PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Adicupnu Hard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gabriel Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Hard
vs
Santos

185 cm
22
192 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

181 cm
22
188 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

Cage Side Supplements

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Adicupnu Hard!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Gabriel Santos!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Yamamoto, Shigeki Fujiwara and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Santos tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Hard swivels and escapes.
Santos shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Hard as he jumps to the side.

Hard shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Santos's guard.
Hard is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Santos trying to keep a closed guard but Hard is proving a slippery customer.
Hard loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Hard trying to control but Santos is working from the bottom.

Santos is looking for a triangle here but Hard uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Santos is being controlled here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Hard stands up and beckons Santos to his feet.

Hard moves into range and clinches up with Santos.
Santos wants a takedown.
Adicupnu Hard has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gabriel Santos.

Hard gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Santos is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Santos trying to control from the bottom.
Hard prevents Santos from improving his position.
Santos keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
Hard tries to stand but can't do so whilst Santos controls his leg.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos wants to improve his position but Hard is controlling well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Santos wants to sweep but Hard has passed to side control!
The strikes coming from Hard are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Hard tries to clinch there but Santos circles away.
Hard tries for a takedown but Santos circles away easily

and Santos decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Hard's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos looking to sit in guard and control but Hard gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Hard looking to pass the guard.
Santos looking for a sweep. Not yet Santos, not yet.
Santos is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Hard wants to control from the top but Santos keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Santos looking to control.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Santos throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Hard's waist but Hard gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Santos off to one side.

Hard closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Santos looks gassed!
Santos moves into full guard.
Santos has a closed guard, preventing Hard from standing up.

Hard avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Hard decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Santos, up you get!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Adicupnu Hard dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Hard has his takedown stuffed

and Santos counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Hard is controlling Santos's posture.
Santos in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Hard seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Santos wants to pass the guard but Hard is keeping the position.
Santos controls from within his opponent's guard.
Hard wants to improve his position but instead Santos has moved into half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Santos is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Hard is trying to maintain the position but Santos is very close to passing his half guard.
Hard tries to roll over but Santos keeps him under control.

Santos is looking for a kimura. It's pretty deep but Hard still has the half guard so he's probably OK. Oh, Hard has exploded into a beautiful escape there and after a quick scramble, he's ended up in side control on top! Nice work!
Hard looks up at the clock and then as Santos takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Hard smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Santos is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Hard wants to take a breather but Santos is having none of it.
Hard wants to advance to full mount but Santos doesn't think that's going to happen and regains full guard instead.
Adicupnu Hard overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Santos trying to control the position.
Hard has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Santos is proving hard to escape from.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hard trying to stand up but can't free himself from Santos's guard.

Santos working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Hard doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Hard manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Santos keeping moving, preventing Hard from controlling successfully.
Santos has a closed guard, preventing Hard from standing up.
Santos wants to sweep but no luck.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Some wild striking there from Hard.
Hard darts in trying to clinch

and Santos counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Hard!
Hard flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Santos is trying to take his opponent's back.
Hard tries to hold on but Santos postures up.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Santos cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Santos trying to control but he's not successful this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gabriel Santos showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Santos circles away from the clinch attempt

and Santos counters with a takedown into side control.
Santos in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Santos trying to control the position but Hard is working away.
Hard is looking to reverse the position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Santos wants to control but Hard is keeping him busy.
Hard struggling a bit here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Santos wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Hard, who protects the arm well.
Santos cracks Hard with a big right hand but Hard just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Hard is trying to escape the position but Santos is controlling the position.
You can see the frustration on Hard's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Hard is letting Santos control him for a moment.

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.

Hard throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!
Adicupnu Hard is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Santos shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Hard throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Santos won't allow Hard to sweep him here.
Hard wants to get back to his feet but Santos passes into half guard.
Hard tries to roll over but Santos keeps him under control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Santos is working for a kimura but Hard is defending it quite comfortably.
Santos tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
Santos wants to pass the guard but Hard is defending well.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Hard decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Santos flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hard is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.
Santos has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Hard is working away from the top position though.
Hard misses with a head shot. Santos uses the momentum to regain guard.
Santos trying to control the position here.
Hard trying to control the position from guard on top but Santos is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gabriel Santos comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Santos 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 Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 28:29
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 28:29
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gabriel Santos!