PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Victor Knapp (ranked 6687 p4p, 0 weight class) and Xeno Sanju (ranked 4638 p4p, 0 weight class). Victor Knapp has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Knapp
vs
Sanju

213 cm
24
193 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

198 cm
20
190 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Good elbows
Granite chin

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Victor Knapp!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Xeno Sanju!
The judges for this bout are Topper Green, Ben Hemmingworth and Winston Howard.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Sanju shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Knapp tries to roll over but Sanju keeps him under control.
Knapp gets full guard.
Sanju trying to control the position from guard on top but Knapp is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sanju stopping the sweep attempt from Knapp.
Knapp controlling Sanju's posture.
Sanju stopping the sweep attempt from Knapp.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sanju chips away with some ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Knapp punching to the body, from the bottom.
Sanju tries to free his leg and advance position but Knapp is retaining full guard.
Knapp really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Knapp looking for a sweep. Not yet Knapp, not yet.
Sanju working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Sanju stands and steps away. Knapp gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Sanju stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Sanju wants it to stay on the feet.
A little jabbing left from Sanju on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Xeno Sanju seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Sanju clinches up with Knapp and pushes him back against the cage.

Sanju pulls Knapp into guard.
Knapp postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Knapp throwing strikes from guard but Sanju blocks nicely.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Knapp prevents Sanju from getting back to his feet.

Sanju working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Knapp has passed into half guard!
Sanju looks winded!
Knapp drops an elbow to the side of Sanju's head.
Nice strikes from Knapp there.
Knapp looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Sanju with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Knapp working over Sanju with some ground and pound. Sanju looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Knapp scoring with strikes to the body and head.

Knapp 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.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanju tries to get to full guard but Knapp has control of the leg.
Sanju on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.

Knapp is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Knapp is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Sanju has managed to free his arm - good work.

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.
Knapp slips a nice elbow through Sanju's hands, connecting with Sanju's forehead.
Sanju wants to control but Knapp is keeping busy.
Knapp winds up and cracks Sanju with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Knapp is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Knapp working the head and body with strikes.
Sanju has hold of Knapp's hands but Knapp slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Knapp moves into range and lands a nice body kick.

Sanju throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Knapp was covering up waiting for the punch and Sanju finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Sanju stopping the sweep attempt from Knapp.
Knapp wants to hit a switch here but Sanju passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Knapp there!
Knapp is in all sorts of trouble here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Knapp sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Sanju prevents Knapp from improving his position.
Knapp punching from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Knapp throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Knapp is looking for a sweep. Sanju is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Knapp works his way to full guard. Good work.
Sanju trying to control but Knapp is working from the bottom.
Sanju is breathing heavily.
Sanju with a flurry of punches that miss.
Knapp looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Sanju puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Knapp looks like he's trying to stand up.
Knapp wants to improve his position but Sanju is controlling well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Knapp trying to hold on to Sanju's head to control him but Sanju postures up.
Sanju is nestled in close to Knapp, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Knapp trying to hold on to Sanju's head to control him but Sanju postures up.
Sanju wants to pass the guard but Knapp is defending well.
Knapp gets back to full guard.
Knapp looking to hit a scissor sweep but Sanju is one step ahead there.
Knapp throws some sloppy strikes off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanju won't allow Knapp to sweep him here.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

Sanju fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Knapp sprawls well initially but Sanju persists and gets the takedown into half guard.

Knapp makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!

Knapp looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Sanju!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Knapp working the head and body with strikes.

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

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sanju wants to control but Knapp postures up.
Knapp takes a little break here. Sanju wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Knapp will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Knapp creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Knapp lands a decent elbow from side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Victor Knapp dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Sanju stuffs the takedown.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Knapp enables Sanju to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Knapp manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Sanju trying to control but Knapp is working from the bottom.
Knapp bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Sanju's guard.

Sanju looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Knapp is working Sanju over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Knapp is working Sanju over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Sanju takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Knapp content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Knapp scoring with punches to the head and body.
Knapp works over Sanju with some ground and pound from guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanju wants to sweep but no luck.
Knapp stands up over Sanju, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Knapp landing with the ground and pound.
Knapp working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Sanju's head.
Knapp working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Knapp makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Knapp lands a couple of digs.
Knapp scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Knapp keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Sanju's head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Knapp lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Knapp working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Sanju's head.
Knapp working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Sanju's head.
Knapp postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Knapp connects with a couple of short punches.
Knapp works over Sanju with some ground and pound from guard.
Knapp keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Sanju's head.
Knapp with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Sanju not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Knapp postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Knapp lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Knapp works over Sanju with some ground and pound from guard.
Knapp scoring with punches to the head and body.
Knapp working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Knapp scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Knapp works over Sanju with some ground and pound from guard.
Knapp is in close to Sanju's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Sanju has momentary wrist control but Knapp slips an elbow through the middle.
Knapp content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Knapp working some strikes from top position.
Knapp stands up over Sanju, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Knapp working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Sanju's head.
Knapp distracts Sanju with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Knapp postures up and lands a big shot to Sanju's brow.
Knapp makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Knapp lands a couple of elbows.
Knapp scoring with punches to the head and body.
Knapp scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Knapp working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Sanju's head.
Knapp keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Sanju's head.
Xeno Sanju has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Victor Knapp is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Knapp scoring with some ground and pound.

And that's the end of the fight!
Victor Knapp showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Knapp, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Topper Green scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ben Hemmingworth scores the fight 30:27
Judge Winston Howard scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Victor Knapp!