PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Randy Cross (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Maro Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Maro Santos has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Cross
vs
Santos

180 cm
18
168 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

182 cm
22
173 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
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 Las Vegas, Randy Cross!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Maro Santos!
The judges for this bout are Robert Twigg, Frank Dennis and Chris Downing.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Santos shoots in and drives through. Cross sprawls well.
Santos wants to clinch up but Cross keeps it at a distance.
Cross throws a head kick but Santos moves out of range.
Santos tries to clinch but Cross moves out of range.
Santos tries to clinch there but Cross circles away.
Cross misses with the combination.
Santos tries for a takedown but Cross sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

Cross bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Cross wants to lay and pray for a moment but Santos keeps working.
Santos misses with an elbow from the bottom.
Cross lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Santos down.

Cross tries for a kimura but Santos is defending well.

Cross stands up and beckons Santos to his feet.

Cross 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.

Cross stands up from Santos's guard - Cross perhaps looking for a knockout.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cross throws a body punch but Santos moves out of range.
Santos fails with an attempt to clinch.

Santos closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Santos misses with a knee to the head.
Cross is trying to break free.
Cross has Santos pressed against the cage.
Cross is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Santos pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Cross is breathing heavily.

Santos drags the fight down to the ground.

Santos throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Santos looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Cross won't allow Santos to get back to his feet.

Santos is working an open guard so Cross takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos is looking to clinch but Cross is avoiding it.
Cross throws a right hand that Santos ducks under and follows up with a left that Santos also avoids with ease.
Santos fails in his attempt to clinch.
Santos circles away from the clinch attempt.
Cross blocks a head kick by Santos.
Cross throws a right and a left that Santos avoids nicely.
Santos tries to clinch up

and Cross counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Santos wants to control but Cross is keeping busy and won't allow it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Santos is trying to stand back up but Cross is controlling him
Santos regains full guard. Nicely done.
Santos thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Santos bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Cross's guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Cross had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Santos is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Cross Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Santos's back instead.
Santos has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Cross working for a RNC but it's not happening just yet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Cross is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Santos has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
Santos tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Santos is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Santos is trying to stand up.
Cross prevents Santos from getting the reversal.

Cross is standing up out of mount! Strange tactic there - he must really want this one on the feet!
Cross scoring well with a low kick there.
Good work by Santos as he checks the leg kick.
Cross misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Cross avoids the head kick by Santos.
Cross attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Santos looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Randy Cross has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Maro Santos.
Cross on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Santos fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Cross, pushing him back against the cage.

Cross gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Santos wants to control but Cross passes into side.
Santos throws an elbow to the body but it doesn't land.
Santos struggling a bit here.

Cross working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Cross working away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Randy Cross 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.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Cross.
Santos prevents Cross from improving position.

Cross stands up and beckons Santos to his feet.
Cross throws a push kick but Santos slaps the foot to one side.
Cross jabs Santos right on the nose. Santos blinks but takes it well.
Cross circles away from the clinch attempt.
Santos swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

Cross fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Santos sprawls well initially but Cross persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Cross wants to pass to mount but Santos is defending the position.
Cross is working hard here to advance position.
Santos is looking to escape.
Santos is breathing heavily.

Cross decides to return to a standing position.

Cross feints and as Santos raises his hands in defense, Cross changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Cross decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Santos, up you get!
Santos shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Cross as he avoids it easily.
Santos scores with a kick to the midsection.
Cross circles away from the clinch attempt.

Cross shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Cross tries to control but Santos wriggling away.
Cross avoids the attempt from Santos to control.

Cross gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!
Santos tries to clinch but Cross is having none of it.
Santos walks into a stiff left hand from Cross.
Santos tries a head kick but it misses.
Cross tries to clinch but Santos is having none of it.

Cross shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Cross showed some decent athleticism there.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Cross stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A left and a right from Cross both land. Nice combination.

Cross closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Santos manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Santos trying to pass the guard but Cross defending well.
Cross is looking to escape.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Santos wants to take a breather but Cross is having none of it.
Cross tries to get to full guard but Santos has control of the leg.

Santos is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Cross defends it well.
Cross is looking to improve his position.
The fighters are battling for position here. Cross manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos trying to move into half guard but instead Cross has managed to sweep!
Santos controls Cross momentarily but Cross frees himself.
Cross looking to pass the guard.
Santos wants to stand but Cross is controlling the position.
Cross postures up.
Cross stands and throws Santos's legs to the side, diving into side control.

Cross stands up.
Santos tries to clinch up.
Cross tries for a takedown but Santos circles away easily

and Santos counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cross keeping full guard, as Santos tries to pass.

Cross pushes Santos off and gets back to his feet.
Santos tries to clinch there but Cross circles away.
Santos wants to clinch.
Santos tries to clinch up
and Cross counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Santos wants to clinch.
Santos lands a high kick!
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Santos feints and as Cross raises his hands in defense, Santos changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Santos trying to control the position from guard on top but Cross is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Santos tries to free his leg and advance position but Cross is retaining full guard.
Santos is looking to stand up but Cross won't let him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Randy Cross dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Cross drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

Cross has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Santos is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Santos tries to close the distance and clinch up but Cross swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Cross swats away the attempt to clinch by Santos.
Cross swinging wilding here.
Cross misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Santos checks a low kick from Cross.
Santos tries to clinch up but Cross circles away and keeps his distance.
Santos on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Cross. Cross obviously looking to wear him down.
Santos closes the distance but Cross moves to the side

and Cross counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Cross tries to free his leg and advance position but Santos is retaining full guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Santos is on top in guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Cross looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos wants to pass the guard but Cross is keeping the position.
Santos looking to sit in guard and control but Cross gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Santos wants to improve his position but instead Cross has moved into half guard.
Cross prevents Santos from standing back up.
Santos wants to get back to full guard.

Cross is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Cross prevents Santos from improving his position.

That's two 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.

Cross is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Santos is trying to control but can't.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Cross throws a lazy body kick
and Santos counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Cross is lucky that one didn't land flush.

Santos 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.
Cross keeping moving, preventing Santos from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos prevents Cross from getting back to his feet.
Cross preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Santos loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

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

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Cross gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Santos is trying to stand back up but Cross is controlling him

Cross decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
Maro Santos has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Cross feints and as Santos raises his hands in defense, Cross changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Cross pushes down on Santos's leg and manages to get into half guard.

Cross is working for a kimura but Santos is defending it quite comfortably.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santos is looking to control Cross's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Santos avoid being mounted?

Santos looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Santos is looking to control Cross's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Santos avoid being mounted?
Santos tries to kick Cross off but Cross keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Santos wants to control but Cross is keeping busy.
Santos is pressing down on Cross's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Santos throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

And that's the end of the fight!
Randy Cross showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Cross, 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 Robert Twigg scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 30:27
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Randy Cross!