PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Randy Couture (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Vince Santiero (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Couture
vs
Santiero

187 cm
25
205 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

186 cm
22
205 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Good in bed

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

Fight Club Clothing Helsinki™

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Randy Couture!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Vince Santiero!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Johanna Lukiainen and Arvi Lind.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Santiero tries to close the distance and clinch up but Couture swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Santiero is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Couture shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Santiero's guard.
Couture prevents Santiero from getting back to his feet.
Couture looking to pass the guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Santiero has his foot on Couture's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Couture works his way back into a safe position though.
Couture pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Santiero is keeping the position for now.
Couture postures up in Santiero's guard and throws a big left but Santiero blocks it.
Santiero wants to sweep here but Couture controlling him for the moment.
Couture tries to free his leg and advance position but Santiero is retaining full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Santiero tries to close the distance and clinch but Couture swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Santiero uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Santiero is looking to clinch but Couture is avoiding it.
Santiero misses with a head kick.
Couture keeps the fight on the outside.
Santiero doesn't manage to clinch there - Couture circles away.
Vince Santiero seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Santiero looking for a takedown here - he's got it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Santiero stands up from Couture's guard - Santiero perhaps looking for a knockout.
The fight stays on the outside here - Santiero looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Couture gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Santiero counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Couture avoids a kick to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Santiero looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Santiero tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Santiero wants to clinch.
Couture gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Santiero counters with a straight right hand.
Santiero is looking to clinch but Couture is avoiding it.
Donk. Santiero catches Couture right on the button with a cross.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Santiero tries to close the distance and clinch up but Couture swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Good exchange - Santiero coming out on top.
Santiero fails in his attempt to clinch.
Santiero is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Santiero is looking to clinch but Couture is avoiding it.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Santiero tries to clinch up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vince Santiero dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Santiero fails in his attempt to clinch.
Santiero scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Couture on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Santiero scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Santiero shoots for a takedown but Couture saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Couture gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Santiero counters with a one-two to the body.
Santiero fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santiero wants to clinch up but Couture keeps it at a distance.
Couture doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Santiero counters with a solid body kick.

Santiero shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Couture's guard.

Santiero postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Couture is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Santiero, into his guard.
Couture trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Santiero 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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Couture advances position into side control!
Santiero tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Couture wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Couture misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Couture passes to full mount! That's big trouble for Santiero!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Santiero holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Couture tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Santiero is wriggling around trying to escape.
A nice elbow there by Couture.
A nice elbow there by Couture.
Couture landing punches.
Couture lands with some strikes.
Couture throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santiero blocking the ground and pound.
Santiero is trying to stand.
Santiero gets back to half guard.
Santiero wants to improve his position but Couture is controlling well.

Santiero pushes Couture off and gets back to his feet.
Couture doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Santiero counters with a three punch combo that has Couture backing up. Couture nods at Santiero to acknowledge the strikes.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Randy Couture. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Santiero doesn't manage to clinch there - Couture circles away.
Santiero doesn't manage to clinch there - Couture circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santiero tries to close the distance and clinch but Couture swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Santiero tries to close the distance and clinch but Couture swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Santiero explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Santiero scores with a jab.

Santiero bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Couture prevents Santiero from improving position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vince Santiero showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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!

Couture doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Santiero counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Santiero wants to clinch up but Couture keeps it at a distance.
Couture doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Santiero counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Couture's guard now.
Santiero wanted to stand there but Couture had control of the position.
Couture keeping full guard, as Santiero tries to pass.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santiero trying to control the position from guard on top but Couture is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Santiero showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Couture has a closed guard, preventing Santiero from standing up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Santiero is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Couture is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Couture has escaped and now he's on top!
Couture passes Santiero's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Santiero on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Santiero blocking the ground and pound attempt from Couture.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Couture is looking to pass Santiero's guard but actually Santiero recovers to full guard.
Santiero is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Couture working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Couture wants to pass the guard but Santiero is keeping the position.
Couture prevents Santiero from getting back to his feet.
Couture tries to free his leg and advance position but Santiero is retaining full guard.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Santiero fails in his attempt to clinch.
Couture gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Santiero counters with a solid body kick.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Randy Couture. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Santiero fails in his attempt to clinch.
Santiero goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Santiero fails with an attempt to clinch.
Couture with a poor takedown

and Santiero counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Vince Santiero has got the better of the ground game so far.

Santiero is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Couture doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Santiero.

And that's the end of the fight!
Vince Santiero comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Santiero has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Anni Minnemäki scores the fight for Vince Santiero!
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight for Vince Santiero!
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight for Vince Santiero!

Vince Santiero wins by unanimous decision!