PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Marcus Santana (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Edson Coutinho (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Marcus Santana looks tired to me. Hopefully he has got enough gas left in the tank to put in a good performance.

Santana
vs
Coutinho

190 cm
18
230 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

189 cm
18
220 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Intelligent

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight 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, Marcus Santana!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Edson Coutinho!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Luis Engracia and Leandro Rodrigues.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Santana instigates a clinch.
Coutinho looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!
Santana lands a right hand that snaps the head of Coutinho backwards.

Santana pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Santana throws a head kick that misses.
Coutinho wants to clinch but Santana slips to the side

and Santana counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Santana trying to control the position from guard on top but Coutinho is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Santana gets to his feet - Coutinho follows without any prompting.
Santana avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Santana throws a right and a left that Coutinho avoids nicely.
Santana shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Coutinho but Coutinho pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Coutinho is looking to clinch.
Coutinho tries a head kick but it misses.

Santana shoots in and gets a takedown into Coutinho's guard.

Coutinho is working an open guard so Santana takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santana displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Coutinho.

Santana gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Santana pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Coutinho stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Santana.

Santana fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Coutinho, pushing him back against the cage.
Coutinho drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Santana gets the underhooks and prevents it.

Santana breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Santana throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Coutinho stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Santana jabs at Coutinho's body.

Santana shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Santana throwing strikes but missing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Coutinho has a closed guard, preventing Santana from standing up.
Santana trying to control the position from guard on top but Coutinho is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Coutinho wants to sweep but no luck.
Santana content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Santana tries to free his leg and advance position but Coutinho is retaining full guard.
Santana in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Coutinho avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

Santana stands up and waves to Coutinho to follow him.
Santana lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santana closes the distance and clinches up with Coutinho, looking for a takedown. Santana pushes Coutinho against the cage but Coutinho circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Santana tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Coutinho just stands there and leans against the cage.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Marcus Santana. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Coutinho drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Santana gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Coutinho wants to stall.
Coutinho jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Santana walks away with a smile on his face. Coutinho gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Santana digs a good body shot into Coutinho's ribs.

Coutinho gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Santana breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Santana avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Santana looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Coutinho is fending him off so far but Santana persists. Nope, Coutinho circles away and we're back to standing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Coutinho falls off balance throwing a combination

and Santana moves into the clinch.

Coutinho manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Santana has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Coutinho is proving hard to escape from.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Santana's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Santana working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Santana wants to control from the top but Coutinho keeps moving.
Santana looking to sit in guard and control but Coutinho gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Santana is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Coutinho connects with a good right hand that stumbles Santana. Santana circles away out of range and recomposes himself.

Santana has taken the fight to the clinch.
Santana works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.

Santana breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Santana avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Santana stalks Coutinho and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Coutinho's face. Coutinho staggers backwards, shaken.
Coutinho keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

Santana shoots in and bounces Coutinho off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Santana wants to stand but Coutinho has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Santana wants to stand and escape but instead Coutinho has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Coutinho working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Santana working a defensive guard but Coutinho passes into half guard.
Coutinho seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Santana looks like he's trying to stand up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Santana manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Santana misses with a combination
and Coutinho cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santana misses with a takedown
and Coutinho counters with a straight right hand.
Coutinho is looking to clinch but Santana is avoiding it.

Santana decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

Coutinho kicks Santana off and gets back to his feet.
Santana looks for the body kick but Coutinho saw that one coming.
Santana scoring well with a low kick there.
Marcus Santana is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Santana.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Marcus Santana. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Santana is looking to clinch but Coutinho is avoiding it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Coutinho misses with a takedown attempt - Santana sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Santana scores with a decent looking hook.
Santana throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
letting Coutinho counter with a right hand.
Santana stalks Coutinho and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Coutinho's face. Coutinho staggers backwards, shaken.
Marcus Santana seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Santana shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Coutinho is trying to defend but Santana finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Coutinho keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Coutinho moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Santana wants to pass the guard but Coutinho is keeping the position.
Santana is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santana has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Santana looking to pass the guard.
Santana wants to control from the top but Coutinho keeps moving.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

Marcus Santana has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Santana manages to break the clinch.
Coutinho tries to clinch up but Santana circles away and keeps his distance.
Coutinho shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Santana counters by clinching up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marcus Santana dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

A punch combination from Santana misses.
Santana connects with a solid leg kick.
Santana lands a two punch combo.

Santana closes the distance and pushes Coutinho back into the cage.
Coutinho tries to land a knee to the head but Santana blocks with his arms.
Santana misses with a knee strike.

Santana gets a trip takedown into half guard.

Santana postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Coutinho to stand up.
Santana fails with a takedown attempt.
Santana fails to land with a series of punches.
Santana misses with a wild combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santana tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Coutinho counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Coutinho.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Santana seems keen to control Coutinho's posture.
Coutinho is looking to stand up but Santana won't let him.

Santana kicks Coutinho off and gets to his feet.
Santana closes this distance looking for a takedown but Coutinho circles away.
Coutinho keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Marcus Santana. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Coutinho will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Santana rushes Coutinho and presses him up against the cage.
Santana stops a takedown attempt from Coutinho.

Santana's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Edson Coutinho has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
No luck for Santana with that takedown attempt.
Santana lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.

Santana shoots in and bounces Coutinho off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Santana loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Santana has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Santana gets to his feet. Coutinho looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Coutinho fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Coutinho closes the distance but Santana moves to the side
and Santana counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Santana lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Santana.
Santana tries to score a power double leg takedown but Coutinho sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Santana somewhat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santana tries to close the distance and clinch but Coutinho swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Santana.
Coutinho wants to clinch.
Santana tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Coutinho swivels and escapes.
Marcus Santana is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Coutinho has Santana up against the cage in a clinch.
Santana keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Coutinho's efforts to push away.

Coutinho jumps guard and drags Santana to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.

That's four 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.
Santana 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.
Coutinho is controlling Santana's posture.
Santana stops Coutinho from standing up.
Santana throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Coutinho works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Santana is looking to stand up but Coutinho won't let him.
Marcus Santana overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Coutinho is working an open guard so Santana takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Coutinho misses with an uppercut. Santana saw that one coming.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Santana throws a series of punches but Coutinho avoids them all with ease.
Coutinho misses with a hook. Santana ducked under it nicely.

Santana forces Coutinho back against the cage and clinches.

And that's the end of the fight!
Marcus Santana showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Santana has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Paulo Santos scores the fight 30:27
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 30:27
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Marcus Santana!