PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Steve Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jack Bantou (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bantou comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Brownvillian kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Jack Bantou is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Santos
vs
Bantou

185 cm
19
204 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
24
210 lbs
3 - 9 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Steve Santos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 9 - 0, fighting out of London, Jack Bantou!
The judges for this bout are Donald Grub, William Gold and Daniel Bishop.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bantou swings for the body but Santos moves out of range.
Santos misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Santos misses with a kick to the body.
Santos throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Bantou throws a lazy head kick
and Santos counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Bantou slips a jab and a cross from Santos.

Santos pushes Bantou up against the cage in a clinch.
Bantou is trying to break the clinch but Santos is controlling him.
Santos is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Bantou is defending well for now.

Santos breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Santos doesn't manage to clinch there - Bantou circles away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Good work by Santos as he checks the leg kick.
Bantou uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.

It looks like Steve Santos has been cut.
A punch combination from Santos misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos tries to close the distance and clinch up but Bantou swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Santos avoids the head kick by Bantou.
Santos throws a head kick that misses
and Bantou counters with a head kick.
Bantou tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Bantou swats away the attempt to clinch by Santos.
Bantou delivers a nice body kick.
Bantou throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Santos.

Santos closes the distance and pushes Bantou back into the cage.
Bantou looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Bantou's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Santos blocks a head kick by Bantou.
Bantou throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Santos throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Bantou looks gassed!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Santos is looking to clinch but Bantou is avoiding it.
Santos fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Bantou.
Santos is looking to clinch but Bantou is avoiding it.
Bantou avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Santos moves into range and clinches up with Bantou.

Santos pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Bantou misses with a kick to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos pivots, looking for a leg kick but Bantou is out of range and Santos settles back down.

Santos moves into the clinch.
Santos is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Bantou tries to pull guard but Santos won't allow it.
Santos effectively controlling the action here.
Bantou is trying to break the clinch but Santos has him pressed against the cage.
Santos tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Santos is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.

Bantou's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Santos tries to close the distance and clinch but Bantou swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Santos throws a sloppy head kick
and Bantou counters with a thumping low kick.
The fight stays on the outside here - Santos looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bantou throws out a leg kick but Santos moves out of range and Bantou only half commits.
The fight stays on the outside here - Santos looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Santos tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Bantou paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Bantou throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Santos throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Santos throws a head kick that misses.

Santos clinches up against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jack Bantou dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Steve 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.

Bantou throws a head kick that misses.
Santos throws a right and a left that Bantou avoids nicely.
Bantou avoids a kick to the body.
Santos has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Santos wants to clinch
and Bantou counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
A leg kick checked by Santos.
Bantou throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Bantou throws a low kick, looking for Santos's leg but Santos calmly moves out of range.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Bantou goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bantou slips a straight right by Santos.
Bantou throws a leg kick but Santos sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Santos blocks a head kick by Bantou.

Santos has Bantou up against the cage in a clinch.
Santos has had enough of the clinch but Bantou keeps him there for the moment.
Bantou tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Santos just stands there and leans against the cage.
A bit of stalling here from Santos.

Santos's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Bantou scores with a kick to the body.
Bantou lands a head kick. Santos smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Santos is looking to clinch but Bantou is avoiding it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Santos darts in and clinches Bantou up against the cage.

Santos's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Santos avoids the head kick by Bantou.
Bantou misses with a leg kick.
Santos misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Santos tries a head kick but it misses.
Jack Bantou seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Santos throws a sloppy head kick
and Bantou counters with a good, hard body kick but Santos shrugs it off.
Bantou lands a head kick. Santos smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Santos dodges the punch combination from Bantou.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos wants to clinch.
Bantou misses with a hook.
Santos closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Bantou misses with a head kick.

Santos rushes Bantou and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Santos breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Santos clinches up against the cage.
Santos misses with a knee to the head.
Santos landing knees to the head.
Bantou blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

Bantou pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Santos tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Bantou paws at him with a jab and circles away.
A clash of legs there as Santos blocks the low kick.
Santos tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Santos doesn't manage to clinch there - Bantou circles away.
Santos lands with a kick to the temple. Bantou shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jack Bantou showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Steve Santos's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Santos throws a half hearted mid kick.
Nice body punch from Bantou.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Santos crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Bantou - the referee stops the clock and Santos gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Bantou. Santos manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Bantou throws a head kick that misses

and Santos counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Bantou tries to pull guard but Santos holds him up against the cage and eventually Bantou drops back down to his feet.

Bantou decides to pull guard.
Bantou looking to control.
Bantou is looking to stand up but Santos isn't so interested in that idea.
Santos is stalling in the full guard.
Bantou avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bantou wants to sweep but no luck.
Bantou 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 wants to control but Bantou is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Bantou scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Bantou works his way into side control.
An elbow from Bantou crashes against the mat.

Bantou looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Bantou throws an elbow but Santos slips to the side and avoids it well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Bantou lands a few punches from side control.

Bantou is trying to get an arm triangle but Santos is defending well.
Santos is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Bantou off and has taken his back!

Santos 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, Bantou has freed his hand and lives to survive another… well, another couple of seconds at least!
Santos trying desperately to keep hold of the dominant position.
Bantou manages to reverse the position and now he's in Santos's guard. Nice work there by Bantou.
Santos avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bantou loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Santos has a closed guard, preventing Bantou from standing up.
Steve Santos has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Bantou postures up and lands a big shot to Santos's brow.
Bantou in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Santos is trying to keep Bantou in close.
Jack Bantou is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Santos takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Santos is looking to clinch but Bantou is avoiding it.

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.
Bantou throws a half hearted mid kick.
Santos darts in trying to clinch
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Santos tries to close the distance and clinch but Bantou swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Bantou lands with a nice body kick.
Santos will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
Santos is looking to clinch.
Santos is looking to clinch but Bantou is avoiding it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jack Bantou comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Bantou 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 Donald Grub scores the fight 27:30
Judge William Gold scores the fight 27:30
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jack Bantou!