PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Joao De Santo Cristo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Vinny Hopkins (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). De Santo Cristo's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Que país é esse?. Hopkins comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Manny Pacquiao - Lalaban Ako kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

De Santo Cristo
vs
Hopkins

174 cm
28
157 lbs
7 - 7 - 1

180 cm
30
157 lbs
20 - 13 - 0

BJJ Red Belt
Lethal high kicks
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Notorious Clothing Co.

Bullet Proof System

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 1 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 7 - 1, 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 20 - 13 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Vinny Hopkins!
The judges for this bout are Ren Mimura, Shigeki Sano and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Hopkins throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. De Santo Cristo tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Hopkins is in De Santo Cristo's guard.
De Santo Cristo wants to improve his position but instead Hopkins has moved into half guard.
De Santo Cristo is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
De Santo Cristo trying to control here.
Hopkins wants to stand up but De Santo Cristo is controlling the position.
De Santo Cristo is concentrating on defense, preventing Hopkins from advancing position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hopkins wants to stand up but De Santo Cristo is controlling the position.
De Santo Cristo won't allow Hopkins to pass to mount.
De Santo Cristo tries to get to full guard but Hopkins has control of the leg.

That's one minute gone in the round.
De Santo Cristo regains full guard. Nicely done.
Hopkins pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. De Santo Cristo is keeping the position for now.
De Santo Cristo pulls Hopkins in close to prevent any damage.
De Santo Cristo is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Hopkins wanted to stand there but De Santo Cristo had control of the position.
De Santo Cristo trying to control the position.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
De Santo Cristo lands with a shot to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Hopkins gets cracked there but stands up to it.
De Santo Cristo misses the jab.
Hopkins takes one to the chin there.
Hopkins leaves De Santo Cristo with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
De Santo Cristo just misses with a punch to the body.
Joao De Santo Cristo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Hopkins.
De Santo Cristo jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
De Santo Cristo takes a jab right on the kisser.
De Santo Cristo doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Hopkins counters with a straight right hand.
De Santo Cristo tries for a takedown but Hopkins sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Joao De Santo Cristo. That's going to take a lot out of him.

De Santo Cristo forces Hopkins back against the cage and clinches.
De Santo Cristo presses Hopkins against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
De Santo Cristo lands a right hand that snaps the head of Hopkins backwards.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Hopkins.
De Santo Cristo fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
A body shot lands from Hopkins.
A hook to the body from Hopkins.
Hopkins misses with a hook from the clinch.
Hopkins lands a body shot.
Hopkins scores with a shot to the side of De Santo Cristo's head.
Stalling in the clinch from Hopkins.
Hopkins prevents a body shot from De Santo Cristo.
Hopkins swings wildly with an uppercut but De Santo Cristo uses good head movement to avoid it.
Still in the clinch, De Santo Cristo scores with a nice short uppercut.
De Santo Cristo misses with a punch to the body.
Hopkins is trying to push De Santo Cristo away but De Santo Cristo has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Hopkins lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
De Santo Cristo looking for a takedown.
Hopkins swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Hopkins digs a right hand into De Santo Cristo's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on De Santo Cristo's gas tank.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hopkins lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
De Santo Cristo swings away with an uppercut that misses.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Hopkins creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Hopkins misses with a punch on the inside.
A short right from Hopkins.
De Santo Cristo changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Hopkins fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Hopkins looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Hopkins keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
De Santo Cristo is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
De Santo Cristo is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Hopkins's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Hopkins's back!
Hopkins avoids the strikes from De Santo Cristo.

De Santo Cristo working for the choke.
Hopkins rolls, trying to escape but De Santo Cristo keeps control of the position.
Hopkins wants to control his opponent's hands but De Santo Cristo gets his hands free.
Hopkins manages to reverse the position and now he's in De Santo Cristo's guard. Nice work there by Hopkins.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hopkins is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
De Santo Cristo bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Hopkins's guard.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Hopkins keeping moving, preventing De Santo Cristo from controlling successfully.
Hopkins pulls De Santo Cristo in close to his closed guard and prevents De Santo Cristo from doing any damage or advancing position.
De Santo Cristo advances to half guard.
Hopkins trying to control here.
De Santo Cristo working over Hopkins with some ground and pound. Hopkins looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
De Santo Cristo is thwarting Hopkins's attempts to control the position.
De Santo Cristo prevents Hopkins from standing back up.
De Santo Cristo is looking to take a break and control but Hopkins is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Hopkins kicks De Santo Cristo off and gets back to his feet.
De Santo Cristo throws a low kick but Hopkins avoids it.
De Santo Cristo misses with an uppercut.
Hopkins throws out a counter right but De Santo Cristo avoids it with no problem.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Hopkins, right into the meat.
De Santo Cristo misses with a body kick.
Hopkins takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Hopkins cracks De Santo Cristo with a good jab.
Hopkins takes a kick to the side of the head.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
De Santo Cristo swings away with a body shot that misses
and Hopkins counters with a three punch combo that has De Santo Cristo backing up. De Santo Cristo nods at Hopkins to acknowledge the strikes.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
De Santo Cristo pulls out of a head kick attempt.
De Santo Cristo lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
De Santo Cristo throws a leg kick but Hopkins sees it coming and checks it nicely.
De Santo Cristo tries to score with a low kick but Hopkins moves his leg out of the way.
De Santo Cristo thows a leg kick but Hopkins checks it
and Hopkins counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
De Santo Cristo misses with a body punch
and Hopkins connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Hopkins throws a right hand that De Santo Cristo ducks under and follows up with a left that De Santo Cristo also avoids with ease.
De Santo Cristo throws a hook but Hopkins blocks it.
A big left from De Santo Cristo misses.
De Santo Cristo lands with an overhand left.
Hopkins checks a leg kick nicely.
Hopkins throws a counter combo.
Hopkins punishes De Santo Cristo's body with a nice straight punch.
De Santo Cristo throws a hook to the side of Hopkins's head but Hopkins sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Hopkins looks like he wants to counter punch here.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Hopkins just misses with a punch to the body.
De Santo Cristo throws a poor cross that misses
and Hopkins counters with a three punch combo that has De Santo Cristo backing up. De Santo Cristo nods at Hopkins to acknowledge the strikes.
The fight stays on the outside here - De Santo Cristo looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
De Santo Cristo misses with a right hand
and Hopkins counters with a nice uppercut.
Hopkins fails to land with a series of punches.
De Santo Cristo fires out a quick counter leg kick but Hopkins just manages to avoid it.
De Santo Cristo uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Hopkins.
De Santo Cristo connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.

De Santo Cristo has taken the fight to the clinch.
Hopkins goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Hopkins working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Hopkins blocks an uppercut.
De Santo Cristo is working for takedown but Hopkins is calmly controlling the position for now.
De Santo Cristo blocks a body shot from Hopkins.
De Santo Cristo throws a punch but it's blocked by Hopkins.

And that's the end of the fight!
Vinny Hopkins comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Hopkins 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 1 round of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 9:10
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 9:10
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 9:10

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Vinny Hopkins!
In his post fight interview, Vinny Hopkins gave a big smile as he said 'Step down kid. Welcome to my show..'.