PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Maro Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Clayman (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Maro Santos has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Santos
vs
Clayman

182 cm
26
173 lbs
9 - 5 - 0

160 cm
24
180 lbs
6 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Determined

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 9 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Maro Santos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mike Clayman!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Gwen Towbar and Robert Twigg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Santos misses with a kick to the body.

Santos pushes Clayman up against the cage in a clinch.

Santos successfully pulls guard.
Clayman wants to control from the top but Santos keeps moving.
Santos will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

Santos looking for a guillotine here but Clayman defends easily.
Santos looking to control.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

Santos is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Clayman is aware though and is defending well.
Clayman pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Santos is keeping the position for now.
Santos trying to control the position here.
Santos has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Clayman has passed into side control.

Clayman tries for a kimura but Santos is defending well.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Clayman is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Santos is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

Santos bucks up and manages to escape back to his feet!
Clayman will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Clayman circles away from the clinch attempt.
Santos tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Santos is looking to slow Clayman down with leg kicks.
Santos wants to clinch.
Santos throws an overhand right that lands on Clayman's shoulder, as Clayman tries to avoid the shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Santos forces Clayman back against the cage and clinches.

Santos breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Clayman circles away from the clinch attempt.
Santos tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Clayman paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Maro Santos seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Clayman keeps the fight on the outside.
Santos tries to clinch up but Clayman circles away and keeps his distance.

Santos has managed to clinch.
Santos lands with a short shot to the head.

Clayman is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Santos can't fight it off and eventually Clayman manages to take the fight to the floor. Santos looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Clayman in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

Santos looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Clayman forces his way into half guard.
Santos is pressing down on Clayman's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Santos is on top in guard.

Clayman escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Santos gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Santos trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Clayman keeping moving, preventing Santos from controlling successfully.

Clayman looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Clayman is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Santos slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Santos wants to control from the top but Clayman keeps moving.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Maro Santos dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Santos tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Santos tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Santos lands a head kick!

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Santos jumps guard and drags Clayman to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.

Clayman thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Clayman trying to control but Santos is working from the bottom.
Santos wants to sweep but no luck.
Clayman wants to pass the guard but Santos is keeping the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos looking for a sweep. Not yet Santos, not yet.
Clayman trying to control but Santos is working from the bottom.
Santos is looking to sweep but instead, Clayman has passed into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Clayman is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Santos sees it coming and defends easily.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Santos moves into range and clinches up with Clayman.

Santos breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Clayman circles away from the clinch attempt.
Santos doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Clayman counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Clayman looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Santos with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Santos trying to control from the bottom.

Clayman is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Santos is just riding it out for now. Clayman eventually gives up the hold.
Clayman is trying to control the action in half guard but Santos is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Santos is defending against the submission attempts here by Clayman.
Santos slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

Santos looking for a guillotine here but Clayman defends easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Clayman advances to half guard.
Clayman winds up and cracks Santos with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
The fighters are battling for position here. Santos manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

Santos has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Clayman can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Santos is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Clayman with a nice head shot there.

Santos throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Santos working a defensive guard here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Clayman wants to pass the guard but Santos is keeping the position.
Clayman trying to control but Santos is working from the bottom.
Santos doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Clayman with a poor takedown

and Santos counters with a single leg into guard. Clayman didn't expect that.
Maro Santos overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Clayman manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Clayman landing strikes from the mount.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Santos really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Maro Santos dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Santos darts in trying to clinch

and Clayman counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Santos scores with a few weak punches.

Clayman seems to be working for a kimura but Santos defends the submission attempt.
Santos trying to control here.
Clayman is looking to take a break and control but Santos is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Clayman passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Santos!
Clayman looking to control but Santos is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Clayman working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Clayman takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Santos tries to hold on but Clayman pushes him away.
Santos is looking to improve his position but Clayman isn't that keen on the idea.
Santos tries to lock up and control but Clayman gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Santos is working to get back to half guard.
Clayman trying to control but Santos is having none of it.

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.
Santos is desperately trying to improve his position but Clayman has a good base and remains in mount.
Santos is working hard here to advance position.
Clayman with a couple of short strikes.
Santos is trying desperately to improve position.
Clayman with good strikes from the mount here!

Clayman looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Santos is in all sorts of trouble here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
BOOM! Clayman connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Santos bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Clayman working a defensive guard here.
Clayman wants to sweep but no luck.

Clayman is looking for a triangle but Santos pushes his legs off easily.
Clayman trying to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santos trying to control but Clayman is working from the bottom.

Santos is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Clayman is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Clayman has escaped and now he's on top!
Maro Santos is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Clayman looking to pass the guard.
Santos controlling Clayman's posture.
Clayman wants to control from the top but Santos keeps moving.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mike Clayman comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Santos 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 Tiny Johnson scores the fight 29:28
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 29:28
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 29:28

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