PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Chris Bell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Domingo Santiago (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Santiago comes into a darkened arena with his song building. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd517MxUkGw kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Chris Bell is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples... Tweaking his own nipples that is.

Bell
vs
Santiago

180 cm
23
175 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

178 cm
20
175 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Chris Bell!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Domingo Santiago!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Jack Bonds and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Santiago fails to land with a series of punches.
Santiago tries to clinch up.
Domingo Santiago seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Santiago is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Santiago has taken the fight to the clinch.
Santiago is trying to break free.
Bell keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Santiago's efforts to push away.
Santiago jumps guard but Bell stands there with Santiago around his waist. Santiago gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

Santiago successfully pulls guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Santiago looking for a guillotine here but Bell defends easily.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Santiago working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Bell doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Bell manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bell prevents Santiago from getting back to his feet.
Bell has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Santiago trying to keep a closed guard but Bell is proving a slippery customer.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

Santiago is looking for a triangle but Bell pushes his legs off easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bell looking to pass the guard.
Santiago seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Bell looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Santiago wants to stand but Bell is controlling the position.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Bell connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Bell fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Santiago on the side of the head.
Bell's jab looks to have found its range, popping Santiago under the eye.
Santiago avoids a punch combination nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Chris Bell will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Bell on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Santiago misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Bell avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Bell fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Santiago on the side of the head.
Left hook, right uppercut from Bell.
Bell swats away the attempt to clinch by Santiago.
Santiago shoots in for a takedown but Bell shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Santiago shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Bell pinned against the cage. Bell gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Santiago misses with a takedown attempt - Bell sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Chris Bell has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Domingo Santiago.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bell cracks Santiago with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Bell scores with a punch to the head.
Santiago fails with the takedown.
Santiago is breathing heavily.
Santiago shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Bell defends it nicely.
Bell scores with a shot to the body.
Jab by Bell.
Santiago shoots for a takedown but Bell saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Decent striking displayed by Bell there.
Santiago shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Bell but Bell pushes him off and we're back to square one.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santiago closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Bell jabs Santiago to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Bell lands a right hook to the body.
Santiago doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.

Bell instigates a clinch.
Bell controlling the action here for a moment.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Bell gets a warning from the ref for wasting time.
Santiago tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Bell just stands there and leans against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santiago trying to land knees to the body.
Bell manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Bell prevents the takedown attempt.
Bell is pushing Santiago up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Santiago prevents Bell from breaking the clinch.
Bell wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Santiago has him pressed against the cage.
Santiago fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Santiago drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Bell's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Bell throws a good cross that connects.
A shot to the liver by Bell. Beautiful body shot.
Santiago takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Santiago looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Bell scores with a jab to the body.
Santiago takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Bell lands a jab to the nose.
Bell lands an overhand right.
Bell lands a lovely overhand right.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chris Bell dominated that second round.
That's time! Bell's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Bell lands an overhand right.
Bell scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Bell lands with an uppercut that bounces Santiago off the cage and back into rage.
Decent striking displayed by Bell there.

Bell moves into range and clinches up with Santiago.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Santiago is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Bell is trying to break the clinch but Santiago is controlling him.
Bell keeps control of Santiago as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Santiago wants to break free but Bell has control.
Santiago takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Santiago tries to pull guard but Bell won't allow it.
Santiago tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Bell stalling.

Santiago breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santiago tries to clinch up
and Bell cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Santiago tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Bell counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Santiago thinking.
Bell scores with a decent looking hook.
Bell fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Santiago looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Bell dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Santiago has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Santiago there as he acknowledges the shot.
Santiago looks for a takedown but Bell sprawls well.
Chris Bell has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Domingo Santiago.
Bell moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santiago takes one to the chin there.
Bell moves out of range as Santiago throws a body kick.
Santiago has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Bell scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Bell lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Santiago on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Bell scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
A jab lands there for Bell.
Chris Bell is winning the standup battle so far.
Santiago shoots in but no luck this time.
Bell scores with a jab to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santiago doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Bell uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Santiago has time to react.

Bell fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Santiago, pushing him back against the cage.
Come on Bell - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Santiago has Bell pressed against the cage, preventing Bell from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Bell stalling in the clinch.
Santiago prevents Bell from breaking the clinch.
Santiago tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Bell tries to break the clinch but Santiago is controlling the position.
Bell slowing the pace effectively.
Santiago is looking to break free of the clinch but Bell has double underhooks.
Santiago has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Bell avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.

Bell escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Chris Bell is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Bell cracks a nice hook into Santiago's ribs.

Bell moves into the clinch.
Bell working hard to break the clinch.
Bell wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Santiago has him pressed against the cage.
Santiago is trying to drag Bell to the mat but Bell just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Bell has Santiago pushed against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Chris Bell showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Bell, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 30:26
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 30:26
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Chris Bell!