PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Antonio Santiago (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thiago Souza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Santiago kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genuis that is No Chance in Hell-Redman. Souza has chosen Out Here Grinding_DJ Khaled as his entrance music. This should be a great matchup!

Santiago
vs
Souza

188 cm
23
192 lbs
6 - 0 - 0

188 cm
19
192 lbs
8 - 2 - 0

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

MMA's Best Nutrition
Abtastic Nutrition

MMA's Best Nutrition
S.W.A.T.

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Antonio Santiago!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Thiago Souza!
The judges for this bout are Matheus Silva, Leandro Rodrigues and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Souza looks to land a combination. Santiago sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Souza throws a series of punches but Santiago moves out of range.
Santiago throws a head kick that misses.
Santiago lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Santiago misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Santiago.
Souza is looking to reverse the position.
Souza takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Souza is trying to improve his position.

Santiago wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Souza, who protects the arm well.
Santiago in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Souza is trying to get back to half guard.
Santiago lands a nice forearm strike.
Souza tries to buck Santiago off but Santiago is having none of it.

Santiago is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Souza is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Souza tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Santiago wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Santiago winds up and cracks Souza with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

Souza looking for submissions off his back.
Santiago has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Souza makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Souza.
Souza looks gassed!
Santiago stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Souza swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Santiago is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Santiago stopping the sweep attempt from Souza.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.

Santiago drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Santiago jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Souza 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.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Santiago lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Souza misses with a jab, cross combination.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Souza misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Souza stuffs the takedown.
Some wild striking there from Souza.
Souza misses with a two punch combination.
Souza throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Santiago.
Souza rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Santiago moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Santiago closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Santiago lands in his opponent's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Santiago lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Santiago tries to free his leg and advance position but Souza is retaining full guard.
Souza tries to strike from the bottom.
Souza wants to sweep but no luck.
Santiago stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Souza swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Souza bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Santiago's guard.

Santiago had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Souza is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Santiago Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Souza's back instead.
Souza breaks Santiago's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Santiago manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Santiago putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!

Souza is rocked!

It looks like Thiago Souza has been cut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santiago is trying to take his opponent's back.
Souza is still in real trouble! Can Santiago finish him?
Souza keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

Santiago looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Souza seems to have recovered his senses.
Santiago blocks Souza's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Santiago landing strikes from the mount and Souza is in trouble!

The cut above Thiago Souza's eye is starting to cause him problems now.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at Thiago Souza's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:46 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Antonio Santiago!
Antonio Santiago is the new middleweight champion!