PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Rick Derren (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dante The Saint (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Derren's entrance music is World Funeral. A fine choice. Dante The Saint is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Derren
vs
The Saint

164 cm
18
130 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

177 cm
22
135 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

Decent wrestler
Decent boxing
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Rick Derren!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Dante The Saint!
The judges for this bout are Steve Erwin, Eliza Hachem and Bruno Hogan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Derren avoids the head kick by The Saint.
Derren looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Derren fails in his attempt to clinch.

The Saint feints and as Derren raises his hands in defense, The Saint changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
The Saint sitting in guard here, content to control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The Saint postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
The Saint sitting in guard, not really doing much.
The Saint connects with a couple of short punches.
The Saint with a flurry of punches that miss.
The Saint's corner is telling him to maintain position.

Despite being in the dominant position, Dante The Saint just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

The Saint shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Derren's guard.
The Saint is stalling in the full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The Saint slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
The Saint slows the pace down.
The Saint's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Let's hope that The Saint has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Despite being in the dominant position, Dante The Saint just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

The Saint closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Derren did well to prevent The Saint getting side control.
The Saint trying to control the pace.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dante The Saint 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.

The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
The Saint finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.

The Saint gets the takedown into side control.
Derren is being controlled here.

Despite being in the dominant position, Dante The Saint just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
The Saint changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The Saint shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
A nice elbow there by The Saint.
The Saint controlling from mount.
The Saint working away from the top, dropping strikes.
The Saint controlling from mount.
The Saint is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The Saint postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Derren looks a forlorn figure.
The Saint controlling his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Despite being in the dominant position, Dante The Saint just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Derren avoids the head kick by The Saint.
The Saint fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
The Saint walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Derren checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
The Saint throws a solid leg kick but Derren takes the impact on his shin and smiles at The Saint.

The Saint drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The Saint slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
The Saint slips nicely into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dante The Saint showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

The Saint feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Derren might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
The Saint passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Derren is being controlled here.
Dante The Saint has got the better of the ground game so far.
Derren takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The Saint controls the position.

Despite being in the dominant position, Dante The Saint just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

The Saint scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Derren on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
The referee asks The Saint politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. The Saint prefers to stall for the moment though.
The Saint is putting a hurting on Derren here, landing some big shots from side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The Saint is staying tight to Derren's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Derren is not in a great position here, taking some shots.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The Saint lands a decent elbow from side control.
The Saint slows the pace down.
The Saint cracks Derren with a big elbow.
You can see the frustration on Derren's face as The Saint controls the position.
The Saint looks up at the clock and then as Derren takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, The Saint smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
The Saint remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Despite being in the dominant position, Dante The Saint just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

The Saint drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
The Saint is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
The Saint passes Derren's left leg - he's now in half guard.
The Saint slows the pace down in half guard.
Derren pushes The Saint off looking to stand but The Saint dives back in and keeps control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dante The Saint comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well The Saint has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Steve Erwin scores the fight 26:30
Judge Eliza Hachem scores the fight 26:30
Judge Bruno Hogan scores the fight 24:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dante The Saint!