PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Emerson Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ralph Diaz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Santos
vs
Diaz

200 cm
22
210 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

186 cm
18
215 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Emerson 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, Ralph Diaz!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Alexandre Firmino and Leandro Rodrigues.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Santos moves into range and clinches up with Diaz.
Santos drops down looking for an ankle pick but Diaz pulls his leg out and moves away.

Santos has closed the distance and engaged Diaz in a clinch.

Diaz is fighting off a takedown attempt but Santos is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Diaz to the mat. Diaz regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Santos won't allow Diaz to get back to his feet.
Santos trying to control but Diaz is working from the bottom.
Santos looking to pass the guard.

Santos decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

Santos shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Santos loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diaz controls Santos momentarily but Santos frees himself.
Santos has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

Santos got a little sloppy there for a moment and Diaz has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Santos has managed to get both his arms back between Diaz's legs - danger averted.
Santos slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Santos loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Diaz is trying to hold Santos in close to prevent damage but Santos has managed to pass into half guard.
Diaz trying to hold on to Santos's head to control him but Santos postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Santos working to pass to mount. He's got his hand pressing down on Diaz's thigh. Diaz counters though and makes it back to full guard.
Santos trying to control but Diaz is working from the bottom.

Diaz manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Diaz lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Diaz looks to land a combination but Santos avoids it well.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Santos closes this distance looking for a takedown but Diaz circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Diaz throws a nice looking combination but Santos bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Diaz scores with a kick to the midsection.
Santos blocks a head kick by Diaz.
Santos slips a jab and a cross from Diaz.
Santos throws a series of punches but Diaz moves out of range.
Santos tries for a takedown but Diaz sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Emerson Santos. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Santos is breathing heavily.
Santos dives in and grabs Diaz's left leg, looking for a takedown. Diaz pushes down on Santos's head and hops out.
Santos displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Diaz throws out the jab.
Santos rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Diaz moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Diaz ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Santos moves away.
Diaz closes the distance but Santos moves to the side

and Santos counters by moving into the clinch.
Santos wants a takedown.
Diaz jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Santos walks away with a smile on his face. Diaz gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Santos uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Diaz.
Santos doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Diaz shoots in and drives through. Santos sprawls well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Diaz misses the shot to the body.
Diaz doesn't manage to clinch there - Santos circles away.
Diaz lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Santos circles away quickly and effectively.
Diaz is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Santos.
Diaz takes a swing at Santos's ribcage but misses.
Ralph Diaz seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Santos shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Santos showed some decent athleticism there.
Santos is just content to waste time from the top position. Diaz takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Diaz is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Santos pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Diaz is keeping the position for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Emerson Santos dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Diaz tries to close the distance and clinch but Santos swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Santos has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Santos.
Emerson Santos is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Diaz misses with a few strikes there.
Diaz throws a left and a right that both miss

and Santos counters with a shoot takedown. Diaz fights it but they end up in guard.
Santos throwing strikes but missing.
Diaz wants to get back to his feet but Santos is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Diaz avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Diaz wants to stand and escape but Santos is having none of it.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diaz is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
Diaz avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Santos trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Santos wants to control from the top but Diaz keeps moving.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Diaz tries to close the distance and clinch up but Santos swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Diaz looks to land a body kick but Santos moved away.
Diaz swinging wildly here.
Diaz tries to clinch but Santos is having none of it.

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.
Diaz avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Diaz tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Diaz shoots for a takedown but Santos saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Diaz looks to land a left hand but Santos moved out of range nicely.
Diaz throws a hook but Santos avoids it easily.
Santos shoots in and drives through. Diaz sprawls well.
Diaz fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Diaz throws a sloppy head kick and Santos moves out of range easily.
Santos misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Emerson Santos. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Diaz fails with the takedown.
Santos avoids a punch combination nicely.
Santos closes the distance and clinches up with Diaz, looking for a takedown. Santos pushes Diaz against the cage but Diaz circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Diaz misses with a head kick.
Diaz shoots in for a double leg but Santos sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Diaz stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Diaz wants it to stay on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Diaz lands with a cross.
Santos shoots in and drives through. Diaz sprawls well.
Santos stuffs the takedown attempt from Diaz. Diaz gets slowly back to his feet.
Santos looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Diaz lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Santos backs up against the cage.
Diaz leaves Santos with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
A looping hook to the body misses from Diaz. Santos does a little dance to reset his feet.
Diaz throws a push kick but Santos slaps the foot to one side.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Santos.
Santos blocks a head kick by Diaz.
Santos shoots in for a double leg but Diaz sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Diaz throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Diaz scoring well with a low kick there.
Diaz is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Santos.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Diaz throws a leg kick which misses Santos's front leg but catches the back leg as Santos tries to avoid it.
Nice body kick from Diaz.

Santos gets the takedown into side control.

Santos stands up.
Diaz throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Santos pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Diaz closes the distance but Santos moves to the side

and Santos counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Santos postures up.
Santos passes easily into side control. Nice work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Emerson Santos dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Diaz scores with a kick to the midsection.

Diaz gets caught flat footed, as Santos shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Diaz is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Santos won't allow Diaz to get back to his feet.

Santos drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Diaz manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Santos has Diaz in his guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Diaz won't allow Santos to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diaz tries to stand but Santos is controlling from the bottom.
Santos wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Diaz is now in half guard.
Emerson Santos overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Diaz trying to control the action but Santos is working from the bottom.

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 trying to control but Diaz postures up.
Santos is looking to improve his position.
Diaz is pressing down on Santos's thigh, looking to free his foot. Santos is holding on for now.
Santos keeping hold of Diaz's head, controlling as best he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Diaz plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Diaz is really struggling to land any decent head shots against his taller opponent.
Diaz keeps Santos at a distance using the push kick.
Horrible takedown by Santos or perhaps it was just good defense by Diaz which made him look bad.
Diaz misses with a wild body shot.
Diaz throws a nice looking combination but Santos bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Diaz throws a head kick but Santos moves out of range.
Diaz misses with a wild combination.
Diaz throws a shot to the body.
Diaz throws a half hearted mid kick.
Diaz leaves Santos with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Diaz misses with a double jab.
Santos shoots in and drives through. Diaz sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Emerson Santos. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Diaz ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Santos moves away.
Santos swats away the attempt to clinch by Diaz.
Diaz is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Santos rather than just go for the knockout.
Santos shoots for a double leg takedown but Diaz sprawls well. He's pushed Santos's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Crunch! Diaz slams his shin into Santos's torso.
Diaz tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Santos shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Diaz pinned against the cage. Diaz gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Diaz throws a nice outside leg kick.
Santos looks for a takedown but Diaz sprawls well.
Santos chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Diaz can pounce on him.
Ralph Diaz has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
A slapping body kick lands there for Diaz.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Diaz feints and then cracks Santos's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Santos down.
A good leg kick by Diaz.
Santos lands with a good body shot.
Emerson Santos is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Diaz tries to clinch there but Santos circles away.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ralph Diaz 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 Emerson Jorge scores the fight 29:28
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 29:28
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 29:28

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