PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Bruno Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gegard Mousasi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Santos comes to the cage accompanied by Apocalipse 16 - Apaga mais nao bate. The crowd seem to be enjoying Mousasi's choice of entrance music: ZERO ONNNNNEEEEEEEEE. Bruno Santos has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Santos
vs
Mousasi

180 cm
18
185 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

185 cm
22
195 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Big heart

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Bruno Santos!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Gegard Mousasi!
The judges for this bout are Robert Twigg, Tiny Johnson and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Santos fails to land the takedown.
Mousasi lands a jab to the head.
Mousasi lands with an uppercut that bounces Santos off the cage and back into rage.
Santos swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Santos fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Mousasi lands a nice shot to the body.
Mousasi looks to land a combination but Santos avoids it well.
Santos tries to clinch up but Mousasi circles away and keeps his distance.
A big left from Mousasi misses.

Mousasi has taken the fight to the clinch.
Santos has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Mousasi avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bruno Santos. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos can't get the takedown.
Mousasi can't break the clinch.
Santos fails to pull guard.
Santos throws an elbow but it misses.

Santos has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Mousasi regains guard immediately.
Santos wants to get up but he can't break Mousasi's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Santos postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Santos prevents Mousasi from getting back to his feet.
Santos stopping the sweep attempt from Mousasi.
Santos prevents Mousasi from getting back to his feet.

Mousasi looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Santos is pushing down on Mousasi's leg trying to pass to half guard. Mousasi is fighting to maintain full guard but Santos has managed to sneak the leg through.
Mousasi really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Santos. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Santos seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
No luck for Santos with that takedown attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Mousasi as he avoids it easily.
Santos misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Mousasi takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.

Mousasi rushes Santos and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Mousasi breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Mousasi moves in looking to clinch but Santos pushes him off.
Santos looks for a takedown but Mousasi sprawls well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mousasi misses with an attempted mid kick.
Santos takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Santos shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Some wild striking there from Mousasi.
Santos misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Gegard Mousasi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Santos slips under a jab from Mousasi.
Nice body punch from Mousasi.

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.
Mousasi with a jab.

Mousasi 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.
Mousasi won't allow Santos to sweep him here.
Santos is working hard here to advance position.
Mousasi trying to stand up but can't free himself from Santos's guard.
Mousasi must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Mousasi wants to pass the guard but Santos is keeping the position.
Santos controls Mousasi momentarily but Mousasi frees himself.
Mousasi is looking to stand up but Santos won't let him.
Santos tries to strike from the bottom.
Mousasi trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gegard Mousasi dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Santos fails with the takedown

and Mousasi counters with a takedown into side control.
Mousasi trying to control the action but Santos is working from the bottom.
Mousasi cracks Santos with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Santos is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Mousasi's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Santos is looking to improve his position.
Mousasi wants to stand up but Santos has a hold of him and won't allow it.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Santos missing with punches from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Santos.
Mousasi is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Mousasi with a flurry of punches that miss.
Mousasi wants to stand but Santos is controlling his posture from full guard.
Santos scores with a short punch from the bottom.
Santos bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Mousasi's guard.
Santos 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.
Santos trying to control the position from guard on top but Mousasi is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos postures up in Mousasi's guard and throws a big left but Mousasi blocks it.
Santos wants to stand but Mousasi is controlling his posture from full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Mousasi wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Santos trying to control the position from guard on top but Mousasi is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Mousasi wants to stand but Santos is controlling the position.
Santos in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Mousasi throws a one two combo.
Mousasi misses with an uppercut.

Mousasi bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Mousasi lands some shots froms side control.
Santos manages to get back to half guard.
Mousasi blocks the strikes from Santos.
Santos moves into full guard.
Santos controls Mousasi momentarily but Mousasi frees himself.

Mousasi avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Mousasi trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Santos looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Mousasi with a nice head shot there.
Mousasi wants to pass the guard but Santos is keeping the position.

Santos throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Mousasi wants to get up but he can't break Santos's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Santos manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Mousasi manages to get himself to full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Bruno Santos will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Santos lands with a kick to the temple. Mousasi shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Santos has his takedown stuffed
and Mousasi cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Santos tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Mousasi paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Mousasi scores with a takedown into Santos's guard.
Mousasi trying to control the position from guard on top but Santos is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Santos tries to strike from the bottom.
Mousasi is stalling in the full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mousasi takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Mousasi's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Santos lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Mousasi!
Mousasi in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Mousasi is bucking up trying to escape but Santos cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Mousasi has given up his back.
Mousasi covers up after that shot from Santos.

Santos is working on the RNC. He looks like he's got it but Mousasi won't tap... Oh, he's out! The ref rips Santos off his unconscious opponent!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:04 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Bruno Santos!
Bruno Santos retains his middleweight title!