PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Brian Middleston (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Santa Claus (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Brian Middleston has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Middleston
vs
Claus

180 cm
18
150 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

178 cm
18
159 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
KO power

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brian Middleston!
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, Santa Claus!
The judges for this bout are Seu Braga, Felipe Paraventi and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Middleston fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Claus sprawls well initially but Middleston persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Middleston looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Middleston seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Claus does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Claus avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Middleston.
Claus regains full guard. Nicely done.
Middleston wants to control from the top but Claus keeps moving.

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

Claus has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Middleston can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Claus throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Middleston slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Claus trying to control the position.
Claus looking to hit a scissor sweep but Middleston is one step ahead there.
Middleston looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Middleston keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Claus's head.

Middleston decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Middleston fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Claus tries for a takedown but Middleston circles away easily

and Middleston counters with a shoot takedown. Claus fights it but they end up in guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Claus wants to sweep here but Middleston controlling him for the moment.

Claus working for a triangle but Middleston defends it easily.
Middleston controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Middleston works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Claus is pressing down on Middleston's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Middleston trying to control but Claus is working from the bottom.
Middleston won't allow Claus to sweep him here.
Middleston pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Claus is keeping the position for now.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Claus is looking for a triangle here but Middleston uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.

Middleston stands up and we're back to a striking position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Middleston closes the distance and clinches.

Middleston manages to pull guard.
Middleston looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Middleston is pulling down on Claus's head to control his posture.
Claus works over Middleston with some ground and pound from guard.
Claus looking to pass the guard.
Middleston looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Claus advances position into side control!

Claus thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

Claus looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
You can see the frustration on Middleston's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Middleston is in a bad position, trying to hold on for dear life but he is really struggling to maintain any sort of control.

Claus is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Middleston knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Middleston gets back to half guard.

Claus is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Middleston defends it well.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Claus is keen to just control but Middleston is a slippery customer.
Middleston trying to control here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Brian Middleston dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Claus shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Middleston moves into the clinch.
Claus wants a takedown.
Claus wants a takedown.
Brian Middleston has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Santa Claus.

Middleston jumps into guard, dragging Claus to the mat.
Claus tries to free his leg and advance position but Middleston is retaining full guard.
Middleston is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Claus trying to control the position from guard on top but Middleston is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Claus postures up in Middleston's guard and throws a big left but Middleston blocks it.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Claus trying to control but Middleston is working from the bottom.
Claus being controlled here momentarily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Claus tries for a takedown but Middleston circles away easily

and Middleston counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Middleston.
Claus fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Claus has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Middleston avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Claus wants to stall.

Middleston tightens his grip and picks Claus up, before dumping him to the ground. Claus manages to land in guard.

Claus has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Middleston can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Middleston controlling from the top position.
Claus lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Middleston!
Middleston wants to control but Claus is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Claus with shots to the head and body - Middleston looks very uncomfortable down there.
Middleston is looking to improve his position but Claus isn't that keen on the idea.
Middleston is working hard here to advance position.
Middleston wants to control but Claus is having none of it.
Middleston bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!

Middleston stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Claus gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Middleston counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Middleston goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Claus wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

Middleston escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Middleston has closed the distance and engaged Claus in a clinch.
Claus tries to pull guard but Middleston holds him up against the cage and eventually Claus drops back down to his feet.
Middleston taking a breather.
Claus is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Claus tries to pull guard but Middleston won't allow it.

Middleston gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Claus is looking to improve his position.

Claus looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Well, if Middleston is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Claus wants to control but Middleston is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Claus is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Claus throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Middleston trying to mount his opponent but Claus defends it.

Claus is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Middleston pulls his head out easily.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Middleston stuffs the takedown attempt from Claus. Claus gets slowly back to his feet.
Claus closes the distance and clinches up with Middleston, looking for a takedown. Claus pushes Middleston against the cage but Middleston circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Claus throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Middleston's waist but Claus gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Claus off to one side.

Middleston has managed to clinch.
Middleston fails to pull guard.

Claus jumps guard.

Middleston avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Claus looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Brian Middleston dominated that second 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. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Claus fails with the takedown.
Claus will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Middleston fails with a takedown attempt.
Claus fails with the takedown

and Middleston counters with a takedown into side control.
Brian Middleston has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Santa Claus.
Middleston happy to just control the position for now.
Claus struggling a bit here.
Claus tries to improve position but can't.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Middleston tries to advance to mount but can't.
Claus tries to escape but Middleston is in control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Claus tries to buck Middleston off but Middleston is having none of it.
Claus is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Middleston fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Claus sprawls well initially but Middleston persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Middleston is thwarting Claus's attempts to control the position.
Middleston takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Claus wants to get back to full guard but Middleston has mounted him!
Claus is wriggling around trying to escape.
Middleston trying to control but Claus is having none of it.
Claus tries to hold on but Middleston pushes him away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Middleston controlling the position easily from mount.
Middleston looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.

It looks like Santa Claus has been cut.
Claus tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Middleston content just to control the position here.
Middleston avoids the attempt from Claus to control.
Claus really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Claus is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
Claus is squirming around, avoiding Middleston's attempts to control the action.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Claus is working to get back to half guard.
Middleston sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Middleston's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Claus working to try and regain half guard.
Middleston looking to control and managing it successfully.
Middleston avoids the attempt from Claus to control.

That's four 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.
Claus slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Claus wants to improve his position but Middleston is controlling well.
Middleston works his way into side control.
Claus tries to improve position but can't.
Middleston just content to control the position.
Middleston throws a strike aimed at the side of Claus's head but Claus avoids it well.
Claus is not content to let Middleston control the position.
Claus gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Santa Claus has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Claus missing with punches from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Brian Middleston showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Middleston has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Seu Braga scores the fight 30:27
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Brian Middleston!