PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Reuben Santana (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Clerck Sergei (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Santana
vs
Sergei

166 cm
25
215 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

200 cm
25
210 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Reuben Santana!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Clerck Sergei!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Marco Blurström and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sergei changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Sergei swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Santana counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Sergei is trying to stand back up but Santana is controlling him
Santana looks to land a strike but Sergei avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Sergei wants to stand and escape but Santana is having none of it.
Santana postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Sergei trying to keep a closed guard but Santana is proving a slippery customer.

Sergei scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Sergei misses with a low kick.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Santana.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santana uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Sergei.

Sergei closes the distance and clinches.
Santana takes an elbow to the forehead.

It looks like Reuben Santana has been cut.
Santana really is a fat lump.
Sergei lands a body punch.
Sergei misses with a hook from the clinch.
Santana prevents Sergei from breaking the clinch.
Sergei blocking some punches.
Santana slows down the pace here.

Sergei manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Santana preventing the sweep.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santana throws a big elbow that misses.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Santana working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Sergei trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Sergei bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Santana's guard.

Sergei wants to stand but Santana has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Santana is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Santana throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Sergei trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Santana manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!

Sergei working a defensive guard here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sergei is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Sergei wants to get back to his feet but Santana passes into half guard.
Santana lands with a punch from half guard.
Santana has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Santana is thwarting Sergei's attempts to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Sergei is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Santana's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Santana's back!
Santana turns into Sergei and is now in his guard.
Santana is fighting to break Sergei's control of his arms but Sergei is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Santana preventing the sweep.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Santana in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

Sergei pushes Santana off and scrambles back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Clerck Sergei dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Reuben Santana's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Santana misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Sergei forces Santana back against the cage and clinches.

Sergei works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Santana controls Sergei momentarily but Sergei frees himself.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Santana is on top in guard.

Sergei wants to stand and escape but Santana is having none of it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Santana throws a strike but Sergei rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Santana keeping moving, preventing Sergei from controlling successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santana trying to keep a closed guard but Sergei is proving a slippery customer.
Sergei trying to control the position from guard on top but Santana is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Santana will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Santana working a defensive guard here.
Sergei has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Santana will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Sergei distracts Santana with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Santana keeping moving, preventing Sergei from controlling successfully.
Santana trying to control the position.
Clerck Sergei has got the better of the ground game so far.
Sergei with a nice head shot there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Santana is trying to keep Sergei in close.
Sergei sitting in guard here, content to control.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Santana fails to land with a series of punches.
Sergei uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Santana breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Santana fails with the takedown
and Sergei counters with a head kick.
Sergei misses with a double jab

and Santana counters by clinching up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santana blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Sergei is trying to maintain a safe position but Santana gets an underhook and turns Sergei into the cage.

Sergei manages to pull guard.
Sergei working a defensive guard but Santana manages to pass into side control anyway.
Sergei is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Sergei is breathing heavily.
Santana lands a decent elbow from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sergei takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Sergei tries to buck Santana off but Santana is having none of it.
Sergei is trying to buck Santana off.

Santana is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Sergei is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sergei is trying to control Santana's posture but Santana avoids it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Clerck Sergei showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Reuben Santana's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Santana ducks under a wild hook from Sergei.
Sergei attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Sergei throws a jab when Santana was well out of range.
Santana avoids a punch combination nicely.
Sergei throws a nice looking combination but Santana bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Sergei throws a right hand that Santana ducks under and follows up with a left that Santana also avoids with ease.
Santana fails in his attempt to clinch.

Sergei closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Santana did well to prevent Sergei getting side control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Santana wants to control but Sergei is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Santana is controlling Sergei's position as best he can from this difficult position.
Sergei takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Sergei is thwarting Santana's attempts to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santana slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Santana is pulling down on Sergei's head. It's preventing any offense from Sergei, at least for the moment.
Sergei postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Santana is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Sergei is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Sergei fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Santana.
Sergei fails to land with a series of punches.
Sergei throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

Sergei closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Santana holding on.
You can see the frustration on Santana's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
What's Santana going to do here then? He's in a bit of a pickle.
Santana struggling a bit here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sergei tries to stand but Santana controls the position and pulls Sergei into his guard.
Sergei throwing strikes from guard but Santana blocks nicely.
Sergei seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Santana not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Santana is adopting a defensive guard.
Santana utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Santana trying to control the position here.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Clerck Sergei is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Santana misses with a double jab
and Sergei counters with a left and a right that stings Santana.
Santana tries to clinch but Sergei is having none of it.
A nice combination there by Sergei.

Santana shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Sergei's guard.
Sergei wants to get back to his feet but Santana is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sergei not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

And that's the end of the fight!
Clerck Sergei comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Sergei has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 27:30
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 27:30
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Clerck Sergei!