PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Rufus Soderberg (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Oswaldo Sanchez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Sanchez's choice of entrance music: In The Ghetto - By Elvis Presley. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Soderberg
vs
Sanchez

179 cm
33
186 lbs
22 - 12 - 0

183 cm
38
172 lbs
33 - 14 - 2

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Steel Penn\'s Laundry 80% LAUNDRY IS AVAILABLE

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 22 - 12 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Rufus Soderberg!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 33 - 14 - 2, fighting out of Hilo, Oswaldo Sanchez!
The judges for this bout are Colin Fotheringham, William Gold and Steven Brown.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sanchez throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Sanchez throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Sanchez tries to clinch but Soderberg is having none of it.
Sanchez throws a head kick but Soderberg moves out of range.
Soderberg throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
No joy there for Sanchez, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Soderberg takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Sanchez throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Sanchez goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Sanchez swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Sanchez takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Sanchez tries to clinch up.
Sanchez scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
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!
Sanchez throws the kick towards the body but Soderberg avoids it.
Sanchez attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanchez lands with a thumping leg kick.
A good leg kick by Sanchez.

Soderberg scores with a takedown into Sanchez's guard.
Soderberg wants to pass the guard but Sanchez is keeping the position.
Soderberg postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Soderberg wants to control from the top but Sanchez keeps moving.
Soderberg throwing strikes but missing.
Soderberg throws a big right hand that misses.
Soderberg has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

Sanchez looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Soderberg throwing strikes but missing.
Sanchez is trying to keep Soderberg in close.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Soderberg throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Sanchez works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Soderberg trying to control but Sanchez is working from the bottom.
Soderberg postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Sanchez working a defensive guard here.
Sanchez tries to land a sweep but no joy.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Sanchez lands a nice leg kick that just misses Soderberg's sensitive parts.
Oswaldo Sanchez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez scores with a jab.
Sanchez explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Sanchez throws a lazy right hand but Soderberg sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Soderberg misses with a double jab.
Sanchez throws a chopping leg kick but Soderberg manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Soderberg misses with a straight left.
Sanchez scores with a jab. Soderberg acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Soderberg blocks the body kick.
Soderberg is looking light on his feet compared to last time was saw him fight.
Sanchez connects with a jab.
Oswaldo Sanchez is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Sanchez thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Soderberg if he has to take too many more of those.
Soderberg misses with a takedown attempt - Sanchez sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
A head kick misses from Sanchez.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez misses with a head kick.
A slow jab from Sanchez misses its intended target.
Sanchez throws a push kick but Soderberg slaps the foot to one side.
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!
Sanchez lands a jab to the head.
Soderberg throws a nice looking combination but Sanchez bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Soderberg swings for the body but Sanchez moves out of range.
Soderberg tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Soderberg throws an ugly left hook that misses
letting Sanchez counter with a right hand.
A bone on bone clash there as Soderberg blocks the leg kick.
Sanchez throws a jab when Soderberg was well out of range.
Horrible takedown attempt by Soderberg or perhaps it was just good defense by Sanchez, which made it look bad.
Sanchez stuffs the takedown.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Oswaldo Sanchez dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Sanchez walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Soderberg checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
A low kick from Soderberg is predictable there
and Sanchez counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Sanchez tries a low kick but Soderberg avoids it.
Soderberg checks a low kick from Sanchez.
Soderberg chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Sanchez can pounce on him.
Soderberg changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Sanchez tries to avoid it but Soderberg manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Sanchez to the ground. Sanchez escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Sanchez tries to clinch there but Soderberg circles away.
Sanchez chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Soderberg walks into a stiff left hand from Sanchez.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Soderberg uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Sanchez.

Soderberg scores with a takedown into Sanchez's guard.
Sanchez wants to sweep here but Soderberg controlling him for the moment.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanchez has his hands on Soderberg's head, controlling the position.
Sanchez is continuing to stall.
Soderberg in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Sanchez utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Sanchez managing to control the position.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Sanchez's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

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.
Soderberg darts in looking for a takedown but Sanchez gets double underhooks and turns Soderberg into the cage.

Soderberg manages to break the clinch.
Sanchez goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Sanchez tries to clinch up

and Soderberg counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

Soderberg seems to be working for a kimura but Sanchez defends the submission attempt.
The fighters are battling for position here. Sanchez manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Soderberg trying to control but Sanchez is working from the bottom.
Soderberg is stalling in the full guard.
Sanchez has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Soderberg advances position into side control!
Soderberg cracks Sanchez with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Sanchez takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Sanchez on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
You can see the frustration on Sanchez's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Soderberg 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.
Sanchez can't do much from the bottom here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez is trying to improve his position.
Soderberg throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Sanchez is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
You can see the frustration on Sanchez's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Soderberg is looking to take a break and control but Sanchez is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Soderberg lands a decent elbow from side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rufus Soderberg 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!

Sanchez takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Oswaldo Sanchez seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Sanchez slaps away a takedown attempt from Soderberg, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Sanchez listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Sanchez fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Soderberg moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Sanchez scores with a hook to the body. Soderberg takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Soderberg goes for a double leg but Sanchez avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Sanchez continues to drive forward.
A head punch on the inside from Soderberg fails to land.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Soderberg blocks a punch to the side of the head.
A short uppercut from Sanchez.
Sanchez struggles to land a body shot inside as Soderberg controls his hands.
Soderberg tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rufus Soderberg. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sanchez misses with a shot to the kidneys.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanchez lands with a left to the head.
Soderberg blocks a body shot from Sanchez.
Sanchez misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Sanchez misses with a punch on the inside.
Soderberg wants to take the fight to the mat but Sanchez manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Sanchez tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Sanchez digs a right hand underneath Soderberg's ribcage. Soderberg let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Sanchez misses with a short punch on the inside.
Soderberg can't get the takedown.
Sanchez misses with a body punch.
Sanchez misses with a punch on the inside.
Sanchez throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Soderbergs head.
A shot in the inside from Sanchez.
Sanchez lands a nice uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Soderberg throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Sanchezs head.
Sanchez swings wildly with an uppercut but Soderberg uses good head movement to avoid it.
Soderberg goes for a takedown attempt but Sanchez pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
A chopping leg kick lands by Sanchez.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Sanchez.
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!
Sanchez tries to close the distance and clinch but Soderberg swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Sanchez fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Soderberg has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Soderberg moves out of range of the body kick from Sanchez.
Soderberg ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Sanchez moves away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Soderberg ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Sanchez moves away.
A leg kick checked by Soderberg.
Soderberg shoots in for a takedown but Sanchez shows good takedown defense.
Decent striking displayed by Sanchez there.
Sanchez throws a series of punches but Soderberg moves out of range.
Sanchez comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Sanchez is looking to score with low kicks.
Soderberg keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Sanchez has been working his punching technique in the buildup to the fight and it appears to be paying off.
A low kick from Sanchez misses

and Soderberg counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Soderberg prevents Sanchez from improving his position.
Soderberg wants to take a breather but Sanchez is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Soderberg is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Sanchez is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Sanchez has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Soderberg is working away from the top position though.
Sanchez controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.

Soderberg is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Soderberg missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Oswaldo Sanchez comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Sanchez 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 Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 28:29
Judge William Gold scores the fight 28:29
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Oswaldo Sanchez!
An out of breath Oswaldo Sanchez thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.
The defeated Rufus Soderberg had this to say: 'I'm not done. I'm not done. '.