PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Marcelo Sakuraba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rafael Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Marcelo Sakuraba has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Sakuraba
vs
Santos

175 cm
18
190 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

180 cm
22
180 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Very confident

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Marcelo Sakuraba!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rafael Santos!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Alexandre Firmino and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fight stays on the outside here - Santos looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Santos looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!

Santos bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Santos fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Sakuraba sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Santos throwing shots but Sakuraba is blocking nicely.
Santos is looking to stall here but Sakuraba recovers full guard.

Sakuraba looking for subs off his back but Santos has passed one foot through into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos is pressing down on Sakuraba's thigh, looking to free his foot. Sakuraba is holding on for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Santos performing his best blanket impression for a moment.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Rafael Santos was stalling too much, according to the referee.

Santos changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Sakuraba looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos wants to control for a moment but Sakuraba uses the opportunity to move back to half guard.
Santos throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

Sakuraba looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's four 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.
Santos wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sakuraba keeps working.
Santos might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Sakuraba kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Rafael Santos was stalling too much, according to the referee.

Santos changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Sakuraba looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Sakuraba tries to improve position but can't.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rafael Santos 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.

Santos scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Santos wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sakuraba keeps working.
Sakuraba parries the strikes from Santos easily there. Santos is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Sakuraba to escape.
Sakuraba tries to bench press Santos off him but Santos keeps the position.
Santos working the head with strikes.
An elbow from Santos crashes against the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sakuraba takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Santos takes a little break here. Sakuraba wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.

Santos is working to tighten is grip on Sakuraba's neck. He's isolated an arm and is working for an arm triangle. Sakuraba has recognised the danger and is trying to turn with the submission but Santos is really squeezing tight and eventually Sakuraba passes out! Santos breaks the hold and jumps onto the cage to celebrate! Submission of the night, I'd say!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:57 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Arm Triangle). Rafael Santos!