PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Walter Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rheinhold Messener (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Santos comes to the cage accompanied by Buenos Tardes Amigo. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Santos
vs
Messener

150 cm
18
130 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

174 cm
20
144 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Walter Santos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rheinhold Messener!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Emerson Jorge and Matheus Silva.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Santos scores with a spinning back kick!
Messener connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Santos looks frusrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Santos fails to land with a series of punches.
Messener moves out of range of the leg kick from Santos.
Santos tries to clinch but Messener moves out of range.
The fight stays on the outside here - Santos looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
An inside leg kick lands from Santos.
Santos looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Messener moves out of range of the body kick.
Santos tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Santos uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Messener.
Messener circles away from the clinch attempt.

Messener shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Santos wants to get back to his feet but Messener is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Santos tries to land a sweep but no joy.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Santos can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Messener controls the pace.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Messener working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Santos lands some strikes from the bottom.
Santos looking to control but Messener passes into half guard.
Messener winds up and cracks Santos with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Santos is trying to control but can't.
Santos is breathing heavily.
Messener not doing much here.
Santos knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Messener on the ground.
Santos pushes Messener off looking to stand but Messener dives back in and keeps control.
Santos is looking to get back to is feet but Messener passes into side control.
Messener is chipping away with strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos being controlled for a moment.
Santos on the wrong end of some ground and pound.

Messener working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Santos is looking for a sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Santos is looking to reverse the position.
Messener happy to just control the position for now.

Messener decides to stand up, so the ref orders Santos to his feet.

Messener decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Messener seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Santos does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Santos is looking to escape.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Messener in particular looking to stall.

Despite being in the dominant position, Rheinhold Messener just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Santos with a poor takedown

and Messener counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Santos has hold of Messener's hands but Messener slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Messener working Santos over with strikes.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Messener is taking a breather. Santos says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Santos is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rheinhold Messener dominated that round.
That's time! Santos's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Messener looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Santos wants to control but Messener is keeping busy.
Santos looks like he's trying to stand up.
Santos tries to get to full guard but Messener has control of the leg.
Santos tries to kick Messener off but Messener keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Santos tries to kick Messener off in order to stand up. Messener Avoids the leg push though and dives into side control.
Messener just content to control the position.
Santos is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Messener stands up and we're back to a striking position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Messener looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.

Messener darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Santos pushes Messener off looking to stand but Messener dives back in and keeps control.
Santos tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Messener has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
Santos is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Santos tries to hold on but Messener pushes him away.
Santos could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos is working to get back to half guard.
Santos tries to buck Messener off but he can't manage it.

Messener stands up from the dominant position. He obviously fancies his chances standing.
Santos misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Santos thuds his shin into the meat of Messener's side.
Santos throws a head kick but Messener moves out of range.

Messener instigates a clinch.
Messener can't break the clinch.
Santos trying to stall but Messener improves his position.
Messener holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Messener gets underhooks to prevent Santos's takedown attempt.
Santos doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Messener prevents Santos from breaking the clinch.
Santos wants to stall.
Santos wants to break free but Messener has control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos is trying to break free.

Santos manages to break the clinch.
Santos buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Santos displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Santos pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Santos fails with the takedown

and Messener moves into the clinch.
Messener leaning against his opponent.

Messener has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Santos regains guard immediately.
Messener won't allow Santos to get back to his feet.
Messener lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

Messener decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Santos, up you get!
Santos looks to land a body kick but Messener moved away.
Santos misses with a looping right.
Messener throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Santos misses with a hook. Messener ducked under it nicely.
Santos throws a poor cross that misses

and Messener counters with a nice double leg into side control. Santos won't be happy with that.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for leaving it all in the cage!
Messener advances nicely into full mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Messener working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Messener controlling from mount.
Messener is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Messener has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Santos has given up his back, trying to stand up. Not clever.
Santos controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.
Messener lands strikes to the head.

Messener looking for the RNC.
Messener is not going to allow Santos to sit and survive in this position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Santos looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rheinhold Messener showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Messener has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Santos.
Santos darts in trying to clinch

so Messener counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Santos tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Santos wants to get back to his feet but Messener is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Santos has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Messener can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Messener won't allow Santos to sweep him here.
Santos is working hard here to advance position.
Santos is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Messener is controlling him.
Messener wants to pass the guard but Santos is keeping the position.
Santos throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Messener works Santos's body with a nice hook.
Messener throws a left and a right that both miss
and Santos counters with a slapping leg kick.
Santos is looking to clinch.

Messener darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Santos tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.

Messener stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
A left and a right from Santos both land. Nice combination.

It looks like Rheinhold Messener has been cut.
Santos throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Messener counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Santos is trying to stand back up but Messener is controlling him
Santos has a hand on Messener's thigh, trying to get back to full guard. Messener takes advantage of the position though and mounts him!
Messener controlling the pace for now.
Santos is working to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Messener controlling from the full mount.
Messener blocks Santos's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Santos tries to reverse the position but Messener maintains control.
Rheinhold Messener has got the better of the ground game so far.
Santos looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
Santos is trying to stand back up.

Messener is working for the choke. It looks like he might have got it... has he...? Yes! Santos is tapping out! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:01 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Rheinhold Messener!