PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Antonio Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Roy Nelson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Roy Nelson was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Santos
vs
Nelson

225 cm
26
300 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

170 cm
25
300 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Basic striking
Prefers standup

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Antonio 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, Roy Nelson!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Luis Engracia and Matheus Silva.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Santos stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Santos wants it to stay on the feet.
Santos looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Nelson is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Nelson takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Nelson wants to clinch up but Santos keeps it at a distance.
Santos circles away from the clinch attempt.
Nelson swats away the attempt to clinch by Santos.
Santos has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Cozad MMA Rio in the buildup to the fight.
Santos tries to clinch up but Nelson circles away and keeps his distance.
Santos circles away from the clinch attempt.
Nelson misses with a takedown attempt - Santos sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Nelson fails with a takedown attempt.
Antonio Santos has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Roy Nelson.

Nelson lands a left and a right that send Santos crashing to the mat, dazed. Nelson thinks about following him to the mat but decides to wave him back up to his feet!

It looks like Antonio Santos has been cut.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Nelson shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Santos defends it nicely.
No luck for Nelson with that takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nelson ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Nelson throws a sloppy head kick and Santos moves out of range easily.
Nelson shoots in looking for a takedown. Santos tries to sprawl out of it but Nelson keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Santos manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Santos wants to clinch.
Nelson tries to clinch there but Santos circles away.
Nelson throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Santos.
Nelson goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Nelson fails in his attempt to clinch.
Santos displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Nelson.
Nelson shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Santos sprawls well. Santos wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Nelson gets slowly back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nelson tries for a takedown but Santos sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Santos throws a leg kick but Nelson sees it coming and checks it nicely.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Nelson.
Nelson shoots in for a takedown but Santos shows good takedown defense.
Antonio Santos is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
An inside leg kick from Santos misses.
Santos tries to clinch up.
Nelson looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Nelson uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Santos.
Nelson fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Santos closes the distance and pushes Nelson back into the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
With the fighters up against the cage, Nelson throws an elbow but misses.
Nelson tries to score a body lock takedown but Santos shows good agility there to stay on his feet.

Santos manages to break the clinch.
Nelson misses with a head kick.
Nelson closes this distance looking for a takedown but Santos circles away.
Santos tries to clinch up but Nelson circles away and keeps his distance.
Nelson looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

Santos gets a clinch.
Nelson can't break the clinch.
Nelson tries to circle away but Santos has him pinned against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Santos has clasped his hands together around Nelson's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Nelson is looking to regain half guard here but Santos keeps moving and retains side control.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Roy Nelson dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Antonio Santos's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Nelson looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Nelson shoots in for a takedown but Santos shows good takedown defense.
Santos throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Nelson shoots in looking for a takedown. Santos tries to sprawl out of it but Nelson keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Santos manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
No luck for Nelson with that takedown attempt.
Antonio Santos has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Roy Nelson.

Santos forces Nelson back against the cage and clinches.

Santos gets control of Nelson's arms and successfully pulls guard. Santos will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Nelson wants to control from the top but Santos keeps moving.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Roy Nelson hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Nelson doesn't manage to clinch there - Santos circles away.
Santos tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Nelson misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Santos tries to land a front kick but Nelson steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Nelson dives in for a single leg takedown but Santos sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Nelson wants a takedown.
Nelson is trying to break the clinch but Santos is controlling him.
Santos prevents Nelson from breaking the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos stops a takedown attempt from Nelson.
Santos tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Nelson just stands there and leans against the cage.
Nelson is trying to break the clinch but Santos is controlling him.
Nelson jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Santos walks away with a smile on his face. Nelson gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Roy Nelson seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Santos tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Nelson paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Nelson shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Santos but Santos pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Nelson shoots in but no luck this time.
Nelson shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Santos pinned against the cage. Santos gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

Santos gets a clinch.
Nelson is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Santos pulls him back up using the underhooks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Come on Santos - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Santos has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Santos is pressed up against the cage. Nelson has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Santos down to the mat. Santos avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Santos closes the distance and clinches.
Nelson wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Nelson looking to slow down the pace here.
Nelson is looking for a takedown.

Santos pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Nelson shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
A left and a right from Nelson both land. Nice combination.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santos throws a jab when Nelson was well out of range.
Antonio Santos seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nelson keeps the fight on the outside.
Santos tries to clinch but Nelson is having none of it.
Santos swats away the attempt to clinch by Nelson.
Nelson looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Nelson shoots in looking for a takedown. Santos tries to sprawl out of it but Nelson keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Santos manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Santos gets in close and instigates a clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Nelson blocks an elbow strike.
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 Nelson walks away with a smile on his face. Santos gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Antonio Santos is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Santos displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Nelson.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Antonio Santos will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Antonio Santos's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Santos tries to clinch but Nelson moves out of range.
Santos stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Santos wants it to stay on the feet.
Nelson changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Santos tries to avoid it but Nelson manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Santos to the ground. Santos escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Santos takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Santos throws a series of punches but Nelson moves out of range.
Santos misses with a wild combination.
Santos with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Nelson to score with a decent uppercut.
Nelson misses with a takedown attempt - Santos sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Antonio Santos has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Roy Nelson.
Some wild striking there from Nelson.
Nelson darts in looking for a takedown but Santos gets double underhooks and turns Nelson into the cage.

Santos breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nelson goes for a double leg but Santos avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Santos continues to drive forward.
Nelson wants to take the fight to the mat but Santos manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Santos can't get the takedown.
Nelson is trying to stall.
Nelson lands an elbow that stopped Santos in his tracks for a moment.
Nelson gets underhooks to prevent Santos's takedown attempt.
Nelson is looking to take this one to the mat.
Nelson wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Nelson is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos tries to clinch but Nelson moves out of range.
Nelson takes a kick to the side of the head.
Good standup being displayed there by Nelson as he connects with a hook.
Santos slaps away a takedown attempt from Nelson, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Nelson looks for a takedown but Santos sprawls well.
Santos misses with the combination.
No luck for Nelson with that takedown attempt.
Santos fails with an attempt to clinch.
A clash of legs there as Santos blocks the low kick.
Nelson shoots in for a takedown but Santos shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos is looking to slow Nelson down with leg kicks.
Santos swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Nelson counters with a series of strikes. Santos will be more careful next time no doubt.

Santos clinches with his opponent.
Santos lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Santos is working for takedown but Nelson is calmly controlling the position for now.
Nelson fails to pull guard.
Nelson can't get the takedown.
Nelson scores with an uppercut up the middle.

Santos pulls guard effortlessly.
Nelson postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Nelson pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Santos is keeping the position for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nelson wants to get up but he can't break Santos's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Santos will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Nelson wants to stand and escape but instead Santos has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

Nelson looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Santos has picked Nelson up and slammed him! Nelson can't keep hold of the triangle and Santos manages to pass to side control!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Santos is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Nelson's shoulder. That is not cool.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Roy Nelson.
I think Nelson 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 Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 28:29
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 28:29
Judge Matheus Silva scores the fight 29:29

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Roy Nelson!