PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Finley Cowan (ranked 3762 p4p, 3068 weight class) and Triston Santos (ranked 337 p4p, 295 weight class). On his way into the cage it seems that Finley Cowan has been attacked by a crazed fan! It looks like it might have been the just bleed guy! Luckily Finley Cowan seems to be OK! I thought that lunatic was in prison!?

Cowan
vs
Santos

170 cm
25
155
3 - 1 - 0

187 cm
25
165
2 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Very quick

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Finley Cowan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Triston Santos!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Dirk Anderson and David Hoff.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cowan tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Santos was well out of range. Poor timing from Cowan.
Cowan looks to land a right hand but Santos moved out of range.

Santos has managed to clinch.
Cowan is trying to maintain a safe position but Santos gets an underhook and turns Cowan into the cage.

Santos breaks the clinch.

Santos fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Cowan, pushing him back against the cage.
Santos lands with a right to the head.
Santos working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Cowan drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Cowan has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Santos after a bit of a struggle.
Cowan drops down looking for an ankle pick but Santos pulls his leg out and moves away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Finley Cowan. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Santos swinging wildly here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Santos avoids the body shot from Cowan.
Santos fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Cowan on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Cowan shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Santos as he avoids it easily.
Santos doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A punch lands to the side of Cowan 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Cowan gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Santos counters with a nice uppercut.
Cowan takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Cowan shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Santos cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

Cowan scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Santos has a hand on Cowan's thigh, trying to get back to full guard. Cowan takes advantage of the position though and mounts him!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Cowan raining down hammerfists from mount.
Cowan lands with some strikes.
A nice elbow there by Cowan.
Santos taking shots to the head.
Cowan lands a nice shot to the head.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Santos can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Santos looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Cowan trying to control but Santos is having none of it.
Cowan working Santos over with strikes here.
A nice elbow there by Cowan.
Cowan trying to control but Santos is having none of it.
Cowan prevents Santos from getting the reversal.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cowan landing strikes, looking to finish!
Cowan scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Santos?
Cowan looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Santos manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Cowan prevents Santos from improving his position.
Santos controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
Santos is trying to maintain the position but Cowan is very close to passing his half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cowan perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Santos taking some punishment here, with Cowan in his half guard.
Santos is looking for a sweep. Cowan is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Cowan trying to control from half guard but Santos is working away.
Cowan passes to side control.
Santos tries to improve position but can't.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Finley Cowan will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

A momentary lapse in concentration from Santos enables Cowan to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Santos manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Santos wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Cowan is now in half guard.
Cowan thows a huge punch but Santos dodges it nicely.
Cowan seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Santos does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Cowan working Santos over with strikes.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cowan working over Santos with some ground and pound. Santos looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Santos has his hands clasped together around Cowan's back. He's all about the action.
Santos wants to improve his position but Cowan is controlling well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Cowan slips a nice elbow through Santos's hands, connecting with Santos's forehead.
Cowan seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Santos is staying active underneath Cowan, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Santos trying to control but Cowan postures up.
Cowan controlling the action here.
Cowan has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Cowan lands a nice short elbow.
Cowan lands strikes from half guard.
Santos wants to get back to full guard.
Cowan 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.
Ground and pound from Cowan.
Nice strikes from Cowan there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos trying to control here.
Cowan keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Santos trying to control but Cowan postures up.
Santos tries to get to full guard but Cowan has control of the leg.
Cowan trying to control the action but Santos is working from the bottom.
Cowan takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Santos is looking to control Cowan's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Santos avoid being mounted?

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Cowan lands with a punch from half guard.
Santos is looking to control Cowan's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Santos avoid being mounted?
Cowan wants to pass to mount but Santos is defending the position.
Still in half guard, Cowan seems content to control.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Santos is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Santos throws a leg kick that is checked

and Cowan counters with a single leg into guard. Santos didn't expect that.
Cowan controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Cowan stands and throws Santos's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Cowan working the ground and pound from side control.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Finley Cowan dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Santos fails in his attempt to clinch.
No joy there for Santos, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Santos throws a looping overhand right but Cowan ducks down to avoid it.
Santos swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Santos misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Cowan half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Santos avoids the body shot from Cowan.
Triston Santos seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Cowan ducks under a wild hook from Santos.
Cowan closes the distance and clinches up with Santos, looking for a takedown. Cowan pushes Santos against the cage but Santos circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Cowan takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Triston Santos is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Santos stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Cowan on the wrong end of a nice jab.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cowan slips under a jab.
Santos throws a lazy right hand but Cowan sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Santos lands the left hand.
Santos has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Cowan fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Cowan is trying hard to land a takedown here. Santos sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Finley Cowan. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Santos has managed to clinch.
Santos lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Santos lands a hook to the side of the head.
Cowan has Santos pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Santos manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Cowan is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Santos gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Cowan drops down looking for an ankle pick but Santos pulls his leg out and moves away.
Santos is looking to clinch.
Cowan attempts a counter takedown but Santos avoids it well and moves away.
Santos thuds his right hand into Cowan's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
A looping hook to the body misses from Santos. Cowan does a little dance to reset his feet.
Cowan blocks a jab.
A slow jab from Santos misses its intended target.
Cowan tries for a takedown but Santos sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Cowan throws a head kick but Santos moves out of range.
Cowan loads up on a big right hand but Santos slips the punch.
Cowan slips a straight right by Santos.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Santos fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Cowan bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Santos throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Cowan on the side of the head.
Triston Santos is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Cowan shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Santos as he avoids it easily.
Santos scores with a jab to the jaw.
A looping hook to the body misses from Santos. Cowan does a little dance to reset his feet.
Santos throws a jab but it's blocked by Cowan.
Nice defenses there by Cowan.
Santos throws out a loose jab but Cowan uses good head movement to avoid it.
Cowan appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Cowan tries a head kick but it misses.
Cowan throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Santos connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Santos misses with the combination.
Triston Santos seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos throws a front kick aimed at Cowan's knee but Cowan avoids it well.
Cowan half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Santos scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Cowan takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Cowan tries a head kick but it misses.
Cowan uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Santos.
Cowan takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
A short uppercut from Santos.
Cowan is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Santos pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Santos lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Santos scores with a nice hook to the head.
Cowan has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Santos avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Santos prevents a takedown attempt there.
Santos prevents the takedown attempt.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A nice right hand lands inside from Santos.

Santos manages to break the clinch.
Cowan has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Cowan there as he acknowledges the shot.
Santos throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Cowan keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Santos misses with a leg kick.
Cowan half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
A head kick by Cowan misses
and Santos cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Cowan uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Santos.
Santos throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Cowan blocks a low kick nicely.
Cowan fails with a takedown attempt.
Triston Santos has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Santos misses with a hook.

And that's the end of the fight!
Triston Santos comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Cowan has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Daniel Franklin scores the fight 28:28
Judge Dirk Anderson scores the fight 28:28
Judge David Hoff scores the fight 28:28

The fight is ruled a draw!