guard.
Shamrock is trying to control the position from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Shamrock is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Santos is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Shamrock's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Shamrock's back!
Santos lands with a big left hand that may well have hurt his opponent. Can Shamrock hold on?!
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Shamrock is trapped and Santos is scoring with shots to the head and body.
Shamrock looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
Santos is working the ground and pound. Can Shamrock escape?

Santos looking for the RNC.
Shamrock rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Shamrock is trying to stand.

Santos is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Shamrock sees it coming and defends easily.
Santos lands strikes from half guard.
Santos is trying to control. Shamrock wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Shamrock wants to control but Santos is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Santos looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Santos drops an elbow to the side of Shamrock's head.
Santos keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Santos missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Santos winds up and cracks Shamrock with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Shamrock has a takedown stuffed.
Santos doesn't succeed with the takedown

so Shamrock counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Chuck Shamrock will probably get the nod.
That's time! Shamrock's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Shamrock scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Shamrock missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Shamrock blocks the strikes from Santos.
Shamrock blocks the strikes from Santos.
Shamrock has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Santos wants to control but Shamrock is having none of it.
Shamrock is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Shamrock lands a heavy elbow.
Santos gets back to half guard.
Santos is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Shamrock is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Santos is staying active underneath Shamrock, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Santos looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Santos has hold of Shamrock's hands but Shamrock slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Shamrock trying to control the action but Santos is working from the bottom.
Santos tries to get to full guard but Shamrock has control of the leg.
Chuck Shamrock overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Santos is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Shamrock's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Shamrock's back!
Shamrock holding both Santos 's hands and preventing any damage.
Santos throwing damaging strikes from the back! Shamrock could be in trouble here!

Santos is looking for the choke from the back position but Shamrock is controlling his hands well.
Santos tries to get the hooks in deep but Shamrock pushed the leg off.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos lands shots from the back.
Santos gets his hands free as Shamrock looks to control.
Santos throwing damaging strikes from the back! Shamrock could be in trouble here!
Shamrock is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
Santos lands with a couple of good shots - one to the side of the head and one questionable shot that could be viewed as to the back of the head but the referee lets it go.
Santos has his opponent trapped and is landing shots. Not a good position for Shamrock.
Shamrock breaks Santos's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.

Santos is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Shamrock defends well.
Santos trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.

Shamrock drops back looking for a leg! Santos is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Santos manages to kick Shamrock off! Shamrock jumps back into Santos's guard.

Santos looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Santos throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Santos will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.

Santos working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Shamrock doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Shamrock manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Shamrock's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Santos wants to sweep here but Shamrock controlling him for the moment.
Shamrock trying to control but Santos is working from the bottom.
Santos throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.

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.
Santos looking for a sweep. Not yet Santos, not yet.

Santos looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Shamrock takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.

Shamrock shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Santos is trying to defend but Shamrock finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Shamrock not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Santos trying to control but Shamrock postures up.
Santos is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Shamrock seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Joey Santos will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Shamrock drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Shamrock working the ground and pound.
Santos sneaks back into half guard.
Santos avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Shamrock.
Santos trying to control from the bottom.
Santos is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Shamrock is staying active.
Shamrock prevents Santos from improving his position.
Shamrock blocks the strikes from Santos.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Santos looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Shamrock is fending him off so far but Santos persists. Nope, Shamrock circles away and we're back to standing.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shamrock fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Shamrock fails with a takedown attempt.
No joy there for Santos, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Joey Santos is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Santos is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Shamrock.

Shamrock moves into the clinch successfully.
Shamrock stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.

Santos jumps into guard, dragging Shamrock to the mat.
Santos is trying to control the position but Shamrock postures up.
Shamrock is pushing down on Santos's leg trying to pass to half guard. Santos is fighting to maintain full guard but Shamrock has managed to sneak the leg through.
Santos gets full guard.
Shamrock has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Shamrock trying to control but Santos is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Santos has his hands on Shamrock's head, controlling the position.

Santos is looking for a triangle but Shamrock pushes his legs off easily.
Shamrock stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Santos swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Santos wants to sweep but no luck.
Santos is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Shamrock wants to control from the top but Santos keeps moving.
Santos lands a decent shot there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Santos is looking for a triangle but Shamrock pushes his legs off easily.

Santos escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Shamrock gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Shamrock trying to control the position from guard on top but Santos is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Shamrock shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Santos counters with a stiff right hand.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Chuck Shamrock. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Santos digs a good body shot into Shamrock's ribs.
Shamrock misses with a takedown

and Santos decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Shamrock's guard.
Santos is on the wrong end of a couple of strikes there.
Santos working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Santos postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Santos stands up over Shamrock, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santos content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Santos makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

Santos drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Santos jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Santos chips away with some ground and pound.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Santos displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Shamrock.
Santos lands a glancing blow to the side of Shamrock's head.
Santos shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Shamrock as he jumps to the side.

Shamrock shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Santos can't escape the position.
Shamrock landing strikes from the mount.
Santos wants to control but Shamrock is having none of it.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Joey Santos.
I think Santos has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Daniel Bishop scores the fight 28:29
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 27:30
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Joey Santos!