PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Roberto Firmino (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sanjit Babatunde (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Firmino
vs
Babatunde

183 cm
18
186 lbs
0 - 1 - 1

188 cm
18
190 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 1, fighting out of London, Roberto Firmino!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Sanjit Babatunde!
The judges for this bout are Paul Aken, Saam Ante and Aafke Stam.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Firmino cracks the inside of Babatunde's front leg.
Babatunde blocks the body kick.
Firmino tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Firmino displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Babatunde throws out the jab.
Babatunde keeps the fight on the outside.
Babatunde takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Babatunde throws a hook but Firmino avoids it easily.
Firmino moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Firmino looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
A nice inside leg kick there by Firmino. That's going to slow Babatunde down.
Babatunde misses with a hook.
Firmino doesn't manage to clinch there - Babatunde circles away.
Firmino is looking to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Babatunde goes for a double leg but Firmino avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Firmino continues to drive forward.
Babatunde misses with a straight left.

Firmino clinches up against the cage.
Babatunde managing to block the knees to the body from Firmino.
Babatunde changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Firmino fights it off and pushes away nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Firmino has taken the fight to the clinch.
Firmino misses with some punches.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Firmino.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Babatunde.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Firmino.
Firmino has a couple of punches blocked by Babatunde.
Firmino tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Babatunde.
Firmino lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Babatunde goes for a takedown in the clinch but Firmino prevents it.
Roberto Firmino has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Sanjit Babatunde.
Firmino lands a left hand.
Firmino has a couple of punches blocked by Babatunde.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Firmino.
Babatunde blocks an uppercut.
Babatunde's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Firmino creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Babatunde goes for a takedown in the clinch but Firmino prevents it.
Firmino swings wildly with an uppercut but Babatunde uses good head movement to avoid it.
Firmino pushes Babatunde back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Firmino.

Firmino is fighting off a takedown attempt but Babatunde is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Firmino to the mat. Firmino regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Babatunde 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.
Firmino controls Babatunde momentarily but Babatunde frees himself.
Babatunde controlling from the top position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Babatunde postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Babatunde advances position into side control!
Babatunde creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Babatunde taking a breather here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Babatunde working the ground and pound.
The referee asks Babatunde politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Babatunde prefers to stall for the moment though.
Firmino struggling a bit here.
Babatunde scores with punches from side control.
Babatunde controlling the position from side mount.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Sloppy strikes there by Babatunde.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Roberto Firmino dominated that round.
That's time! Firmino's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Firmino looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Firmino throws a low kick, looking for Babatunde's leg but Babatunde calmly moves out of range.
Firmino is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Babatunde can do to turn this around?
Babatunde tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Firmino connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Babatunde momentarily.

Firmino has managed to clinch.

Babatunde has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Firmino is trying to keep an underhook but Babatunde manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Nice strikes from Babatunde there.
Babatunde slows the pace down in half guard.
Let's hope that Babatunde has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Babatunde's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Babatunde landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Babatunde trying to control the pace.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Firmino wants to clinch.
Babatunde with a jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Babatunde uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Firmino.
Firmino scores with a kick to the body.
Firmino throws a quick inside leg kick.

Firmino instigates a clinch.
Firmino lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Firmino is pressed up against the cage. Babatunde has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Firmino down to the mat. Firmino avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Firmino misses with a looping left.
Firmino tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Babatunde manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Firmino wants to clinch

and Babatunde counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Babatunde lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Babatunde throwing shots but Firmino is blocking nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Babatunde connects with a nice short shot to Firmino's temple.
Babatunde passes into side control, despite Firmino's attempt to control the position.
Sanjit Babatunde has got the better of the ground game so far.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Babatunde advances nicely into full mount.
Firmino in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Babatunde looking to control and managing it successfully.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Babatunde is continuing to stall.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sanjit Babatunde showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Firmino's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Firmino throws a body kick that misses

and Babatunde counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Babatunde not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
More stalling from Babatunde.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Babatunde scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Babatunde slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Babatunde scoring with punches to the head and body.
Babatunde is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Roberto Firmino seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Firmino throws a body kick, spinning off balance

and Babatunde counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Firmino!
Babatunde controls the position from side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Firmino taking punishment in the form of punches.
Babatunde scoring with punches and elbows.
A lull in the action here.
Firmino on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Firmino tries to get out of the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

That's four 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.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Firmino lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Babatunde at a distance.
Firmino tries to clinch up.
Firmino keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Firmino throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Firmino scores with a kick to the midsection.
Firmino throws a lazy body kick

and Babatunde counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Babatunde.
Babatunde sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

And that's the end of the fight!
Sanjit Babatunde comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Babatunde 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 Paul Aken scores the fight 28:29
Judge Saam Ante scores the fight 28:29
Judge Aafke Stam scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sanjit Babatunde!