PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Carlos Strikes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Junior Dos Santos (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?

Strikes
vs
Dos Santos

186 cm
48
180 lbs
40 - 37 - 2

196 cm
21
176 lbs
7 - 1 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Excellent grappler
Counter fighter
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 40 - 37 - 2, fighting out of London, Carlos Strikes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Junior Dos Santos!
The judges for this bout are Sam Margolis, Colin Fotheringham and James Atkins.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dos Santos avoids the head kick by Strikes.
Dos Santos feints a counter leg kick.

Strikes instigates a clinch.

Strikes's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Strikes fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Dos Santos, pushing him back against the cage.
Dos Santos drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Strikes gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Dos Santos managing to block the knees to the body from Strikes.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Dos Santos turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Dos Santos manages to end up in side control.

Dos Santos wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Strikes, who protects the arm well.
Strikes is trying to control Dos Santos's posture but Dos Santos avoids it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Dos Santos tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Dos Santos has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

Dos Santos tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Dos Santos has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Strikes struggling a bit here.

Dos Santos is trying to get an arm triangle but Strikes is defending well.
Strikes is trying to control Dos Santos's posture but Dos Santos avoids it.

Dos Santos is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Strikes has escaped the position, nice work there.

Dos Santos goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Strikes rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Dos Santos's guard! Nice work there by Strikes!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Strikes stays in close to Dos Santos's body and controls the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Dos Santos looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Dos Santos wants to control but Strikes passes easily into half guard.
Strikes looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

Dos Santos is defending against the submission attempts here by Strikes.
Strikes is controlling the pace.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Strikes is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Dos Santos wants to get back to full guard.

Dos Santos looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Dos Santos is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Strikes is looking to take a break and control but Dos Santos is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Dos Santos wants to improve his position but Strikes is controlling well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

Dos Santos actively working from the bottom here.

Dos Santos looking for a kimura from the bottom but Strikes passes into side control!

Strikes is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Dos Santos knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
You can see the frustration on Dos Santos's face as Strikes controls the position.
Strikes gets to mount! Dos Santos was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Strikes wants to control the pace but Dos Santos is squirming around nicely.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Dos Santos flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Strikes blocks Dos Santos's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Carlos Strikes dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Strikes wants to clinch up but Dos Santos keeps it at a distance.
Dos Santos with the counter takedown but Strikes avoids it easily.
Strikes fails with an attempt to clinch.
Carlos Strikes seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Dos Santos takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Strikes moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.

It looks like Junior Dos Santos has been cut.

Strikes fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Dos Santos, pushing him back against the cage.
Dos Santos wants to take the fight to the mat but Strikes manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Strikes misses with an elbow strike.

Strikes escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Strikes connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Strikes tries to clinch up but Dos Santos circles away and keeps his distance.

Strikes closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Dos Santos to the mat! Dos Santos manages to get full guard.

Dos Santos is working an open guard so Strikes takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
A head kick from Strikes lands but Dos Santos takes it in his stride.
Carlos Strikes is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Strikes throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Dos Santos was covering up waiting for the punch and Strikes finishes the takedown easily into guard.

Dos Santos has managed to wall walk up one of the corner posts to get back to his feet. Strikes is pushing him up against the cage, looking to control the position.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Strikes scores with a nice hook to the head.

Strikes breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Dos Santos moves out of range of the leg kick from Strikes.
Dos Santos tries to counter by closing the distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dos Santos keeps the fight on the outside.
Dos Santos with the counter takedown but Strikes avoids it easily.
Strikes stalks Dos Santos and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Dos Santos's face. Dos Santos staggers backwards, shaken.
Dos Santos stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Strikes.
Nice body kick from Strikes.

Strikes fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Dos Santos, pushing him back against the cage.

Strikes breaks from the clinch.

Strikes closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Dos Santos's guard.
Dos Santos wants to get back to his feet but Strikes passes into half guard.

Strikes is looking for a kimura here.
Dos Santos is trying to stand back up but Strikes is controlling him

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Dos Santos actively working from the bottom here.
Dos Santos is pressing down on Strikes's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Strikes forces his way into half guard.

Strikes decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.

Dos Santos tries to keep at a distance but Strikes has taken the fight into the clinch.
Strikes pressing his opponent against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Strikes breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Strikes is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Dos Santos can do to turn this around?

Strikes feints and as Dos Santos raises his hands in defense, Strikes changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.

Dos Santos has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Strikes is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Dos Santos.
Dos Santos tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Strikes working away.
Dos Santos looking for a sweep but Strikes has passed into full mount! Oh no!
Strikes sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Carlos Strikes dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Junior Dos Santos's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Dos Santos keeps the fight on the outside.
Dos Santos with the counter takedown but Strikes avoids it easily.
Strikes tries to clinch

and Dos Santos counters with a nice double leg into side control. Strikes won't be happy with that.
Strikes is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Dos Santos working away.
My spies in Cozad MMA London inform me that Dos Santos has been getting involved in the gym's BJJ sparring sessions. Let's see whether that pays dividends!
Strikes is looking for a sweep.
Dos Santos tries to score with some ground and pound. Strikes controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.

Dos Santos looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

Dos Santos tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Carlos Strikes overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Strikes bucks up and manages to escape back to his feet!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Strikes tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Dos Santos paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Dos Santos with the counter takedown but Strikes avoids it easily.

Dos Santos tries to sprawl but Strikes drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Strikes trying to control from half guard but Dos Santos is working away.

Dos Santos looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Strikes stalling.
Dos Santos moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Strikes wants to control from the top but Dos Santos keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Strikes showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Dos Santos keeping full guard, as Strikes tries to pass.
Strikes has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Dos Santos keeping moving, preventing Strikes from controlling successfully.

Dos Santos is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Dos Santos has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Strikes can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Strikes trying to control the position from guard on top but Dos Santos is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Strikes with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Dos Santos working for a triangle but Strikes defends it easily.

Dos Santos looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Strikes passes into half guard.

Dos Santos looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Strikes is looking to take a break and control but Dos Santos is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Dos Santos looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Strikes slows the pace down in half guard.
Junior Dos Santos has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

Dos Santos looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Strikes is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Dos Santos is looking to improve his position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Strikes is keen to just control but Dos Santos is a slippery customer.
Carlos Strikes is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Dos Santos looking to force a kimura from the bottom here. He's concentrating on that move too much though and Strikes pushes past his half guard into mount!

And that's the end of the fight!
Carlos Strikes showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Strikes has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Sam Margolis scores the fight 30:27
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 30:27
Judge James Atkins scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Carlos Strikes!
Our winner, Carlos Strikes, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.