PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Spike Speigel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Stefan Burczymucha (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.

Speigel
vs
Burczymucha

192 cm
20
167 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

187 cm
22
175 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Prefers ground

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Solid 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 Tokyo, Spike Speigel!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Stefan Burczymucha!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Yamamoto, Shigeki Fujiwara and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Burczymucha looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.

Speigel darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Burczymucha is trying to stand.
Well, if Speigel is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Burczymucha is trying to stand back up but Speigel is controlling him
Speigel looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Burczymucha with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Speigel seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Burczymucha wants to control but Speigel is keeping busy.
Burczymucha tries to kick Speigel off but Speigel keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Speigel takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Burczymucha pushes Speigel off looking to stand but Speigel dives back in and keeps control.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Speigel decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.
Burczymucha is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Burczymucha scores with a nice body kick.
Burczymucha lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!

Speigel gets a clinch.
Speigel tries to land knees in the clinch but Burczymucha avoids the damage to the body.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Speigel really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Burczymucha creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Burczymucha misses with a body punch.
Speigel goes for a takedown attempt but Burczymucha pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Burczymucha closes the distance but Speigel moves to the side

and Speigel moves into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Speigel has had enough of the clinch but Burczymucha keeps him there for the moment.
Burczymucha is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Speigel pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Burczymucha misses with an elbow strike.
Burczymucha wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Burczymucha tries to break the clinch but Speigel is controlling the position.
Speigel goes for a takedown in the clinch but Burczymucha prevents it.
Speigel is breathing heavily.
Speigel blocks an elbow strike.
Speigel wants a takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Spike Speigel. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Burczymucha wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Speigel looking to stall.
Speigel fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Speigel is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Burczymucha tries to stall but Speigel uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Burczymucha comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Speigel jumps guard but Burczymucha stands there with Speigel around his waist. Speigel gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
A knee to the head by Burczymucha.
Burczymucha throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Speigel tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Burczymucha just stands there and leans against the cage.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Burczymucha stalling in the clinch.
Burczymucha pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Burczymucha tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Burczymucha gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Burczymucha scores with a knee to the head.
Speigel wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Burczymucha tries to break the clinch but Speigel is controlling the position.
Burczymucha lands a damaging elbow.
Burczymucha presses Speigel against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Speigel fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Burczymucha is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Burczymucha creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Speigel blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Burczymucha pushes off an throws an elbow but Speigel leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.

Burczymucha manages to break the clinch.
Speigel shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Burczymucha as he avoids it easily.
Burczymucha throws a right and a left that Speigel avoids nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stefan Burczymucha dominated that 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.

Burczymucha throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Speigel's waist but Speigel gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Burczymucha off to one side.

Burczymucha takes the fight into the clinch.
Speigel fails to pull guard.
Burczymucha using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Speigel has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Burczymucha misses with a hook from the clinch.
Burczymucha creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Speigel's defenses.
Burczymucha throws a knee to the head but misses.
Burczymucha avoiding damage as Speigel throws knees to the body.
Burczymucha lands a nice elbow.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Burczymucha is trying to maintain a safe position but Speigel gets an underhook and turns Burczymucha into the cage.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Burczymucha.
Burczymucha throws a head punch that misses.
Speigel wants to break free but Burczymucha has control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Burczymucha tries to work over Speigel's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Speigel has Burczymucha pushed against the cage.
Speigel avoiding damage as Burczymucha throws knees to the body.
Speigel is pressed up against the cage. Burczymucha has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Speigel down to the mat. Speigel avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Speigel steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Burczymucha. That one must have hurt.
Speigel throws a body punch but Burczymucha moves out of range.
Burczymucha closes the distance but Speigel moves to the side

and Speigel counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Speigel stops Burczymucha from standing up.
Burczymucha is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Speigel slips nicely into half guard.
Burczymucha pushes Speigel off looking to stand but Speigel dives back in and keeps control.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Speigel.

Speigel shoots in and bounces Burczymucha off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Burczymucha is looking to stand up but Speigel isn't so interested in that idea.
Speigel has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Burczymucha trying to strike off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Burczymucha wants to stand and escape but Speigel is having none of it.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

Burczymucha has his feet on Speigel's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Burczymucha tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Speigel darts in and clinches Burczymucha up against the cage.
Speigel managing to block the knees to the body from Burczymucha.
Speigel can't break the clinch.
Speigel gets underhooks to prevent Burczymucha's takedown attempt.
Spike Speigel has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Stefan Burczymucha.
Speigel wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Burczymucha stalling.
Burczymucha letting Speigel take a breather here.
Burczymucha misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Speigel.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Burczymucha lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Burczymucha avoiding damage as Speigel throws knees to the body.
Burczymucha lands a nice elbow.
Burczymucha looking to slow down the pace here.
Burczymucha can't break the clinch.
Burczymucha landing knees to the body.
Knees to the body from Burczymucha.
Burczymucha throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Speigel blocks it with crossed arms.
Burczymucha throws an elbow but it's blocked.

Burczymucha breaks the clinch.
Burczymucha with a lazy takedown attempt

and Speigel counters with a nice double leg into side control. Burczymucha won't be happy with that.
Burczymucha is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Speigel is controlling him well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Spike Speigel dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Speigel avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Speigel scores with a takedown into Burczymucha's guard.
Burczymucha wants to stand and escape but Speigel is having none of it.
Speigel trying to control the position from guard on top but Burczymucha is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Speigel tries to free his leg and advance position but Burczymucha is retaining full guard.
Speigel stops Burczymucha from standing up.

Speigel stands up and waves to Burczymucha to follow him.
Burczymucha misses with a takedown attempt
and Speigel counters with a big head kick but Burczymucha shrugs it off.

Speigel changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Burczymucha looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Burczymucha is trying to get back to his feet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
You can see the frustration on Burczymucha's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Speigel prevents Burczymucha from escaping the position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Burczymucha manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Burczymucha is trying to control but can't.
Burczymucha looks like he's trying to stand up.
Burczymucha tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Burczymucha tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Burczymucha wants to clinch but Speigel slips to the side

and Speigel counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Speigel is looking to advance position but Burczymucha won't allow it.
Burczymucha keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Burczymucha looks like he's trying to stand up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Speigel seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Burczymucha does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Burczymucha is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Speigel's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Speigel's back!
Speigel just trying to survive but Burczymucha is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.
I really don't envy Speigel right now.
Speigel just looking to survive in the bad position.
Burczymucha missing with strikes from the back.
Speigel looking very determined here, making life difficult for Burczymucha.
Burczymucha is trying to stick to Speigel's back but Speigel is turning into Burczymucha. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Burczymucha's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Speigel.
Speigel trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Speigel is standing up over Burczymucha. Burczymucha looks to escape but Speigel dives into side control.
Speigel is looking to take a break and control but Burczymucha is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Burczymucha is trying to buck Speigel off.
Burczymucha is looking for a sweep.
Speigel trying to control the action but Burczymucha is working from the bottom.
Burczymucha is looking for a sweep.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Speigel feints and as Burczymucha raises his hands in defense, Speigel changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Burczymucha throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Burczymucha keeping full guard, as Speigel tries to pass.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Speigel controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Speigel looking to pass the guard.
Burczymucha wants to stand up but Speigel is controlling him.
Spike Speigel overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Burczymucha can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Speigel controls the pace.
Burczymucha wants to get back to his feet but Speigel is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Nice takedown defense from Burczymucha. No joy for Speigel on that attempt.

And that's the end of the fight!
Spike Speigel showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Speigel 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 Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 29:28
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 29:28
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Spike Speigel!