PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Anthony Sanders (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Carmelo Sanchez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Sanders
vs
Sanchez

178 cm
27
183 lbs
19 - 8 - 0

182 cm
31
170 lbs
19 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very quick

BJJ Purple Belt
Good low kicks
Powerful

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 19 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Anthony Sanders!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 19 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Carmelo Sanchez!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Sanders gets a double leg takedown into Sanchez's guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

Sanders drops back looking for a leg! Sanchez is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Sanchez manages to kick Sanders off! Sanders jumps back into Sanchez's guard.
Sanders stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Sanchez swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Sanders is working hard here to advance position.
Sanders forces his way into half guard.

Sanders is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Sanchez has managed to free his arm - good work.

Sanders is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

Sanders is working for a submission of some sort.
Sanders wants to take a breather but Sanchez is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sanchez has one foot on Sanders's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Sanders throws a lazy right hand but Sanchez sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Sanchez lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Sanders backs up against the cage.
Sanchez throws a low kick but Sanders moves out of range easily.
Sanchez throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Sanchez ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Sanchez throws a sloppy head kick and Sanders moves out of range easily.
Sanchez uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Sanders.
Sanchez gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Sanchez scores with a head kick. Sanders tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
An inside leg kick from Sanchez misses.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Sanders closes the distance and clinches up with Sanchez, looking for a takedown. Sanders pushes Sanchez against the cage but Sanchez circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Sanders takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Sanders enables Sanchez to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Sanders manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sanchez is looking to stand up but Sanders won't let him.

Sanders is looking for a triangle but Sanchez pushes his legs off easily.

Sanders looking for a guillotine here but Sanchez defends easily.

Sanders looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Sanders has a closed guard, preventing Sanchez from standing up.
Sanders is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Sanchez is controlling him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sanders is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Sanchez wants to get up but he can't break Sanders's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Sanchez wants to control from the top but Sanders keeps moving.
Sanchez is looking to stand up but Sanders won't let him.

Sanders looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Sanders had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Sanchez defends it easily.

Sanders is looking for a triangle but Sanchez pushes his legs off easily.
Sanders is breathing heavily.
Sanchez wants to stand but Sanders is controlling his posture from full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sanders wants to stand but Sanchez is controlling the position.
Sanchez wants to control from the top but Sanders keeps moving.

Sanchez stands up and waves to Sanders to follow him.
Sanders showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Sanchez.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sanchez misses with a low kick.
Sanders shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Sanchez pinned against the cage. Sanchez gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Carmelo Sanchez 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.

Sanders punishes Sanchez's body with a nice straight punch.
Sanders lands with a nice body punch.
Good leg kick by Sanchez there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Sanders gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Sanchez misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Sanders.
Sanders takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Sanchez cracks Sanders with a right hand to the side of the head.
Sanders misses with a kick to the body.
Sanchez throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Sanders shoots in but Sanchez avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Sanchez swinging wildly here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Sanchez.
Sanchez throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Sanders.
Sanchez cracks Sanders with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Sanchez throws a body punch but Sanders moves out of range.
Sanchez fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Sanchez changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Sanders avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Sanders is trying hard to land a takedown here. Sanchez sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Sanders avoids the body shot from Sanchez.
A thudding body kick lands there by Sanchez!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sanders avoids a punch combination nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez connects with a good right hand that stumbles Sanders. Sanders circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Sanders lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Sanders misses with a few strikes there.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Sanders avoids the head kick by Sanchez.
Sanchez avoids the head kick by Sanders.
Sanchez throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Sanders.
Sanchez throws a head kick but Sanders moves out of range.
Sanders cracks Sanchez with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Sanders slips a jab from Sanchez.
Sanchez scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Sanders doesn't seem bothered though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Sanders's head.
A big left from Sanders misses.
Sanchez throws a body punch but Sanders moves out of range.
Carmelo Sanchez seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Sanchez tests Sanders's chin there with a solid looking shot.
A looping hook to the body misses from Sanchez. Sanders does a little dance to reset his feet.
Sanchez misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Sanders.
A solid leg kick lands there for Sanchez.

Sanders clinches up against the cage.

Sanchez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Sanders lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Sanders dodges the punch combination from Sanchez.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sanders tries to score a power double leg takedown but Sanchez sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Sanders somewhat.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Anthony Sanders. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sanchez misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Sanders shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sanchez is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Sanders postures up.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sanders prevents Sanchez from getting back to his feet.
Sanders trying to control but Sanchez is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Carmelo Sanchez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

A solid leg kick lands there for Sanchez.
Sanchez drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Sanchez misses with a series of wild punches.
A low kick from Sanchez is predictable there
and Sanders counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Carmelo Sanchez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sanders misses with a straight left.
Sanchez jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Nice defenses there by Sanders.
Nice takedown defense from Sanchez. No joy for Sanders on that attempt.
Sanders throws out a powerful jab.
A big right from Sanchez misses.
Sanchez throws a sloppy head kick and Sanders moves out of range easily.
A jab from Sanders misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanchez moves out of range as Sanders strikes.
Sanchez stuns Sanders with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Sanchez throws a sloppy head kick and Sanders moves out of range easily.
Sanchez throws a quick inside leg kick.
Sanchez misses with a wild body shot.
Sanders shoots in looking for a takedown. Sanchez tries to sprawl out of it but Sanders keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Sanchez manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Sanders shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Sanchez as he avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Anthony Sanders. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Sanders staying out of range there.
Sanchez misses with a body shot

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Sanchez wants to sweep but no luck.
Sanchez is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Sanchez keeping moving, preventing Sanders from controlling successfully.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Sanchez is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Sanders trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

Sanders is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Sanders trying to control but Sanchez is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sanchez is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.

Sanders has Sanchez pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Sanders pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Sanchez tumbling to the mat - Sanders dives into Sanchez's guard.
Sanders wants to pass the guard but Sanchez is keeping the position.
Anthony Sanders has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Sanders throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Sanchez works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Sanders has gone for a leg lock! Sanchez slips out almost immediately though and dives into Sanders's guard.

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

Sanchez stands up from guard. Let's bang!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Sanchez lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Carmelo Sanchez is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Sanchez connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Sanchez fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Sanders manages to avoid it.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sanchez moves out of range of the strikes.
Sanders is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Sanders 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.
Sanchez throws a good cross that connects.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Anthony Sanders.
I think Sanchez has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 27:30
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 27:30
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 29:29

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Carmelo Sanchez!