PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Santiago Costa (ranked 328 p4p, 229 weight class) and Papa Legba (ranked 47 p4p, 29 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Costa
vs
Legba

183 cm
32
190
21 - 17 - 0

178 cm
27
185
15 - 4 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
World class boxer
Granite chin

HELLBENT
Voodoo Nutrition

HELLBENT

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 21 - 17 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Santiago Costa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, Papa Legba!
The judges for this bout are Sam Margolis, Colin Fotheringham and Andrew Berry.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Costa tries to move into range but Legba moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Costa definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Costa scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Legba avoids a punch combination nicely.
Legba lands with a hook. Costa tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Legba shoots in but Costa avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Costa changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Legba bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Costa's head backwards.
Costa misses with a hook. Legba ducked under it nicely.
Costa connects with the punch.
Papa Legba seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Costa throws a right and a left that both miss.
Legba misses the jab.
Legba misses with a looping left.
Nice defenses there by Costa.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!

Costa tries to keep at a distance but Legba has taken the fight into the clinch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A head punch blocked on the inside by Costa.
Costa has Legba pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Legba manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Costa blocks an uppercut.
Legba misses with a punch on the inside.

Costa escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Costa bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Legba isn't going anywhere.
Legba is not content to let Costa control the position.
Legba tries to bench press Costa off him but Costa keeps the position.
Costa is looking to take a break and control but Legba is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Legba wants to control but Costa postures up.

Costa is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Legba is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Legba tries to control the position but he's not in luck - Costa easily slips into full mount!
Legba wants to control but Costa is having none of it.

Costa working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Legba tries to reverse the position but Costa maintains control.
Legba sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.

Costa seems to be looking for submissions.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Legba looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Legba looking for submissions off his back.
Costa wants to lay and pray for a moment but Legba keeps working.

Costa is trying to work for a kimura but Legba is defending well.
Costa uses his free foot to push down on Legba's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Legba.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Legba tries to lock up and control but Costa gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

Costa is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Legba has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Costa avoids the attempt from Legba to control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Legba is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Costa is staying active.
Costa prevents Legba from getting the reversal.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Santiago Costa dominated that round.
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.

Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Costa, as that shot connected.
Costa shoots in for a takedown but Legba shows good takedown defense.
Legba is looking to clinch.
Legba moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Legba moves away from the strike by Costa.
Costa fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.

Costa clinches.
Legba misses with the head strike.
Costa drops down looking for an ankle pick but Legba pulls his leg out and moves away.
Legba bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.

Legba gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Legba lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Still in the clinch, Legba scores with a nice short uppercut.
Legba tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Costa works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.

Legba is looking for a triangle but Costa pushes his legs off easily.

Legba looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Legba looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Legba working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Costa has passed into half guard!
Costa is looking to advance position but Legba won't allow it.
Legba preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
Ground and pound from Costa.

Costa is working for a submission of some sort.
Legba is refusing to be controlled, as Costa sits in half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Costa is nestled in close to Legba, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Costa is trying to control. Legba wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

Legba actively working from the bottom here.

Legba looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Legba looking for submissions off his back.
Costa slips a nice elbow through Legba's hands, connecting with Legba's forehead.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Legba is looking for a sweep. Costa is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Legba actively working from the bottom here.
Legba trying to control from the bottom.

Legba actively working from the bottom here.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Costa lands a nice short elbow.
Costa is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Legba can do to turn this around?
Legba is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Costa wants to pass the guard but Legba is defending well.
Costa seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Legba is controlling Costa's position as best he can from this difficult position.
Legba is looking for a sweep. Costa is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Costa tries to pass the half guard into mount. Legba knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

Legba is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Costa pulls his head out easily.
Legba has hold of Costa's hands but Costa slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Costa with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Legba tries to get to full guard but Costa has control of the leg.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Santiago Costa dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Legba jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Legba misses with a looping left.

Costa looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Legba!
Legba is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Costa landing a few strikes.
Legba is trying to improve his position.

Costa tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Costa working away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Costa cracks Legba with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Legba is not content to let Costa control the position.
Legba wants to control but Costa postures up.
Both fighters take a look at the clock.

Costa working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Legba trying to control but Costa flips him over like a cheap hooker and has his back!
Papa Legba has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Legba is really stuck here.
The referee is taking a good look at Legba as he is on the wrong end of some big shots from Costa!

Costa has his hand under the chin of his opponent looking for the choke. He's nearly got it! This one could be all over! But no, Legba has freed his hand and lives to survive another… well, another couple of seconds at least!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Legba looking very determined here, making life difficult for Costa.

Costa patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?
Costa biding his time, looking for the opening.
Santiago Costa is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Legba just trying to survive but Costa is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Costa struggling to keep hold of the position.
Costa controlling well, preventing Legba from escaping the position.
Costa has good solid back control here.
Legba can't escape the position.
Costa controlling the position well here. Legba rolled but Costa kept the hooks locked in and stayed in the dominant position.
Legba trying to control the action but Costa just sinks the hooks in.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Costa working for a RNC but it's not happening just yet.
Costa is not going to allow Legba to sit and survive in this position.
Legba manages to reverse the position and now he's in Costa's guard. Nice work there by Legba.
Costa is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Costa wants to sweep here but Legba controlling him for the moment.
Legba postures up in Costa's guard and throws a big left but Costa blocks it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Santiago Costa showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Costa, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Sam Margolis scores the fight 30:27
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 30:27
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Santiago Costa!
After the big win, Santiago Costa made sure to do all the important stuff like thanking his sponsors Voodoo Nutrition and telling the interviewer how much he loves him.