PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Rosario Fusco (ranked 5867 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sagat Shanti (ranked 6226 p4p, 0 weight class). I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Sagat Shanti was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Fusco
vs
Shanti

175 cm
18
170 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

176 cm
18
170 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Basic striking
Big heart

BJJ White Belt
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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Rosario Fusco!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Sagat Shanti!
The judges for this bout are Patrick Alders, Saam Ante and Aafke Stam.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Fusco walks into a jab.
Shanti lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Fusco throws a hook but Shanti blocks it.
Shanti throws out a counter right but Fusco avoids it with no problem.
Fusco wants to clinch up but Shanti keeps it at a distance.
Shanti appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Fusco throws a shot from downtown. Shanti moves away and avoids it.
Shanti now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Fusco tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Shanti paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Fusco throws a hook but Shanti avoids it easily.
Fusco throws a right hand that misses
and Shanti makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Fusco waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Shanti.
Shanti circles away from the clinch attempt
enabling Shanti to counter with a crisp jab.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Shanti keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
A nice side step and Shanti releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.
Fusco tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Shanti was well out of range. Poor timing from Fusco.
Fusco is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Shanti.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fusco misses with an uppercut
and Shanti counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

Fusco moves into the clinch successfully.
Fusco misses with a short punch on the inside.
Fusco throws a head punch that misses.
Shanti lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Fusco or not.

Shanti breaks the clinch.
Shanti misses with a hook. Fusco ducked under it nicely.
Fusco closes the distance but Shanti moves to the side
and Shanti counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Fusco misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Shanti counters with a left to the body.
Shanti fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Fusco on the side of the head.
Fusco is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Shanti.
Fusco throws a poor cross that misses
and Shanti makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Fusco throws the left hand but Shanti avoids the punch easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fusco waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Shanti.
A nice side step and Shanti releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A shot to the liver by Shanti. Beautiful body shot.
Fusco throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Shanti sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Fusco moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Shanti ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Fusco moves away.
Shanti lands a lovely overhand right.
Shanti with a jab.
Fusco looks to land a right hand but Shanti moved out of range.
Fusco throws a poor cross that misses
and Shanti makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Fusco misses with a hook
and Shanti connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Fusco misses with a right hand
and Shanti counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Jab by Shanti.
Fusco misses with a hook to the body
and Shanti counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Rosario Fusco seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fusco throws an off balance right hand
and Shanti counters with a nice uppercut.
Fusco takes one on the chin but seems OK.

Fusco drives through and clinches with Shanti against the cage.
Fusco misses with a hook from the clinch.
Fusco takes a shot to the head.
Fusco slows down the pace here.
A head punch on the inside from Fusco fails to land.
Fusco tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Shanti just stands there and leans against the cage.
Fusco tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Shanti lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Fusco or not.
Shanti pushes Fusco back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Fusco content to slow the pace in the clinch.

Shanti breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Fusco takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fusco tries to clinch up
and Shanti makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Fusco is breathing heavily.

Fusco closes the distance and pushes Shanti back into the cage.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Fusco throws a head punch that misses.
Shanti is working Fusco over against the cage.

Shanti breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Fusco throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Fusco takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Fusco throws a predictable looking body shot
and Fusco takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Fusco takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Shanti lands with a cross.
Fusco wants to clinch
and Shanti counters with a lovely straight right hand!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sagat Shanti dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Fusco misses with an uppercut
and Shanti counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Shanti slips a jab from Fusco.
Shanti throws a good cross that connects.
Fusco misses with an uppercut
and Shanti counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Shanti misses the shot to the body.
Fusco throws a predictable looking body shot
letting Shanti counter with a right hand.
Shanti throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Fusco on the side of the head.
Shanti scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
A big left from Fusco misses.
Shanti flicks out a counter leg kick but Fusco steps away.
Nice defenses there by Shanti.
A countering left hand to the body from Shanti misses.
The fight stays on the outside here - Fusco looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fusco misses with a hook
and Shanti counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Sagat Shanti seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Shanti scores with a jab to the head.
Shanti throws a body punch but Fusco moves out of range.
Fusco misses with a hook to the body
and Shanti counters with a nice uppercut.
Fusco tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Shanti counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Fusco rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Shanti counters with a left to the body.
Fusco takes a swing at Shanti's ribcage but misses.
Shanti scores with a body shot.
Fusco fails in his attempt to clinch.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Shanti! But no joy.
Fusco wants to clinch
and Shanti counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fusco fails with an attempt to clinch.
Shanti is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Fusco with a body shot.
Shanti misses with a body shot.
Fusco tries to clinch but Shanti moves out of range.
Fusco throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Shanti makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Shanti uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Fusco.
Shanti keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Fusco takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Fusco takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Shanti lands a really nice looking cross but Fusco seems unphased.
Fusco throws a lazy right hand but Shanti sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Shanti lands a jab to Fusco's midsection.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fusco swings widly with a right hand
and Shanti counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Shanti has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Fusco throws a predictable looking body shot
and Shanti counters with a right hand to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Fusco misses with a left hand
enabling Shanti to counter with a crisp jab.
Fusco throws a right hand that misses
and Shanti counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Fusco keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Shanti scores with a nice head shot.
Fusco misses with a right hand
enabling Shanti to counter with a crisp jab.
Fusco throws an off balance right hand
and Shanti connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Fusco throws an overhand right that lands on Shanti's shoulder, as Shanti tries to avoid the shot.
A shot to the body from Fusco misses
and Shanti counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Shanti avoids the body shot from Fusco.
Shanti appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fusco tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Shanti manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
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!
Shanti lands a body shot.
Shanti digs a good hook to Fusco's body.
Shanti thuds his right hand into Fusco's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Shanti lands a lovely overhand right.
Fusco looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Shanti bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Fusco takes one on the button.
A jab lands there for Shanti.
Fusco throws a hook but Shanti avoids it easily.
Shanti looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Fusco throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Shanti counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Shanti misses with a wild body shot.
Fusco is looking to counter punch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sagat Shanti showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Fusco's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Fusco ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Shanti moves away.
Fusco misses with a jab to the body
and Shanti connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Shanti throws out a powerful jab.
Fusco tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Shanti was well out of range. Poor timing from Fusco.

Shanti cracks Fusco with a big right hand that sends him to the floor! Fusco looks wobbly but he's sprung back up to his feet straight away… can Shanti finish him?

Fusco is rocked!
Fusco throws a poor cross that misses
enabling Shanti to counter with a crisp jab.
Oh Fusco is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Fusco throws a sloppy body shot
and Shanti counters with a powerful cross that connects right on the chin and the lights go out! A massive one punch knock out!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:36 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Sagat Shanti!
Our winner, Sagat Shanti, 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.