PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Flavio Sandoval (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Roque Barretto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Barretto has chosen Last Man Standing - By 4ft Fingers as his entrance music. Rumors backstage are that the fighters have been paid to keep it standing but we know that would never happen in MMA!

Sandoval
vs
Barretto

182 cm
37
178 lbs
37 - 22 - 0

180 cm
40
174 lbs
39 - 17 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Bullet Proof System

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 37 - 22 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Flavio Sandoval!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 39 - 17 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Roque Barretto!
The judges for this bout are James Atkins, Daniel Bishop and Andrew Berry.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Sandoval looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Barretto!
Barretto managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Sandoval.
Sandoval throws an elbow but Barretto slips to the side and avoids it well.
Barretto is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Sandoval wants to lay and pray for a moment but Barretto keeps working.

Sandoval tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Barretto is looking to regain half guard here but Sandoval keeps moving and retains side control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sandoval misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barretto tries to improve position but can't.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Barretto is trying to control Sandoval's posture but Sandoval avoids it.
Barretto manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Sandoval has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Barretto is working away from the top position though.
Barretto has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Sandoval swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Barretto sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Barretto scores with a couple of good head shots there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barretto controlling from the full mount.
Sandoval is working to get back to half guard.
Barretto tries to control but Sandoval wriggling away.
Barretto lands a heavy elbow.
Barretto sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Sandoval tries to hold on but Barretto pushes him away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sandoval is looking to improve his position but Barretto isn't that keen on the idea.
Barretto controlling the position easily from mount.
Sandoval gets back to half guard.
Sandoval is staying active underneath Barretto, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Sandoval is looking for a sweep. Barretto is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Barretto trying to control from half guard but Sandoval is working away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barretto performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Sandoval is not content to let Barretto control the position.
Barretto prevents Sandoval from improving his position.
Barretto trying to control from half guard but Sandoval is working away.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Barretto might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Sandoval haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Sandoval tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Barretto defends well and Sandoval ends up having to push Barretto into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Roque Barretto will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Sandoval lands a nice looking body kick.
Sandoval scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Barretto enables Sandoval to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Barretto manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Barretto pulls Sandoval in close to prevent any damage.
Barretto looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Barretto bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Sandoval's guard.

Sandoval had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Barretto defends it easily.
Barretto is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Roque Barretto has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barretto stands up over Sandoval, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Barretto must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

Sandoval is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Barretto is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Barretto preventing the sweep.
Barretto looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

Sandoval looking for a guillotine here but Barretto defends easily.

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.

Sandoval looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Barretto is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Barretto trying to control the position from guard on top but Sandoval is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sandoval tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Sandoval is looking for a triangle but Barretto pushes his legs off easily.

Sandoval working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Barretto doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Barretto manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barretto trying to control but Sandoval is working from the bottom.
Barretto showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Barretto trying to control the position from guard on top but Sandoval is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Sandoval moves out of range of the strikes.
Flavio Sandoval seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sandoval scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.

Barretto gets tackled into the cage by Sandoval. Sandoval maintains the clinch.
Barretto misses with a hook to the ribs.
Sandoval works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sandoval is struggling to control the position.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Sandoval.
Barretto misses with a knee strike.
Barretto pushes Sandoval back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Barretto lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Barretto tries to throw a body punch but Sandoval avoids it by throwing Barretto back against the cage.
Barretto's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Sandoval fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Barretto misses with a punch to the body.
Sandoval blocks an uppercut.
Barretto tries to work over Sandoval's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Barretto fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Sandoval tries to work over Barretto's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Barretto blocking some punches.
A short right from Barretto on the inside.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Flavio Sandoval dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Sandoval throws a good cross that connects.
Sandoval connects with the punch.
A solid body kick from Sandoval.
Barretto tests Sandoval's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Barretto ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Sandoval throws a hook but Barretto avoids it easily.
Barretto misses with a kick to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Barretto misses with a wild body shot.
A head kick misses from Barretto.
Barretto just misses with a punch to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sandoval feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Barretto's calf.
Barretto is looking to score with low kicks.

Sandoval scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Barretto gets back to half guard.
Barretto keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
Barretto avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Sandoval.
Sandoval is trying to control. Barretto wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Barretto is doing well to control the position and prevent Sandoval from advancing to side control.
Sandoval wants to pass to mount but Barretto is defending the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Sandoval wants to work for an arm triangle but Barretto is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Sandoval is thwarting Barretto's attempts to control the position.
Sandoval performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Barretto is trying to maintain the position but Sandoval is very close to passing his half guard.
Sandoval seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Barretto does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Barretto manages to get to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barretto is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Sandoval trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Barretto controls Sandoval momentarily but Sandoval frees himself.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Barretto throws a leg kick

and Sandoval counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Sandoval throws a big elbow that misses.
Barretto is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sandoval throws a big right hand that misses.
Sandoval in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Barretto keeping moving, preventing Sandoval from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barretto working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Sandoval.
Barretto controls Sandoval momentarily but Sandoval frees himself.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Sandoval wants to control from the top but Barretto keeps moving.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Nice defenses there by Sandoval.
Barretto blocks a jab.
Barretto throws a body kick despite being completely out of range

and Sandoval counters by moving into the clinch.
Barretto tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Barretto lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
I was talking to Sandoval's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Sandoval drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Barretto softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Flavio Sandoval showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Sandoval 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 James Atkins scores the fight 29:28
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight 29:28
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Flavio Sandoval!
Flavio Sandoval gave a mention to FFN Vegas-Laundry in his post fight interview. That will please them (and hopefully generate some sales).
Roque Barretto was interviewed post fight and said 'Get outta my face'.