PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Rem Dos Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Pedro LaCosta (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Dos Santos
vs
LaCosta

170 cm
20
175 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

178 cm
22
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Inexperienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rem Dos Santos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Pedro LaCosta!
The judges for this bout are Edson Gomes, Daniel Cesar and Leandro Rodrigues.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Dos Santos closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Dos Santos seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but LaCosta does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

Dos Santos gets to his feet - back to striking we go!
A lazy left from LaCosta finds it's target.
LaCosta throws a nice head kick!
Dos Santos could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

Dos Santos gets a clinch.
Dos Santos has LaCosta pushed against the cage.

Dos Santos breaks from the clinch.
LaCosta has his takedown stuffed

and Dos Santos holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Dos Santos escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Dos Santos drives through with a takedown into guard.
Dos Santos is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Dos Santos's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dos Santos sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed LaCosta's guard.
LaCosta looks gassed!
LaCosta wants to improve his position but Dos Santos is controlling well.
Dos Santos not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Dos Santos keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

Dos Santos stands up and beckons LaCosta to join him on the feet.
LaCosta shoots and misses

and Dos Santos counters with a takedown into side control.
Dos Santos tries to move into full mount but can't pass LaCosta's legs.
LaCosta is trying to improve his position.
LaCosta is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dos Santos working the ground and pound.
LaCosta wants to get back to his feet.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
LaCosta lands a two punch combo.
LaCosta closes the distance looking to clinch

and Dos Santos counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in LaCosta's guard now.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
There's a bit of a scramble here and now LaCosta is on top in guard.
LaCosta would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Dos Santos is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Dos Santos is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Dos Santos is really struggling to control LaCosta but he's trying to hold on to the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dos Santos lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for LaCosta!
LaCosta can't escape the position.
Dos Santos controlling the pace for now.
Dos Santos won't let LaCosta get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
Dos Santos looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Dos Santos controlling his opponent.
Dos Santos tries to control but LaCosta wriggling away.
LaCosta tries to hold on but Dos Santos pushes him away.

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.
LaCosta really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Dos Santos looking to finish LaCosta with some ground and pound. This is bad for LaCosta!
Dos Santos landing strikes from the mount.
Dos Santos dominating with strikes here.
Dos Santos tries to control but LaCosta wriggling away.
Dos Santos tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Dos Santos prevents LaCosta from getting the reversal.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Dos Santos controlling the pace for now.
LaCosta tries to reverse the position but Dos Santos maintains control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rem Dos Santos dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Dos Santos scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
LaCosta trying to control here.
Dos Santos keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
LaCosta is trying to stand up here but Dos Santos is controlling him well.
Dos Santos controlling the action here.
LaCosta is trying to stand up here but Dos Santos is controlling him well.
LaCosta works his way to full guard. Good work.

LaCosta manages to escape and get back to his feet.

Dos Santos shoots in and bounces LaCosta off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

LaCosta looking for a guillotine here but Dos Santos defends easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Dos Santos decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
LaCosta closes the distance but Dos Santos moves to the side

and Dos Santos counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
LaCosta is trying to keep Dos Santos in close.

Dos Santos gets to his feet. LaCosta looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
LaCosta shoots in and drives through. Dos Santos sprawls well.

Dos Santos bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Dos Santos in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Dos Santos stands up and beckons LaCosta to his feet.

Dos Santos darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dos Santos has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
LaCosta is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
LaCosta can't escape the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Dos Santos scoring with strikes but LaCosta is staying in there.
Dos Santos dominating with strikes here.
Dos Santos scores with a couple of good head shots there.
A nice elbow there by Dos Santos.
Dos Santos looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Dos Santos wants to control the pace but LaCosta is squirming around nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
LaCosta is wriggling around trying to escape.
Dos Santos with good strikes from the mount here!
LaCosta wants to hold on but Dos Santos pushes him away.

Dos Santos jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but LaCosta manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Dos Santos trying to control the position but LaCosta is working away.

Dos Santos decides to take the fight back to the feet.
LaCosta misses with a takedown attempt

and Dos Santos moves into the clinch.
LaCosta wants to break the clinch but can't.

Dos Santos breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Dos Santos looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for LaCosta!
Dos Santos lands with some vicious ground and pound - can LaCosta hang on?

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dos Santos with good strikes from the mount here!
LaCosta is working to get back to half guard.
Dos Santos can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as LaCosta is looking to escape.
Dos Santos connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Dos Santos lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Dos Santos putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Dos Santos controlling the position easily from mount.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rem Dos Santos dominated that second round.
That's time! Dos Santos's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Dos Santos clinches.

Dos Santos gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
LaCosta is trying to get back to full guard.

Dos Santos wants to work for an arm triangle but LaCosta is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

LaCosta looking for submissions off his back.

LaCosta actively working from the bottom here.

LaCosta kicks Dos Santos off and gets back to his feet.
LaCosta clinches but Dos Santos breaks the clinch

and Dos Santos holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
LaCosta wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Dos Santos has him pressed against the cage.

Dos Santos drags the fight down to the ground.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as LaCosta accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
LaCosta slips nicely into half guard.

LaCosta is looking for a kimura but Dos Santos is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for LaCosta to get the leverage.
Dos Santos is trying to maintain the position but LaCosta is very close to passing his half guard.
Dos Santos keeps control of the position for the meantime.
Dos Santos won't allow LaCosta to pass to mount.

Dos Santos kicks off LaCosta and gets to his feet.
Dos Santos uses good head movement to avoid the hook from LaCosta.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
LaCosta throws a right and a left that Dos Santos avoids nicely.

Dos Santos shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Dos Santos showed some decent athleticism there.
Dos Santos seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but LaCosta does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Dos Santos not doing much here.
LaCosta wants to get back to full guard.

Dos Santos is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

LaCosta kicks Dos Santos off and gets back to his feet.

Dos Santos clinches with his opponent.
Dos Santos changes levels and goes for a takedown here. LaCosta fights it off and pushes away nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
LaCosta scores with a three punch combo!

Dos Santos feints and as LaCosta raises his hands in defense, Dos Santos changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Dos Santos trying to control the position from guard on top but LaCosta is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Dos Santos working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of LaCosta's head.

Dos Santos thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Dos Santos trying to control but LaCosta is working from the bottom.

LaCosta is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Dos Santos slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
LaCosta keeping moving, preventing Dos Santos from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dos Santos postures up and lands a big shot to LaCosta's brow.
LaCosta has a closed guard, preventing Dos Santos from standing up.
LaCosta looking to control.
Dos Santos pushes down on LaCosta's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Dos Santos passes the guard and advances to mount!
Dos Santos is in the full mount, landing strikes.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Dos Santos takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Pedro LaCosta has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
LaCosta working to try and regain half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rem Dos Santos showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Dos Santos, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Edson Gomes scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 30:27
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rem Dos Santos!