PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Tanahashi Hiroshi (ranked 4936 p4p, 5863 weight class) and Santiago Sanchez (ranked 490 p4p, 518 weight class). Tanahashi Hiroshi looks tired to me. Hopefully he has got enough gas left in the tank to put in a good performance.

Hiroshi
vs
Sanchez

185 cm
18
180
0 - 1 - 0

189 cm
18
185
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Good in bed

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Tends to cut

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 Rio de Janeiro, Tanahashi Hiroshi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Santiago Sanchez!
The judges for this bout are Valeri Chadov, Igor Prikhodko and Dmitry Maklakov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hiroshi misses with a takedown attempt - Sanchez sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Sanchez feints the counter takedown.
Hiroshi looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Sanchez steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Hiroshi.
And Sanchez tries to counter it with a takedown but Hiroshi pushes his down on his head and steps out.

Hiroshi drives through and clinches with Sanchez against the cage.

Sanchez breaks the clinch.

Hiroshi moves into the clinch successfully.
Hiroshi definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.

Sanchez manages to break the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hiroshi dives in for a single leg takedown but Sanchez sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Sanchez drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Hiroshi defends it well.

Sanchez's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sanchez manages to break the clinch.
Hiroshi tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Hiroshi has a takedown stuffed.
Sanchez feints the counter takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tanahashi Hiroshi. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Hiroshi closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Sanchez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Hiroshi misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Sanchez.

Hiroshi moves into range and clinches up with Sanchez.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Sanchez manages to break the clinch.
Sanchez keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Hiroshi goes for a double leg but Sanchez avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Sanchez continues to drive forward.
And Sanchez tries to counter it with a takedown but Hiroshi pushes his down on his head and steps out.

Sanchez breaks from the clinch.

Hiroshi closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Sanchez's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Hiroshi shoots for a takedown but Sanchez saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Sanchez tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Nice sprawl there from Sanchez as Hiroshi shoots in.
Hiroshi throws a series of punches but Sanchez avoids them all with ease.
Sanchez drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Hiroshi defends it well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hiroshi fails with a takedown attempt.
Hiroshi shoots in for a takedown but Sanchez shows good takedown defense.
Nice sprawl there from Sanchez as Hiroshi shoots in.
Sanchez is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Hiroshi shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Sanchez defends it nicely.
And Sanchez tries to counter it with a takedown but Hiroshi pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Sanchez avoids a kick to the body.
Sanchez with the counter takedown but Hiroshi avoids it easily.
Sanchez slaps away a takedown attempt from Hiroshi, before circling back to the center of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Hiroshi clinches.

Sanchez breaks from the clinch.

Hiroshi gets a clinch.

Sanchez pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Hiroshi darts in looking for a takedown but Sanchez gets double underhooks and turns Hiroshi into the cage.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Sanchez's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Hiroshi shoots in looking for a takedown but Sanchez manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Hiroshi's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Santiago Sanchez will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Hiroshi loads up on a big right hand but Sanchez slips the punch.

Hiroshi clinches with his opponent.

Sanchez breaks from the clinch.
Tanahashi Hiroshi is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Sanchez moves out of range of the body kick from Hiroshi.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Sanchez breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sanchez leaves Hiroshi with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Sanchez feints the counter takedown.
Hiroshi looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Tanahashi Hiroshi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hiroshi shoots for a double leg takedown but Sanchez sprawls well. He's pushed Hiroshi's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tanahashi Hiroshi. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hiroshi is looking to land body kicks.
Sanchez with the counter takedown but Hiroshi avoids it easily.
Hiroshi swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

Sanchez tries to keep at a distance but Hiroshi has taken the fight into the clinch.
Hiroshi tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Sanchez just stands there and leans against the cage.

Sanchez escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Hiroshi rushes Sanchez and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Sanchez pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Hiroshi darts in looking for a takedown but Sanchez gets double underhooks and turns Hiroshi into the cage.
And Sanchez tries to counter it with a takedown but Hiroshi pushes his down on his head and steps out.

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

Hiroshi has Sanchez up against the cage in a clinch.

Sanchez pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Hiroshi misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hiroshi throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Hiroshi looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Sanchez is fending him off so far but Hiroshi persists. Nope, Sanchez circles away and we're back to standing.
Sanchez slaps away a takedown attempt from Hiroshi, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Sanchez feints the counter takedown.
Hiroshi misses with a jab, cross combination.

Hiroshi gets a clinch.

Sanchez's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Sanchez slips under a jab from Hiroshi.
Sanchez drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Hiroshi defends it well.

Hiroshi moves into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Sanchez breaks from the clinch.

Hiroshi pushes Sanchez up against the cage in a clinch.

Sanchez's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Hiroshi moves into the clinch successfully.

Sanchez manages to break the clinch.
Hiroshi tries a head kick but it misses.
Hiroshi throws a head kick but Sanchez moves out of range.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Hiroshi moves into range and clinches up with Sanchez.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Sanchez manages to break the clinch.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Tanahashi Hiroshi dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Hiroshi has Sanchez up against the cage in a clinch.

Sanchez breaks the clinch.

Hiroshi rushes Sanchez and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Sanchez breaks the clinch.
Hiroshi misses with a takedown attempt - Sanchez sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Sanchez drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Hiroshi defends it well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hiroshi closes this distance looking for a takedown but Sanchez circles away.

Hiroshi pushes Sanchez up against the cage in a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sanchez breaks from the clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Hiroshi throws a right and a left that both miss.

Hiroshi moves into the clinch.

Sanchez breaks the clinch.
Hiroshi misses with a head kick.
Sanchez leaves Hiroshi with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tanahashi Hiroshi. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hiroshi fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Sanchez tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Sanchez pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Hiroshi fails with a takedown attempt.
Sanchez changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Hiroshi fails with a takedown attempt.
Hiroshi misses with the combination.
Sanchez drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Hiroshi defends it well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hiroshi misses with the combination.
Hiroshi closes this distance looking for a takedown but Sanchez circles away.
Hiroshi shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Sanchez sprawls well. Sanchez wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Hiroshi gets slowly back to his feet.
Hiroshi closes this distance looking for a takedown but Sanchez circles away.
Sanchez with the counter takedown but Hiroshi avoids it easily.
Santiago Sanchez seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Hiroshi dives in and grabs Sanchez's left leg, looking for a takedown. Sanchez pushes down on Hiroshi's head and hops out.
Sanchez tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hiroshi looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

Hiroshi moves into the clinch.

Sanchez breaks from the clinch.

Hiroshi drives through and clinches with Sanchez against the cage.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Sanchez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Hiroshi fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Sanchez avoids it really well and circles away.
Sanchez feints the counter takedown.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Tanahashi Hiroshi.
I think Hiroshi 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 Valeri Chadov scores the fight 28:29
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 28:29
Judge Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Santiago Sanchez!
Santiago Sanchez spent the whole post fight interview bigging himself up. It didn't go down that well with the fans after a while as they thought it was a bit arrogant.