PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Thiago Victor Dos Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Enrique Rodrigo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Thiago Victor Dos Santos has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Victor Dos Santos
vs
Rodrigo

178 cm
21
181 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

183 cm
18
175 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Determined

Win Nutritional - proof of quality

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Thiago Victor Dos Santos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Enrique Rodrigo!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Thiago Cunha and Luis Engracia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rodrigo is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Dos Santos fails with a takedown attempt.
Rodrigo stuffs the takedown.
Enrique Rodrigo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rodrigo misses with a takedown attempt

and Dos Santos counters with a takedown into side control.
Dos Santos in side control lands a decent elbow.
Dos Santos landing a few strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sloppy strikes there by Dos Santos.
Rodrigo avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Dos Santos.
Dos Santos lands some shots froms side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rodrigo dodges the ground and pound from Dos Santos.
Dos Santos creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Rodrigo managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Dos Santos.
Dos Santos working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Dos Santos in side control, throwing shots but Rodrigo defends.
Rodrigo is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Dos Santos with the ground and pound but Rodrigo regains half guard under the barage of strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dos Santos missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Dos Santos throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Rodrigo wants to get back to his feet.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Rodrigo with a lazy takedown attempt

and Dos Santos counters with a takedown into side control.
Rodrigo avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Dos Santos.
Rodrigo is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Dos Santos trying to control the action but Rodrigo is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dos Santos cracks Rodrigo with a big elbow.
Dos Santos is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Rodrigo will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Dos Santos throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rodrigo is not content to let Dos Santos control the position.

Rodrigo bucks up and manages to escape back to his feet!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rodrigo fails with the takedown

and Dos Santos counters with a single leg into guard. Rodrigo didn't expect that.
Thiago Victor Dos Santos has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Enrique Rodrigo.
Dos Santos thows a big elbow that misses.
Dos Santos throws and elbow that misses. Rodrigo uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Dos Santos's guard. Nice move by Rodrigo!
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Dos Santos keeping full guard, as Rodrigo tries to pass.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rodrigo passes Dos Santos's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Rodrigo is keen to just control but Dos Santos is a slippery customer.

Rodrigo seems to be working for a kimura but Dos Santos defends the submission attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thiago Victor Dos Santos dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Dos Santos shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Rodrigo counters with a nice double leg into side control. Dos Santos won't be happy with that.
Dos Santos tries to strike but it doesn't land.
Thiago Victor Dos Santos overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Rodrigo wants to lay and pray for a moment but Dos Santos keeps working.
Dos Santos tries to improve position but can't.

Rodrigo tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Dos Santos can't do much from the bottom here.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Dos Santos on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Dos Santos tries to get out of the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rodrigo is trying to get an arm triangle but Dos Santos is defending well.
Dos Santos manages to get back to half guard.
Dos Santos tries to get to full guard but Rodrigo has control of the leg.
Rodrigo sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Dos Santos defending well though.
Rodrigo passes to full mount!
Dos Santos throwing hammer fists to the chest of Rodrigo. What's that going to do exactly?

Rodrigo looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.

Rodrigo is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Dos Santos has managed to escape the submission attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dos Santos keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Dos Santos wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Rodrigo.
Dos Santos is squirming around, avoiding Rodrigo's attempts to control the action.
Dos Santos is wriggling around trying to escape.

Rodrigo goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Dos Santos is on top in guard.
Rodrigo keeping moving, preventing Dos Santos from controlling successfully.
Dos Santos prevents Rodrigo from getting back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rodrigo preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Dos Santos throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Rodrigo is looking to stand up but Dos Santos isn't so interested in that idea.
Dos Santos postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Rodrigo is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Rodrigo avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

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.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Rodrigo tries to clinch but Dos Santos moves away

and Dos Santos decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Rodrigo's guard.
Rodrigo is looking to stand up but Dos Santos isn't so interested in that idea.
Rodrigo utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Rodrigo preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Dos Santos prevents Rodrigo from getting back to his feet.

Rodrigo has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Dos Santos off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Enrique Rodrigo showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Rodrigo lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Dos Santos circles away quickly and effectively.

Rodrigo shoots in and bounces Dos Santos off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Dos Santos throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rodrigo trying to control but Dos Santos is working from the bottom.
Dos Santos is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rodrigo won't allow Dos Santos to sweep him here.
Rodrigo stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Dos Santos swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Rodrigo wants to control from the top but Dos Santos keeps moving.
Dos Santos doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Rodrigo throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Rodrigo throws a right and a left that Dos Santos avoids nicely.

That's two 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.

Rodrigo looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Dos Santos!
Dos Santos can't escape the position.
Rodrigo is looking to work his way around to Dos Santos's back. He needs to be careful though, as he's in danger of losing this dominant position.
Dos Santos swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Rodrigo throwing strikes here but Dos Santos is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Dos Santos has given up his back - I don’t know if this is a deliberate ploy to try and escape or if he is just struggling down there.
Rodrigo struggling to keep hold of the position.

Rodrigo looking to break Dos Santos's wrist control so he can sink in the choke. Dos Santos remaining controlled and patient though - he really has to keep calm otherwise Rodrigo will wrap this one up with the rear naked choke!
Dos Santos is really stuck here.

Rodrigo is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Dos Santos is defending well though. Rodrigo let's go of the attempt for now.
Dos Santos just trying to survive but Rodrigo is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rodrigo has the rear naked choke here! This is very bad for Dos Santos! Can he survive? No! He's out! Rodrigo gets to his feet and celebrates with his cornermen. He looks absolutely delighted. In the post fight interviews he takes time to thank his parents and everyone who has believed in him from the start. How sweet.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:36 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Enrique Rodrigo!