PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jan van den Berg (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Steve Le Banner (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). van den Berg has a slight injury, which hopefully won't affect the fight too much. I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

van den Berg
vs
Le Banner

197 cm
22
270 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

225 cm
22
268 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

•‡• LION Clothing •‡•

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Jan van den Berg!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Steve Le Banner!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
van den Berg lands a jab-cross combination.
A head kick misses from van den Berg.
Le Banner blocks the body kick.
van den Berg throws a right hand that Le Banner ducks under and follows up with a left that Le Banner also avoids with ease.
Le Banner moves out of range of the leg kick from van den Berg.
van den Berg misses with a jab, cross combination.
van den Berg misses with a low kick.

Le Banner scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Le Banner is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so van den Berg is just riding it out for now. Le Banner eventually gives up the hold.
Le Banner is looking to take a break and control but van den Berg is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Le Banner missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Le Banner lands strikes from half guard.
van den Berg is looking to improve his position.
Le Banner lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Le Banner is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Le Banner seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but van den Berg does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
van den Berg is breathing heavily.
Le Banner thows a huge punch but van den Berg dodges it nicely.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Le Banner in particular looking to stall.

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.
Le Banner is trying to control the action in half guard but van den Berg is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Le Banner is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Le Banner trying to control the action but van den Berg is working from the bottom.
Well, if Le Banner 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.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Le Banner scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Le Banner trying to control the action but van den Berg is working from the bottom.
van den Berg being controlled for a moment.

Le Banner is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. van den Berg knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Le Banner with the ground and pound but van den Berg regains half guard under the barage of strikes.

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.

Le Banner wants to work for an arm triangle but van den Berg is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Le Banner has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
van den Berg holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
Le Banner wants to lay and pray for a moment but van den Berg keeps working.
van den Berg has his hands clasped together around Le Banner's back. He's all about the action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Steve Le Banner will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

van den Berg swinging wilding here.
Jan van den Berg is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
van den Berg does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
van den Berg fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Le Banner shoots for a takedown but van den Berg saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
van den Berg tries to bum rush Le Banner with a series of wild strikes but Le Banner uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Le Banner misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Le Banner tries to close the distance and clinch but van den Berg swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Le Banner rushes van den Berg and presses him up against the cage.
Le Banner is trying to drag van den Berg to the mat but van den Berg just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.

van den Berg breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
van den Berg tries to work over Le Banner's front leg with a kick but Le Banner checks it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
No luck for Le Banner with that takedown attempt.
Jan van den Berg has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Steve Le Banner.
van den Berg throws a head kick that misses.
Le Banner defending well as van den Berg loads up on a big left hand.
van den Berg throws a left and a right that both miss
and Le Banner connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Some wild striking there from van den Berg.
Le Banner closes the distance and clinches up with van den Berg, looking for a takedown. Le Banner pushes van den Berg against the cage but van den Berg circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
van den Berg pulls out of a head kick attempt.
van den Berg keeps the fight on the outside.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Le Banner checks a leg kick.
Le Banner tries to clinch there but van den Berg circles away.
van den Berg misses with a head kick.
van den Berg misses with a head kick.

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.
Le Banner is looking to clinch but van den Berg is avoiding it.
Le Banner with a nice cross.
van den Berg misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
van den Berg throws a head kick that Le Banner semi-blocks.
van den Berg falls off balance throwing a combination

and Le Banner counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
van den Berg is refusing to be controlled, as Le Banner sits in half guard.
van den Berg might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
van den Berg is trying to get back to full guard.
Le Banner is controlling the pace.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Le Banner looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Le Banner thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed van den Berg's head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Le Banner is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and van den Berg defends it well.
Le Banner seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but van den Berg does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
van den Berg misses with a double jab

and Le Banner counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
van den Berg looking to control.
van den Berg keeping moving, preventing Le Banner from controlling successfully.
van den Berg is trying to control the position from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Steve Le Banner showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

van den Berg looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Le Banner looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Le Banner trying to control the action but van den Berg is working from the bottom.
Le Banner with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Le Banner is just content to waste time from the top position. van den Berg takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
van den Berg has Le Banner pulled in close to control his posture.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Le Banner lands a couple of decent looking shots.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
van den Berg keeping moving, preventing Le Banner from controlling successfully.
Steve Le Banner has got the better of the ground game so far.
van den Berg is looking to stand up but Le Banner isn't so interested in that idea.
Le Banner trying to control the position from guard on top but van den Berg is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Le Banner showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Le Banner's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

Despite being in the dominant position, Steve Le Banner just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
van den Berg throws an overhand right that lands on Le Banner's shoulder, as Le Banner tries to avoid the shot.

Le Banner gets in close and instigates a clinch.
A short body shot lands from van den Berg as the two fighters clinch.

Le Banner ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Le Banner no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Le Banner throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Le Banner is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Le Banner trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
van den Berg controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

Le Banner throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Le Banner looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Le Banner working a defensive guard here.

Le Banner is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Le Banner throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Le Banner escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. van den Berg gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Jan van den Berg has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Steve Le Banner is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Le Banner has thrown up a leg looking for a triangle. van den Berg doesn't defend quickly enough and Le Banner has managed to lock this one up! Can van den Berg escape?! NO! He's tapping out! Damn, that was a quick submission - congrats to Le Banner on a fantastic submission victory.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:56 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle). Steve Le Banner!