PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Billy Bonez (ranked 3527 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mario Santana (ranked 7114 p4p, 0 weight class). Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Bonez
vs
Santana

195 cm
19
268 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

185 cm
19
222 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Billy Bonez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Mario Santana!
The judges for this bout are Micheangelo Fripello, Josh West and Paul Gruel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Santana on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Santana tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Bonez defends well and Santana ends up having to push Bonez into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
A decent looking cross lands there for Bonez.
Bonez shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Santana as he jumps to the side.
Santana throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Bonez's waist but Bonez gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Santana off to one side.
Bonez shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Santana sprawls well. Santana wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Bonez gets slowly back to his feet.
Santana lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Santana fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Billy Bonez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mario Santana.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bonez shoots in but Santana avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Santana steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Bonez.

Santana decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bonez wants to get back to his feet.
Santana is thwarting Bonez's attempts to control the position.
Santana content to control rather than advance.

Santana is working for a submission of some sort.
Well, if Santana is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Santana works his way into side control.
Bonez tries to bench press Santana off him but Santana keeps the position.

Santana looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Bonez manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Santana looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Santana content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bonez wants to control but Santana passes into side.
Santana has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Bonez manages to regain half guard. Good work.

Santana is working for a kimura but Bonez is defending it quite comfortably.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Santana seems to be looking for submissions.
Santana trying to control the pace.
Santana working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Santana working his ground and pound in the gym. So far it seems to be working well.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Santana prevents Bonez from improving his position.
Santana lands strikes from half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mario Santana dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Santana drives through with a takedown into guard.
Mario Santana has got the better of the ground game so far.
Santana forces his way into half guard.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Santana. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.
Santana tries to pass the half guard into mount. Bonez knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Santana looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

Santana is working for a kimura but Bonez is defending it quite comfortably.
Bonez could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bonez wants to improve his position but Santana is controlling well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santana looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

Santana is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Santana has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Bonez on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Santana is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Bonez is just riding it out for now. Santana eventually gives up the hold.
Bonez wants to get back to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Bonez is trying to stand back up but Santana is controlling him
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Santana trying to work for an americana but Bonez has managed to regain full guard.
Santana slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Bonez 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.
Bonez is trying to keep Santana in close.
Santana is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
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.
Santana chips away with some ground and pound.
Santana stands and throws Bonez's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Santana controls the position.
Bonez is trying to improve his position.
Santana in side control, just content to control the action for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Santana is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Bonez knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Bonez tries to buck Santana off but Santana is having none of it.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Santana works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mario Santana showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Bonez lands a jab to Santana's midsection.
Santana looks for a takedown but Bonez sprawls well.
A little feinted left hand from Bonez on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.

Bonez takes the fight into the clinch.
Santana has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Bonez avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.

Santana lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Santana is figuring out what he wants to do next.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Bonez kicks Santana off and gets back to his feet.
Bonez will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bonez lands a nice hook to Santana's body. Santana takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Bonez smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Bonez darts in looking for a takedown but Santana gets double underhooks and turns Bonez into the cage.
Nice sprawl there from Bonez as Santana shoots in.
Billy Bonez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mario Santana.

Bonez gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Santana to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Santana stops Bonez from standing up.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Santana sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Bonez looking to hit a scissor sweep but Santana is one step ahead there.
Billy Bonez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santana tries to free his leg and advance position but Bonez is retaining full guard.
Santana looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Bonez wants to stand and escape but Santana is having none of it.
Santana looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santana drops his hands momentarily and Bonez takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.

Santana changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Bonez looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.

Bonez throws Santana to one side and escapes!

Bonez clinches.

Santana has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Bonez is trying to keep an underhook but Santana manages to get the takedown into half guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Santana content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Bonez tries to kick Santana off but Santana keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santana passes to side control.
Santana moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.

Santana tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Santana has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Bonez wants to control but Santana postures up.
Bonez is looking to reverse the position.

Santana tries for a kimura but Bonez is defending well.

And that's the end of the fight!
Billy Bonez showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Santana 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 Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight 28:29
Judge Josh West scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paul Gruel scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mario Santana!