PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight kickboxing rules bout between Mijain Lopez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gustavo Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Lopez
vs
Santos

170 cm
21
154 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
18
152 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Counter fighter
Very strong

Basic striking
Solid chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Mijain Lopez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Gustavo Santos!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Edson Gomes and Leandro Rodrigues.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lopez avoids a kick to the body.
Lopez appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Santos lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Lopez circles away quickly and effectively.
Lopez attempts a counter takedown but Santos avoids it well and moves away.
Santos throws a leg kick but Lopez sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Lopez attempts a counter takedown but Santos avoids it well and moves away.
Santos tries to work over Lopez's front leg with a kick but Lopez checks it.
Lopez attempts a counter takedown but Santos avoids it well and moves away.
Santos throws a low kick but Lopez avoids it.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Santos.
Santos with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Santos fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Santos buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Santos throws a lazy body kick

and Lopez counters with a shoot takedown. Santos fights it but they end up in guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos being controlled here, momentarily.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.

Santos throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Lopez trying to control the position from guard on top but Santos is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Santos looking for subs off his back but Lopez has passed one foot through into half guard.
Santos trying to control here.
Santos won't allow Lopez to pass to mount.
Lopez tries to stand but his arm is trapped.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Santos has tried to improve his agility in the runup to this fight.
Lopez avoids the head kick by Santos.
Lopez feinted with a counter takedown.
Santos throws a nice outside leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lopez takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Mijain Lopez is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Santos lands an overhand right.
Santos throws a body kick that misses.
Lopez feinted with a counter takedown.
Santos looks to land a combination but Lopez avoids it well.
Lopez half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Good leg kick by Santos there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Santos darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Santos shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Santos throws a jab but it's blocked by Lopez.
Santos will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Lopez drops down looking for a counter takedown but Santos sprawls and moves away.
Santos throws a push kick but Lopez slaps the foot to one side.
Lopez feinted with a counter takedown.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santos throws a left and a right that both miss

and Lopez counters with a takedown into side control.
Santos is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Lopez is controlling him well.
Lopez throws a strike aimed at the side of Santos's head but Santos avoids it well.
The ground and pound from Lopez seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Lopez throwing strikes but Santos manages to buck up and roll into a nice reversal - now he's on top in side control!
Santos trying to control the position but Lopez is working away.
Lopez is trying to get back to his feet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Lopez struggling a bit here.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Santos tries to advance to mount but can't.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Lopez checks a leg kick nicely.
Santos lands a lovely overhand right.
Santos feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Lopezs jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Santos throws a front kick that sends Lopez stumbling back into the ropes.
Mijain Lopez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Santos will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Lopez feinted with a counter takedown.
Santos lands a front kick.
Gustavo Santos seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Lopez drops his hands momentarily and Santos takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Santos lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Santos throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Santos throws a combination that misses

and Lopez counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Lopez.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos controls Lopez momentarily but Lopez frees himself.

Santos looking for a guillotine here but Lopez defends easily.
Lopez trying to control the position from guard on top but Santos is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Lopez wants to pass the guard but Santos is keeping the position.
Santos wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Lopez is now in half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Santos has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Lopez is working away from the top position though.
Lopez is looking to take a break and control but Santos is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Santos throws a head kick that misses

and Lopez counters with a shoot takedown. Santos fights it but they end up in guard.
Santos utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Santos looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Lopez wants to pass the guard but Santos is keeping the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lopez wants to control from the top but Santos keeps moving.

Santos is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Lopez is aware though and is defending well.
Lopez not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Santos working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Lopez.
Lopez throwing strikes but missing.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Lopez walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Santos lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Lopez circles away quickly and effectively.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santos throws a leg kick that is checked

and Lopez counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Lopez.

Santos is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Lopez trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Santos trying to control the position.

Santos throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Lopez escapes and throws Santos's legs to the side, diving into side control!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Santos is looking for a sweep.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Gustavo Santos will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Santos bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Lopez's head backwards.
Santos stuns Lopez with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Lopez has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Santos.
Santos throws a sloppy head kick and Lopez moves out of range easily.
Santos misses with a leg kick

and Lopez counters with a takedown into side control.
Santos wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Santos tries to improve position but can't.
Mijain Lopez overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Santos sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Lopez controlling the pace.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lopez wants to lay and pray for a moment but Santos keeps working.
Lopez is thwarting Santos's attempts to control the position.
Lopez missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

Lopez wants to work for an arm triangle but Santos is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Santos is looking to control Lopez's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Santos avoid being mounted?

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
A telegraphed right hand from Santos misses the target.
Lopez takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Lopez slips under a jab.
Lopez keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Lopez changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Santos looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Lopez feinted with a counter takedown.
Santos throws a body shot but no joy.
Lopez attempts a counter takedown but Santos avoids it well and moves away.
Santos swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Lopez changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Santos has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Santos takes a swing at Lopez's ribcage but misses.
Lopez attempts a counter takedown but Santos avoids it well and moves away.
Santos misses with a low kick.
Lopez feinted with a counter takedown.
Nice shot by Santos.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos throws a body kick, spinning off balance

and Lopez counters with a single leg into guard. Santos didn't expect that.

Santos looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Lopez missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Lopez is looking to work some ground and pound but Santos has wrist control.
Lopez is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Lopez is looking to stand up but Santos won't let him.

Lopez stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Santos misses with an attempted mid kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santos pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Lopez takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Lopez changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Santos throws a leg kick but Lopez sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Santos uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Lopez has time to react.
A slow jab from Santos misses its intended target.
Lopez drops down looking for a counter takedown but Santos sprawls and moves away.
Gustavo Santos seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A slapping body kick lands there for Santos.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Santos tests Lopez's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Santos with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gustavo Santos comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Santos winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Thiago Cunha scores the fight 27:30
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 28:29
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gustavo Santos!