PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Dan Sanchez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Freddie Mercury (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Sanchez
vs
Mercury

185 cm
24
175 lbs
3 - 5 - 0

175 cm
25
183 lbs
6 - 5 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 5 - 0, fighting out of London, Dan Sanchez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 5 - 0, fighting out of London, Freddie Mercury!
The judges for this bout are Donald Grub, William Gold and Paul Tew.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Mercury gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Sanchez to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Sanchez tries to stand but Mercury is controlling from the bottom.
Sanchez trying to control the position from guard on top but Mercury is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Mercury escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Sanchez gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Mercury had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Sanchez defends it easily.
Sanchez keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Mercury's head.

Mercury looking for a guillotine here but Sanchez defends easily.
Sanchez with a flurry of punches that miss.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Sanchez's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sanchez stands up from Mercury's guard - Sanchez perhaps looking for a knockout.

Sanchez gets caught flat footed, as Mercury shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Mercury is looking to stand up but Sanchez won't let him.
Mercury looks gassed!

Sanchez looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Mercury won't allow Sanchez to sweep him here.
Mercury throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Sanchez tries to strike from the bottom.

Mercury has gone for a leg lock! Sanchez slips out almost immediately though and dives into Mercury's guard.
Sanchez pushes down on Mercury's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Sanchez missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Sanchez blocks the strikes from Mercury.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Sanchez is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Mercury defends it well.
Mercury is trying to stand up here but Sanchez is controlling him well.
Sanchez working Mercury over with strikes.

Sanchez is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Mercury defends it well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Mercury slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Mercury trying to keep a closed guard but Sanchez is proving a slippery customer.

Mercury working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Sanchez doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Sanchez manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

Mercury is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Sanchez defends well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Mercury is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Sanchez working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.

Mercury looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Sanchez got a little sloppy there for a moment and Mercury has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Sanchez has managed to get both his arms back between Mercury's legs - danger averted.
Sanchez preventing the sweep.

Mercury looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Sanchez passes into half guard.
Sanchez 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.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Sanchez is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Sanchez is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Mercury is pressing down on Sanchez's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Mercury looking to control.

Sanchez avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Sanchez scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Sanchez wants to control from the top but Mercury keeps moving.
Mercury utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Mercury looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Sanchez wants to control from the top but Mercury keeps moving.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Dan Sanchez will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Mercury forces Sanchez back against the cage and clinches.
Mercury has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Sanchez avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.

Sanchez drags the fight down to the ground.
Sanchez manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Sanchez fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Mercury in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sanchez cracks Mercury with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Mercury is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Mercury is trying desperately to improve position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sanchez lands a heavy elbow.
Mercury wants to control but Sanchez is having none of it.
Sanchez lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mercury keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Mercury tries to lock up and control but Sanchez gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Sanchez cracks Mercury with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Mercury working to try and regain half guard.
Sanchez with shots to the head and body - Mercury looks very uncomfortable down there.
Sanchez unloading with bombs!
Mercury working to try and regain half guard.
Mercury is bucking up trying to escape but Sanchez cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Sanchez working the ground and pound effectively.
Sanchez cracks Mercury with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Sanchez punching from mount but Mercury doing a good job of avoiding damage.

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.
Mercury regains half guard.
Mercury is pressing down on Sanchez's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Mercury trying to keep a closed guard but Sanchez is proving a slippery customer.
Sanchez is in close to Mercury's body, working some short punches and elbows.

Mercury escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Sanchez gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Sanchez wants to pass the guard but Mercury is keeping the position.
Sanchez stopping the sweep attempt from Mercury.
Mercury looking to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mercury keeping moving, preventing Sanchez from controlling successfully.
Sanchez has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Mercury has his foot on Sanchez's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Sanchez works his way back into a safe position though.
Mercury is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Sanchez content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Mercury is trying to control the position but Sanchez postures up.
Sanchez trying to control the position from guard on top but Mercury is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Mercury striking off his back, scoring a few points.

Mercury throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Mercury has a closed guard, preventing Sanchez from standing up.

That's four 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.
Mercury throws some sloppy strikes off his back.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Sanchez circles away from the clinch attempt.

Sanchez rushes Mercury and presses him up against the cage.

Sanchez has picked Mercury up - he's going for a ride! Sanchez dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Sanchez wants to pass to mount but Mercury is defending the position.
Mercury striking from half guard on the bottom.
Sanchez is thwarting Mercury's attempts to control the position.
Mercury lands with a few short shots to the body.
Sanchez lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Mercury keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dan Sanchez dominated that second round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Mercury drives through with a takedown into guard.

Sanchez looking for a guillotine here but Mercury defends easily.

Mercury stands up from Sanchez's guard - Mercury perhaps looking for a knockout.

Mercury drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

Mercury is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Sanchez is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

Mercury tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Sanchez throws a couple of strikes there.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Mercury is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Sanchez has escaped the position, nice work there.
Sanchez tries to buck Mercury off but Mercury is having none of it.
Mercury in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Sanchez is looking to reverse the position.

Mercury working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Mercury scoring with punches from side control.

That's two 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.
You can see the frustration on Sanchez's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Sanchez looks to move to half guard but instead Mercury has passed into mount! Damn!
Sanchez wants to control but Mercury is having none of it.

Mercury looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.

Mercury is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Sanchez to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Sanchez shrugs it off.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Mercury cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez can't escape the position.

Mercury get's back to his feet.
Mercury shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Sanchez counters with a single leg into guard. Mercury didn't expect that.

Mercury working for a triangle but Sanchez defends it easily.
Sanchez lands a couple of digs.

Mercury throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Freddie Mercury has got the better of the ground game so far.
Sanchez trying to control the position from guard on top but Mercury is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mercury has momentary wrist control but Sanchez slips an elbow through the middle.

Sanchez drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Sanchez jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

Mercury is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Sanchez defends well.
Sanchez makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

Mercury has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Sanchez can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Mercury had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Sanchez defends it easily.
Sanchez with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

And that's the end of the fight!
Freddie Mercury comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Sanchez 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 Donald Grub scores the fight for Freddie Mercury!
Judge William Gold scores the fight for Freddie Mercury!
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight for Freddie Mercury!

Freddie Mercury wins by unanimous decision!