PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Maro Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Steven Bishop (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). 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.

Santos
vs
Bishop

182 cm
25
173 lbs
9 - 4 - 0

177 cm
26
182 lbs
9 - 5 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent knees
Solid chin

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 9 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Maro Santos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Steven Bishop!
The judges for this bout are Frank Dennis, Daniel Franklin and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Santos misses with a head kick.
Santos is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Bishop.
Santos wants to clinch.
Bishop stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Santos.
Bishop throws a head kick that misses.
Santos tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Oooh a lovely combination from Bishop sends Santos down but not out. Bishop dives into side control looking to finish.

It looks like Maro Santos has been cut.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Santos is trying to buck Bishop off.
Santos is looking for a sweep.
Bishop wants to control but Santos is keeping him busy.
Bishop misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Santos tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Santos is working hard here to advance position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos tries to escape but Bishop is in control.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Santos is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Santos fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Bishop.

Santos closes the distance and pushes Bishop back into the cage.
Bishop keeps control of Santos as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Bishop gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Santos.
A left hand lands to the body for Santos.
Bishop wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Santos has him pressed against the cage.
Santos scores with a knee to the head.
Bishop is trying to break free.
Santos scores with a knee to the head.
A right hand to the body from Bishop.
Bishop tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Santos smiles and moves away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos misses with a double jab.
Santos fails in his attempt to clinch.

Santos shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Santos was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Bishop is trying to reverse the position but instead Santos has taken his back - oops!
Santos scores with punches to the body.
Santos avoiding Bishop 's attempts to control his hands.
Santos has Bishop flattened out and is raining down punches.
Bishop tries to break free.
Santos throwing strikes from the back - he gets a warning from the referee for striking the back of the head but all these shots are hurting Bishop!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos trying to control momentarily.

Santos is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Bishop has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
Bishop can't escape the position.
Santos is trying to stick to Bishop's back but Bishop is turning into Santos. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Santos's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Bishop.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Bishop avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Santos is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Santos is breathing heavily.
Bishop trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santos keeping full guard, as Bishop tries to pass.
Bishop preventing the sweep.

Santos throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
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.
Bishop works a leg free and moves into half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Santos is trying to maintain the position but Bishop is very close to passing his half guard.
Bishop keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Steven Bishop will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Maro Santos's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Bishop stuffs the takedown attempt from Santos. Santos gets slowly back to his feet.
Maro Santos seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Bishop keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Bishop swats away the attempt to clinch by Santos.
Bishop wants to clinch up but Santos keeps it at a distance.
Bishop tries to clinch there but Santos circles away.

Bishop closes the distance and clinches.
Santos is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Bishop escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Santos tries for a takedown but Bishop sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Maro Santos. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Santos lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Bishop has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Bishop and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Santos will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Bishop tries to clinch but Santos is having none of it.
Bishop circles away from the clinch attempt

and Bishop counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Santos is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Bishop pulls his head out easily.
Santos trying to control from the bottom.

Bishop decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
Bishop tries to close the distance and clinch but Santos swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Bishop lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Santos at a distance.
Bishop wants to clinch up but Santos keeps it at a distance.

Bishop clinches.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.

Bishop pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Bishop wants to clinch.
Bishop fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Bishop working Santos over with knees to the body.
Santos trying to land knees to the body.

Bishop's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Bishop gets the takedown into side control.
Santos is trying to control Bishop's posture but Bishop avoids it.
Bishop in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Santos manages to get back to half guard.
Bishop works his way into full mount!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Santos manages to regain half guard. Good work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Santos looking for submissions off his back.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Santos tries to roll over but Bishop keeps him under control.
Bishop is trying to control. Santos wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Bishop looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Bishop seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Santos gets back to full guard.
Santos punching from the bottom.
Santos looking for a sweep. Not yet Santos, not yet.
Santos not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Santos is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Santos has his foot on Bishop's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Bishop works his way back into a safe position though.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Santos wants to stand but Bishop is controlling the position.

Bishop gets to his feet - Santos follows without any prompting.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Steven Bishop showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Maro Santos's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Santos lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Horrible takedown by Santos or perhaps it was just good defense by Bishop which made him look bad.
Maro Santos is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Bishop wants to clinch.
Bishop lands a jab to the nose.
Bishop wants to land a leg kick but Santos is out of range.
Bishop fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Santos manages to avoid it.
Santos throws a quick inside leg kick.
Santos fails with the takedown

and Bishop moves into the clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Santos scores with a knee to the head.
Santos can't get the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Maro Santos. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Santos has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Bishop is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.

Bishop's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Bishop tries to clinch but Santos moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bishop tries to close the distance and clinch but Santos swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Bishop wants to clinch
and Santos counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Bishop is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Santos displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Bishop.
Bishop is looking to clinch but Santos is avoiding it.
Santos fails in his attempt to clinch.
Santos moves in looking to clinch but Bishop pushes him off.
Santos is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Bishop avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Santos's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Santos tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Bishop is able to avoid easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Santos shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Santos misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Bishop staying out of range there.
Steven Bishop seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Bishop fails with a takedown attempt.
Santos misses with a low kick.
Bishop wants to clinch.
Santos wants to clinch

and Bishop moves into the clinch.
Santos is trying to maintain a safe position but Bishop gets an underhook and turns Santos into the cage.
Santos utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Santos stalling.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos is looking to control Bishop's arms but Bishop gets an underhook and turns him. Now Santos has his back to the cage.
Santos tries a knee to the head but Bishop blocks it.
Bishop lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Santos tries to land knees in the clinch but Bishop avoids the damage to the body.
Santos lands a nice knee to the body.
Santos throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Bishops head.
Bishop tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Santos smiles and moves away.
Santos clinches but Bishop breaks the clinch

and Bishop counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

Santos has his foot on Bishop's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Bishop works his way back into a safe position though.
Santos keeping moving, preventing Bishop from controlling successfully.
Santos lands an upkick as Bishop stands over him.
Maro Santos has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Santos looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Bishop passes into half guard.
Bishop controlling the action here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bishop throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Steven Bishop is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Bishop seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

Santos looking for submissions off his back.

Santos looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Steven Bishop comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Bishop winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Frank Dennis scores the fight 27:30
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Steven Bishop!