PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Rafael Santos (ranked 4146 p4p, 3667 weight class) and John Rambone (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Santos
vs
Rambone

179 cm
25
155
0 - 0 - 0

173 cm
25
145
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rafael Santos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, John Rambone!
The judges for this bout are Luis Engracia, Alexandre Firmino and Edson Gomes.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Santos shoots in but no luck this time.
Santos looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Santos wants to clinch.
Rambone misses with a wild body shot.
Rambone connects with a jab.
Santos shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rafael Santos. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nice takedown defense from Rambone. No joy for Santos on that attempt.
Santos shoots in but no luck this time.
Santos misses with a head kick.
Rambone steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Santos.
Rambone takes a swing at Santos's ribcage but misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos misses the jab.
Santos goes for a double leg but Rambone avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Rambone continues to drive forward.
Nice body punch from Rambone.

Rambone breaks the clinch.
Santos throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Santos has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Rambone blocks a leg kick.
Santos darts in looking for a takedown but Rambone gets double underhooks and turns Santos into the cage.
Santos has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Rambone after a bit of a struggle.
Santos is breathing heavily.
Santos stalling against the cage.
Rambone lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Rambone works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rambone lands a hook to the side of the head.
Santos can't break the clinch.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Rambone presses Santos against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Santos fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Santos can't break the clinch.
Rambone lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Santos backwards.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Rambone takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Rambone lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Rambone works on Santos's body with a couple of short punches.
Santos tries to pull guard but Rambone holds him up against the cage and eventually Santos drops back down to his feet.
Rambone works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos is looking to break free of the clinch but Rambone has double underhooks.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Rambone.
Santos changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Rambone fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Santos needs to keep his hands up - Rambone had a free shot at his head there.

Santos gets the takedown into side control.
Santos wants to stand but Rambone is controlling his arm.
Rambone is in a bad spot here and he knows it... just holding on for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santos wants to lay and pray for a moment but Rambone keeps working.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Santos shoots in for a takedown but Rambone shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Good exchange - Rambone coming out on top.
A jab from Rambone does it's job there.
Santos fails with an attempt to clinch.
Santos wants to clinch up but Rambone keeps it at a distance.
Rambone fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Santos on the side of the head.

Santos moves into the clinch.
Rambone lands a shoulder strike.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rambone lands a body shot in the clinch.
Rambone lands a body punch.
Santos tries to pull guard but Rambone holds him up against the cage and eventually Santos drops back down to his feet.
Rambone is pressed up against the cage. Santos has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Rambone down to the mat. Rambone avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rafael Santos. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Santos.
Rambone has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Santos shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Santos was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Santos trying to control the action but Rambone is working from the bottom.

Santos working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Santos is looking to take a break and control but Rambone is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos working the ground and pound but Rambone is defending the strikes.
Rambone tries to improve position but can't.
Santos is looking to take a break and control but Rambone is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Santos postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Rambone really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Santos. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Santos trying to control the action but Rambone is working from the bottom.
Santos throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.

Santos wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Rambone, who protects the arm well.

Santos stands up and beckons Rambone to his feet.

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.
Rambone displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.

Rambone gets tackled into the cage by Santos. Santos maintains the clinch.
A shot in the inside from Rambone.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Rambone.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Rambone.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Santos jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Rambone walks away with a smile on his face. Santos gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Rambone misses with a series of wild punches.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

John Rambone showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Santos closes the distance and clinches up with Rambone, looking for a takedown. Santos pushes Rambone against the cage but Rambone circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Santos tries to clinch there but Rambone circles away.
Santos with a poor takedown

and Rambone moves into the clinch.
Santos looking to stall.
Rambone softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Come on Rambone - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
A short right from Rambone on the inside.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Santos fails to pull the fight into his guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rafael Santos. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Santos breaks the clinch.
A nice combination there by Rambone.
John Rambone is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Santos just misses with a punch to the body.
John Rambone seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Rambone lands with an uppercut that bounces Santos off the cage and back into range.
Rambone fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Santos manages to avoid it.
Rafael Santos is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Santos misses with a takedown attempt - Rambone sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rambone fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Santos manages to avoid it.
A left and a right from Rambone both land. Nice combination.
Santos shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Santos keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos walks into a stiff left hand from Rambone.
Rambone scores with a sloppy right hand. Santos should have avoided that one.
Santos closes the distance and clinches up with Rambone, looking for a takedown. Santos pushes Rambone against the cage but Rambone circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Rambone jabs Santos right on the nose. Santos blinks but takes it well.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Rambone works the jab nicely.
A nice combination there by Santos.
Rambone keeps the fight on the outside.
The crowd cheers as Rambone lands an impressive looking overhand right. Santos doesn't seem phased though.
Santos walks into a stiff left hand from Rambone.
Santos shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Rambone but Rambone pushes him off and we're back to square one.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rambone lands a head shot.
Rambone ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Santos moves away.
Santos takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Santos walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
John Rambone is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Santos tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Rambone paws at him with a jab and circles away.
No luck for Santos with that takedown attempt.
The fight stays on the outside here - Santos looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santos shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Santos.
Rambone is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
Rambone ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Rafael Santos seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rambone throws a series of strikes that have Santos backpedaling.
Santos is looking to clinch but Rambone is avoiding it.
Rambone tries to counter with a clinch but Santos shakes him off and moves away.
Santos uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Rambone.
Nice uppercut lands for Rambone. That snapped Santos's head back.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Rambone throws a body punch but Santos moves out of range.
Rafael Santos has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Santos lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Rambone circles away quickly and effectively.

And that's the end of the fight!
John Rambone comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Rambone winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Luis Engracia scores the fight 27:30
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 27:30
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 27:30

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