PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Earle Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bartosz Ciach (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ciach has chosen I'm so blue as his entrance music. Earle Santos has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Santos
vs
Ciach

213 cm
24
151 lbs
1 - 5 - 0

170 cm
25
154 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 5 - 0, fighting out of London, Earle Santos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Bartosz Ciach!
The judges for this bout are Richard Clark, Daniel Bishop and James Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ciach tries to close the distance and clinch but Santos swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Ciach throws a series of punches but Santos moves out of range.
Ciach throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Santos gets a clinch.
Santos is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Ciach to keep the fight standing.
Ciach missing with knees to the body.
Santos really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Santos tries to pull guard but Ciach forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Ciach prevents a body shot from Santos.
Santos tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Earle Santos. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ciach gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

It looks like Earle Santos has been cut.

Santos decides to pull guard.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Santos is looking to stand up but Ciach isn't so interested in that idea.
Santos has a closed guard, preventing Ciach from standing up.
Santos keeping moving, preventing Ciach from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos looking for a sweep. Not yet Santos, not yet.
Ciach wants to control from the top but Santos keeps moving.
Santos looking to hit a scissor sweep but Ciach is one step ahead there.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Bartosz Ciach hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Ciach tries to clinch there but Santos circles away.
Bartosz Ciach seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nice takedown defense from Santos. No joy for Ciach on that attempt.
Ciach wants to clinch.
Ciach fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Santos checks it well.
Ciach leaves Santos with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ciach misses with a takedown attempt - Santos sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Santos slips a jab and a cross from Ciach.
Ciach tries to close the distance and clinch but Santos swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Ciach closes the distance but Santos moves to the side
and Santos counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
A clash of legs there as Santos blocks the low kick.
Ciach doesn't manage to clinch there - Santos circles away.
Ciach fails in his attempt to clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Ciach looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Ciach fails with an attempt to clinch.
Ciach fails in his attempt to clinch.
Ciach misses with a wild combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ciach tries a low kick but Santos avoids it.
Ciach misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Santos tries to score a power double leg takedown but Ciach sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Santos somewhat.
Ciach fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Santos is out of range.
Ciach wants to clinch.
Ciach fails in his attempt to clinch.
Ciach shoots in looking for a takedown but Santos manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Ciach's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Santos slips a jab and a cross from Ciach.
Ciach tries to close the distance and clinch up but Santos swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Santos moves into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Santos breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Ciach wants to clinch.
Ciach darts in looking for a takedown but Santos gets double underhooks and turns Ciach into the cage.
Ciach stops a takedown attempt from Santos.
Ciach stops a takedown attempt from Santos.
Santos tries to pull guard but Ciach won't allow it.

Santos escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ciach moves in looking to clinch but Santos pushes him off.
Ciach tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Ciach looks for a takedown but Santos sprawls well.
Ciach tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bartosz Ciach dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Earle Santos's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Ciach fails to land the takedown.
Santos lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Ciach.
Ciach misses with a wild combination.
Ciach fails with an attempt to clinch.
Santos leaves Ciach with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Ciach lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Santos circles away quickly and effectively.
A looping hook to the body misses from Ciach. Santos does a little dance to reset his feet.
Santos fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Santos misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Santos moves out of range of the leg kick from Ciach.
Earle Santos is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ciach moves in looking to clinch but Santos pushes him off.
Ciach tries to clinch but Santos moves out of range.
Ciach tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Santos paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Santos shoots for a takedown but Ciach saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Earle Santos. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ciach tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Santos paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Ciach lands a jab to Santos's midsection.
Ciach misses with a two punch combination.
Ciach closes the distance looking to clinch
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Ciach tries to clinch up
and Santos counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Ciach shoots for a double leg takedown but Santos sprawls well. He's pushed Ciach's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Santos stuffs the takedown attempt from Ciach. Ciach gets slowly back to his feet.
Ciach is breathing heavily.
Ciach tries to clinch up
and Santos counters with a one-two to the body.
Ciach wants to clinch but Santos slips to the side
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.

Santos has managed to clinch.
Ciach is looking to control Santos's arms but Santos gets an underhook and turns him. Now Ciach has his back to the cage.
Santos doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Ciach pushes off an throws an elbow but Santos leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Ciach throws an elbow but it's blocked.

Santos breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ciach throws a series of punches but Santos moves out of range.
Ciach stuffs the takedown attempt from Santos. Santos gets slowly back to his feet.
Ciach falls off balance throwing a combination

and Santos moves into the clinch.
Santos lands an elbow just above Ciach 's eye.
Ciach working hard to break the clinch.
Santos avoids a wild elbow strike from Ciach.

Santos's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Ciach on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Santos swats away the attempt to clinch by Ciach.
Ciach fails with an attempt to clinch.
Bartosz Ciach seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Ciach darts in looking for a takedown but Santos gets double underhooks and turns Ciach into the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santos fails to pull guard.
Santos jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Ciach walks away with a smile on his face. Santos gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Ciach tries to clinch but Santos moves out of range.
Ciach leaves Santos with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Santos tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Santos shoots in looking for a takedown. Ciach tries to sprawl out of it but Santos keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Ciach manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Ciach tries to close the distance and clinch up but Santos swats him away and circles back towards the center.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Santos stuffs the takedown.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Santos shoots in for a double leg but Ciach sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Bartosz Ciach will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Earle Santos's cut.
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 moves into the clinch.
Santos's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Ciach throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.

Santos escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
The fight stays on the outside here - Ciach looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Santos.
Santos is trying hard to land a takedown here. Ciach sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

Santos moves into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Santos gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Santos prevents Ciach from improving his position.
Ciach wants to get back to his feet.
Ciach tries to get to full guard but Santos has control of the leg.
Santos stops Ciach from getting back to his feet.
Santos perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

We're going to have a standup here because Earle Santos wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
A punch combination from Ciach misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Left hook, right uppercut from Ciach.
Ciach shoots in for a double leg but Santos sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Ciach takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Santos shoots in but Ciach avoids the takedown attempt easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Earle Santos. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ciach tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Santos is able to avoid easily.
Ciach looks to clinch

and Santos counters by moving into the clinch.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ciach is pressed up against the cage. Santos has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Ciach down to the mat. Ciach avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Ciach darts in looking for a takedown but Santos gets double underhooks and turns Ciach into the cage.
Santos has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Ciach avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Santos lands a right hand.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Ciach throws a knee to the head but misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos jumps guard but Ciach stands there with Santos around his waist. Santos gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Santos tries to score a body lock takedown but Ciach shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Santos trying to land knees to the body.
Ciach wants to break free but Santos has control.

Santos breaks from the clinch.
Ciach misses with a double jab
and Santos counters with a three punch combo that has Ciach backing up. Ciach nods at Santos to acknowledge the strikes.
Santos circles away from the clinch attempt
and Santos counters with a left and a right that stings Ciach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ciach wants to clinch

and Santos holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Santos tries to pull guard but Ciach forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Ciach lands a nice elbow.
Santos fails to pull guard.
Ciach looks to throw an elbow but misses.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Santos prevents Ciach from breaking the clinch.
Santos is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Ciach gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Earle Santos has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Bartosz Ciach is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Santos throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Ciachs head.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Earle Santos.
I think Ciach 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 Richard Clark scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight 28:29
Judge James Glass scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Bartosz Ciach!
Bartosz Ciach seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.