PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Augusto Soto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jared Walken (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Soto
vs
Walken

181 cm
18
193 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

172 cm
25
190 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Good in bed

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Determined

Zentrope Fighting Universe
Zentrope Fighting Universe

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Augusto Soto!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Jared Walken!
The judges for this bout are James Atkins, Steven Brown and Sam Margolis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Walken drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Walken staying calm.
Walken throws an elbow but Soto slips to the side and avoids it well.
Walken trying to control the position but Soto is working away.
Soto knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Walken on the ground.
Walken connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Soto some visible discomfort.
Soto is looking for a sweep.
Walken tries to advance to mount but Soto denies him.
You can see the frustration on Soto's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

Walken tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Soto is looking to reverse the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Walken looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Soto is avoiding damage well.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Soto is not content to let Walken control the position.
An elbow from Walken crashes against the mat.
Walken misses with an attempted head punch from side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Walken is staying tight to Soto's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Soto can't do much from the bottom here.
Soto parries the strikes from Walken easily there. Walken is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Soto to escape.

Walken thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Soto tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Soto has one of Walken's arms on lockdown, trying to prevent him from doing any damage.
Soto is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Walken has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Walken scoring with punches from side control.

Walken is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Soto has escaped the position, nice work there.
Walken tries to advance to mount but can't.
Soto is looking for a sweep.
Soto manages to work his way to half guard, despite Walken's best efforts.
Walken is looking to take a break and control but Soto is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Walken wants to free his trapped foot but Soto is holding on for dear life with his legs.

Walken is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

Walken looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Walken is nestled in close to Soto, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jared Walken dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Soto clinches up against the cage.

Walken has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Soto is trying to keep an underhook but Walken manages to get the takedown into half guard.

Walken is working for a kimura but Soto is defending it quite comfortably.
Soto trying to control from the bottom.
Walken thows a huge punch but Soto dodges it nicely.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Walken looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Soto with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Soto controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
Walken working over Soto with some ground and pound. Soto looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Walken is looking to take a break and control but Soto is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Walken performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Walken is looking to advance position but Soto won't allow it.
Walken wants to control but Soto is keeping him busy.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Soto is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Jared Walken has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
No luck for Walken with that takedown attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Soto tried to score with a low kick but Walken checks it.
Walken takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Soto misses with a body shot.
Soto tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Soto connects with an inside leg kick.
Walken shoots and misses
and Soto counters with a big head kick but Walken shrugs it off.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Walken misses with a series of wild punches.
Soto misses with a head kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Walken is trying hard to land a takedown here. Soto sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Augusto Soto has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jared Walken.
Soto tries to clinch there but Walken circles away.
Soto connects with an inside leg kick.
Soto fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Walken.
Jared Walken is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Soto leaves Walken with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Walken is breathing heavily.
Soto takes a swing at Walken's ribcage but misses.
Walken closes this distance looking for a takedown but Soto circles away.
Walken should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Soto is looking to slow Walken down with leg kicks.
Soto swings for the body but Walken moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Soto fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Walken.
Walken misses with a takedown attempt
and Soto counters with a thumping low kick.
Soto connects with a leg kick. Walken looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Soto lands a nice looking kick to the body. Walken takes a step back to recover.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Soto throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Walken was covering up waiting for the punch and Soto finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Soto controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Walken keeping moving, preventing Soto from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Augusto Soto dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Soto lands a leg kick that knocks Walken off balance momentarily.
Soto looks to score with a jab to the body but Walken is just out of range.
Walken takes a shot right to the bread basket.
An inside leg kick lands from Soto.
Augusto Soto seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Walken shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Soto as he jumps to the side.

Soto instigates a clinch.

Soto manages to break the clinch.
Soto scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Walken takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Soto gets the takedown into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Soto wants to lay and pray for a moment but Walken keeps working.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Walken can do anything to dispel that myth.
Walken seems a little lost for a moment, as Soto dominates the positioning.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Soto is looking to take a break and control but Walken is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Augusto Soto has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Soto is looking to clinch.
Soto digs a good body shot into Walken's ribs.
Soto tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Soto connects with a high kick.

It looks like Jared Walken has been cut.
Walken's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.

Soto gets a clinch.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Soto misses with a short punch on the inside.

Soto breaks from the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Walken fails with the takedown
and Soto counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Soto throws a wild body kick that Walken sees coming a mile off.

Soto has closed the distance and engaged Walken in a clinch.
Walken tries to score a body lock takedown but Soto shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Augusto Soto has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jared Walken.
Soto dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Walken blocks an uppercut.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Soto.
Soto misses with a hook to the ribs.
Walken drops down looking for an ankle pick but Soto pulls his leg out and moves away.
Walken on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Soto. Soto obviously looking to wear him down.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Walken gets tackled into the cage by Soto. Soto maintains the clinch.
Soto is working for takedown but Walken is calmly controlling the position for now.
A hook to the body from Soto.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Walken blocking some punches.
Walken blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Soto tries to work over Walken's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Soto misses with a short punch on the inside.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Soto manages to break the clinch.

Soto manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Walken on his heels. He'll look to pass Walken's guard now, I'm sure.

And that's the end of the fight!
Augusto Soto showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Soto has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 James Atkins scores the fight 29:27
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 29:28
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Augusto Soto!