PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Joao De Santo Cristo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hiroshimo Sakamoto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). De Santo Cristo's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Que país é esse?. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

De Santo Cristo
vs
Sakamoto

174 cm
24
165 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

168 cm
22
167 lbs
5 - 4 - 1

BJJ Red Belt
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Good gas tank

GREEN!160
Mohito Fightwear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Joao De Santo Cristo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Hiroshimo Sakamoto!
The judges for this bout are Nard Betker, Saam Ante and Daniel Blasius.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sakamoto tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but De Santo Cristo was well out of range. Poor timing from Sakamoto.
De Santo Cristo jabs at Sakamoto's body.
Sakamoto walks into a jab.
Sakamoto ducks under a wild hook from De Santo Cristo.
De Santo Cristo blocks a low kick nicely.
Sakamoto tries to land a leg kick but De Santo Cristo saw it coming and moves away.
De Santo Cristo tries to close the distance and clinch but Sakamoto swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

De Santo Cristo throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Sakamoto was covering up waiting for the punch and De Santo Cristo finishes the takedown easily into guard.

De Santo Cristo postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Sakamoto is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of De Santo Cristo, into his guard.

Sakamoto wants to control from the top but De Santo Cristo keeps moving.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

De Santo Cristo is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
De Santo Cristo is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
De Santo Cristo tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Sakamoto wants to control from the top but De Santo Cristo keeps moving.
Sakamoto working some strikes from top position.
De Santo Cristo not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Sakamoto stays in close to De Santo Cristo's body and controls the position.

De Santo Cristo escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Sakamoto gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

That's two 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.
Sakamoto lands a couple of elbows.
De Santo Cristo being controlled here, momentarily.
Sakamoto tries to free his leg and advance position but De Santo Cristo is retaining full guard.

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

De Santo Cristo had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Sakamoto defends it easily.
De Santo Cristo being controlled here, momentarily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
De Santo Cristo bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Sakamoto's guard.

Sakamoto working a defensive guard but De Santo Cristo manages to pass into side control anyway.
Sakamoto tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Sakamoto is trying to control De Santo Cristo's posture but De Santo Cristo avoids it.
Sakamoto is looking to regain half guard here but De Santo Cristo keeps moving and retains side control.
De Santo Cristo cracks Sakamoto with a big elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sakamoto prevents De Santo Cristo from moving into mount.
Sakamoto is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Sakamoto keeps trying to improve his position.
De Santo Cristo passes to full mount! That's big trouble for Sakamoto!
De Santo Cristo lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Sakamoto tries to hold on but De Santo Cristo pushes him away.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
De Santo Cristo working the ground and pound effectively.
Sakamoto is desperately trying to improve his position but De Santo Cristo has a good base and remains in mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joao De Santo Cristo dominated that round.
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.

Sakamoto attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Sakamoto is looking to land body kicks.
Sakamoto throws a body punch but De Santo Cristo moves out of range.
De Santo Cristo throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Sakamoto scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
De Santo Cristo cracks Sakamoto with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Sakamoto keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Sakamoto misses with the body kick

and De Santo Cristo counters with a nice double leg into side control. Sakamoto won't be happy with that.
De Santo Cristo working away.

De Santo Cristo is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Sakamoto is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
De Santo Cristo throws a strike aimed at the side of Sakamoto's head but Sakamoto avoids it well.

De Santo Cristo thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
De Santo Cristo lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.

That's one minute gone in the round.
De Santo Cristo trying to control the action but Sakamoto is working from the bottom.

De Santo Cristo goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Sakamoto rolls with the submission and now he's on top in De Santo Cristo's guard! Nice work there by Sakamoto!
De Santo Cristo keeping moving, preventing Sakamoto from controlling successfully.
Sakamoto must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

De Santo Cristo has his foot on Sakamoto's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Sakamoto works his way back into a safe position though.
Sakamoto passes easily into side control. Nice work.
De Santo Cristo is trying to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sakamoto working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Sakamoto has been taking part in the yoga sessions down at Masaru Fighting Systems II. Presumably he's going to look for a slick submission... Or maybe he's looking to avoid one.
De Santo Cristo is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Sakamoto can do to turn this around?
De Santo Cristo is trying to work for a sweep but Sakamoto has mounted him!
De Santo Cristo is in a horrible position here. Sakamoto smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
De Santo Cristo is trying to escape the mount.
Sakamoto wants to control the pace but De Santo Cristo is squirming around nicely.
De Santo Cristo tries to reverse the position but Sakamoto maintains control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sakamoto is landing with some decent strikes but De Santo Cristo is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Sakamoto landing punches.
De Santo Cristo is trying to escape the mount.
Sakamoto controlling the position easily from mount.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
De Santo Cristo wants to hold on but Sakamoto pushes him away.
Sakamoto working the ground and pound effectively.
De Santo Cristo is looking to improve his position but Sakamoto isn't that keen on the idea.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
De Santo Cristo tries to hold on but Sakamoto pushes him away.
Sakamoto postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. De Santo Cristo looks a forlorn figure.
Sakamoto tries to control but De Santo Cristo wriggling away.
Joao De Santo Cristo overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
De Santo Cristo is wriggling around trying to escape.
De Santo Cristo is working hard here to advance position.
De Santo Cristo slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
De Santo Cristo is staying active underneath Sakamoto, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
De Santo Cristo manages to get to full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Hiroshimo Sakamoto will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Sakamoto keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Sakamoto connects with a nice looking jab.
De Santo Cristo misses with a hook
and De Santo Cristo takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Sakamoto with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Sakamoto throws a quick inside leg kick.
A looping hook to the body misses from Sakamoto. De Santo Cristo does a little dance to reset his feet.
De Santo Cristo looks to throw the jab but Sakamoto is out of range.
De Santo Cristo darts in trying to clinch
and Sakamoto counters with a lovely straight right hand!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Sakamoto fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with De Santo Cristo, pushing him back against the cage.
Sakamoto tries to land knees in the clinch but De Santo Cristo avoids the damage to the body.
De Santo Cristo goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

De Santo Cristo lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
De Santo Cristo looks to land a strike but Sakamoto avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
De Santo Cristo postures up and lands a big shot to Sakamoto's brow.
Sakamoto not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
De Santo Cristo advances to half guard.
Sakamoto is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Sakamoto looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Sakamoto is trying to control but can't.

De Santo Cristo is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Sakamoto sees it coming and defends easily.
Sakamoto makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Sakamoto.
De Santo Cristo trying to control the position from guard on top but Sakamoto is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
De Santo Cristo distracts Sakamoto with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Sakamoto keeping moving, preventing De Santo Cristo from controlling successfully.
Sakamoto tries to land a sweep but no joy.
De Santo Cristo not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Sakamoto looking to control.
De Santo Cristo trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
De Santo Cristo trying to control but Sakamoto is working from the bottom.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
De Santo Cristo looking to sit in guard and control but Sakamoto gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sakamoto trying to control the position from guard on top but De Santo Cristo is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sakamoto scoring with some ground and pound.
Sakamoto wants to control from the top but De Santo Cristo keeps moving.

De Santo Cristo working for a triangle but Sakamoto defends it easily.
De Santo Cristo manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Sakamoto manages to get himself to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
De Santo Cristo throwing strikes from guard but Sakamoto blocks nicely.
De Santo Cristo with a flurry of punches that miss.

Sakamoto throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Sakamoto is looking for a triangle but De Santo Cristo pushes his legs off easily.
De Santo Cristo landing with the ground and pound.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
De Santo Cristo working some strikes from top position.
De Santo Cristo tries to free his leg and advance position but Sakamoto is retaining full guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Hiroshimo Sakamoto.
I think Sakamoto has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Nard Betker scores the fight 29:28
Judge Saam Ante scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Blasius scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Hiroshimo Sakamoto!
A victorious Hiroshimo Sakamoto thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.