PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Nicklas Mattsson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bruno Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Santos's choice of entrance music: Apaga mais nao bate. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Mattsson
vs
Santos

180 cm
20
190 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

180 cm
19
185 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nicklas Mattsson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Bruno Santos!
The judges for this bout are Robert Twigg, Cecil Peabody and Wesley Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mattsson finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Nice takedown defense from Santos. No joy for Mattsson on that attempt.
Santos doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Mattsson counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Santos looking to hit a scissor sweep but Mattsson is one step ahead there.
Mattsson slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Mattsson wants to control from the top but Santos keeps moving.
Mattsson passes easily into side control. Nice work.

Mattsson is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Santos has escaped the position, nice work there.
Santos tries to buck Mattsson off but Mattsson is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Santos moves into full guard.
Mattsson tries to free his leg and advance position but Santos is retaining full guard.
Santos keeping moving, preventing Mattsson from controlling successfully.
Santos wants to sweep but no luck.

Santos has his foot on Mattsson's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Mattsson works his way back into a safe position though.

Santos working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Mattsson doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Mattsson manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Santos looks gassed!
Mattsson with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Mattsson distracts Santos with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.

Santos has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Mattsson can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mattsson pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Santos is keeping the position for now.
Mattsson stays in close to Santos's body and controls the position.
Mattsson trying to control but Santos is working from the bottom.
Mattsson with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Mattsson working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.

Santos looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Santos tries to strike from the bottom.
Mattsson distracts Santos with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Mattsson with a nice head shot there.
Mattsson wants to control from the top but Santos keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Mattsson is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Santos's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Santos's back!
Santos wants to escape the position.

Santos preventing the rear naked choke attempt from Mattsson.

Mattsson is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Santos is defending well though. Mattsson let's go of the attempt for now.
Oooh a big shot gets through from Mattsson. Many more shots like that and the referee will have to think about stepping in!
Santos rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
Santos wants to improve his position but Mattsson is controlling well.
Mattsson winds up and cracks Santos with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mattsson trying to control from half guard but Santos is working away.
Santos is looking for a sweep. Mattsson is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Mattsson fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Santos is out of range.
Mattsson misses with a takedown

and Santos counters with a shoot takedown. Mattsson fights it but they end up in guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nicklas Mattsson dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Mattsson shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Mattsson showed some decent athleticism there.
Mattsson content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Mattsson missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Santos manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Santos controls Mattsson momentarily but Mattsson frees himself.
Santos tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Santos scores with a nice shot.
Santos is breathing heavily.
Santos is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Mattsson is not content to let Santos control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos blocks the strikes from Mattsson.
Mattsson tries to get to full guard but Santos has control of the leg.
Mattsson makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Mattsson.
Mattsson is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Mattsson has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Mattsson prevents Santos from getting the reversal.
Santos is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Mattsson breaks from Santos's wrist control and lands an elbow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mattsson controlling from mount.
Mattsson cracks Santos with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Mattsson tries to control but Santos wriggling away.
Santos wants to control but Mattsson is having none of it.

Mattsson looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Mattsson lands a nice shot to the head.
Santos is working to get back to half guard.
Santos is trying to stand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mattsson with good strikes from the mount here!
Mattsson with the ground and pound from mount.
Mattsson landing strikes from the mount and Santos is in trouble!
Santos tries to hold on but Mattsson postures up.
Mattsson pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Mattsson tries to control but Santos wriggling away.
Santos is in all sorts of trouble here.
Santos takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Santos is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Nicklas Mattsson overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Mattsson postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Santos looks a forlorn figure.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santos really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Mattsson looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Mattsson looking to control and managing it successfully.
Santos is in a horrible position here. Mattsson smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Mattsson pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Santos is in all sorts of trouble here.
Mattsson postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Santos looks a forlorn figure.
Mattsson landing punches.
Mattsson lands a big shot there that rocks Santos but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nicklas Mattsson dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Mattsson gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Santos counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Mattsson!

Santos get's back to his feet.
Mattsson doesn't succeed with the takedown

so Santos counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Santos stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Mattsson swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Mattsson lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Santos!
Mattsson prevents Santos from getting the reversal.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Mattsson is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Santos is surviving well by controlling Mattsson's body position as best he can.
Santos can't escape the position.
Santos takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Mattsson can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Santos is looking to escape.
Santos is trying to escape the mount.
Mattsson looking to finish Santos with some ground and pound. This is bad for Santos!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
A nice elbow there by Mattsson.
Mattsson in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Santos slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Santos is trying to stand up here but Mattsson is controlling him well.
Mattsson prevents Santos from improving his position.

Mattsson is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Santos defends it well.

Santos is defending against the submission attempts here by Mattsson.
Santos regains full guard. Nicely done.
Mattsson has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Santos has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Mattsson can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Santos working a defensive guard here.

Santos looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Mattsson sitting in guard, not really doing much.

Santos looking for a guillotine here but Mattsson defends easily.
Bruno Santos has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Mattsson won't allow Santos to sweep him here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Mattsson controlling from the top position.

Santos had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Mattsson is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Santos Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Mattsson's back instead.
Mattsson tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Mattsson wants to hold on but Santos pushes him away.
Mattsson slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.

Santos is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Mattsson has managed to free his arm - good work.
Santos blocks the strikes from Mattsson.
Nicklas Mattsson is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Santos scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Mattsson gets back to full guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bruno Santos comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Mattsson 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 Robert Twigg scores the fight 29:28
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 29:28
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nicklas Mattsson!