PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Pablo Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hokkus Pokkus (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Pokkus has chosen Pantera - Walk as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Hokkus Pokkus told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Santos
vs
Pokkus

191 cm
24
184 lbs
10 - 5 - 0

185 cm
24
181 lbs
9 - 7 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Big right hand

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Powerful

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 10 - 5 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Pablo Santos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Hokkus Pokkus!
The judges for this bout are Fedor Mirinova, Sergei Dronov and Viktor Lagutenko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pokkus throws a lazy head kick
and Santos counters with a right hand to the body.
Santos misses with a jab to the body
and Pokkus counters with a nice low kick that buckles Santos's knee momentarily.
Santos scores with a decent looking hook.
Pokkus closes the distance looking to clinch
and Santos counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Pokkus thinking.

Santos shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Pokkus's guard.
Pokkus trying to keep a closed guard but Santos is proving a slippery customer.
Santos pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Pokkus is keeping the position for now.
Santos slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Pokkus can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos trying to move into half guard but instead Pokkus has managed to sweep!

Santos has his feet on Pokkus's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Pokkus tries to clinch up
and Santos counters with a stiff right hand.
Santos lands a nice shot to the body.

Pokkus rushes Santos and presses him up against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pokkus tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Santos wants a takedown but no success here.
Pokkus using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.

Santos has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Pokkus regains guard immediately.
Santos trying to control the position from guard on top but Pokkus is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Pokkus wants to improve his position but instead Santos has moved into half guard.
Pokkus tries to roll over but Santos keeps him under control.
Santos wants to pass to mount but Pokkus is defending the position.
Santos wants to control but Pokkus is keeping him busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Santos is looking for a kimura but Pokkus is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Santos to get the leverage.
Santos trying to pass the guard but Pokkus defending well.
Santos wants to take a breather but Pokkus is having none of it.
Santos slows the pace down in half guard.
Santos seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Pokkus for as long as he can get away with.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Pablo Santos wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Santos misses with a double jab
and Pokkus counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Santos is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Santos connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Pokkus momentarily.
Santos throws a lazy uppercut
and Pokkus counters with a thumping low kick.
Pokkus wants to clinch but Santos slips to the side
and Santos counters with a straight right hand.
Pokkus closes the distance but Santos moves to the side
enabling Santos to counter with a crisp jab.
Santos thows a body shot but no joy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pablo Santos dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Santos misses with a takedown attempt - Pokkus sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Santos looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Santos throws an off balance right hand

and Pokkus counters by moving into the clinch.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Pokkus as Santos tries to tie him up.
Pokkus misses with a knee to the head.
Pokkus is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Santos is defending well for now.
Pokkus tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Santos scores with a shot to the side of Pokkus's head.
Knees in the clinch landing for Pokkus.

Santos pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Santos misses with an uppercut
and Pokkus counters with a thumping low kick.
Santos throws a right and a left that Pokkus avoids nicely.
Santos throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos misses the shot to the body.
Pokkus delivers a nice body kick.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Pokkus misses with a straight left.
Pokkus tried to score with a low kick but Santos checks it.
A punch combination from Santos misses.

Pokkus closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Pokkus gets underhooks to prevent Santos's takedown attempt.
Pokkus has Santos pushed against the cage.
Pokkus prevents a takedown attempt there.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Pablo Santos. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Santos gets through Pokkus's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Santos has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Pokkus avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Pokkus is trying to maintain a safe position but Santos gets an underhook and turns Pokkus into the cage.
Santos takes a knee right on the jaw!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Pokkus pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Santos misses with a body punch
and Pokkus counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
Santos avoids the head kick by Pokkus.
Santos throws a shot from downtown. Pokkus moves away and avoids it.
Santos shoots in looking for a takedown. Pokkus tries to sprawl out of it but Santos keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Pokkus manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Pokkus throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Santos rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Pokkus counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Pokkus tries to clinch up
enabling Santos to counter with a crisp jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pokkus throws a head kick that misses.
Pokkus avoids the body shot from Santos.
Santos misses with a looping left.
Santos fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Santos swings for the body but Pokkus moves out of range.
Pokkus plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Pokkus closes the distance but Santos moves to the side
and Santos counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Pokkus wants to clinch
and Santos counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Santos tries to bum rush Pokkus with a series of wild strikes but Pokkus uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Pokkus avoids the body shot from Santos.
Pokkus feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Santos's calf.
Santos misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Santos swings away with a body shot that misses

and Pokkus counters by clinching up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hokkus Pokkus showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Santos's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Pokkus wants to clinch
enabling Santos to counter with a crisp jab.
Santos throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Pokkus counters with a big head kick but Santos shrugs it off.
Pokkus tries to clinch up
and Santos counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Pokkus misses the body punch
and Santos cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Santos throws a body punch but Pokkus moves out of range.
Santos ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Pokkus moves away.
Pokkus slips under a jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pokkus lands with a kick to the temple. Santos shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Pokkus takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Pokkus takes one to the chin there.
Pokkus avoids the body shot from Santos.
Santos falls off balance throwing a combination

and Pokkus moves into the clinch.
Pokkus tries to stall but Santos uses the opportunity to gain a better position.

Santos breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Pokkus uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Santos.
Santos swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Pokkus counters with a good low kick that Santos was not able to check.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pokkus scores with a jab. Santos acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Santos looks to land a combination but Pokkus avoids it well.
Santos tries for a takedown but Pokkus circles away easily
and Pokkus counters with a good, hard body kick but Santos shrugs it off.
Santos swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Pokkus tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Pokkus misses with a body kick.
Santos misses with a body shot.
Santos loads up on a big right hand but Pokkus slips the punch.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos lands a slapping body shot.
Santos is looking to wear down Pokkus with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Santos shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Pokkus defends it nicely.
Pokkus fails with an attempt to clinch.
Pokkus closes the distance looking to clinch
and Santos counters with a nice uppercut.
Santos tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Pokkus swivels and escapes.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Pablo Santos. 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.
Santos swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Pokkus counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Santos feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Pokkuss jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Pokkus misses with a shot to the body
and Santos counters with a straight right hand.
Pokkus misses with a head kick.
Pokkus uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Santos.
Hokkus Pokkus is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Santos misses with a right hand
enabling Pokkus to counter with a crisp jab.
Santos misses with a body shot
and Pokkus counters with an inside leg kick.
Pokkus uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Santos.
Pokkus tries to clinch but Santos moves out of range.

And that's the end of the fight!
Hokkus Pokkus comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Pokkus has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Fedor Mirinova scores the fight for Hokkus Pokkus!
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight for Hokkus Pokkus!
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight for Hokkus Pokkus!

Hokkus Pokkus wins by unanimous decision!