PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Joao Santos (ranked 2445 p4p, 2875 weight class) and Wei Chen (ranked 259 p4p, 296 weight class). The key to victory for Joao Santos has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Santos
vs
Chen

180 cm
19
165
2 - 1 - 0

180 cm
20
166
5 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Very strong

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Powerful

Conquest Nutrition™ (160Q) $48

Pulling Guard

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 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Joao Santos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Wei Chen!
The judges for this bout are Summer Carpenter, Darius Henderson and Steve Erwin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Santos shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Chen manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Santos with a flurry of punches that miss.
Chen throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Chen keeping moving, preventing Santos from controlling successfully.
Santos showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Chen wants to sweep here but Santos controlling him for the moment.
Chen pulls Santos in close to prevent any damage.
Santos definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Chen wants to sweep here but Santos controlling him for the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos trying to control but Chen is working from the bottom.
Chen wants to stand and escape but Santos is having none of it.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Chen shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Santos manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Chen is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Chen missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Santos working a defensive guard here.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Chen's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Chen landing some decent shots from guard.
Santos is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos is trying to control the position but Chen postures up.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Santos avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Santos controls Chen momentarily but Chen frees himself.
Chen throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Chen makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

Santos is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Santos working for a triangle but Chen defends it easily.
Chen with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Chen throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Santos works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Chen lands a couple of digs.
Chen stopping the sweep attempt from Santos.
Chen 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.
Chen keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Santos's head.
Chen must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Santos lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Chen wants to control but Santos passes easily into half guard.
Santos thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Chen's head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Chen wants to improve his position but Santos is controlling well.
Santos lands with a punch from half guard.
Chen tries to roll over but Santos keeps him under control.
Santos is trying to control the action in half guard but Chen is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Santos is working for a submission of some sort.
Chen is looking to improve his position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Santos stops Chen from getting back to his feet.
Chen controlling the position for now.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Wei Chen will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Santos dives in and grabs Chen's left leg, looking for a takedown. Chen pushes down on Santos's head and hops out.
Santos fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Santos bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Chen keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Joao Santos. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Santos stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Santos wants it to stay on the feet.
Santos looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Santos will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Santos ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Chen shoots for a double leg takedown but Santos sprawls well. He's pushed Chen's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Santos throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Chen's waist but Chen gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Santos off to one side.
Joao Santos seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Chen decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Wei Chen has got the better of the ground game so far.
Chen scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Chen lands with a punch from half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Chen looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Santos is trying to maintain the position but Chen is very close to passing his half guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Chen is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Santos sees it coming and defends easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Chen connects with a nice short shot to Santos's temple.
Ground and pound from Chen.

Santos actively working from the bottom here.
Chen missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Ground and pound from Chen.
Santos moves into full guard.
Chen with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Santos trying to control the position.
Chen working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Chen landing some decent shots from guard.
Chen landing with the ground and pound.
Santos wants to sweep here but Chen controlling him for the moment.

Chen drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Chen jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Chen wants to pass the guard but Santos is keeping the position.
Chen is working Santos over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Santos avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Santos wants to sweep but no luck.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos working a defensive guard here.
Chen looking to sit in guard and control but Santos gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Chen looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Chen keeping moving, preventing Santos from controlling successfully.
Chen not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Santos lands a couple of digs.
Chen wants to sweep but no luck.
Santos trying to control the position from guard on top but Chen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santos is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Santos accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Chen keeping moving, preventing Santos from controlling successfully.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Santos misses with a takedown attempt - Chen sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Santos is trying hard to land a takedown here. Chen sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Santos misses with a takedown attempt - Chen sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Santos fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Chen is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Chen misses with a body shot.
No luck for Chen with that takedown attempt.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Wei Chen showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Santos's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Chen connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Santos scrambles back to his feet.
Santos goes for a double leg but Chen avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Chen continues to drive forward.
Santos misses with the head strike.
Santos drops down looking for an ankle pick but Chen pulls his leg out and moves away.

Chen fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Santos sprawls well initially but Chen persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Chen looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Chen working Santos over with strikes.
Chen working over Santos with some ground and pound. Santos looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Chen is looking for a kimura here.
Chen seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Chen slips a nice elbow through Santos's hands, connecting with Santos's forehead.
Chen scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Chen is trying to control the action in half guard but Santos is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Chen is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Santos doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Chen.
Chen thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Santos is trying to control but can't.
Chen lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Santos controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
Chen scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos has hold of Chen's hands but Chen slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Chen prevents Santos from improving his position.
Chen is thwarting Santos's attempts to control the position.
Santos preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
Nice strikes from Chen there.
Chen is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Chen lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.

Santos is rocked!
Chen prevents Santos from improving his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ground and pound from Chen.
Chen working over Santos with some ground and pound. Santos looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Oh Santos is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Chen trying to control from half guard but Santos is working away.
Chen is nestled in close to Santos, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Joao Santos has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Santos is trying to get back to full guard.
Chen working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Chen sitting in half guard here. He lands a big elbow that has hurt Santos! Oh, Santos is in big trouble! Chen lands more strikes and the ref dives in to save him! The fight is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:59 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Strikes). Wei Chen!
A very excited looking Wei Chen made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.