PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Douglas Santana (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Eli Barden (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Santana's entrance music is Duke NukemTheme. A fine choice. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Santana
vs
Barden

182 cm
27
187 lbs
13 - 8 - 1

191 cm
26
185 lbs
15 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

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 13 - 8 - 1, fighting out of New York, Douglas Santana!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 5 - 0, fighting out of New York, Eli Barden!
The judges for this bout are Columbo Gatti, Reed Andrews and David Schapiro.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Santana misses with a straight right.
Barden throws a series of punches but Santana moves out of range.
Santana fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Barden manages to avoid it.
Santana throws a head kick that misses.
Barden fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Santana manages to avoid it.
Santana tries to close the distance and clinch but Barden swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Santana throws a hook but Barden avoids it easily.
Santana throws a lazy right hand but Barden sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Barden throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Santana throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Santana throws a head kick but Barden moves out of range.
Barden fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Santana looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Barden plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Santana tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
A solid leg kick lands there for Barden.
Santana throws a jab but it's blocked by Barden.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santana misses with an uppercut
and Barden counters with a low kick, right behind Santana 's knee.
Santana throws a hook but Barden blocks it.
Barden looks to land a combination. Santana sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Santana moves into range and connects with a jab.

Barden closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Barden content to control rather than advance.
Barden thows a huge punch but Santana dodges it nicely.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Barden thows a huge punch but Santana dodges it nicely.
Barden is taking a breather. Santana says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Barden is looking to take a break and control but Santana is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santana wants to get back to full guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Santana looks like he's trying to stand up.
Barden working the head and body with strikes.
Santana avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Barden.
Barden throwing shots but Santana is blocking nicely.
Barden is stalling here. Santana is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Barden seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Santana has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Santana content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Santana wants to control but Barden is keeping him busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barden can't do much from the bottom here.
Barden is looking for a sweep.
Santana prevents Barden from escaping the position.
Barden is not content to let Santana control the position.
Barden manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Barden seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barden trying to control from half guard but Santana is working away.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Barden lands with a nice body punch.

Santana clinches.
A left hand lands to the body for Santana.

Barden manages to break the clinch.
Barden dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Santana. That did some damage!
Barden tries to work over Santana's front leg with a kick but Santana checks it.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Barden just misses with a punch to the body.
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!
Barden swats away the attempt to clinch by Santana.
Santana turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eli Barden dominated that round.
That's time! Santana's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Santana tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Barden paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Barden connects with a nice looking jab.
Santana misses with a right hand
and Barden counters with a good, hard body kick but Santana shrugs it off.
Santana takes one on the button.
A solid leg kick lands there for Santana.
Barden just misses with a punch to the body.
Barden swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Santana takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Barden feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Santana's calf.
Santana takes one to the chin there.
Santana looks to score with a jab to the body but Barden is just out of range.
Santana slips under a jab from Barden.
Barden throws a push kick but Santana slaps the foot to one side.
Santana tries to clinch up but Barden circles away and keeps his distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santana scores with a jab. Barden acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Nice takedown defense from Barden. No joy for Santana on that attempt.
Barden attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Barden tests Santana's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Barden connects with an inside leg kick.
Santana has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Barden.
Barden swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Barden has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Santana takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Barden lands a front kick.
Barden showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Santana.
Barden closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Barden misses with a hook. Santana ducked under it nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santana uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Barden.
Barden misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Santana.
Barden scores with a three punch combo!
Santana waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Barden.
Santana ducks under a wild hook from Barden.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Santana throws a looping overhand right but Barden ducks down to avoid it.
Barden misses with a head kick.
Santana tries to close the distance and clinch up but Barden swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Barden wants to land a leg kick but Santana is out of range.
Eli Barden seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Santana darts in trying to clinch
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Santana misses with a right hand
and Barden makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Barden decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Barden wants to take a breather but Santana is having none of it.
Barden working over Santana with some ground and pound. Santana looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Santana wants to get back to his feet.
Barden is trying to control the action in half guard but Santana is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Santana gets full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barden trying to control but Santana is working from the bottom.
Barden engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.

Eli Barden has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Santana doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Santana throws a combination that misses
and Barden counters with a slapping leg kick.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Barden throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Barden throws a half hearted mid kick.
Santana tries to clinch up.
Santana throws a looping overhand right but Barden ducks down to avoid it.
Santana motions for Barden to come forward. Santana throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eli Barden 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. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Santana throws a jab when Barden was well out of range.
Santana takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Barden looks to score with a jab to the body but Santana is just out of range.
Barden avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Santana misses with an uppercut
and Barden connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Santana tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Barden lands a jab to Santana's midsection.
Barden looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Barden throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Barden circles away from the clinch attempt.
Barden misses with a two punch combination.
A jab from Santana does it's job there.
Barden connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Santana's hands.
Barden keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Santana.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santana throws out a loose jab but Barden uses good head movement to avoid it.
Barden throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Santana throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Barden.
Santana needs to keep his hands up - Barden had a free shot at his head there.
Santana's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Barden connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Santana scrambles back to his feet.
Barden missing with a left hand there. Santana was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Santana throws a low kick but Barden avoids it.
Santana throws a leg kick which misses Barden's front leg but catches the back leg as Barden tries to avoid it.
Barden misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Santana.
Barden swats away the attempt to clinch by Santana.
Santana chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Barden can pounce on him.
Barden fails to land with a series of punches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barden misses with a hook to the body
letting Santana counter with a right hand.
Barden lands with a thumping leg kick.
Barden throws a low kick but Santana avoids it.
Barden wants to slow Santana down by chopping away at his legs.
Barden moves out of range as Santana throws a body kick.
Barden bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Santana defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Barden.
Barden takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Santana tries to clinch up but Barden circles away and keeps his distance.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Barden tries to move into range but Santana moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Santana looks to throw a body kick
and Barden counters with a nice kick to the body.

Santana pushes Barden up against the cage in a clinch.
Barden makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.

Barden breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barden showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Santana.
Santana scores with a jab.
Eli Barden is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Barden connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Santana looks to land a left hand but Barden moved out of range nicely.
Barden plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Barden shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Santana defends it nicely.
Santana lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Santana misses the jab.
Barden circles away from the clinch attempt.
Santana tries to clinch there but Barden circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A slapping leg kick lands for Barden.
Santana scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Santana lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Barden circles away quickly and effectively.
Santana throws a body punch but Barden moves out of range.
Barden tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Santana swivels and escapes.
Douglas Santana has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Eli Barden.
Santana takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Douglas Santana has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Santana is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Santana fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Barden shoots in for a takedown but Santana shows good takedown defense.
Barden's corner calls for a 1-2. Barden obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
This has been an exciting period of action!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Santana takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Santana throws an off balance right hand
and Barden counters with a left to the body.
Santana thows a body shot but no joy.

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 Douglas Santana.
I think Barden 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 Columbo Gatti scores the fight 27:30
Judge Reed Andrews scores the fight 27:30
Judge David Schapiro scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Eli Barden!
Eli Barden was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.