PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Randy Couture (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Deigo Dos Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Couture
vs
Dos Santos

185 cm
22
205 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

190 cm
22
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Randy Couture!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Deigo Dos Santos !
The judges for this bout are Saam Ante, Daniel Blasius and Wagner Zegers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dos Santos scores with a kick to the body.
Couture keeps the fight on the outside.
Couture shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Dos Santos pinned against the cage. Dos Santos gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

Dos Santos gets a clinch.
Dos Santos with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Dos Santos with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Dos Santos scores with a knee to the head.
A knee to the head by Dos Santos .
A quick uppercut on the inside from Dos Santos .
Dos Santos connects with a nasty looking knee right to Couture's face.
Dos Santos with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Dos Santos throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Couture blocks it with crossed arms.
Dos Santos with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Dos Santos misses with a knee strike.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Couture takes an elbow to the temple.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dos Santos lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Dos Santos with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Dos Santos looks gassed!
Dos Santos throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Couture blocks it with crossed arms.
Couture tries for a takedown. No joy.
Dos Santos putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Couture in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Dos Santos tries to land a knee to the head but Couture blocks with his arms.
Dos Santos lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

Couture has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Dos Santos is trying to keep an underhook but Couture manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Couture sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Dos Santos defending well though.
Dos Santos wants to control but Couture is keeping busy.
Couture has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Couture looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Dos Santos with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Couture working the head and body with strikes.
Couture lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Couture trying to mount his opponent but Dos Santos defends it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Couture looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Dos Santos with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Couture works his way into side control.
Couture landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Couture working the ground and pound.
Dos Santos takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Couture working the ground and pound from side control.

Couture tries for a kimura but Dos Santos is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dos Santos wants to control but Couture postures up.
Couture is putting a hurting on Dos Santos here, landing some big shots from side control.
Dos Santos takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Dos Santos is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Couture is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
Dos Santos taking shots to the head.
Couture scoring with strikes but Dos Santos is staying in there.
Couture unloading with bombs!
Couture lands a nice shot to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Couture landing shots from mount.
A nice elbow there by Couture.
Couture looking to finish Dos Santos with some ground and pound. This is bad for Dos Santos !
BOOM! Couture connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Dos Santos is looking to improve his position but Couture isn't that keen on the idea.
Couture pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Couture lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Couture looking to finish Dos Santos with some ground and pound. This is bad for Dos Santos !
Dos Santos is bucking up trying to escape but Couture cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Couture dominating with strikes here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Randy Couture dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Dos Santos misses with a head kick.
Dos Santos is looking to clinch but Couture is avoiding it.
Deigo Dos Santos is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
No luck for Dos Santos with that takedown attempt.
Dos Santos gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Couture counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Couture working the head and body with strikes.
Couture takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Couture lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.

Couture is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Dos Santos sees it coming and defends easily.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Couture passes the guard and advances to mount!

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee warns Dos Santos that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Couture fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
A nice elbow there by Couture.
Couture working Dos Santos over with strikes here.
Couture scoring with strikes but Dos Santos is staying in there.
Dos Santos really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Couture lands a big elbow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Couture is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Dos Santos has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Dos Santos !

Couture is looking for a triangle but Dos Santos pushes his legs off easily.
Dos Santos wants to control from the top but Couture keeps moving.
Couture lands some strikes from the bottom.
Couture throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Couture is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Couture thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Dos Santos 's head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Couture trying to control from half guard but Dos Santos is working away.
Couture lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Couture moves nicely into side control.
Dos Santos is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Randy Couture overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Dos Santos prevents Couture from moving into mount.

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.
Dos Santos takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Dos Santos takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Couture lands a decent elbow from side control.
Couture working the ground and pound.
Dos Santos tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Couture creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Couture grinds an elbow into Dos Santos 's temple.
Couture wants to lay and pray for a moment but Dos Santos keeps working.
Dos Santos wants to control but Couture postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Dos Santos misses with a takedown

and Couture counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Couture throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Couture lands with a punch from half guard.
Couture trying to pass the guard but Dos Santos defending well.
Couture not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Couture missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Couture is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Couture is nestled in close to Dos Santos , controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Dos Santos on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Couture thows a huge punch but Dos Santos dodges it nicely.
Couture throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Couture sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Dos Santos defending well though.
Dos Santos is not content to let Couture control the position.
Dos Santos is trying to stand.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Dos Santos tries for a takedown but Couture circles away easily
and Couture makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Deigo Dos Santos seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Couture tries to score a power double leg takedown but Dos Santos sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Couture somewhat.
Dos Santos lands a high kick!

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.
Dos Santos doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Couture counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Randy Couture has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Deigo Dos Santos .
Couture pushing down on Dos Santos 's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Couture frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Couture landing shots from mount.
The referee warns Dos Santos that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Dos Santos wants to hold on but Couture pushes him away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Couture jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Dos Santos manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Couture in side control, throwing shots but Dos Santos defends.
Couture wants to lay and pray for a moment but Dos Santos keeps working.
Deigo Dos Santos has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Randy Couture is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Couture working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Dos Santos tries to buck Couture off but Couture is having none of it.

That's four 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.

Couture is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Dos Santos knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
The strikes coming from Couture are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Dos Santos tries to bench press Couture off him but Couture keeps the position.
A lull in the action here as Couture stalls from top position.
Dos Santos is looking for a sweep.
Couture happy to just control the position for now.

And that's the end of the fight!
Randy Couture showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Couture, 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 Saam Ante scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Blasius scores the fight 30:27
Judge Wagner Zegers scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Randy Couture!