PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Koen Bauweraerts (ranked 3520 p4p, 2783 weight class) and Nate Kirby (ranked 383 p4p, 328 weight class). Bauweraerts comes to the cage accompanied by Linkin Park x Steve Aoki - A Light That Never Comes (Coone Remix). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Bauweraerts
vs
Kirby

174 cm
22
155
2 - 0 - 0

172 cm
21
165
2 - 1 - 0

Great wrestler
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

BJJ Purple Belt
World class MT
Good gas tank

Conquer

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Koen Bauweraerts!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Nate Kirby!
The judges for this bout are Sergei Dronov, Aleksandr Martynov and Igor Prikhodko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bauweraerts misses the jab.
Kirby lands a nice leg kick that just misses Bauweraerts's sensitive parts.
Kirby falls off balance throwing a combination

and Bauweraerts counters with a single leg into guard. Kirby didn't expect that.
Bauweraerts in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Kirby is controlling Bauweraerts's posture.
Bauweraerts seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bauweraerts is in close to Kirby's body, working some short punches and elbows.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bauweraerts trying to control the position from guard on top but Kirby is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Bauweraerts loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Bauweraerts throws a big right hand that misses.
Kirby working a defensive guard but Bauweraerts manages to pass into side control anyway.
Bauweraerts in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Bauweraerts tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Kirby is not content to let Bauweraerts control the position.
Bauweraerts working the head and body with strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bauweraerts looking to control but instead Kirby has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.
Bauweraerts throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Kirby felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.
Bauweraerts scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Bauweraerts thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Bauweraerts thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Kirby's head.
Bauweraerts working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Bauweraerts controlling the action here.
Bauweraerts throwing shots but Kirby is blocking nicely.
Bauweraerts 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.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bauweraerts missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Bauweraerts sitting and controlling from the half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Bauweraerts sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Kirby defending well though.
Bauweraerts is stalling here. Kirby is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Bauweraerts seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Kirby has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Bauweraerts is trying to work for a sweep but Kirby has mounted him!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bauweraerts looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
Kirby really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Bauweraerts. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Bauweraerts trying to control the hands but Kirby breaks the grip.
Kirby keeps control of the position as Bauweraerts tries to break free.

Kirby has Bauweraerts's back but decides to stand back up... Obviously he fancies his chances in the standup department!
Kirby shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Kirby lands with an uppercut that bounces Bauweraerts off the cage and back into range.
Nate Kirby is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Kirby slips a straight right by Bauweraerts.
Kirby appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Koen Bauweraerts dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Bauweraerts ducks right into an uppercut from Kirby.
Bauweraerts scores with a nice strike.

Kirby gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Bauweraerts to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Bauweraerts trying to control the position from guard on top but Kirby is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Bauweraerts landing with the ground and pound.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bauweraerts trying to control the position from guard on top but Kirby is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bauweraerts with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Kirby is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Bauweraerts throws an elbow that misses. Kirby uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Bauweraerts's guard. Nice move by Kirby!

Bauweraerts has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Kirby has passed into side control.
Bauweraerts tries to buck Kirby off but Kirby is having none of it.
Bauweraerts is trying to work for a sweep but Kirby has mounted him!
Kirby is looking to stand but Bauweraerts has his arms wrapped tightly around him, looking to prevent the damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bauweraerts tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Bauweraerts slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Bauweraerts is looking for a sweep. Kirby is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Kirby wants to stand up but Bauweraerts is controlling the position.
Bauweraerts makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Bauweraerts.
Bauweraerts is controlling Kirby's posture.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bauweraerts looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Kirby wanted to stand there but Bauweraerts had control of the position.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Bauweraerts bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Bauweraerts throws out a loose jab but Kirby uses good head movement to avoid it.
Bauweraerts slips under a jab from Kirby.

That's four 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.
Kirby walks into a stiff left hand from Bauweraerts.
Bauweraerts bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Bauweraerts jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Kirby shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Bauweraerts scores with a jab to the jaw.
Kirby walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Kirby scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Bauweraerts doesn't seem bothered though.
Bauweraerts scores with a crisp jab that stopped Kirby in his tracks.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Koen Bauweraerts dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Kirby dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Bauweraerts. That did some damage!
Bauweraerts fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Kirby manages to avoid it.
Bauweraerts misses with a hook
and Kirby counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Kirby connects with a crisp jab.
Kirby with the inside leg kick.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bauweraerts waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Kirby.
Bauweraerts throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Kirby sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Kirby swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Bauweraerts thows a left - swing and a miss!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kirby ducks right into an uppercut from Bauweraerts.
Koen Bauweraerts is winning the standup battle so far.
Bauweraerts shoots for a takedown but Kirby saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Bauweraerts fails with a takedown attempt.
Kirby looks to score with a jab to the body but Bauweraerts is just out of range.
Nice straight punches there by Kirby. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Kirby.
Nate Kirby has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bauweraerts tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Kirby swivels and escapes.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Kirby! But no joy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Koen Bauweraerts. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Bauweraerts misses with a hook
and Kirby counters with an inside leg kick.
Bauweraerts connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Kirby feints and then cracks Bauweraerts's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Bauweraerts down.
Bauweraerts misses with the combination.
Kirby tries to land a body kick

and Bauweraerts counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kirby wants to sweep but Bauweraerts has passed to side control!
Kirby is not content to let Bauweraerts control the position.
Bauweraerts misses with the ground and pound.
Bauweraerts trying to control the position but Kirby is working away.
Bauweraerts advances to mount.
Kirby regains half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bauweraerts trying to control the pace.
Bauweraerts passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Kirby!
Kirby tries to hold on but Bauweraerts postures up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Bauweraerts scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Kirby?

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Koen Bauweraerts.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Bauweraerts, 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 Sergei Dronov scores the fight 30:27
Judge Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 30:27
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Koen Bauweraerts!
An out of breath Koen Bauweraerts thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.