PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Kenji Sato (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jorge Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sato comes into the arena with True Survivor - David Hasselhoff blaring out of the sound system. Kenji Sato has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Sato
vs
Santos

190 cm
25
197 lbs
6 - 6 - 0

188 cm
22
204 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
World class MT
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

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 6 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Kenji Sato!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Jorge Santos!
The judges for this bout are Joseph Jones, Alyssa Summers and Jonathan Paton.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sato rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Santos moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Santos scores with a nice right hand.
A swing and a miss from Santos.
A lazy left from Sato finds it's target.
Santos misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Sato counters with a three punch combo that has Santos backing up. Santos nods at Sato to acknowledge the strikes.
Santos throws a jab but it's blocked by Sato.
Santos throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Sato throws a jab but it's blocked by Santos.
Santos throws out a counter right but Sato avoids it with no problem.
Sato misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Santos.
Sato is looking to clinch but Santos is avoiding it.
A jab from Santos misses.
Sato scoring well with a low kick there.
Horrible takedown attempt by Santos or perhaps it was just good defense by Sato, which made it look bad.
Sato slips a jab from Santos.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Santos looks to land a right hand but Sato moved out of range.
Sato tests Santos's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Sato dodges the punch combination from Santos.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sato throws a body punch but Santos moves out of range.
Santos misses the shot to the body.
Jorge Santos seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
No luck for Santos with that takedown attempt.
Sato looks to score with a jab to the body but Santos is just out of range.
Sato swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Sato takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Sato lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Nice defenses there by Santos.
Santos takes one to the chin there.

Santos shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Santos was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
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!
Santos is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Sato's shoulder. That is not cool.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Sato is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Santos has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Santos misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Santos wants to control but Sato is keeping him busy.
Sato is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Santos's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.

Santos seems to be working for a kimura but Sato defends the submission attempt.
Santos perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Sato is trying to stand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Santos is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Sato doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Santos.
Sato tries to get to full guard but Santos has control of the leg.
Sato is positioning himself well to prevent Santos advancing to mount.
Santos sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Sato defending well though.
Well, if Santos is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Sato is looking to improve his position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four 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.
Santos controlling the action here.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Santos throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Sato swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Sato cracks Santos with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Santos throws an overhand right that lands on Sato's shoulder, as Sato tries to avoid the shot.
Sato uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Santos.
Santos getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Sato slips under a jab from Santos.
Santos keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

Sato gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Kenji Sato will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Santos lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Sato circles away quickly and effectively.
As Santos tries to get set, Sato tries to push him back and clinch up but Santos manages to avoid the attempt.
Sato takes one on the button.
Santos 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.
Santos ducks under a wild hook from Sato.

Sato gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Santos taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Sato blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Santos digs a right hand underneath Sato's ribcage. Sato let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Sato has a couple of punches blocked by Santos.
Santos blocking some punches.
Sato blocking some punches.
Santos dodges an elbow strike from Sato.
Sato tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sato throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Sato is stalling here.
Sato letting Santos take a breather here.
Sato tries to stall but Santos uses the opportunity to gain a better position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos misses with a body punch.
Santos tries to work over Sato's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Sato stalling the fight.
Santos lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Santos misses with a shot to the kidneys.
A nice right hand lands inside from Sato.
Santos drops down looking for an ankle pick but Sato pulls his leg out and moves away.
Santos walks into a straight right hand from Sato.
Sato throws a body punch but Santos moves out of range.
Sato looks to land a combination but Santos avoids it well.
Sato ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sato looks to score with a jab to the body but Santos is just out of range.
Santos throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Sato moves away from the strike by Santos.
It looked like Sato was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Santos.
The fighters circling - Santos throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Sato swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Santos tests Sato's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Santos slips a jab from Sato.
Sato throws a right and a left that Santos avoids nicely.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Sato throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Santos swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Santos throws a big shot that misses.
Santos throws a shot from downtown. Sato moves away and avoids it.
Sato was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Jab from Sato.
Santos tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Sato was well out of range. Poor timing from Santos.
Sato is looking for a counter combo.
Sato throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Sato misses the shot to the body.
Santos swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos ducks under a wild hook from Sato.
Kenji Sato is winning the standup battle so far.
Santos moves out of range of the strikes.
Santos throws a lazy right hand but Sato sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Santos lands a jab-cross combination.
A looping hook to the body misses from Santos. Sato does a little dance to reset his feet.
Sato throws a hook but Santos avoids it easily.
Santos fails with a takedown attempt.
Santos drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Santos throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Sato on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Sato misses with a hook. Santos ducked under it nicely.
Sato misses with a body shot.
Kenji Sato is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Sato throws a right hand that Santos ducks under and follows up with a left that Santos also avoids with ease.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santos uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Sato.
Santos throws out a powerful jab.
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!
Santos on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Sato misses the shot to the body.
Santos connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Sato momentarily.
Sato throws a body punch but Santos moves out of range.
Santos misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Santos with a nice cross.
Jab, jab by Santos - just one landing.
Sato uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Santos.
Santos lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Sato throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Santos misses with a jab to the body
and Sato counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Santos takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Santos takes a jab right on the kisser.
Sato connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Kenji Sato will probably get the nod.
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!

Santos throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Santos jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Santos needs to keep his hands up - Sato had a free shot at his head there.
Jab from Santos.
Santos looks to score with a jab to the body but Sato is just out of range.
Santos misses with a jab, cross combination.
Sato half committed to a counter leg kick.
Sato keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
No joy there for Santos, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
A little feinted left hand from Sato on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Santos slips under a jab.
Santos thows a left - swing and a miss!
It looked like Sato wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Santos fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Sato is out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sato uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Santos.

Sato clinches up against the cage.

Sato breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Santos shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Sato but Sato pushes him off and we're back to square one.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sato misses with an uppercut. Santos saw that one coming.
Santos circles away from the clinch attempt.

Santos shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Santos was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Santos slows the pace down.
Sato knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Santos on the ground.
Sato regains half guard.
Santos perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Santos's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Santos moves into full mount! Sato won't be happy about that!
Santos looking to finish Sato with some ground and pound. This is bad for Sato!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Santos controlling his opponent.
Poor strikes thrown by Santos there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Sato tries to hold on but Santos pushes him away.
Santos trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Santos looking to control and managing it successfully.
Sato has improved his flexibility recently so we will have to see if he can use that to his advantage.
Santos trying to control but Sato is having none of it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Santos goes for an armbar but Sato turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Sato.
Sato has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sato wants to control from the top but Santos keeps moving.

Santos escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Sato gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Sato throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Santos not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Sato trying to stand up but can't free himself from Santos's guard.
Kenji Sato is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Sato tries to free his leg and advance position but Santos is retaining full guard.
Santos trying to control the position here.
Sato preventing the sweep.
Santos pulls Sato in close to prevent any damage.

Sato avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Jorge Santos has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Santos has control of Sato's left arm, preventing Sato from doing any damage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jorge Santos comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Sato has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Joseph Jones scores the fight 29:28
Judge Alyssa Summers scores the fight 29:28
Judge Jonathan Paton scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kenji Sato!
A very excited looking Kenji Sato made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.