PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Luciano King (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alex Savio Sanchez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Alex Savio Sanchez has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Luciano King's chin.

King
vs
Savio Sanchez

183 cm
19
177 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

174 cm
25
168 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Luciano King!
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, Alex Savio Sanchez!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Edson Gomes and Paulo Santos.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Savio Sanchez tries to clinch but King moves out of range.
King fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Savio Sanchez swings for the body but King moves out of range.
King swats away the attempt to clinch by Savio Sanchez.
Savio Sanchez swings widly with a right hand

and King holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

King manages to break the clinch.
Savio Sanchez is looking to clinch but King is avoiding it.
King ducks under a wild hook from Savio Sanchez.
Savio Sanchez keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

A momentary lapse in concentration from King enables Savio Sanchez to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. King manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
King seems keen to control Savio Sanchez's posture.
Savio Sanchez slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
It looks like Savio Sanchez might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Alex Savio Sanchez.

King closes the distance and pushes Savio Sanchez back into the cage.
King tries to pull guard but Savio Sanchez won't allow it.
Savio Sanchez wants a takedown but no success here.
King working aggressively here.
Savio Sanchez is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
King tries to pull guard but Savio Sanchez forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Luciano King. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Savio Sanchez tightens his grip and picks King up, before dumping him to the ground. King manages to land in guard.
King is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
King can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Savio Sanchez controls the pace.
Savio Sanchez loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
King has a closed guard, preventing Savio Sanchez from standing up.
Savio Sanchez advances position into side control!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Savio Sanchez decides to stand up, so the ref orders King to his feet.

Savio Sanchez drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Savio Sanchez stands up from King's guard - Savio Sanchez perhaps looking for a knockout.
King is breathing heavily.
Savio Sanchez fails with an attempt to clinch.
Savio Sanchez closes the distance looking to clinch

and King counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Savio Sanchez manages to get to full guard.
Savio Sanchez is adopting a defensive guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Savio Sanchez has his foot on King's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. King works his way back into a safe position though.
This has been an exciting period of action!
King trying to control the position from guard on top but Savio Sanchez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Savio Sanchez pulls King in close to his closed guard and prevents King from doing any damage or advancing position.
King stopping the sweep attempt from Savio Sanchez.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
King has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Savio Sanchez is proving hard to escape from.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alex Savio Sanchez dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Savio Sanchez dives in and grabs King's left leg, looking for a takedown. King pushes down on Savio Sanchez's head and hops out.
Savio Sanchez misses with a double jab
and King counters with a left to the body.
Alex Savio Sanchez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Savio Sanchez shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has King pinned against the cage. King gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Savio Sanchez looks for a takedown but King sprawls well.
Luciano King has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Alex Savio Sanchez.

King scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

That's one minute gone in the round.
King lands an elbow.
Savio Sanchez wants to get back to his feet.
King wants to lay and pray for a moment but Savio Sanchez keeps working.
Savio Sanchez tries to bench press King off him but King keeps the position.
Savio Sanchez is breathing heavily.
King creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Savio Sanchez sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
King wants to control but Savio Sanchez is keeping him busy.

King is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Savio Sanchez is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Savio Sanchez gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
King seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Savio Sanchez does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Savio Sanchez is defending against the submission attempts here by King.
Alex Savio Sanchez has got the better of the ground game so far.
Savio Sanchez wants to get back to full guard.
King is keen to just control but Savio Sanchez is a slippery customer.
Savio Sanchez blocking the ground and pound attempt from King.
King wants to take a breather but Savio Sanchez is having none of it.

Savio Sanchez looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Savio Sanchez trying to control but King postures up.
Savio Sanchez works his way to full guard. Good work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
King throwing strikes from guard but Savio Sanchez blocks nicely.
Savio Sanchez throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Savio Sanchez preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
King not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

Savio Sanchez escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. King gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
King throwing strikes but missing.

King drops back looking for a leg! Savio Sanchez is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Savio Sanchez manages to kick King off! King jumps back into Savio Sanchez's guard.

King drops back, looking for a kneebar! Savio Sanchez looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Savio Sanchez looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Savio Sanchez!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Let's hope that Savio Sanchez has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
King is trying to get back to his feet.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Savio Sanchez decides to stand back up.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
King misses with a takedown

and Savio Sanchez counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Alex Savio Sanchez will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

No luck for Savio Sanchez with that takedown attempt.
King fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Savio Sanchez avoids it really well and circles away.

Savio Sanchez shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches King napping and manages to drive through into side control!
King throws an elbow to the body but it doesn't land.
King struggling a bit here.
King managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Savio Sanchez.

That's one minute gone in the round.
King trying to remain calm as Savio Sanchez controls from the top position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Savio Sanchez is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, King has escaped the position, nice work there.
King knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Savio Sanchez on the ground.
King is trying to improve his position.
King tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Savio Sanchez presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!

Savio Sanchez jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… King is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by King and Savio Sanchez has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
King is letting Savio Sanchez control him for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Savio Sanchez lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear King down.
King tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Savio Sanchez wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Savio Sanchez takes a little break here. King wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Savio Sanchez in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
King avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Savio Sanchez.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Savio Sanchez staying calm.

Savio Sanchez is working for what looks like an arm triangle here. King is trying to escape and Savio Sanchez transitions quickly into an armbar! He's slapped it on tight and King is forced to tap! Nice work there by Savio Sanchez! Very nice indeed!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:32 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Alex Savio Sanchez!