PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Mickey Crane (ranked 7157 p4p, 0 weight class) and Diego Sanches (ranked 6048 p4p, 0 weight class). Diego Sanches has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Mickey Crane's chin.

Crane
vs
Sanches

167 cm
23
161 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

178 cm
25
163 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Mickey Crane!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Diego Sanches!
The judges for this bout are Paul Gruel, Josh West and Jeff Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Sanches closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Sanches blocks the strikes from Crane.

Crane looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Sanches really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Crane. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Sanches has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Crane flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Crane tries to hold on but Sanches postures up.
Sanches controlling the pace for now.
Sanches avoids the attempt from Crane to control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Crane is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Sanches is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Crane is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Crane is flailing around like a fish out of water, trying to land strikes.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Crane working to try and regain half guard.
Crane is squirming around, avoiding Sanches's attempts to control the action.
Sanches tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

Sanches has control of Crane's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Crane regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Crane is wriggling around trying to escape.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Crane is working hard here to advance position.

Sanches is standing up out of mount! Strange tactic there - he must really want this one on the feet!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Crane tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Sanches feints a counter leg kick.

Sanches manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Crane on his heels. He'll look to pass Crane's guard now, I'm sure.

Sanches decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Crane throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Sanches's waist but Sanches gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Crane off to one side.
Crane tries to clinch but Sanches moves out of range.
Crane tries to clinch there but Sanches circles away.

Sanches shoots in and gets a takedown into Crane's guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Sanches sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Sanches wants to control from the top but Crane keeps moving.

Crane has his foot on Sanches's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Sanches works his way back into a safe position though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanches controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Crane keeping full guard, as Sanches tries to pass.
Crane throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

Sanches thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Crane is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Crane is breathing heavily.

Crane looking for a guillotine here but Sanches defends easily.
Sanches trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Crane throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Sanches sitting in guard, not really doing much.

Crane looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Sanches passes into side control.
You can see the frustration on Crane's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Sanches lands a few punches from side control.
Sanches lands a few punches from side control.
Crane is not content to let Sanches control the position.
Crane is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Sanches asserts his dominance and retains side control.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sanches trying to control the action but Crane is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Diego Sanches dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Crane gets caught napping as Sanches dives in and scores a takedown. Crane manages to retain guard.
Crane doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.

Crane had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Sanches defends it easily.
Crane is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Sanches avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Crane escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Sanches gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sanches pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Crane is keeping the position for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Crane looking for subs off his back but Sanches has passed one foot through into half guard.
Sanches scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Sanches content to control rather than advance.
Crane tries to get to full guard but Sanches has control of the leg.
Sanches performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Crane wants to get back to full guard.
Crane might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

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.

Sanches postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Crane to stand up.

Sanches fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Crane to the ground. Sanches is now in Crane's guard.
Sanches is stalling in the full guard.

Crane throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Sanches has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Sanches wants to control from the top but Crane keeps moving.
Crane trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Sanches is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Sanches stopping the sweep attempt from Crane.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Crane throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Sanches 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.

Sanches decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Crane tries to close the distance and clinch but Sanches swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Sanches throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Crane was covering up waiting for the punch and Sanches finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Sanches is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Sanches wants to control from the top but Crane keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Crane looking for subs off his back but Sanches has passed one foot through into half guard.
Sanches seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Sanches is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Crane won't allow Sanches to pass to mount.
Sanches with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Crane tries to roll over but Sanches keeps him under control.
Sanches is trying to control. Crane wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Diego Sanches showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Sanches lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Crane at a distance.
Crane tries to clinch up.
Crane misses with a takedown attempt - Sanches sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Sanches darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Sanches controlling the pace.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Sanches is looking for a kimura but Crane is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Sanches to get the leverage.
Sanches wants to pass to mount but Crane is defending the position.

Crane looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Crane is trying to maintain the position but Sanches is very close to passing his half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Sanches looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Sanches wants to control but Crane is keeping him busy.

Crane is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Sanches pulls his head out easily.

Sanches stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Crane to get to his feet.

Sanches closes the distance and clinches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Sanches has clasped his hands together around Crane's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Crane manages to get back to half guard.
Sanches with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

Crane is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Sanches pulls his head out easily.
Crane is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Sanches has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Sanches prevents Crane from getting the reversal.
Crane is really trying hard to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanches can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Crane is looking to escape.
Crane wants to hold on but Sanches pushes him away.
Sanches punishing his opponent with strikes.
Diego Sanches has got the better of the ground game so far.
Sanches looking to control and managing it successfully.
Crane is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Crane is flailing around like a fish out of water, trying to land strikes.
Crane is looking to improve his position but Sanches isn't that keen on the idea.
Sanches controlling the position easily from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Crane flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Crane is bucking up trying to escape but Sanches cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Sanches content just to control the position here.
Crane regains half guard.
Crane trying to hold on to Sanches's head to control him but Sanches postures up.
Sanches is figuring out what he wants to do next.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sanches is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Diego Sanches comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Sanches 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 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Paul Gruel scores the fight 27:30
Judge Josh West scores the fight 27:30
Judge Jeff Smith scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Diego Sanches!