PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Weimin Liaw (ranked 2828 p4p, 354 weight class) and Nicky Santoro (ranked 3620 p4p, 427 weight class). I don't know about you partner, but I'm pumped for this one!

Liaw
vs
Santoro

187 cm
30
187 lbs
6 - 6 - 1

185 cm
25
217 lbs
5 - 7 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 6 - 1, fighting out of St Petersburg, Weimin Liaw!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Nicky Santoro!
The judges for this bout are Konstantin Menshow, Dmitry Maklakov and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Santoro works Liaw's body with a nice hook.
Liaw keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Santoro looks to throw the jab but Liaw is out of range.
Weimin Liaw seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Santoro lands a jab to the head.

Liaw clinches.

Liaw breaks from the clinch.
Nice uppercut lands for Santoro. That snapped Liaw's head back.
Liaw throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Liaw doesn't manage to clinch there - Santoro circles away.
Santoro swats away the attempt to clinch by Liaw.
Santoro looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Liaw lands an overhand right.
Liaw connects with a single shot there.
Santoro takes one on the button.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Santoro tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Liaw was well out of range. Poor timing from Santoro.
Santoro swings widly with a right hand
and Liaw counters with a nice uppercut.

It looks like Nicky Santoro has been cut.
Santoro avoids a lazy jab quite easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santoro lands with an uppercut that bounces Liaw off the cage and back into range.
Liaw moves out of range as Santoro strikes.
Liaw looks to land a combination but Santoro avoids it well.
Liaw has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.

Liaw has taken the fight to the clinch.

Santoro breaks from the clinch.

Liaw clinches up with Santoro and pushes him back against the cage.
Liaw wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Liaw is trying to force a seperation but Santoro has the dominant position.

Liaw breaks the clinch.
Liaw is looking to clinch.

Liaw clinches with his opponent.
Liaw is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Santoro is defending well for now.

Liaw breaks from the clinch.
Santoro misses with a looping right.
Liaw misses with a hook.
Liaw has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Liaw there as he acknowledges the shot.
Santoro moves forwards but Liaw connects with a nice, crisp jab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Nice body punch from Santoro.
Santoro throws a hook but Liaw blocks it.
Liaw takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Liaw tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Santoro manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Liaw pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Santoro scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Santoro misses with an uppercut. Liaw saw that one coming.
Liaw needs to keep his hands up - Santoro had a free shot at his head there.
Santoro uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Liaw.
Liaw closes the distance looking to clinch
letting Santoro counter with a right hand.
Liaw scores with a nice strike.
Santoro has been working his punching technique in the buildup to the fight and it appears to be paying off.
Liaw takes one on the button.
Santoro misses with a straight right.
Santoro is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Liaw had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into pâté.
Santoro misses with a straight right.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santoro stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Santoro jabs Liaw right on the nose. Liaw blinks but takes it well.

Liaw is rocked!
Liaw lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.

Santoro drops his shoulder and cracks Liaw with a huge uppercut! Liaw goes down! Can Santoro finish him?
Oh Liaw is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Santoro tries to stand but Liaw is controlling from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Liaw seems to have got his legs back now.
Santoro won't allow Liaw to get back to his feet.

Santoro stands up and waves to Liaw to follow him.
Liaw misses with a wild body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santoro lands an overhand right.
Santoro throws a shot from downtown. Liaw moves away and avoids it.
A jab from Santoro misses.
Santoro avoids the body shot from Liaw.
Liaw throws a looping overhand right but Santoro ducks down to avoid it.
Santoro looks to throw the jab but Liaw is out of range.
Liaw slips a straight right by Santoro.
Liaw doesn't manage to clinch there - Santoro circles away.
Santoro cracks Liaw with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.

Liaw has Santoro up against the cage in a clinch.

Liaw pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Liaw doesn't manage to clinch there - Santoro circles away.
Santoro keeps the fight on the outside.
Liaw wants to clinch up but Santoro keeps it at a distance.
Santoro throws an overhand right that lands on Liaw's shoulder, as Liaw tries to avoid the shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nicky Santoro dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Nicky Santoro's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Santoro swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Liaw fails in his attempt to clinch.
Liaw doesn't manage to clinch there - Santoro circles away.
Liaw throws a head kick but Santoro moves out of range.
Santoro catches Liaw with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Santoro swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Liaw closes the distance but Santoro moves to the side
and Santoro counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Santoro misses with a looping right.
Liaw was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Liaw moves out of range as Santoro strikes.
Liaw tries to clinch but Santoro moves out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Liaw misses with a body shot.

Liaw clinches up with Santoro and pushes him back against the cage.
Santoro has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Liaw tries to break the clinch but Santoro is controlling the position.
Santoro misses with a punch to the body.

Liaw breaks the clinch.
Liaw slips under a jab from Santoro.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Liaw keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Liaw tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Santoro counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

Liaw moves into the clinch.
Santoro throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Liaws head.
Liaw throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Santoro blocks it with crossed arms.
Santoro lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Liaw backwards.
Santoro lands a left hand that snaps the head of Liaw backwards.

Liaw breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Santoro misses with a straight left.
Liaw tries to close the distance and clinch but Santoro swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Santoro scores with a jab to the jaw.
Liaw scores with a jab to the body.
Liaw tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Santoro was well out of range. Poor timing from Liaw.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Liaw blocks a jab.
Nice defenses there by Liaw.
Liaw tries to clinch up.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Santoro! But no joy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Santoro clobbers Liaw with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Liaw pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Santoro looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Santoro connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Liaw thuds his right hand into Santoro's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Santoro loads up on a big right hand but Liaw slips the punch.
Santoro moves into range and connects with a jab.
Liaw fails with an attempt to clinch.
Santoro takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Santoro keeps the fight on the outside.
Santoro swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Santoro throws an overhand right that lands on Liaw's shoulder, as Liaw tries to avoid the shot.
Liaw tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Santoro paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Santoro moves into range and connects with a jab.
Santoro throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Liaw tries to clinch up but Santoro circles away and keeps his distance.
Liaw looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Santoro misses with a hook.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A big left from Santoro misses.
Santoro thuds his right hand into Liaw's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Santoro connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Liaw's hands.
Liaw lands a right hook to the body.

Liaw clinches with his opponent.

Liaw breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Santoro with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Liaw to score with a decent uppercut.
Santoro throws out a loose jab but Liaw uses good head movement to avoid it.
Santoro jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Santoro fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Liaw manages to avoid it.
Nicky Santoro seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Liaw tries to clinch but Santoro is having none of it.
Santoro throws a poor cross that misses
and Liaw counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Liaw wants to clinch up but Santoro keeps it at a distance.
Santoro looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Santoro misses with a straight left.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Liaw lands with a nice body kick.
Santoro is breathing heavily.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Liaw clinches up against the cage.
Santoro wants to break the clinch but can't.
Liaw tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Santoro avoids it.
Liaw tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Santoro avoids it.

Liaw's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Santoro swings for the body but Liaw moves out of range.
Liaw misses with a kick to the body.
Liaw looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Liaw throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Santoro swats away the attempt to clinch by Liaw.
Liaw throws a predictable looking body shot
and Santoro counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Santoro cracks Liaw with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Santoro looks to land a right hand but Liaw moved out of range.

Liaw clinches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nicky Santoro showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Nicky Santoro's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Santoro takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Santoro looks to land a left hand but Liaw moved out of range nicely.

Liaw feints and then winds up with a huge right hand that connects perfectly and sends Santoro sprawling to the canvas! Santoro rolls over backwards and springs off the cage and manages to regain his footing - how acrobatic! Oh, he's still wobbly - can Liaw finish him?!

Santoro is rocked!

That has opened up Nicky Santoro's cut even more.
Liaw wants to clinch up but Santoro keeps it at a distance.
Santoro is still on wobbly legs! Can Liaw finish him?
Liaw is stalking Santoro. Santoro circles to his left. Keeps circling left. Bam! Straight right from Liaw, and it's lights out! Santoro really payed the price for that rookie mistake.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:19 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Weimin Liaw!
A very excited looking Weimin Liaw made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.