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PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Rodrigo De Lima (ranked 2195 p4p, 128 weight class) and Sami Steele (ranked 1631 p4p, 94 weight class). De Lima's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Linkin Park - Numb. 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.
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| 178 cm
28
145 lbs
8 - 4 - 1 |
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173 cm
22
142 lbs
7 - 4 - 0 |
BJJ Brown Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong |
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BJJ Blue Belt
Good low kicks
Powerful |
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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
8 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Rodrigo De Lima!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of
7 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Sami Steele!
The judges for this bout are Alan Glass, Robert Twigg and Gwen Towbar.
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
De Lima slips under a jab.
De Lima bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
De Lima tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no De Lima has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
De Lima trying to control the action but Steele is working from the bottom.
Steele tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but De Lima wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
De Lima is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Steele knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
De Lima trying to control the position but Steele is working away.
That's one minute gone in the round.
De Lima is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Steele has escaped the position, nice work there.
De Lima advances to mount.
Steele wants to control but De Lima is having none of it.
De Lima mounts Steele! Really nice guard pass there!
De Lima jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Steele manages to avoid the submission attempt.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
De Lima tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no De Lima has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
De Lima looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
De Lima wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Steele, who protects the arm well.
De Lima is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Steele knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Steele tries to strike but it doesn't land.
Steele is not content to let De Lima control the position.
Steele tries to control but end up mounted... ooooh, that's bad.
De Lima sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
De Lima tries to control but Steele wriggling away.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Steele tries to get back to half guard but can't.
De Lima is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Steele can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Steele is squirming around, avoiding De Lima's attempts to control the action.
De Lima forces the positional change into back control.
De Lima is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Steele defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
De Lima is not going to allow Steele to sit and survive in this position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Rodrigo De Lima dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.
Steele keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Steele fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and De Lima has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Steele stuns De Lima with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Steele fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
De Lima throws a big shot that misses.
Steele only half commits to the counter leg kick.
Steele throws a sloppy head kick and De Lima moves out of range easily.
Rodrigo De Lima is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Steele misses with a straight right.
De Lima uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Steele.
Steele attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
De Lima staying out of range there.
Steele lands a slapping body shot.
Steele connects with a crisp jab.
De Lima moves forwards but Steele connects with a nice, crisp jab.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Steele looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
De Lima keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Steele.
De Lima wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Steele tries a head kick but it misses.
De Lima seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Steele throws an uppercut from half a mile away. De Lima sees it coming and avoids it easily.
De Lima misses with an uppercut.
Steele missing with a left hand there. De Lima was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
It looked like De Lima was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Steele misses with a straight left.
De Lima appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
De Lima on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Steele throws out a loose jab but De Lima uses good head movement to avoid it.
De Lima looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Steele lands a really nice looking cross but De Lima seems unphased.
De Lima defending well as Steele loads up on a big left hand.
De Lima half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Steele missing with a left hand there. De Lima was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
De Lima loads up on a big right hand but Steele slips the punch.
Steele throws a nice inside leg kick.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
De Lima darts in and clinches Steele up against the cage.
Steele lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of De Lima backwards.
De Lima misses with a knee to the head.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
De Lima is trying to stall.
Steele pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Steele misses with a looping right.
Steele has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Steele looks to throw the jab but De Lima is out of range.
De Lima takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Steele cracks De Lima with a good jab.
Steele lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as De Lima backs up against the cage.
De Lima shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
De Lima throws a series of strikes that have Steele backpedaling.
De Lima waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Steele.
Steele lands a head shot.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Steele scores with a head kick. De Lima tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Steele misses the jab.
Steele digs a good body shot into De Lima's ribs.
The fight stays on the outside here - De Lima looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Steele waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract De Lima.
Sami Steele seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Steele connects with a solid leg kick.
Steele throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Steele misses the shot to the body.
De Lima tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Steele manages to circle out of the way.
De Lima looks to land a right hand but Steele moved out of range.
Steele looks to throw the jab but De Lima is out of range.
It looked like De Lima was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
De Lima tries to clinch up.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Steele.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
De Lima shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Steele as he avoids it easily.
Sami Steele seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Steele throws out a loose jab but De Lima uses good head movement to avoid it.
Steele throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
De Lima is looking to counter punch.
Steele fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt De Lima.
Steele instigates a clinch.
Steele escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
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!
The fighters circling - Steele throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Steele misses with a hook.
Steele moves out of range of the strikes.
Steele cracks the inside of De Lima's front leg.
Steele throws a low kick but De Lima avoids it.
De Lima is looking for a counter combo.
Sami Steele is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
De Lima avoids the head kick by Steele.
De Lima throws a series of punches but Steele avoids them all with ease.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Steele! But no joy.
De Lima fails to land the takedown.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Sami Steele showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!
A big right from Steele misses.
Nice defenses there by De Lima.
Steele misses with a lunging right hand
and De Lima counters with a series of strikes. Steele will be more careful next time no doubt.
Steele tries to keep at a distance but De Lima has taken the fight into the clinch.
Steele breaks from the clinch.
De Lima has a takedown stuffed.
Steele moves into range and connects with a jab.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Steele misses with an uppercut.
Steele connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between De Lima's hands.
Steele listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Steele motions for De Lima to come forward. Steele throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Nice shot lands for De Lima.
Steele misses with a low kick.
De Lima blocks a jab.
De Lima uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Steele.
De Lima goes for a double leg but Steele avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Steele continues to drive forward.
Steele let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
Steele lands a glancing blow to the side of De Lima's head.
Steele cracks the inside of De Lima's front leg.
Steele lands a right hook to the body.
De Lima uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Steele.
An attempted straight right counter from De Lima misses the target.
Steele swings away with a leg kick that misses.
A little feinted left hand from De Lima on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Steele lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Steele throws an ugly left hook that misses
and De Lima counters with a straight right hand.
De Lima uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Steele.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Steele looks to land a right hand but De Lima moved out of range.
Steele throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Some wild striking there from Steele.
A little feinted left hand from De Lima on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
De Lima defending well as Steele loads up on a big left hand.
De Lima is looking to counter punch.
A slow jab from De Lima misses its intended target.
De Lima lands a glancing blow to the side of Steele's head.
Steele misses with a looping right.
De Lima drops down looking for a counter takedown but Steele sprawls and moves away.
Steele rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but De Lima moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Steele throws a lazy uppercut
and De Lima counters with a left and a right that stings Steele.
Steele scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Steele avoids a punch combination nicely.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
De Lima takes a jab right on the kisser.
De Lima slips under a jab.
De Lima drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
De Lima takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Steele lands a jab to the head.
De Lima lands with a straight right. Steele didn't see that one coming.
De Lima checks a leg kick nicely.
Steele bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps De Lima's head backwards.
Steele connects with an inside leg kick.
Steele gets tackled into the cage by De Lima. De Lima maintains the clinch.
Steele manages to break the clinch.
De Lima is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
De Lima ducks under a wild hook from Steele.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Steele throws an uppercut from half a mile away. De Lima sees it coming and avoids it easily.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
De Lima moves out of range as Steele strikes.
Steele lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
De Lima slips a straight right by Steele.
De Lima throwing a counter right hand but Steele manages to avoid it.
Steele is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by De Lima.
De Lima connects with a single shot there.
De Lima takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
De Lima ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Steele throws a leg kick but De Lima sees it coming and moves out of range.
De Lima is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
De Lima takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
De Lima drives through with a takedown into guard.
Steele is looking to stand back up but De Lima counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Steele.
Steele really doesn't want to stay on the ground with De Lima. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
De Lima is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Steele sees it coming and defends easily.
And that's the end of the fight!
Sami Steele comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Steele has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Alan Glass scores the fight 28:29
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 28:29
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 28:29
In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sami Steele!
During a confident post fight interview, Sami Steele thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.
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| S |
C
A |
G |
S |
C
B |
G |
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S |
C |
G |
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energy
A | B |
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hype
A | B |
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pop
A | B |
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mgr
A | B |
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FIGHT
RATING
52% |
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