PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Christopher Samba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Carlos Cutwood (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Samba comes to the cage accompanied by Bezerker by Love Among Freaks. The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Samba
vs
Cutwood

190 cm
37
241 lbs
34 - 13 - 3

197 cm
32
285 lbs
26 - 12 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Dangerous knees
Good gas tank

Walhalla Clothing (50 $ / piece)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 34 - 13 - 3, fighting out of Hilo, Christopher Samba!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 26 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Carlos Cutwood!
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Robert Douchet and Ian Loll.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cutwood throws a looping overhand right but Samba ducks down to avoid it.
Samba takes one to the side of the head.
Cutwood moves in looking to clinch but Samba pushes him off.
Samba delivers a nice body kick.
Cutwood tries to clinch but Samba moves out of range.
Samba connects with a body shot that sends Cutwood's belly button to the back.
Cutwood on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Samba. Samba obviously looking to wear him down.
Samba clobbers Cutwood with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.

It looks like Carlos Cutwood has been cut.
Samba connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Cutwood tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Samba paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Cutwood on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Samba connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Cutwood pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Samba moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Samba throws a low kick but Cutwood moves out of range easily.
And Cutwood tries to counter it with a takedown but Samba pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Cutwood drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Cutwood throws a body punch but Samba moves out of range.
A little feinted left hand from Samba on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Samba on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
The fighters circling - Cutwood throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Samba misses with a wild body shot.
Nice body kick there by Samba.
Cutwood tries to clinch there but Samba circles away.
Cutwood on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Samba swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Cutwood now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Samba throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.

Samba fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Cutwood to the ground. Samba is now in Cutwood's guard.
Samba stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Cutwood swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Samba trying to control but Cutwood is working from the bottom.
Cutwood keeping full guard, as Samba tries to pass.
Samba has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Samba throws a big elbow that misses.
Cutwood has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Cutwood working a defensive guard here.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Cutwood keeping moving, preventing Samba from controlling successfully.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Samba is looking to wear down Cutwood with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Samba lands a leg kick that knocks Cutwood off balance momentarily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cutwood works Samba's body with a nice hook.
Samba with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Samba slips a jab from Cutwood.
Samba wants to land a leg kick but Cutwood is out of range.
Samba connects with a body shot that sends Cutwood's belly button to the back.
Samba scores with a leg kick.
Samba throws a nice inside leg kick.
Jab from Cutwood.
Samba throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Samba moves away from the strike by Cutwood.
As Cutwood backs away, Samba returns fire with a leg kick that just misses.
Samba slips a straight right by Cutwood.
Cutwood lands a nice shot that snaps Samba's head back.
Samba throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Cutwood has Samba up against the cage in a clinch.
Cutwood looking to throw knees to the head but Samba is blocking nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cutwood is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Samba is defending well for now.
I was talking to Samba's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Samba managing to block the knees to the body from Cutwood.
Samba scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Cutwood lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Cutwood drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Samba gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Samba lands a hook that snaps the head of Cutwood backwards.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.

Cutwood's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Cutwood misses with a hook
and Samba counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Samba connects with a leg kick. Cutwood looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Samba jabs Cutwood to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Cutwood throws a leg kick that is checked
and Samba counters with a straight punch to the midsection.

Samba throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Cutwood tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Samba is in Cutwood's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Christopher Samba dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Carlos Cutwood's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Cutwood takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Samba scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Cutwood fails with a takedown attempt.
A nice leg kick lands there from Samba.
Cutwood's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Samba throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Samba is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Cutwood can do to turn this around?
Cutwood ducks right into an uppercut from Samba.

Cutwood closes the distance and clinches.
Cutwood taking a breather.
Samba throws a head punch that misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Samba misses with a short punch on the inside.
Samba swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Samba stalling in the clinch but Cutwood improves position.
Samba blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cutwood is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Samba is defending well for now.
Samba blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Cutwood misses with a punch to the body.
Samba lands with a left to the head.
Samba tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Cutwood's elbow.
Cutwood with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Cutwood blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Cutwood.
Samba is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.

Samba breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Cutwood's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Samba connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Cutwood scrambles back to his feet.
Cutwood takes a shot to the body in his stride.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Samba.
Samba lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Cutwood on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Samba throws a nice inside leg kick.
Samba lands a jab to Cutwood's midsection.
Samba cracks a nice hook into Cutwood's ribs.
Samba throws a body punch but Cutwood moves out of range.
Cutwood throws out a counter right but Samba avoids it with no problem.
Cutwood throws a big shot that misses.
Cutwood throws a jab but it's blocked by Samba.
Samba scores with a decent looking hook.

That has opened up Carlos Cutwood's cut even more.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Samba.
Samba tries to move into range but Cutwood moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Samba fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Cutwood.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Samba here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cutwood lands a nice looking kick to the body. Samba takes a step back to recover.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Samba on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Samba scores with a jab to the jaw.
Samba changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Cutwood tries to avoid it but Samba manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Cutwood to the ground. Cutwood escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
A big left from Cutwood misses.
Cutwood throws a lazy head kick
and Samba makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Christopher Samba is winning the standup battle so far.
Cutwood takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Cutwood tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Samba manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Cutwood doesn't manage to clinch there - Samba circles away.
Cutwood might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Cutwood takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Samba throws a leg kick but Cutwood sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Cutwood swings for the body but Samba moves out of range.

Cutwood takes the fight into the clinch.
Cutwood swings away with an uppercut that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cutwood lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Samba backwards.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Cutwood blocks a body shot from Samba.
Samba blocks an elbow strike.
Samba wants a takedown but no success here.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Christopher Samba. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Samba prevents the takedown attempt.
Cutwood tries to pull guard but Samba holds him up against the cage and eventually Cutwood drops back down to his feet.
Samba on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
A short right from Samba on the inside.
Cutwood prevents a takedown attempt there.
Cutwood trying to land knees to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Christopher Samba dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Carlos Cutwood's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Cutwood throws a leg kick
and Samba counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Samba uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Cutwood.
Cutwood moves away from the strike by Samba.
Cutwood on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Samba. Samba obviously looking to wear him down.
Samba tries to land a front kick but Cutwood steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Samba moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.

Cutwood shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Cutwood showed some decent athleticism there.
Samba is looking for a sweep. Cutwood is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Samba has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Cutwood is working away from the top position though.
Cutwood wants to control but Samba is keeping him busy.
Samba works his way to full guard. Good work.
You can see that Cutwood has visibly slowed down as a result of the leg kicks

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cutwood is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Cutwood passes Samba's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Cutwood with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Cutwood wants to pass the guard but Samba is defending well.
Samba slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

Cutwood drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Cutwood jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Christopher Samba overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Cutwood sitting in guard, not really doing much.

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.
Cutwood looking to pass the guard.
Cutwood is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Samba not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Samba is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Cutwood is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Cutwood tries to clinch but Samba is having none of it.
Samba connects with an inside leg kick.
Both fighters circling a little - Samba finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Cutwood defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Samba.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cutwood shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Samba manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Samba not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Cutwood stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Samba swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Samba controls Cutwood momentarily but Cutwood frees himself.
Carlos Cutwood has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Cutwood is fighting to break Samba's control of his arms but Samba is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Cutwood 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.
Samba pulls Cutwood in close to prevent any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Samba keeping moving, preventing Cutwood from controlling successfully.
Samba pulls Cutwood in close to prevent any damage.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Samba ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Cutwood moves away.
Samba shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Samba throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Samba lands a two punch combo.
Cutwood tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Samba manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Samba drops down looking for a counter takedown but Cutwood sprawls and moves away.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
A chopping leg kick lands by Samba.

Samba gets caught flat footed, as Cutwood shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Cutwood takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Cutwood stopping the sweep attempt from Samba.

Samba looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Christopher Samba.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Samba, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 William Peck scores the fight 30:27
Judge Robert Douchet scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ian Loll scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Christopher Samba!
Christopher Samba thanked the fans post fight for their support.
The defeated Carlos Cutwood had this to say: 'Thanks for the chance to show the world what I'm capable of. Tonight wasn't my night but I'll come back better next time.'.