PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Pedro Lancaster (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Sampson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Lancaster
vs
Sampson

169 cm
18
193 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

200 cm
23
185 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Very confident

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 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Pedro Lancaster!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, John Sampson!
The judges for this bout are Felipe Paraventi, Daniel Cesar and Mauricio Rocha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sampson slips under a jab.

Sampson drives through and clinches with Lancaster against the cage.
Lancaster is pressed up against the cage. Sampson has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Lancaster down to the mat. Lancaster avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Lancaster could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Sampson fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

Sampson pushes Lancaster up against the cage in a clinch.

Sampson pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Sampson shoots for a takedown but Lancaster saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Pedro Lancaster has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of John Sampson.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sampson lands a body shot.
Sampson darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Sampson lands a two punch combo.
Lancaster looks to score with a jab to the body but Sampson is just out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sampson misses with a jab, cross combination.
John Sampson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sampson fails with the takedown.
Sampson tries to bum rush Lancaster with a series of wild strikes but Lancaster uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

Sampson has Lancaster up against the cage in a clinch.
Lancaster stalls.
Sampson stalling against the cage.
Lancaster letting Sampson take a breather here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sampson stalls.

Sampson pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Lancaster looking to score a takedown here. Sampson is defending well but Lancaster drives through and ends up in Sampson's guard.

Sampson has his feet on Lancaster's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Lancaster misses with a series of wild punches.
Sampson tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Lancaster defends well and Sampson ends up having to push Lancaster into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Lancaster seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.

Lancaster closes the distance and clinches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sampson is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Lancaster pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Sampson tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Lancaster avoids it.
Lancaster tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Sampson just stands there and leans against the cage.
Sampson is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Sampson fails to pull guard.
Sampson using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Lancaster goes for a takedown in the clinch but Sampson prevents it.

Sampson's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Lancaster has a takedown stuffed.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Sampson has managed to clinch.

Sampson has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Lancaster uses from the top position.
Sampson looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Sampson is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Sampson utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Sampson throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Lancaster scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Lancaster throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Sampson dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Sampson smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.

Lancaster rushes Sampson and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Sampson tries to score a body lock takedown but Lancaster shows good agility there to stay on his feet.

Sampson pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Lancaster stuffs the takedown.
Sampson shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Lancaster as he jumps to the side.
Pedro Lancaster has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of John Sampson.
Sampson stuffs the takedown attempt from Lancaster. Lancaster gets slowly back to his feet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sampson shoots in for a takedown but Lancaster shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Sampson avoids a punch combination nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Sampson is defended easily by Lancaster.
Lancaster stuffs the takedown.

Lancaster decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Sampson is breathing heavily.
Lancaster looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Lancaster working over Sampson with some ground and pound. Sampson looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Lancaster is keen to just control but Sampson is a slippery customer.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sampson keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

Sampson looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Lancaster seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Sampson does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Lancaster thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

Lancaster is trying to work for a kimura but Sampson is defending well.
Sampson regains full guard. Nicely done.
Lancaster postures up and lands a big shot to Sampson's brow.
Lancaster postures up and lands a big shot to Sampson's brow.
Lancaster working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Lancaster stops Sampson from standing up.

Sampson is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Lancaster defends well.

Lancaster is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Sampson is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Sampson has escaped and now he's on top!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sampson trying to control but Lancaster is working from the bottom.
Sampson working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Sampson wants to pass the guard but Lancaster is keeping the position.
Lancaster is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Sampson is controlling him.

Lancaster had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Sampson defends it easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Sampson looking to pass the guard.
Lancaster is looking to stand up but Sampson isn't so interested in that idea.
Lancaster might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Sampson fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Lancaster, pushing him back against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pedro Lancaster dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Sampson closes this distance looking for a takedown but Lancaster circles away.
Sampson clobbers Lancaster with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.

Lancaster has managed to clinch.
Lancaster jumps guard but Sampson turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Lancaster fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Lancaster gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Sampson.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Sampson successfully pulls guard.
Sampson is looking to stand up but Lancaster isn't so interested in that idea.
Sampson tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Lancaster with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Lancaster postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Sampson throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Lancaster scoring with some ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sampson preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Sampson bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Lancaster's guard.

Sampson trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Sampson trying to control the position from guard on top but Lancaster is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lancaster wants to get back to his feet but Sampson is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Lancaster can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Sampson controls the pace.
Sampson with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Sampson wants to control from the top but Lancaster keeps moving.
Lancaster is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Sampson is controlling him.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sampson wants to control from the top but Lancaster keeps moving.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Lancaster fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Pedro Lancaster. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Lancaster shoots in looking for a takedown but Sampson manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Lancaster's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Sampson clinches.
Sampson prevents a takedown attempt there.
Lancaster tries to break free but Sampson pushes him back against the cage.

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.

Sampson breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Sampson has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Sampson lands a nice leg kick that just misses Lancaster's sensitive parts.
Sampson is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Sampson plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!

Lancaster gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Sampson gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Lancaster tries to kick Sampson off but Sampson keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Sampson scoring with strikes to the body and head.

Lancaster makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Horrible takedown attempt by Sampson or perhaps it was just good defense by Lancaster, which made it look bad.

And that's the end of the fight!
John Sampson comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Sampson has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 28:29
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... John Sampson!