PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Sadaharu Tanikawa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Junior Dos Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Junior Dos Santos will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Tanikawa
vs
Dos Santos

180 cm
33
265 lbs
18 - 7 - 0

193 cm
27
257 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

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 18 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Sadaharu Tanikawa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Junior Dos Santos!
The judges for this bout are Eliza Hachem, Ben Watson and Ben Hemmingworth.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tanikawa tries to score a power double leg takedown but Santos sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Tanikawa somewhat.
Santos throws a body punch but Tanikawa moves out of range.
Santos stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Santos wants it to stay on the feet.

Tanikawa manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Santos on his heels. He'll look to pass Santos's guard now, I'm sure.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Tanikawa loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Tanikawa throws an elbow that misses. Santos uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Tanikawa's guard. Nice move by Santos!
Tanikawa is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Tanikawa thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Santos's head.
Santos is looking for a sweep. Tanikawa is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Tanikawa sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Santos defending well though.
Santos really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Tanikawa. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Tanikawa thows a huge punch but Santos dodges it nicely.
Ground and pound from Tanikawa.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Santos gets full guard.
Tanikawa is in a tricky position. We've heard reports from his gym mates at The Clinic that he's been drilling escapes, so let's see if he can get back to his feet.
Tanikawa loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tanikawa with a flurry of punches that miss.
Santos wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Tanikawa postures up and lands a big shot to Santos's brow.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Santos can do anything to dispel that myth.
Santos utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Tanikawa throws a strike but Santos rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Tanikawa is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Santos is trying to control but can't.
Tanikawa missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Tanikawa lands strikes from half guard.
Santos wants to control but Tanikawa is keeping busy and won't allow it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Tanikawa connects with a nice short shot to Santos's temple.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Tanikawa winds up and cracks Santos with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Tanikawa is thwarting Santos's attempts to control the position.
Tanikawa throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Santos taking some punishment here, with Tanikawa in his half guard.

Santos pushes Tanikawa off and gets back to his feet.
Tanikawa shoots in for a double leg but Santos sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Sadaharu Tanikawa. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Tanikawa misses with a takedown attempt
and Santos counters with a two punch combo.
Santos stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Santos wants it to stay on the feet.
Tanikawa shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Santos sprawls well. Santos wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Tanikawa gets slowly back to his feet.
A cross from Santos lands.
Tanikawa shoots in but Santos avoids the takedown attempt easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Tanikawa changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Santos looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
You can see the frustration on Santos's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Santos is looking for a sweep.
Tanikawa scoring with punches from side control.
Santos tries to improve position but can't.
Tanikawa working the ground and pound.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Tanikawa throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Santos works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.
Tanikawa looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Santos with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Tanikawa not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Santos on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Tanikawa thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tanikawa takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Tanikawa is nestled in close to Santos, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Tanikawa lands a nice short elbow.
Tanikawa is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Tanikawa throwing shots but Santos is blocking nicely.
Tanikawa drops an elbow to the side of Santos's head.
Tanikawa is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Tanikawa is nestled in close to Santos, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Tanikawa throwing shots but Santos is blocking nicely.
Tanikawa slips a nice elbow through Santos's hands, connecting with Santos's forehead.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Santos tries to roll over but Tanikawa keeps him under control.
Tanikawa 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.
Tanikawa lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sadaharu Tanikawa dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Santos stuffs the takedown attempt from Tanikawa. Tanikawa gets slowly back to his feet.
Tanikawa closes this distance looking for a takedown but Santos circles away.

Santos closes the distance and clinches.
Tanikawa tries for a takedown but Santos manages to get underhooks.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Sadaharu Tanikawa. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Santos prevents the takedown attempt.
Tanikawa is looking for a takedown.
Tanikawa is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Santos pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Santos is looking to break free of the clinch but Tanikawa has double underhooks.
Santos gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Tanikawa.
Tanikawa is looking to take this one to the mat.
Tanikawa drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Santos is pressed up against the cage. Tanikawa has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Santos down to the mat. Santos avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos looks to land a combination but Tanikawa avoids it well.
Sadaharu Tanikawa seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Santos lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Tanikawa at a distance.
Sadaharu Tanikawa is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Santos scores with a decent looking hook.
Junior Dos Santos is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Tanikawa gets clipped by a big right hand and goes down spinning to the canvas! Santos gets the back mount and begins to drop bombs on his rocked foe! Tanikawa is too out of it to defend against the strikes and the referee jumps in to save him from the beatdown!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:20 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Junior Dos Santos!
During a confident post fight interview, Junior Dos Santos thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.