PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Thomas Wallace (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jason Sanchez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sanchez has chosen Sum 41-Always as his entrance music. 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?

Wallace
vs
Sanchez

170 cm
18
130 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
19
143 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Thomas Wallace!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Jason Sanchez !
The judges for this bout are Mauricio Rocha, Luis Engracia and Paulo Santos.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Wallace clinches up against the cage.
Wallace stops a takedown attempt from Sanchez .

Sanchez has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Wallace is trying to keep an underhook but Sanchez manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Sanchez is trying to control. Wallace wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Sanchez prevents Wallace from improving his position.
Sanchez trying to pass the guard but Wallace defending well.
Wallace taking some punishment here, with Sanchez in his half guard.
Sanchez is thwarting Wallace's attempts to control the position.
Sanchez wants to pass the guard but Wallace is defending well.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Sanchez shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Wallace as he avoids it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wallace fails to land the takedown.
Sanchez lands with a nice combination. Wallace backs away looking to recover.
Wallace moves in looking to clinch but Sanchez pushes him off.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Wallace.
Sanchez swats away the attempt to clinch by Wallace.

Sanchez scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Wallace moves into full guard.
Sanchez looks gassed!
Wallace is controlling Sanchez 's posture.
Sanchez trying to control the position from guard on top but Wallace is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wallace pulls Sanchez in to control the position.
Sanchez wanted to stand there but Wallace had control of the position.
Sanchez slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Sanchez prevents Wallace from getting back to his feet.
Wallace 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.
Wallace wants to get back to his feet but Sanchez is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez preventing the sweep.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Sanchez throws a series of punches but Wallace moves out of range.

Wallace 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.
Sanchez controls Wallace momentarily but Wallace frees himself.
Wallace wants to pass the guard but Sanchez is keeping the position.
Sanchez wants to stand and escape but Wallace is having none of it.
Wallace slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Sanchez had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Wallace defends it easily.
Wallace slips nicely into half guard, despite the strikes coming from Sanchez .
Wallace prevents Sanchez from standing back up.
Sanchez wants to improve his position but Wallace is controlling well.
Sanchez is looking to control Wallace's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Sanchez avoid being mounted?
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jason Sanchez dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Wallace shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Sanchez as he avoids it easily.
A left and a right from Sanchez both land. Nice combination.
Wallace throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Sanchez swinging wilding here.
Sanchez with a poor takedown

and Wallace counters with a single leg into guard. Sanchez didn't expect that.
Wallace sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Sanchez 's guard.
Sanchez is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Wallace jumps into side control!
Sanchez is looking for a sweep.
Wallace knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Sanchez on the ground.
Sanchez wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Wallace lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Sanchez down.
Sanchez is trying to get back to half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanchez is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Sanchez is pushing Wallace's head away, looking to escape. Wallace manages to hold on to the position though.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Sanchez shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Wallace sprawls well. Wallace wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Sanchez gets slowly back to his feet.

Wallace closes the distance and clinches.

Wallace breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Some wild striking there from Wallace.
Nice takedown defense from Sanchez . No joy for Wallace on that attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Wallace shoots in and drives through. Sanchez sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Thomas Wallace. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sanchez throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Wallace tries to clinch up.

Sanchez closes the distance and pushes Wallace back into the cage.

Sanchez pulls Wallace into guard.
Wallace wants to control from the top but Sanchez keeps moving.
Sanchez wants to get back to his feet but Wallace is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Wallace trying to control the position from guard on top but Sanchez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Wallace sitting in guard here, content to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Wallace got a little sloppy there for a moment and Sanchez has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Wallace has managed to get both his arms back between Sanchez 's legs - danger averted.
Sanchez is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Sanchez looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Sanchez working a defensive guard here.
Wallace tries to stand but Sanchez is controlling from the bottom.
Wallace controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Sanchez avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Sanchez tries to land a sweep but no joy.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Sanchez doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Sanchez doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Wallace counters with a series of strikes. Sanchez will be more careful next time no doubt.

Sanchez gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Sanchez is trying to control the position but Wallace postures up.
Sanchez wants to sweep but no luck.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thomas Wallace dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Wallace shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Sanchez sprawls well. Sanchez wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Wallace gets slowly back to his feet.
Wallace throws a head kick but Sanchez moves out of range.
Wallace wants to clinch.
Sanchez has his takedown stuffed
and Wallace counters with a nice body kick.
Wallace is trying hard to land a takedown here. Sanchez sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Sanchez doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Wallace counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Sanchez wants to stand but Wallace is controlling the position.

Sanchez working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Wallace doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Wallace manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanchez looking for a sweep. Not yet Sanchez , not yet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Sanchez escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Wallace gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Sanchez throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Wallace has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Sanchez is proving hard to escape from.
Wallace won't allow Sanchez to sweep him here.

Sanchez had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Wallace defends it easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Sanchez is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.

Sanchez manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Sanchez wants to control but Wallace passes easily into half guard.
Sanchez wants to improve his position but Wallace is controlling well.
Wallace passes into side control, despite Sanchez 's attempt to control the position.
Sanchez is looking to regain half guard here but Wallace keeps moving and retains side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wallace tries to move to mount but Sanchez blocks the move with his legs.
Sanchez sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Wallace throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Sanchez tries to roll over but Wallace keeps him under control.
Sanchez misses with some strikes from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Wallace fails with an attempt to clinch.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Wallace checks a leg kick.
Sanchez avoids a punch combination nicely.

Wallace scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Sanchez manages to get to full guard.

Wallace stands and steps away. Sanchez gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Jason Sanchez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sanchez tries to close the distance and clinch but Wallace swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Sanchez doesn't succeed with the takedown

so Wallace counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

And that's the end of the fight!
Thomas Wallace showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Wallace 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 Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 29:28
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 29:28
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Thomas Wallace!