PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Bruno Santos (ranked 2804 p4p, 3590 weight class) and Ruben Flijers (ranked 368 p4p, 470 weight class). Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Santos
vs
Flijers

185 cm
28
208
4 - 2 - 0

188 cm
25
200
2 - 4 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter fighter
Big heart

Decent wrestler
Decent boxing
Granite chin

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 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Bruno Santos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Ruben Flijers!
The judges for this bout are Reed Andrews, Alyssa Summers and Jorge Garcia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Flijers just misses with a punch to the body.
Flijers scores with a punch to the head.
Flijers throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Santos stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Flijers connects with a body shot.
Flijers scores with a jab to the head.
A looping hook to the body misses from Flijers. Santos does a little dance to reset his feet.
Flijers cracks Santos with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Santos is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Flijers takes a swing at Santos's ribcage but misses.
Flijers bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Santos's head.
Santos tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Flijers swivels and escapes.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Flijers lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Santos takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Flijers fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Santos manages to avoid it.
Santos changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Flijers clobbers Santos with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.

Santos is rocked!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Flijers throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Oh Santos is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Santos looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Ruben Flijers is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Santos avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Santos is looking to counter punch.
Santos seems to have got his legs back now.
The fighters circle momentarily. Flijers darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.

Flijers bobbing and weaving well here. And he's unloaded with a massive right hand that drops Santos! He dives into his guard looking to finish!

It looks like Bruno Santos has been cut.
Santos controlling the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Flijers sitting in guard, not really doing much.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos is looking to stand up but Flijers isn't so interested in that idea.
Flijers controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Flijers must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Flijers's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Santos takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Flijers dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Flijers scores with a sloppy right hand. Santos should have avoided that one.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Flijers scores with a shot to the body.
Flijers with a hook.
Flijers takes a swing at Santos's ribcage but misses.
A cross from Flijers lands.
Flijers slaps away a takedown attempt from Santos, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Flijers jabs at Santos's body.
Nice jab there from Flijers.
Flijers scores with the left hand. Santos knows he should have avoided that one.

Flijers catches Santos napping and connects with a big right hand that sends Santos to the canvas!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Flijers is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
More stalling from Flijers.
Santos has control of Flijers's left arm, preventing Flijers from doing any damage.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Ruben Flijers dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Bruno Santos's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action.

Flijers with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Flijers catches Santos with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Flijers throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Santos stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Flijers misses the shot to the body.
Flijers jabs Santos to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Nice jab there from Flijers.

Flijers drops his shoulder and cracks Santos with a huge uppercut! Santos goes down! Can Flijers finish him?
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Santos is pulling down on Flijers's head. It's preventing any offense from Flijers, at least for the moment.
Flijers is stalling in the full guard.
Santos keeping full guard, as Flijers tries to pass.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos being controlled here, momentarily.
Santos is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Santos being controlled here, momentarily.
Flijers wants to pass the guard but Santos is keeping the position.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Flijers is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Flijers has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Flijers throws a body shot but no joy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Santos tries for a takedown but Flijers circles away easily
and Flijers counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Flijers lands with a hook. Santos tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Ruben Flijers seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Flijers cracks Santos with an open hand slap.

Flijers throws a head kick that lands with a deafening thwack! The crowd roars as Santos stumbles backwards and falls to the mat. Flijers follows into mount!
Flijers looking to control but Santos is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Flijers controlling from mount.
Santos is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Flijers controlling his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Flijers with more of the same as he continues to hold on.
Flijers tries to control but Santos wriggling away.
Flijers tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Santos holds on for dear life.
Santos is trying desperately to improve position.
Flijers sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Flijers looking to control but Santos is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Ruben Flijers showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Bruno Santos's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Santos shoots in but no luck this time.
Flijers lands a jab.
Santos shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Nice shot lands for Flijers.

Flijers drops his shoulder and cracks Santos with a huge uppercut! Santos goes down! Can Flijers finish him?
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Flijers is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Let's hope that Flijers has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Flijers trying to control the position from guard on top but Santos is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Flijers seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Santos tries to clinch there but Flijers circles away.
Ruben Flijers seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Flijers lands a slapping body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Flijers chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Flijers cracks a nice hook into Santos's ribs.
A jab from Flijers finds it's way through Santos's defenses.
Santos takes one to the side of the head.
A chopping leg kick lands by Flijers.
Bruno Santos is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Santos closes the distance and clinches.
Flijers lands an elbow inside that Santos shrugs off.
Santos dodges an elbow strike from Flijers.
Flijers avoiding damage.

Flijers jumps into guard, dragging Santos to the mat.
Flijers is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Santos wants to control from the top but Flijers keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Flijers holds on and takes a little breather.
Santos is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Ruben Flijers has got the better of the ground game so far.
Flijers wants to sweep but no luck.
Santos seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Santos being controlled here momentarily.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.

That's four 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.
Flijers punishes Santos's body with a nice straight punch.
Flijers catches Santos with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Flijers fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Santos manages to avoid it.
Flijers scores with a body shot.
Santos walks into a stiff left hand from Flijers.
Flijers scores with a jab. Santos acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Flijers cracks Santos with a nasty uppercut that draws ooohs from the crowd and sends Santos tumbling backwards onto the mat. He tries to recover but Flijers pounces and lands a hail of unanswered strikes that forces the referee to step in to end the fight! Santos is not happy but he gave the referee no choice!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:43 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Ruben Flijers!
During a confident post fight interview, Ruben Flijers thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.