PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Pedro Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Joe Smith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Santos
vs
Smith

185 cm
20
184 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
20
185 lbs
4 - 4 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Good in bed

Good takedowns
Brawler
Knockout power

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Pedro Santos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Joe Smith!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Frank Antenori and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Smith fails with a takedown attempt.

Santos has managed to clinch.
Smith tries to break the clinch but Santos is controlling the position.
Santos connects with a knee to the head.
Santos has Smith pressed against the cage.
Smith is trying to force a seperation but Santos has the dominant position.

Santos breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Santos fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Smith.
Santos keeps the fight on the outside.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Santos.
Santos trying to control the position but Smith is working away.
Smith wants to control but Santos postures up.
The referee asks Santos politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Santos prefers to stall for the moment though.
Santos wants to lay and pray for a moment but Smith keeps working.
Santos is staying tight to Smith's torso, preventing him from escaping.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Smith can't do much from the bottom here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Santos is staying active.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Smith throws a low kick, looking for Santos's leg but Santos calmly moves out of range.
Joe Smith seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A left and a right from Santos both land. Nice combination.

Santos gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Smith tries to break free but Santos pushes him back against the cage.
Santos slowing the pace effectively.
Smith trying to stall but Santos improves his position.
Smith is trying to force a seperation but Santos has the dominant position.

Santos has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Smith uses from the top position.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Santos is on top in guard.
Smith looks gassed!
Smith keeping moving, preventing Santos from controlling successfully.
Smith keeping full guard, as Santos tries to pass.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos sitting in guard, not really doing much.

Santos decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Smith fails with a takedown attempt.
Smith shoots for a takedown but Santos saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Pedro Santos has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Joe Smith.

Santos moves into the clinch.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Santos breaks from the clinch.

Santos clinches up against the cage.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Santos.
Santos lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

Santos pulls guard effortlessly.
Santos manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Smith can't escape the position.

Santos looking to secure an arm triangle but Smith defends it well.
Smith working to try and regain half guard.
Smith gets back to half guard.

Smith is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Santos pulls his head out easily.
Santos wants to control but Smith is keeping him busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smith is looking to control Santos's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Smith avoid being mounted?
Santos slows the pace down in half guard.
Smith tries to get to full guard but Santos has control of the leg.
Smith is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Santos scores with a couple of nice shots.
Smith is not content to let Santos control the position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Smith is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pedro Santos dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Santos drives through with a takedown into guard.
Smith trying to keep a closed guard but Santos is proving a slippery customer.
Smith working a defensive guard but Santos manages to pass into side control anyway.
Santos avoids the strikes from the bottom by Smith.
Santos is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Santos cracks Smith with a big right hand but Smith just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Santos decides to stand back up.

Smith scores a takedown into full mount!
Smith scoring with strikes but Santos is staying in there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Smith throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Smith looking to finish with strikes here!
Santos holds of for dear life.
Santos wants to hold on but Smith pushes him away.
Smith is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Santos can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Santos manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Santos trying to control here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Smith not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Santos keeps control of the position for the meantime.
Santos has hold of Smith's hands but Smith slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Smith lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.

Santos manages to escape and get back to his feet!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Smith looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Santos!
Santos really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Santos tries to hold on but Smith pushes him away.
Smith with shots to the head and body - Santos looks very uncomfortable down there.
Santos is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Santos wants to hold on but Smith pushes him away.
Pedro Santos overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Smith lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Santos hang on?
Santos is trying desperately to improve position.
A nice elbow there by Smith.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santos is bucking up trying to escape but Smith cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Santos is in all sorts of trouble here.
Smith landing strikes, looking to finish!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Santos is bucking up trying to escape but Smith cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Santos is trying to escape the mount.
Smith with the ground and pound from mount.
Santos's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Santos tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Smith with shots to the head and body - Santos looks very uncomfortable down there.
Smith lands with some strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joe Smith showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. And we move into the final round!

A low kick from Smith misses

and Santos decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Smith's guard.
Santos wants to control from the top but Smith keeps moving.
Santos controls from within his opponent's guard.

Smith working for a triangle but Santos defends it easily.
Santos 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.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Santos trying to control the position from guard on top but Smith is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Pedro Santos wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Santos goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.

Smith changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Santos looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Smith creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Smith lands a decent elbow from side control.
Smith cracks Santos with a big elbow.
Smith cracks Santos with a big elbow.
Smith misses with the ground and pound.
Smith cracks Santos with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Santos is trying to control Smith's posture but Smith avoids it.
Santos gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith stops Santos from getting back to his feet.
Santos has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Smith is working away from the top position though.
Santos throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Smith wants to control but Santos is keeping him busy.
Smith thows a huge punch but Santos dodges it nicely.

Santos looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Santos is looking to escape.
Smith takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Santos keeps control of the position for the meantime.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Smith throws a big right hand that misses.
Smith throws a big right hand that misses.
Santos bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Smith's guard.
Smith tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Santos wants to control from the top but Smith keeps moving.
Santos postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Smith striking off his back, scoring a few points.
Smith keeping moving, preventing Santos from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santos works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Smith is trying to maintain the position but Santos is very close to passing his half guard.
Smith wants to get back to his feet.
Santos wants to stand up but Smith has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Ground and pound from Santos.
Smith is looking to get back to full guard here but Santos has managed to pass to side control instead.

Smith tries to control Santos's head but Santos pushes him back down and moves quickly to lock up an arm here - he's swung around for an armbar! Will he get it??? Yes! Smith is tapping out! Lovely Jiu Jitsu there!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:56 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (armbar). Pedro Santos!