PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Dai Machida (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Joey Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Machida might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Do The Ayatollah. Dai Machida has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Machida
vs
Santos

189 cm
21
190 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

185 cm
23
186 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Knockout power

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 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Dai Machida!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, Joey Santos!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Bishop, Andrew Berry and Chris Edwards.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Santos swats away the attempt to clinch by Machida.
Santos shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Machida but Machida pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Machida misses with a low kick.

Santos shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Santos showed some decent athleticism there.
Machida desperately trying to maintain half guard.
Machida is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Santos's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Santos's back!
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Machida biding his time, looking for the opening.
Machida wants to control but Santos is keeping busy.
Machida is really struggling to control Santos but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Santos is trying to break free.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Machida is landing with strikes from the back.
Santos tries to roll but Machida sticks to his back.
Santos looks gassed!
Machida is looking to finish with some ground and pound!
Machida controlling well, preventing Santos from escaping the position.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Santos is being controlled on the ground here - he must escape this position otherwise surely the end is near.
I really don't envy Santos right now.
Machida lands a couple of good shots to his opponent's body and a final shot to the head. Good little attack there by Machida.
Machida lands a couple of good shots to his opponent's body and a final shot to the head. Good little attack there by Machida.
Machida struggling to keep hold of the position.
Machida has his opponent trapped and is landing shots. Not a good position for Santos.
Machida controls the action.
Machida tries to keep control of the position but Santos is staying busy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Dai Machida just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.

Santos gets caught flat footed, as Machida shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Machida showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

Santos throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Santos trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Machida trying to control the position from guard on top but Santos is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Machida lands a couple of elbows.
Machida trying to control but Santos is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Machida controls from within his opponent's guard.
Machida trying to control but Santos is working from the bottom.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Machida shoots in and bounces Santos off the ropes to secure the takedown into guard.
Machida wants to control from the top but Santos keeps moving.
Machida stopping the sweep attempt from Santos.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Machida slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Machida landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Check out the look on Machida's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Machida working the ground and pound from side control.

Machida decides to stand back up.

Machida feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Machida advances to half guard.
Machida is looking to take a break and control but Santos is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dai Machida dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Machida lands a head kick!

Machida clinches up with Santos and pushes him back against the ropes.
A knee to the head by Machida.

Machida turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Santos is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Machida is putting a hurting on Santos here, landing some big shots from side control.
Machida wants to lay and pray for a moment but Santos keeps working.
Santos is looking for a sweep.
Check out the look on Machida's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Machida lands a few punches from side control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Machida wants to control but Santos is keeping him busy.
Machida scoring with punches from side control.
Dai Machida overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Santos tries for a takedown but Machida circles away easily

and Machida counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Machida breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Machida buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.

Machida shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Machida was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Machida lands a big elbow.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Machida cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Santos is in all sorts of trouble here.
Machida controlling the pace for now.
Machida landing strikes, looking to finish!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos working to try and regain half guard.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Machida wants to control the pace but Santos is squirming around nicely.
Machida lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Santos hang on?
Machida lands with some strikes.
Machida pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Santos is squirming around, avoiding Machida's attempts to control the action.
Machida has his opponent pinned against the ropes, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Santos's face.
Santos in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Santos can't escape the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Machida working Santos over with strikes here.
Santos is trying to escape the mount.
Machida controlling the pace for now.
Santos takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Machida with the ground and pound from mount.
Machida with the ground and pound from mount.
Machida lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Machida prevents Santos from getting the reversal.
Santos taking shots to the head.
Machida punishing his opponent with strikes.
Machida connects with a couple of good shots from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Machida unloading with bombs!
Machida takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Machida landing strikes from the mount.
A nice elbow there by Machida.
Santos working to try and regain half guard.
Machida cracks Santos with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
A nice elbow there by Machida.
Machida putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Machida pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dai Machida dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Machida throws a nice looking combination but Santos bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

Machida instigates a clinch.
Machida gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Santos.

Machida turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Machida manages to end up in side control.
Machida is looking to take a break and control but Santos is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Machida lands a few punches from side control.

Machida is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Santos is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

Machida stands up.
Dai Machida is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Santos feints and as Machida raises his hands in defense, Santos changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Machida looking for a sweep. Not yet Machida, not yet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Santos thows a big elbow that misses.
Santos in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Machida bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Santos's guard.
Santos wants to sweep but no luck.

Santos throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Santos had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Machida is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Santos Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Machida's back instead.

Santos is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Machida knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Machida for a finish.
Machida covering up well and avoiding damage.

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.

Santos is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Machida has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
Machida breaks Santos's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Santos keeping moving, preventing Machida from controlling successfully.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Machida manages to break the clinch.

Machida fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Santos sprawls well initially but Machida persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Machida is thwarting Santos's attempts to control the position.
Santos gets full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Machida showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Santos is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Santos prevents Machida from improving his position.
Machida trying to control from the bottom.
Machida is refusing to be controlled, as Santos sits in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Machida moves into full guard.
Santos wants to control from the top but Machida keeps moving.
Joey Santos has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Santos in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Machida looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Santos trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Santos keeping moving, preventing Machida from controlling successfully.
Santos throwing strikes off his back to little effect.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dai Machida showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Machida has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Daniel Bishop scores the fight 30:27
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight 30:27
Judge Chris Edwards scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dai Machida!