PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Saeng Arthit (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ray Cappo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Saeng Arthit has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Arthit
vs
Cappo

180 cm
28
147 lbs
7 - 4 - 0

180 cm
22
140 lbs
3 - 5 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

Good takedowns
Good elbows
Determined

Resistance

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Saeng Arthit!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 5 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ray Cappo!
The judges for this bout are Aleksandr Martynov, Vladimir Khabensky and Igor Prikhodko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Arthit looks to clinch

and Cappo counters by clinching up.

Cappo breaks the clinch.
Cappo fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Arthit avoids it really well and circles away.

Cappo gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Cappo gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Cappo content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Cappo is looking to take a break and control but Arthit is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Cappo has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cappo lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Arthit is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Cappo cracks Arthit with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Arthit wants to hold on but Cappo pushes him away.
Cappo unloading with bombs!
Cappo sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Cappo working the ground and pound effectively.
Cappo controlling the pace for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cappo dominating with strikes here.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A nice elbow there by Cappo.
Cappo looking to finish Arthit with some ground and pound. This is bad for Arthit!
A nice elbow there by Cappo.
Arthit in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.

Arthit is rocked!
Cappo content just to control the position here.
Cappo lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cappo lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Arthit hang on?
Cappo pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Oh Arthit is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!

Cappo jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Arthit manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Cappo landing strikes.
Cappo misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Arthit seems to have got his legs back now.
Cappo landing strikes.

The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Cappo wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Arthit, who protects the arm well.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Cappo throwing strikes but missing, from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cappo throws a strike aimed at the side of Arthit's head but Arthit avoids it well.
Cappo in side control, just content to control the action for now.
Cappo scores with punches from side control.
Cappo is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Arthit will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
You can see the frustration on Arthit's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Cappo taking a breather here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ray Cappo dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Arthit wants to clinch
and Cappo makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.

Cappo has managed to clinch.
Arthit wants to stall.

Cappo has hold of one of Arthit's legs. Arthit is fighting the takedown attempt but Cappo gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Cappo landing some decent shots from guard.
Arthit preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Cappo looking to pass the guard.

Arthit is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Cappo defends well.
Cappo not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Arthit looking for a sweep. Not yet Arthit, not yet.
Cappo throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Arthit works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Cappo controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Cappo is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Cappo seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Cappo throws a big elbow that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cappo stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Arthit swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Cappo is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Cappo working some strikes from top position.
Cappo throws a big right hand that misses.

Cappo stands up from guard. Let's bang!

Cappo shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Arthit keeping moving, preventing Cappo from controlling successfully.
Cappo postures up and lands a big shot to Arthit's brow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cappo trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Cappo engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Cappo missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Cappo seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Arthit is trying to keep Cappo in close.
Arthit working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Cappo.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Cappo circles away from the clinch attempt
and Cappo counters with a three punch combo that has Arthit backing up. Arthit nods at Cappo to acknowledge the strikes.
Saeng Arthit is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Cappo ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Arthit moves away.
Cappo takes a swing at Arthit's ribcage but misses.
Cappo has his takedown stuffed
and Arthit counters with a nice body kick.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Arthit tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Cappo shoots for a takedown but Arthit saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Cappo looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Arthit is fending him off so far but Cappo persists. Nope, Arthit circles away and we're back to standing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ray Cappo showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Arthit tries to clinch up.
Arthit tries a low kick but Cappo avoids it.
Arthit tries a head kick but it misses.
Cappo shoots for a double leg takedown but Arthit sprawls well. He's pushed Cappo's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Cappo misses with a head kick.

Cappo feints and as Arthit raises his hands in defense, Cappo changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Arthit really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Cappo keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Arthit's head.

Cappo gets to his feet. Arthit looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Cappo misses with a takedown attempt - Arthit sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Arthit tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Arthit forces Cappo back against the cage and clinches.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Cappo looking to slow down the pace here.

Cappo jumps guard and drags Arthit to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.

Cappo pushes Arthit off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Cappo misses with a hook. Arthit ducked under it nicely.
Ray Cappo is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Arthit tries to clinch up but Cappo circles away and keeps his distance.
Arthit tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Arthit displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Cappo.
Saeng Arthit has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ray Cappo.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cappo has a takedown stuffed.
Cappo takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Cappo shoots in looking for a takedown. Arthit tries to sprawl out of it but Cappo keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Arthit manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Cappo misses with a takedown attempt
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Arthit defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Cappo.

Cappo closes the distance and clinches.
Cappo is trying to pull guard but Arthit turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Cappo lands with a left to the head.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Cappo has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Arthit avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Cappo looking for a takedown.
Arthit scores a nice knee to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Cappo as Arthit tries to tie him up.
Arthit tries to land knees in the clinch but Cappo avoids the damage to the body.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

Arthit breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Cappo circles away from the clinch attempt.

Cappo shoots in and gets a takedown into Arthit's guard.
Cappo has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Cappo looking to sit in guard and control but Arthit gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Arthit would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Cappo 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 four minutes gone in the round.

Cappo looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Saeng Arthit has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Cappo trying to control the position.
Arthit throwing strikes from guard but Cappo blocks nicely.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Cappo looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Arthit has picked Cappo up and slammed him! Cappo can't keep hold of the triangle and Arthit manages to pass to side control!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cappo wants to control but Arthit postures up.
Ray Cappo is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Cappo holds on to Arthit's head and controls the position momentarily.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ray Cappo comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Cappo 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 Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 26:30
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 26:30
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ray Cappo!
Ray Cappo very nearly forgot to thank Resistance amongst all the excitement of his win but just as the interview came to a close, he screamed their name. Hopefully he'll get a few nice freebies in the mail as a thank you.