PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Lyoto Machida (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thiago Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rumors backstage are that the fighters have been paid to keep it standing but we know that would never happen in MMA!

Machida
vs
Santos

189 cm
24
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

178 cm
22
180 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Intelligent

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Lyoto Machida!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Thiago Santos!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Alexandre Firmino and Leandro Rodrigues.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Santos scores with a kick to the midsection.
Santos tries to clinch but Machida moves away

and Machida counters by moving into the clinch.
Santos is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Machida wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Santos throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Machida blocks it with crossed arms.
Machida wants to get back to striking at distance but Santos won't allow it.
Santos looking to throw knees to the head but Machida is blocking nicely.
Santos with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Machida managing to block the knees to the body from Santos.

Machida tightens his grip and picks Santos up, before dumping him to the ground. Santos manages to land in guard.
Santos working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Machida.

Machida stands up and waves to Santos to follow him.
No luck for Machida with that takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos tries to clinch but Machida moves out of range.
A head kick by Machida misses

and Santos counters by clinching up.
Santos tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Santos landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Santos wants a takedown but no success here.
Santos looks gassed!

Machida breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Santos tries for a takedown but Machida sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Santos is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Santos misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Machida looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Santos is fending him off so far but Machida persists. Nope, Santos circles away and we're back to standing.
Santos closes the distance but Machida moves to the side
and Machida counters with a big head kick but Santos shrugs it off.
Machida throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Santos fails with an attempt to clinch.
Nice sprawl there from Santos as Machida shoots in.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Lyoto Machida. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Santos closes the distance but Machida moves to the side
and Machida counters with a big head kick but Santos shrugs it off.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Machida fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Machida chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Santos can pounce on him.
Santos lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Machida circles away from the clinch attempt

and Machida holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Machida takes a knee right on the jaw!
Santos using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.

Machida pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Machida throws a sloppy head kick and Santos moves out of range easily.
Thiago Santos seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Santos gets tackled into the cage by Machida. Machida maintains the clinch.
Santos is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Machida is defending well for now.
A bit of stalling here from Santos.
Santos using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Machida has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Santos tries to stall but Machida uses the opportunity to gain a better position.

Machida breaks from the clinch.
Machida will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Lyoto Machida will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Machida sizes up Santos with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Machida throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Santos moves to clinch but Machida breaks away
and Machida counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Santos is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Santos is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Santos lands a nice leg kick that just misses Machida's sensitive parts.
Santos tries to clinch but Machida moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Machida avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Lyoto Machida is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Santos shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Machida pinned against the cage. Machida gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Santos is breathing heavily.

Santos gets caught napping as Machida dives in and scores a takedown. Santos manages to retain guard.

Machida stands and steps away. Santos gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Machida throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Santos closes the distance and clinches.

Machida manages to break the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Machida falls off balance throwing a combination
and Santos counters with a thumping low kick.
Machida doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Santos counters with a body kick.
Santos tries to clinch there but Machida circles away.
Machida looks for a takedown but Santos sprawls well.
Machida blocks a head kick by Santos.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Machida scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Lyoto Machida is winning the standup battle so far.
Santos bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Machida's head backwards.
Santos tries to clinch up.
Machida blocks a head kick by Santos.
A jab from Santos misses.
Machida fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Lyoto Machida. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Santos lands a body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Santos has taken the fight to the clinch.
Santos keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Machida's efforts to push away.
Santos tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Machida breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Santos goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Machida lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lyoto Machida dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Horrible takedown by Santos or perhaps it was just good defense by Machida which made him look bad.

Santos gets a clinch.
Santos tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Machida avoids it.
Machida has had enough of the clinch but Santos keeps him there for the moment.
Santos prevents a takedown attempt there.
Santos scores with a knee to the head.
Santos throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Machida blocks it with crossed arms.
Santos takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Santos misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Machida.
Machida takes a knee to the side of the body.

Machida escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Machida circles away from the clinch attempt
and Machida counters with a big head kick but Santos shrugs it off.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Santos is looking to clinch.
Machida avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Santos looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Machida is fending him off so far but Santos persists. Nope, Machida circles away and we're back to standing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Machida throws a head kick but Santos moves out of range.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Machida.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Lyoto Machida. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Machida defending well as Santos loads up on a big left hand.

Machida forces Santos back against the cage and clinches.
Machida takes a knee right on the jaw!

Machida escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Machida is defended easily by Santos.

Machida moves into the clinch.
Thiago Santos has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Lyoto Machida is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Machida is looking to break free of the clinch but Santos has double underhooks.
Santos looking to stall.
Machida has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Santos after a bit of a struggle.
Thiago Santos seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Santos is pressed up against the cage. Machida has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Santos down to the mat. Santos avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Machida circles away from the clinch attempt.
Machida swats away the attempt to clinch by Santos.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santos fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Santos thows a left - swing and a miss!
Santos avoids the head kick by Machida.
Santos darts in trying to clinch
and Machida counters with a flying knee. Nice.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Thiago Santos.
I think Machida 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 Paulo Santos scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 30:29
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 29:29

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Lyoto Machida!