PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Arjen Lucassen (ranked 855 p4p, 111 weight class) and Benjamin Sigfridsson (ranked 803 p4p, 104 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Lucassen
vs
Sigfridsson

174 cm
39
186 lbs
20 - 10 - 0

180 cm
40
192 lbs
29 - 18 - 2

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Core Combat

Vegan Gains
UnderGround Supplements

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 20 - 10 - 0, fighting out of New York, Arjen Lucassen!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 29 - 18 - 2, fighting out of Amsterdam, Benjamin Sigfridsson!
The judges for this bout are Ryoma Takatsuka, Paul Gruel and Colin Fray.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sigfridsson moves out of range of the strikes.

Sigfridsson gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Sigfridsson misses with a short punch on the inside.

Lucassen's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Sigfridsson slips a jab from Lucassen.
Lucassen stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Sigfridsson stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
We've been informed that Sigfridsson has been sparring a lot of Muay Thai in the buildup to this fight so let's see if that has an impact on the result.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sigfridsson tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Lucassen lands a left hand.

Lucassen breaks the clinch.
Lucassen throws a jab when Sigfridsson was well out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Sigfridsson looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Sigfridsson misses with a straight right.
Lucassen scores with a nice strike.

Sigfridsson has managed to clinch.
Sigfridsson misses with a punch to the body.

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

Sigfridsson moves into range and clinches up with Lucassen.

Lucassen pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Lucassen sizes up Sigfridsson with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Lucassen keeps the fight on the outside.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lucassen avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Sigfridsson tries to clinch there but Lucassen circles away.
Lucassen circles away from the clinch attempt
and Lucassen counters with a straight right hand.

Sigfridsson is rocked!
Sigfridsson tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Lucassen throwing a counter right hand but Sigfridsson manages to avoid it.
Sigfridsson closes the distance looking to clinch
and Lucassen connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Sigfridsson is still on wobbly legs! Can Lucassen finish him?
Lucassen looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sigfridsson scores with a hook.
Sigfridsson seems to have recovered his senses.

Sigfridsson drives through and clinches with Lucassen against the cage.

Lucassen's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Lucassen looks to land a right hand but Sigfridsson moved out of range.

Sigfridsson gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Lucassen escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Sigfridsson wants to land a leg kick but Lucassen is out of range.

Sigfridsson has taken the fight to the clinch.

Lucassen pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Lucassen throws a poor cross that misses
and Sigfridsson counters with a three punch combo that has Lucassen backing up. Lucassen nods at Sigfridsson to acknowledge the strikes.
Lucassen circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lucassen pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Sigfridsson closes the distance and clinches.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A short uppercut from Sigfridsson.

Lucassen breaks the clinch.
Sigfridsson doesn't manage to clinch there - Lucassen circles away.
Lucassen looks to throw the jab but Sigfridsson is out of range.
Sigfridsson swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Lucassen with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Sigfridsson to score with a decent uppercut.

Sigfridsson has taken the fight to the clinch.

Lucassen escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Benjamin Sigfridsson will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Sigfridsson closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Sigfridsson fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Lucassen lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Sigfridsson lands an uppercut.

Lucassen breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Sigfridsson tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Lucassen manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Sigfridsson looks to clinch
and Lucassen counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Lucassen just misses with a punch to the body.
A little jabbing left from Sigfridsson on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Sigfridsson is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lucassen swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Lucassen is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Sigfridsson throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lucassen is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Sigfridsson.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Sigfridsson! But no joy.
Lucassen slips a jab from Sigfridsson.
Sigfridsson tries to close the distance and clinch but Lucassen swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Lucassen swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Benjamin Sigfridsson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sigfridsson swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Sigfridsson throws a right hand that Lucassen ducks under and follows up with a left that Lucassen also avoids with ease.
Lucassen takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Sigfridsson lands a nice shot that snaps Lucassen's head back.

Sigfridsson has taken the fight to the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Lucassen breaks the clinch.
Sigfridsson tries to clinch but Lucassen moves out of range.
Lucassen was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.

Sigfridsson closes the distance and clinches.

Lucassen's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Arjen Lucassen is winning the standup battle so far.

Sigfridsson pushes Lucassen up against the cage in a clinch.
Sigfridsson lands a hook to the side of the head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Lucassen throws a punch but it's blocked by Sigfridsson.

Lucassen breaks the clinch.
Sigfridsson tries to clinch but Lucassen is having none of it.
Lucassen throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Lucassen breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Sigfridsson moves to clinch but Lucassen breaks away
and Lucassen counters with a right hand to the body.
Sigfridsson closes the distance looking to clinch
and Lucassen counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

It looks like Benjamin Sigfridsson has been cut.
Sigfridsson looks to clinch
and Lucassen counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Sigfridsson is looking to clinch.
An attempted straight right counter from Lucassen misses the target.
Sigfridsson is looking to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lucassen slips under a jab.
A little feinted left hand from Lucassen on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Sigfridsson tries to close the distance and clinch up but Lucassen swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Lucassen was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Sigfridsson is looking to clinch.
A jab lands there for Sigfridsson.
Lucassen jabs Sigfridsson right on the nose. Sigfridsson blinks but takes it well.

Sigfridsson clinches with his opponent.

Lucassen's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Lucassen avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Lucassen uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Sigfridsson.
It looked like Lucassen wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Arjen Lucassen will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Benjamin Sigfridsson's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Sigfridsson moves into the clinch.
Sigfridsson using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Lucassen has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Lucassen tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Sigfridsson's elbow.

Lucassen breaks from the clinch.
Lucassen avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Lucassen throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Sigfridsson counters with a nice uppercut.
Sigfridsson ducks under a wild hook from Lucassen.

Sigfridsson moves into the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lucassen lands with a short punch from the clinch.

Lucassen breaks from the clinch.
Sigfridsson throws a head kick that misses.
Lucassen is looking to counter punch.

Sigfridsson darts in and clinches Lucassen up against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Lucassen manages to break the clinch.
Crunch! Sigfridsson slams his shin into Lucassen's torso.
Sigfridsson tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Lucassen manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
The fight stays on the outside here - Sigfridsson looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Lucassen misses with a body punch
and Sigfridsson cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Sigfridsson tries to clinch up.
Lucassen swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
The fight stays on the outside here - Sigfridsson looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sigfridsson tries to close the distance and clinch but Lucassen swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Sigfridsson tries to close the distance and clinch up but Lucassen swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Lucassen lands with a right that hurts Sigfridsson. Sigfridsson looks to clinch but Lucassen throws a short knee that drops Sigfridsson. This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:23 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punch and Knee). Arjen Lucassen!
Arjen Lucassen is the new middleweight champion!
After winning the bout, Arjen Lucassen thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.