PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Herbert Baine (ranked 2231 p4p, 2490 weight class) and Sampson Sullivan (ranked 330 p4p, 353 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Baine
vs
Sullivan

195 cm
25
215
2 - 0 - 0

189 cm
25
220
2 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Brawler
Big heart

Good takedowns
Brawler
Tends to cut

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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Herbert Baine!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Sampson Sullivan!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Felipe Paraventi and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice takedown defense from Sullivan. No joy for Baine on that attempt.

Sullivan drives through and clinches with Baine against the cage.

Sullivan breaks the clinch.
Baine misses with a takedown attempt
letting Sullivan counter with a right hand.

Sullivan gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Sullivan jumps guard.
Baine is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Sullivan is trying to control the position but Baine postures up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Baine trying to control the position from guard on top but Sullivan is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Baine tries to stand but Sullivan is controlling from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Baine stops Sullivan from standing up.
Sullivan is pulling down on Baine's head. It's preventing any offense from Baine, at least for the moment.
Sullivan looking to control.
Baine wants to control from the top but Sullivan keeps moving.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Baine doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Sullivan counters with a lovely straight right hand!
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Herbert Baine. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Baine looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Sullivan is fending him off so far but Baine persists. Nope, Sullivan circles away and we're back to standing.

Sullivan closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Sullivan drops down looking for an ankle pick but Baine pulls his leg out and moves away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Baine tries to sprawl but Sullivan drives through with a takedown into half guard.

Baine makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
A head kick misses from Baine.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Baine with a lazy takedown attempt

and Sullivan counters by moving into the clinch.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Baine.

Sullivan pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Baine throws a shot from downtown. Sullivan moves away and avoids it.

Baine rushes Sullivan and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Baine wants to take the fight to the mat but Sullivan manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Sullivan blocks a body shot from Baine.
Baine works on Sullivan's body with a couple of short punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Baine jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Sullivan walks away with a smile on his face. Baine gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Baine gets caught flat footed, as Sullivan shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Sullivan stopping the sweep attempt from Baine.
Sullivan controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Sullivan trying to control but Baine is working from the bottom.
Sullivan prevents Baine from getting back to his feet.
Sullivan won't allow Baine to sweep him here.
Baine is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sullivan trying to control but Baine is working from the bottom.
Sullivan is stalling in the full guard.

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

Baine gets caught flat footed, as Sullivan shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Baine is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Baine lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Sullivan will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Sampson Sullivan dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Baine wants to clinch.
Herbert Baine is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Baine is defended easily by Sullivan.
Sullivan needs to keep his hands up - Baine had a free shot at his head there.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Sullivan manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Baine on his heels. He'll look to pass Baine's guard now, I'm sure.
Baine is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Baine trying to keep a closed guard but Sullivan is proving a slippery customer.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Baine manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Sullivan manages to get himself to full guard.

Baine is looking to pass into half guard but Sullivan pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Sullivan is in guard.

Sullivan preventing the sweep.
We've been hearing good reports from Baine's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.
Sullivan's corner is telling him to maintain position.

Baine working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Sullivan doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Sullivan manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Sullivan not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sullivan postures up.
Baine keeping moving, preventing Sullivan from controlling successfully.

Sullivan stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Sullivan throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Sullivan misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Sullivan swats away the attempt to clinch by Baine.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sullivan shoots in and bounces Baine off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Sullivan wants to control from the top but Baine keeps moving.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sullivan with a nice head shot there.
Baine looking for a sweep. Not yet Baine, not yet.
Baine looking to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sullivan trying to control but Baine is working from the bottom.
Baine keeping full guard, as Sullivan tries to pass.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Baine throwing strikes off his back to little effect.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Sullivan closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Baine quickly recovers to half guard.
Sampson Sullivan has got the better of the ground game so far.
Baine is looking to improve his position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Baine is trying to control but Sullivan passes into side control!
Baine is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Sampson Sullivan showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Baine's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Sullivan stuffs the takedown.
The fight stays on the outside here - Baine looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Sullivan clinches up against the cage.
Baine drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Baine has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sullivan just leaning against Baine, taking a breather.
Baine can't get the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Herbert Baine. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Sullivan's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Sullivan shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Baine is doing well to control the position and prevent Sullivan from advancing to side control.
Baine wants to control but Sullivan is keeping busy and won't allow it.
My spies in Rio Grappling Club inform me that Sullivan has been getting involved in the gym's BJJ sparring sessions. Let's see whether that pays dividends!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Baine is looking to improve his position.
Baine works his way to full guard. Good work.
Sullivan scoring with punches to the head and body.

Baine is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Sullivan defends well.
Sullivan not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

That's two 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.
Sullivan throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Baine works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Sullivan passes easily into side control. Nice work.

Sullivan is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Baine knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Baine tries to buck Sullivan off but Sullivan is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sullivan takes a little break here. Baine wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Baine regains half guard.
Sullivan wants to take a breather but Baine is having none of it.
Baine trying to hold on to Sullivan's head to control him but Sullivan postures up.
Baine is trying to get back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Baine on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Baine wants to get back to his feet.
Well, if Sullivan 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.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Sullivan throws a combination. Baine tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Baine drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Sullivan is looking for a sweep.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sampson Sullivan comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Sullivan 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 Emerson Jorge scores the fight 27:30
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 27:30
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 27:30

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