PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Marcos Dos Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Joerome Strong (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters really staring each other down here, as Joerome Strong enters the cage!

Dos Santos
vs
Strong

197 cm
32
199 lbs
11 - 15 - 0

190 cm
23
195 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Decent wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 11 - 15 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Marcos Dos Santos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Joerome Strong!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Frank Antenori and Don Winkell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dos Santos throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Strong is looking to clinch but Dos Santos is avoiding it.
Strong scores with a head kick. Dos Santos tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Strong tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Dos Santos paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Strong fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Strong has Dos Santos up against the cage in a clinch.
Dos Santos jumps guard but Strong turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Dos Santos can't get the takedown.
Strong unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Dos Santos is trying to pull guard but Strong turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Marcos Dos Santos. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Dos Santos makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Dos Santos tries to pull guard but Strong won't allow it.
Strong gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Strong trying to stall but Dos Santos improves his position.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Strong with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Strong with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Strong with a knee to the head.
Dos Santos jumps guard but Strong stands there with Dos Santos around his waist. Dos Santos gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Strong.
Strong tries a knee to the head but Dos Santos blocks it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Strong throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Dos Santos blocks it with crossed arms.
Strong missing with knees to the body.
Strong lands a nice elbow.
Dos Santos avoiding damage as Strong throws knees to the body.

Dos Santos is trying to trip Strong. He has hold of a leg but Strong is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Dos Santos persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Dos Santos throwing strikes from guard but Strong blocks nicely.
Dos Santos stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Strong swivels though and keeps the full guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Strong can do anything to dispel that myth.
Dos Santos sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Dos Santos stands and throws Strong's legs to the side, diving into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dos Santos grinds an elbow into Strong's temple.

Dos Santos is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Strong knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Dos Santos working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Dos Santos tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Strong defending against the ground and pound.
Strong really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Dos Santos. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

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

Dos Santos goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Strong has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Dos Santos but great work by Strong.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Dos Santos tries to improve position but can't.
An elbow from Strong crashes against the mat.
Strong tries to stand but Dos Santos is controlling his head.
Dos Santos manages to work his way to half guard, despite Strong's best efforts.
Dos Santos is trying to maintain the position but Strong is very close to passing his half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Strong trying to control the action but Dos Santos is working from the bottom.
Dos Santos missing with punches from the bottom.
Dos Santos is trying to maintain the position but Strong is very close to passing his half guard.

Dos Santos looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Dos Santos is trying is best to control the position here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marcos Dos Santos dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Strong throws a right and a left that Dos Santos avoids nicely.
Strong lands with a straight right. Dos Santos didn't see that one coming.
Dos Santos swats away the attempt to clinch by Strong.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Dos Santos.
Strong stuffs the takedown attempt from Dos Santos. Dos Santos gets slowly back to his feet.
Strong displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Dos Santos.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Marcos Dos Santos. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Strong pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Dos Santos back to the cage. Strong follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Strong throws a wild body kick that Dos Santos sees coming a mile off.
Dos Santos tries for a takedown but Strong sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

Dos Santos shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Strong wants to get back to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dos Santos trying to pass the guard but Strong defending well.

Dos Santos is working for a kimura but Strong is defending it quite comfortably.
Dos Santos throwing shots but Strong is blocking nicely.
Dos Santos passes to side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Strong is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Dos Santos asserts his dominance and retains side control.

Dos Santos in side control, working for a kimura. He's got hold of an arm and he's torquing it... Strong is tapping! That's the end of the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:32 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Marcos Dos Santos!
Marcos Dos Santos seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.