PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Ms Bong (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rico Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ms Bong has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Bong
vs
Santos

182 cm
19
186 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

185 cm
25
195 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Very quick

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Ms Bong!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Rico Santos!
The judges for this bout are Donatello Bradman, Damien Edna and Eliza Hachem.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Santos shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Bong counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

Bong throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Santos was covering up waiting for the punch and Bong finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Bong is looking to stand up but Santos won't let him.

Bong drops back, looking for a kneebar! Santos looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Santos looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Santos!
Bong tries to improve position but can't.
Santos looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Bong is avoiding damage well.
Santos trying to control the position but Bong is working away.

Santos thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bong tries to get back to his feet but has found himself mounted instead. Damn, that's gotta suck.
Bong wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Santos.
Santos can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Bong is looking to escape.
Santos postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Bong looks a forlorn figure.

That's two 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.
Bong is looking to get to half guard.
Bong knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Santos on the ground.

Bong defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Santos.

Santos goes for an armbar but Bong turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Bong.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Santos is on top in guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Bong working a defensive guard here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bong pulls Santos in close to his closed guard and prevents Santos from doing any damage or advancing position.

Bong looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Bong keeping moving, preventing Santos from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.

Bong is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Santos looking to sit in guard and control but Bong gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Bong tries to stand but Santos is controlling from the bottom.
Bong trying to control but Santos is working from the bottom.
Santos is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Rico Santos will probably get the nod.
That's time! Bong's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Santos misses with a takedown attempt

and Bong counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Bong wants to stand but Santos has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Santos wants to stand up but Bong is controlling him.

Bong is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Santos is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Santos has escaped and now he's on top!
Santos working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Bong's head.
Bong on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Bong tries to get out of the position.
Santos trying to control the position from guard on top but Bong is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Santos might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Bong kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bong is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Santos is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Bong is pulling down on Santos's head. It's preventing any offense from Santos, at least for the moment.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Rico Santos.
Bong thows a body shot but no joy.
Santos misses with a wild combination.
Santos uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Bong.

That's two 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.
Santos shoots and misses

so Bong counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Santos manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Bong manages to get himself to full guard.
Bong is looking to stand up but Santos isn't so interested in that idea.
Bong controlling the position.
Bong keeping moving, preventing Santos from controlling successfully.
Bong is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Bong wants to get back to his feet but Santos is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bong keeping moving, preventing Santos from controlling successfully.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Ms Bong just wasn't active enough.
Bong misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Santos.
Bong misses with a telegraphed body shot

so Santos counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Santos wants to control from the top but Bong keeps moving.
Bong is looking to stand up but Santos isn't so interested in that idea.

Santos drops back looking for a leg! Bong is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Bong manages to kick Santos off! Santos jumps back into Bong's guard.

Bong throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Santos escapes and throws Bong's legs to the side, diving into side control!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bong tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Santos wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Bong is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Bong managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Santos.

Santos is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Bong knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Bong struggling a bit here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Rico Santos will probably get the nod - 10:9.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

The fighters circling - Santos throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Bong just misses with a punch to the body.
Santos uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Bong.
Bong wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Bong.
Santos manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Santos is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Bong's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Bong's back!
Santos wants to control but Bong manages to buck him off and is now in Santos's guard! Nice work there by Bong!
Bong wants to get up but he can't break Santos's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

Bong gets to his feet - Santos follows without any prompting.
Rico Santos is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Santos shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Bong's guard.
Bong manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Santos manages to get himself to full guard.
Santos takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Bong is looking to stand up but Santos won't let him.
Bong stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Santos swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Bong wants to stand but Santos has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

Santos working for a triangle but Bong defends it easily.
Rico Santos has got the better of the ground game so far.
Bong tries to stand but Santos is controlling from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Bong trying to control the position from guard on top but Santos is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Bong drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Santos manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Bong has Santos in his guard.

Bong is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Santos has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Bong clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!
Bong trying to control but he's just got himself in more trouble.
Santos has the hooks sunk in and you can see the will to fight slowly draining out of Bong's body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Santos is working hard for the rear naked choke here.

Santos seems to be going for a rear naked choke. He has an arm under Bong's chin but Bong turns very nicely into Santos's guard. Good BJJ skills being displayed there by Bong.
Bong wants to stand but Santos has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Bong has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Santos keeping full guard, as Bong tries to pass.
Bong wanted to stand there but Santos had control of the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rico Santos comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Santos 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 Donatello Bradman scores the fight 29:30
Judge Damien Edna scores the fight 29:29
Judge Eliza Hachem scores the fight 29:30

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Rico Santos!