PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Santiago Riasco (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Johan Sundstein (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Riasco's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, The Mexakinz ft. Xzibit - The Wake Up Show. 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 Johan Sundstein was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Riasco
vs
Sundstein

162 cm
21
155 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

165 cm
21
150 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

Good takedowns
Brawler
Very quick

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Granite chin

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 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Santiago Riasco!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Johan Sundstein!
The judges for this bout are Alyssa Summers, John Kavanagh and Dean Styles.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Riasco fails with a takedown attempt.
Riasco shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Sundstein but Sundstein pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Sundstein throws a right and a left that Riasco avoids nicely.
Sundstein throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Riasco dives in and grabs Sundstein's left leg, looking for a takedown. Sundstein pushes down on Riasco's head and hops out.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Santiago Riasco. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Riasco has his takedown stuffed
and Sundstein counters with a straight right hand.
Riasco looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Sundstein misses with a series of wild punches.
Riasco misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Sundstein leaves Riasco with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Sundstein has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Sundstein lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Riasco drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Riasco looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sundstein scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!

Riasco is rocked!
Riasco tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Sundstein defends well and Riasco ends up having to push Sundstein into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Riasco drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Sundstein wants to get back to striking at distance but Riasco won't allow it.
Riasco tries for a takedown but Sundstein manages to get underhooks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Riasco is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Sundstein pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Sundstein prevents the takedown attempt.
Riasco wants a takedown but no success here.
Riasco has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Sundstein avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Sundstein has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Riasco goes for a takedown in the clinch but Sundstein prevents it.
Sundstein wants to get back to striking at distance but Riasco won't allow it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Riasco wants a takedown.
Riasco wants a takedown.
Riasco changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Sundstein fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Sundstein shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Riasco eats them both and turns towards Sundstein to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Riasco fails with a takedown attempt.
Sundstein fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Riasco changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Sundstein tries to avoid it but Riasco manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Sundstein to the ground. Sundstein escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Sundstein throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Riasco takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Riasco shoots in looking for a takedown. Sundstein tries to sprawl out of it but Riasco keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Sundstein manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Sundstein fails to land with a series of punches.
Riasco shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Sundstein defends it nicely.
Johan Sundstein is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Sundstein throws a right and a left that Riasco avoids nicely.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sundstein slaps away a takedown attempt from Riasco, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Sundstein throws a right and a left that Riasco avoids nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Johan Sundstein dominated that round.
That's time! Riasco's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Sundstein misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Riasco shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Sundstein defends it nicely.
Riasco shoots in looking for a takedown. Sundstein tries to sprawl out of it but Riasco keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Sundstein manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Sundstein swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Riasco counters with a shoot takedown. Sundstein fights it but they end up in guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Riasco trying to control the position from guard on top but Sundstein is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Riasco pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Sundstein is keeping the position for now.
Riasco passes Sundstein's right leg, so he's now in half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Riasco looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Still in half guard, Riasco seems content to control.
Riasco is thwarting Sundstein's attempts to control the position.

Riasco is looking for a kimura here.
Riasco trying to control from half guard but Sundstein is working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Riasco wants to pass to mount but Sundstein is defending the position.
Sundstein trying to control but Riasco postures up.
Sundstein is not content to let Riasco control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Riasco slips a jab and a cross from Sundstein.
Some wild striking there from Sundstein.
Sundstein misses with a wild combination.
Sundstein looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Riasco throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Sundstein's waist but Sundstein gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Riasco off to one side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Santiago Riasco. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Riasco shoots in for a double leg but Sundstein sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Nice sprawl there from Sundstein as Riasco shoots in.
Sundstein misses with a two punch combination.
Riasco shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Sundstein sprawls well. Sundstein wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Riasco gets slowly back to his feet.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sundstein misses with a series of wild punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sundstein throws a right hand that Riasco ducks under and follows up with a left that Riasco also avoids with ease.
Riasco fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Riasco shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Sundstein but Sundstein pushes him off and we're back to square one.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Riasco.
Sundstein lands a lovely overhand right.
A shot to the liver by Sundstein. Beautiful body shot.
Sundstein throws a series of strikes that have Riasco backpedaling.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Riasco will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Sundstein throws a right and a left that Riasco avoids nicely.
Sundstein throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Sundstein stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Sundstein wants it to stay on the feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Santiago Riasco dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Riasco misses with a takedown attempt - Sundstein sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
A combination from Sundstein does no damage.
Sundstein misses with a jab, cross combination.
Riasco shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Sundstein counters with a two punch combo.
Riasco shoots for a double leg takedown but Sundstein sprawls well. He's pushed Riasco's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Santiago Riasco. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sundstein fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Riasco on the side of the head.
Sundstein scores with a jab to the head.
Sundstein's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Sundstein duly obliges.
Riasco shoots in for a double leg but Sundstein sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Sundstein lunges at Riasco with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Riasco's hand.
Riasco looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Sundstein is fending him off so far but Riasco persists. Nope, Sundstein circles away and we're back to standing.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Sundstein swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Riasco tries to score a power double leg takedown but Sundstein sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Riasco somewhat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sundstein misses with a jab, cross combination.
A punch combination from Sundstein misses.
Sloppy strikes from Sundstein. Those never looked like landing.

Riasco gets a takedown into half guard.
Sundstein is not content to let Riasco control the position.
Riasco is thwarting Sundstein's attempts to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Riasco seems to be working for a kimura but Sundstein defends the submission attempt.
Riasco tries to pass the half guard into mount. Sundstein knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

Riasco is working for a submission of some sort.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Riasco performing his best blanket impression for a moment.

Riasco is looking for a kimura here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Riasco is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Riasco is looking to advance position but Sundstein won't allow it.

Riasco seems to be looking for submissions.

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 Santiago Riasco.
I think Riasco has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Alyssa Summers scores the fight 29:28
Judge John Kavanagh scores the fight 29:28
Judge Dean Styles scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Santiago Riasco!
A very excited looking Santiago Riasco made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.