PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Reuben Santana (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lee Barker (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Reuben Santana had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Santana
vs
Barker

166 cm
25
215 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

190 cm
24
204 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

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 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Reuben Santana!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Lee Barker!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Matti Vanhoillinen and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Barker fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Santana shoots in but Barker avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Santana looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.

Barker has managed to clinch.

Santana's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Barker swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Barker throws a right and a left that both miss.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Santana!
Barker avoids the head kick by Santana.
Lee Barker seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Santana throws a half hearted mid kick.
Barker takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.

Barker drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Santana could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Barker would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barker wants to control from the top but Santana keeps moving.
Barker stopping the sweep attempt from Santana.
Santana pulls Barker in to control the position.

Barker decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

Santana gets tackled into the cage by Barker. Barker maintains the clinch.

Barker gets control of Santana's arms and successfully pulls guard. Barker will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Santana might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Barker is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Barker working Santana over with strikes.
Santana is concentrating on defense, preventing Barker from advancing position.
Santana wants to improve his position but Barker is controlling well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barker is thwarting Santana's attempts to control the position.
Barker is looking to take a break and control but Santana is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Santana regains full guard. Nicely done.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Santana seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Santana has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Santana throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barker controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Santana holds on and takes a little breather.
Barker trying to control but Santana is working from the bottom.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Barker is looking to score with low kicks.
Santana tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Barker dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Santana. That did some damage!
Barker checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Barker.

Barker gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Santana stalling.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santana has had enough of the clinch but Barker keeps him there for the moment.

Barker tightens his grip and picks Santana up, before dumping him to the ground. Santana manages to land in guard.
Santana seems keen to control Barker's posture.
Santana continues to stall.
Barker scoring with punches to the head and body.
Santana trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Barker being controlled here momentarily.
Barker wants to stand but Santana is controlling his posture from full guard.
Barker trying to control but Santana is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lee Barker dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Barker misses with a series of wild punches.
Santana avoids the head kick by Barker.

Barker rushes Santana and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Barker breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Santana throws a sloppy head kick and Barker moves out of range easily.
Reuben Santana is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Santana throws a nice looking combination but Barker bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

Barker has Santana up against the cage in a clinch.
Santana is trying to break the clinch but Barker is controlling him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Barker unloads a knee to the mid-section. Santana lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.

Barker breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Barker gets in close and instigates a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Barker escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Barker takes a swing at Santana's ribcage but misses.
Barker has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Barker forces Santana back against the cage and clinches.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.

Barker manages to break the clinch.

Barker forces Santana back against the cage and clinches.
Barker has Santana pressed against the cage, preventing Santana from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

Barker ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Barker no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Barker trying to keep a closed guard but Santana is proving a slippery customer.
Barker looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barker is trying to keep Santana in close.
Santana works over Barker with some ground and pound from guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Santana accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

Barker looking for subs off his back but Santana has passed one foot through into half guard.
Barker 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!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santana staying busy and making it hard for Barker to control.
Barker is trying to stick to Santana's back but Santana is turning into Barker. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Barker's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Santana.
Barker is looking to sweep but instead, Santana has passed into half guard.
Santana is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Barker gets full guard.
Lee Barker has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Barker is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Barker is breathing heavily.

Barker is trying to stand and escape. In the scramble, Santana has locked hold of an arm and he's managed to lock on an armbar - Barker taps out instantly and this one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:31 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Reuben Santana!