PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ace Santiago (ranked 7296 p4p, 527 weight class) and Charlie Dickens (ranked 5280 p4p, 472 weight class). Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Santiago
vs
Dickens

184 cm
25
250 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

180 cm
18
224 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Decent elbows
Very strong

Good wrestler
Brawler
Likes musicals

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, for the heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Ace Santiago!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Charlie Dickens!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Johanna Lukiainen and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Santiago moves into range and clinches up with Dickens.
Santiago throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Santiago slowing the pace effectively.
Dickens being controlled against the cage.
Dickens is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Santiago is keeping busy.
Dickens has had enough of the clinch but Santiago keeps him there for the moment.
Santiago lands an elbow inside that Dickens shrugs off.
Santiago pressing his opponent against the cage.
Dickens takes an elbow to the forehead.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A bit of stalling here from Santiago.

Santiago escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Ace Santiago seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Dickens looks for a takedown but Santiago sprawls well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santiago moves to clinch but Dickens breaks away

and Dickens decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Santiago's guard.
Santiago trying to keep a closed guard but Dickens is proving a slippery customer.
Dickens with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Santiago trying to keep a closed guard but Dickens is proving a slippery customer.
Dickens passes into half guard.
Dickens works his way into side control.
Santiago is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Dickens stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Santiago is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Dickens swats away the attempt to clinch by Santiago.
Dickens keeps the fight on the outside.

Santiago fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Dickens, pushing him back against the cage.
Knees in the clinch landing for Santiago.
Santiago is stalling here.
Santiago working Dickens over with knees to the body.
Dickens should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Knees to the body from Santiago.
Dickens looks winded!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dickens wants to break the clinch but can't.
Dickens is looking to break free of the clinch but Santiago has double underhooks.
Santiago is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Dickens to keep the fight standing.
Santiago lands a nice knee to the body.

Santiago breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Santiago rushes Dickens and presses him up against the cage.
Santiago landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Santiago changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Dickens fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Santiago gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Dickens postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Santiago is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dickens pushing down on Santiago's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

Dickens is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Santiago doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Dickens.
Santiago is trying to get back to full guard.
Santiago on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Well, if Dickens 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.
It looks like Dickens might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.
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 Ace Santiago will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Dickens drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Santiago can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Dickens controls the pace.
Dickens preventing the sweep.
Dickens pushing down on Santiago's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Dickens keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

Dickens seems to be working for a kimura but Santiago defends the submission attempt.
Dickens drops an elbow to the side of Santiago's head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dickens is thwarting Santiago's attempts to control the position.
Dickens looks to score some points with some ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dickens lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Santiago is trying to get back to full guard.

Dickens is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Dickens content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Dickens has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's two 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.
Dickens is nestled in close to Santiago, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Dickens is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Dickens working the head and body with strikes.
Santiago trying to control here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Dickens performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Santiago is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Dickens scores with a couple of nice shots.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dickens scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Dickens is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Dickens is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Santiago trying to control from the bottom.
Santiago is looking to improve his position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Dickens passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Santiago!
Dickens putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dickens takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Dickens putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Dickens looking to finish Santiago with some ground and pound. This is bad for Santiago!
Santiago is in a horrible position here. Dickens smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Dickens controlling the position easily from mount.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Charlie Dickens 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!

Santiago fails with an attempt to clinch.

Santiago fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Dickens, pushing him back against the cage.

Santiago pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Dickens feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Dickens is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Dickens scoring with punches to the head and body.
Dickens passes Santiago's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Charlie Dickens has got the better of the ground game so far.
Santiago taking some punishment here, with Dickens in his half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dickens keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

Dickens stands up and beckons Santiago to join him on the feet.

Santiago gets a clinch.

Santiago breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Santiago looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Dickens changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Santiago looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Dickens gets to mount! Santiago was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
A nice elbow there by Dickens.
Dickens has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Santiago's face.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Dickens cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Dickens lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Santiago hang on?
Dickens prevents Santiago from getting the reversal.
Dickens controlling his opponent.
Dickens is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Dickens has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
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!
Dickens tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Dickens with the ground and pound from mount.
Santiago on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Santiago tries to get out of the position.
Santiago tries to reverse the position but Dickens maintains control.
Dickens takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Dickens has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Santiago's face.

Dickens working for a submission but Santiago is keeping him at bay.
Dickens looking to control and managing it successfully.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Dickens cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Dickens landing strikes, looking to finish!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dickens controlling his opponent.
Dickens looking to finish Santiago with some ground and pound. This is bad for Santiago!
Santiago wants to hold on but Dickens pushes him away.
Dickens lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Santiago hang on?
Dickens controlling his opponent.
Dickens cracks Santiago with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.

Dickens wants to finish this one by submission but Santiago is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Dickens.
Dickens controlling the pace for now.
Dickens working the ground and pound effectively.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dickens controlling from mount.
Santiago knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Dickens on the ground.
Dickens with good strikes from the mount here!
Dickens controlling the pace for now.
Santiago is looking to get to half guard.
Dickens controlling the pace for now.
Dickens is continuing to stall.

And that's the end of the fight!
Charlie Dickens comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Dickens 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 Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 27:29
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 27:29
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 27:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Charlie Dickens!
Charlie Dickens is the new heavyweight champion!