PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Jiri Rakic (ranked 5778 p4p, 6234 weight class) and Kevin Santos (ranked 588 p4p, 621 weight class). Rumors backstage are that the fighters have been paid to keep it standing but we know that would never happen in MMA!

Rakic
vs
Santos

199 cm
24
180
0 - 1 - 1

188 cm
22
180
0 - 1 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jiri Rakic!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Kevin Santos!
The judges for this bout are Ron Honeybunn, Darius Henderson and Bruno Hogan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A bone on bone clash there as Rakic blocks the leg kick.
Rakic shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
A good leg kick by Rakic.
Santos connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.

Santos has closed the distance and engaged Rakic in a clinch.
Rakic pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.

Rakic pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
No luck for Rakic with that takedown attempt.
Santos shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Rakic but Rakic pushes him off and we're back to square one.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Santos throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Rakic thinks about countering with a head kick.
Rakic shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Santos as he jumps to the side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jiri Rakic. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Santos throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Rakic feinted with a counter takedown.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rakic clinches with his opponent.

Rakic breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Rakic doesn't manage to clinch there - Santos circles away.
Santos throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Rakic slaps away a takedown attempt from Santos, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Rakic throws a big counter combination but Santos scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Rakic misses with a wild body shot.
Santos shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Rakic as he avoids it easily.

Rakic has managed to clinch.

Rakic manages to pull guard.
Santos trying to stand up but can't free himself from Rakic's guard.
Rakic throwing short punches from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rakic tries to land a sweep but no joy.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rakic is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Santos stopping the sweep attempt from Rakic.
Rakic pulls Santos in to control the position.
Santos trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Santos sitting in guard here, content to control.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Nice sprawl there from Santos as Rakic shoots in.
Santos shoots in but no luck this time.
Rakic takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rakic scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Rakic shoots in looking for a takedown but Santos manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Rakic's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Santos moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Santos.
Rakic misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Santos throws a counter combo.

Rakic moves into the clinch.

Santos pulls Rakic into guard.
Rakic throwing strikes from guard but Santos blocks nicely.
Santos avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rakic trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Santos is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

Santos kicks Rakic off and gets to his feet.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Santos shoots in looking for a takedown but Rakic manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Santos's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Santos stuffs the takedown attempt from Rakic. Rakic gets slowly back to his feet.
Rakic tries to clinch up.
Santos fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Santos tries to clinch up.
Santos shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Rakic pinned against the cage. Rakic gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Kevin Santos will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Rakic tries to clinch up but Santos circles away and keeps his distance.
Rakic misses with a two punch combination.
Rakic has a takedown stuffed.
Santos tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Rakic defends well and Santos ends up having to push Rakic into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Santos fails with a takedown attempt.
Santos is trying hard to land a takedown here. Rakic sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Jiri Rakic has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kevin Santos.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Rakic closes the distance and clinches.

Rakic jumps guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Santos in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Rakic is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Santos is controlling him.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rakic looking for a guillotine here but Santos defends easily.
Santos trying to control but Rakic is working from the bottom.
Rakic controls Santos momentarily but Santos frees himself.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

That's two 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.
Santos looking to sit in guard and control but Rakic gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Rakic controls from within his opponent's guard.
Rakic seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Santos for as long as he can get away with.
Santos controls Rakic momentarily but Rakic frees himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos keeping moving, preventing Rakic from controlling successfully.
Santos is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Rakic shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Santos as he jumps to the side.
Rakic fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Santos avoids it really well and circles away.
Jiri Rakic is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Santos shoots in and drives through. Rakic sprawls well.
Rakic misses with a few strikes there.
Santos is looking for the big counter here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Santos closes this distance looking for a takedown but Rakic circles away.
Santos shoots in looking for a takedown. Rakic tries to sprawl out of it but Santos keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Rakic manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Rakic rushes Santos and presses him up against the cage.
Santos tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Rakic being controlled against the cage.

Santos pulls guard effortlessly.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Jiri Rakic 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!

Santos shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Rakic as he avoids it easily.
Rakic fires out a quick counter leg kick but Santos just manages to avoid it.
Jiri Rakic is winning the standup battle so far.
Rakic misses with a takedown attempt - Santos sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Rakic avoids the body shot from Santos.
Rakic wants to clinch.
Sloppy strikes from Rakic. Those never looked like landing.
Santos is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Santos slaps away a takedown attempt from Rakic, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Santos is clearly looking to counter with head kicks.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Santos tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Rakic defends well and Santos ends up having to push Rakic into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Santos moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Santos misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos tries to clinch there but Rakic circles away.
Rakic feinted with a counter takedown.
A head kick misses from Santos.
Santos looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Rakic is fending him off so far but Santos persists. Nope, Rakic circles away and we're back to standing.
Rakic tries to counter with a takedown but Santos is quick to defend against it.
Jiri Rakic has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kevin Santos.
Santos takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Rakic shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Rakic stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Rakic wants it to stay on the feet.
Rakic sizes up Santos with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Santos stuffs the takedown attempt from Rakic. Rakic gets slowly back to his feet.
Santos rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Rakic moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Rakic is looking to counter punch.
Santos tries to clinch up.
Rakic is looking for a counter combo.
Rakic scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Rakic shoots in for a double leg but Santos sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rakic takes a swing at Santos's ribcage but misses.
Santos shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Rakic sprawls well. Rakic wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Santos gets slowly back to his feet.
Santos gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Santos fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

Rakic shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Santos napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Santos tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.
Rakic is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Santos can do to turn this around?

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos is very frustrated here, being controlled quite effectively by Rakic.
Santos just trying to survive but Rakic is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.
Rakic throwing sloppy strikes.
Rakic avoiding Santos 's attempts to control his hands.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rakic has good solid back control here.
Rakic trying desperately to keep hold of the dominant position.
Rakic keeps control of the position easily here as Santos tries to buck him off.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Rakic has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jiri Rakic showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Rakic 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 Ron Honeybunn scores the fight 30:28
Judge Darius Henderson scores the fight 29:28
Judge Bruno Hogan scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jiri Rakic!
After winning the bout, Jiri Rakic thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.