PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Les Paul (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Santiago Sanchez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Santiago Sanchez will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Paul
vs
Sanchez

160 cm
23
153 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

174 cm
21
155 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Solid boxing
Very strong

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Determined

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 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Les Paul!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Santiago Sanchez!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Jack Bonds and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Paul looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Paul in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Paul 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.
Paul pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Sanchez is keeping the position for now.

Paul drops back looking for a leg! Sanchez is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Sanchez manages to kick Paul off! Paul jumps back into Sanchez's guard.

Paul thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Sanchez escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Paul gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Sanchez controls Paul momentarily but Paul frees himself.
Paul loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Paul trying to control the position from guard on top but Sanchez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Paul digs a good hook to Sanchez's body.
Sanchez takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.

Paul shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Paul showed some decent athleticism there.
Sanchez is trying to get back to full guard.
Sanchez has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Paul is working away from the top position though.

Sanchez is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Paul pulls his head out easily.
Paul looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Sanchez with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.

Paul is working for a kimura but Sanchez is defending it quite comfortably.

Sanchez is defending against the submission attempts here by Paul.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez is refusing to be controlled, as Paul sits in half guard.
Paul frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Paul tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Sanchez working to try and regain half guard.
Paul lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Sanchez hang on?
Paul working the ground and pound effectively.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Paul looking to secure an arm triangle but Sanchez defends it well.
Sanchez is wriggling around trying to escape.

Paul working for a submission but Sanchez is keeping him at bay.
Paul is breathing heavily.

Paul with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Paul prevents Sanchez from getting the reversal.
Paul lands with some strikes.

Paul working for a guillotine from mount but Sanchez is in no mood to give up.
Paul thowing shots but they're missing.
Sanchez working to try and regain half guard.
Paul misses with a head shot.
Sanchez is in all sorts of trouble here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Paul with the ground and pound from mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Les Paul dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Paul stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.

Paul scores a takedown into full mount!
Paul has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Sanchez's face.
Paul trying to control but he's not successful this time.

Paul looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Paul is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Sanchez tries to hold on but Paul postures up.
Sanchez is looking to improve his position but Paul isn't that keen on the idea.

Paul has hold of Sanchez's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Sanchez manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Paul throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Sanchez because Paul loaded up on that one.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Paul controlling the pace for now.
Paul looking to finish Sanchez with some ground and pound. This is bad for Sanchez!
Les Paul overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Paul throws some wild stikes that Sanchez manages to avoid easily.
Paul throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Paul unloads with some shots from mount but Sanchez bucks and avoids them well.

Paul looking to isolate an arm here. Sanchez doesn't see it coming and as Paul extends the arm, he's forced to tap out! Nice submission by Paul!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:57 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Les Paul!