PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ino Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Donald Hughes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hughes has chosen Shinedown - Diamond Eyes as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Santos
vs
Hughes

175 cm
18
165 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
25
180 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter striker
Cuts easily

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

Outkast Clothing Line

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Ino Santos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Donald Hughes!
The judges for this bout are Franklyn Lucas, Columbo Gatti and Russell Pearce.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Hughes bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Hughes trying to control the action but Santos is working from the bottom.
Santos wants to control but Hughes postures up.

Hughes is trying to get an arm triangle but Santos is defending well.

Hughes looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Santos struggling a bit here.
Hughes cracks Santos with a big right hand but Santos just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Hughes trying to control the action but Santos is working from the bottom.

Hughes wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Santos, who protects the arm well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hughes landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.

Hughes swings around for an armbar but Santos sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Hughes's guard.
Hughes managing to control the position.
Santos wants to control from the top but Hughes keeps moving.
Santos pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Hughes is keeping the position for now.
Santos throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Hughes works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

Santos is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Hughes is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Hughes has escaped and now he's on top!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Hughes wants to control from the top but Santos keeps moving.

Santos had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Hughes defends it easily.
Hughes postures up and lands a big shot to Santos's brow.
Hughes is looking to work some ground and pound but Santos has wrist control.
Hughes trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Santos manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Hughes keeping moving, preventing Santos from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hughes has control of Santos's left arm, preventing Santos from doing any damage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Santos trying to control the position from guard on top but Hughes is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hughes looking for a sweep. Not yet Hughes, not yet.
Santos wants to control from the top but Hughes keeps moving.
Santos throws an elbow that misses. Hughes uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Santos's guard. Nice move by Hughes!
Hughes tries to free his leg and advance position but Santos is retaining full guard.
Santos working a defensive guard here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hughes tries to free his leg and advance position but Santos is retaining full guard.
Hughes must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Santos looking to hit a scissor sweep but Hughes is one step ahead there.

Ino Santos has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Santos tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Hughes manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Hughes fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Santos avoids it really well and circles away.
Santos tries for a takedown but Hughes circles away easily

so Hughes counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hughes slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Donald Hughes dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Hughes keeps the fight on the outside.
Santos tries to clinch up but Hughes circles away and keeps his distance.
Santos fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.
Hughes shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Hughes looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Hughes seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Santos does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Santos trying to hold on to Hughes's head to control him but Hughes postures up.
Santos wants to improve his position but Hughes is controlling well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hughes passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Santos!
Santos is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
Hughes landing strikes from the mount.
Hughes with shots to the head and body - Santos looks very uncomfortable down there.
Santos is desperately trying to improve his position but Hughes has a good base and remains in mount.
Hughes wants to control the pace but Santos is squirming around nicely.
Santos in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Santos is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Donald Hughes has got the better of the ground game so far.
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 is looking to get to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hughes working the ground and pound effectively.
Hughes breaks from Santos's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Hughes scoring with strikes but Santos is staying in there.
Hughes can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Santos is looking to escape.
Hughes lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Santos sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.

Hughes is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Santos sees it coming and defends easily.
Hughes controlling the pace.
Hughes seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Santos does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Santos is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Hughes pulls his head out easily.
Hughes is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Santos!
Hughes avoids the attempt from Santos to control.

Hughes wants to finish this one by submission but Santos is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Hughes.
Santos is in all sorts of trouble here.
Santos taking shots to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santos tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Hughes looking to control but Santos is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Hughes controlling the position easily from mount.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hughes in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hughes controlling his opponent.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Hughes fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Donald Hughes showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Santos gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Hughes counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Hughes controlling the pace.
Hughes is trying to control the action in half guard but Santos is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Santos won't allow Hughes to pass to mount.
Hughes is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Hughes sitting and controlling from the half guard.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Donald Hughes wasn't active enough on the ground.

Hughes fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Santos to the ground. Hughes is now in Santos's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hughes trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Hughes trying to control but Santos is working from the bottom.
Santos throwing strikes off his back to little effect.

Santos is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Hughes is aware though and is defending well.

Santos looking for a guillotine here but Hughes defends easily.
Hughes sitting in guard, not really doing much.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hughes trying to control but Santos is working from the bottom.

Santos is looking for a triangle but Hughes pushes his legs off easily.
Hughes controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Hughes wants to control from the top but Santos keeps moving.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Donald Hughes hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Hughes misses with the combination.
Hughes shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Santos as he jumps to the side.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hughes fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

Hughes looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Santos!
Santos is in a horrible position here. Hughes smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Santos bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Santos trying to control but Hughes is working from the bottom.
Donald Hughes is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santos pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Hughes is keeping the position for now.
Santos wants to get up but he can't break Hughes's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Hughes is adopting a defensive guard.

Santos postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Hughes is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Santos, into his guard.
Hughes controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Ino Santos has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hughes passes easily into side control. Nice work.

And that's the end of the fight!
Donald Hughes comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Hughes has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Franklyn Lucas scores the fight for Donald Hughes!
Judge Columbo Gatti scores the fight for Donald Hughes!
Judge Russell Pearce scores the fight for Donald Hughes!

Donald Hughes wins by unanimous decision!
After winning the bout, Donald Hughes thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.