PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Sam Royal (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tommy Callahan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Callahan has chosen Get the Funk Out Ma Face as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Sam Royal has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Royal
vs
Callahan

200 cm
22
216 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

190 cm
19
215 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent knees
Intelligent

Crashforce Voodoo Labs
Rock Hard Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Sam Royal!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Tommy Callahan!
The judges for this bout are Aafke Stam, Albert Achterberg and Daniel Blasius.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Royal tries a head kick but it misses.
Callahan on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Royal. Royal obviously looking to wear him down.
Callahan looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Callahan walks into a left hand.
Callahan takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.

Callahan clinches.

Royal breaks from the clinch.
Royal lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Royal closes the distance looking to clinch

and Callahan counters with a single leg into guard. Royal didn't expect that.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Royal tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Callahan wants to get up but he can't break Royal's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Royal is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.

Royal escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Royal moves in looking to clinch but Callahan pushes him off.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Callahan looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Royal is fending him off so far but Callahan persists. Nope, Royal circles away and we're back to standing.
Callahan tries to clinch but Royal is having none of it.
Royal moves in looking to clinch but Callahan pushes him off.
Royal moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Callahan closes the distance and clinches up with Royal, looking for a takedown. Callahan pushes Royal against the cage but Royal circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Sam Royal has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tommy Callahan.
Callahan looks gassed!
Royal lands a head kick. Callahan smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Royal swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Royal lands a nice leg kick that just misses Callahan's sensitive parts.
A shot to the body from Royal misses

so Callahan counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Royal looking for a guillotine here but Callahan defends easily.
Callahan trying to control the position from guard on top but Royal is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Royal looking to hit a scissor sweep but Callahan is one step ahead there.
Royal bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Callahan's guard.
Callahan trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.

Royal stands up and waves to Callahan to follow him.

Callahan clinches up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Callahan tries for a takedown but Royal manages to get underhooks.
Callahan goes for a takedown in the clinch but Royal prevents it.
Royal is trying to break free.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Callahan has had enough of the clinch but Royal keeps him there for the moment.
Callahan lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Callahan wants to break free but Royal has control.

Callahan breaks from the clinch.
Royal closes the distance but Callahan moves to the side

and Callahan counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Callahan sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Royal defending well though.

Royal is defending against the submission attempts here by Callahan.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Royal is looking to improve his position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Callahan looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Royal wants to get back to full guard but Callahan has passed into side control.
Callahan controlling the pace for now.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Royal manages to regain half guard. Good work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Sam Royal will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Callahan fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Royal cracks Callahan with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Royal lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Callahan fails with an attempt to clinch.
No luck for Callahan with that takedown attempt.
Callahan chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Royal can pounce on him.
Royal throws a sloppy head kick and Callahan moves out of range easily.
Callahan will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Sam Royal has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tommy Callahan.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Royal fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Callahan, pushing him back against the cage.
Royal tries to land knees in the clinch but Callahan avoids the damage to the body.
Royal prevents a takedown attempt there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Callahan is looking to break free of the clinch but Royal has double underhooks.
Royal looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Royal wants to get back to striking at distance but Callahan won't allow it.
Callahan keeps control of Royal as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Royal wants to break the clinch but can't.
Callahan being controlled against the cage.
Callahan prevents Royal from breaking the clinch.

Callahan breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Callahan slips a jab and a cross from Royal.
Callahan looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Royal is fending him off so far but Callahan persists. Nope, Royal circles away and we're back to standing.
Royal connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Sam Royal is winning the standup battle so far.
Callahan shoots in for a takedown but Royal shows good takedown defense.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Callahan is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Royal.

Royal moves into the clinch.
Royal with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Royal's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Callahan is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Sam Royal is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Callahan shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Royal really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Royal is bucking up trying to escape but Callahan cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Callahan controlling from the full mount.
Callahan looking to control but Royal is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Callahan punching from mount but Royal doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Royal tries to hold on but Callahan postures up.
Callahan is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Royal is desperately trying to improve his position but Callahan has a good base and remains in mount.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Callahan looking to finish Royal with some ground and pound. This is bad for Royal!
Royal is trying desperately to improve position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Royal is in a horrible position here. Callahan smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Callahan lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Royal wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.
Callahan is punishing Royal with strikes - can he finish him?!
Callahan tries to get the hooks in deep but Royal pushed the leg off.
Royal is in bad spot here.
Royal covers up after that shot from Callahan.
Royal tries to escape but Callahan has the hooks in and won't let him break free.
Callahan throws a big right hand but he misses and hits the mat. Ouch.
Royal is trying to get back to his feet but Callahan has full control of the position and if anything, Royal has just worked his way into a worse spot.
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 Sam Royal will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Callahan darts in trying to clinch
and Royal counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Callahan will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Royal feints and then cracks Callahan's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Callahan down.

Royal gets caught flat footed, as Callahan shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Callahan accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Royal keeping moving, preventing Callahan from controlling successfully.
Royal is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Royal knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Callahan on the ground.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Royal is on top in guard.
Royal tries to free his leg and advance position but Callahan is retaining full guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Callahan is on top in guard.
Royal utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Royal is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Callahan wants to control from the top but Royal keeps moving.
Callahan prevents Royal from getting back to his feet.
Royal wants to sweep here but Callahan controlling him for the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Callahan is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Callahan's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Royal clinches but Callahan breaks the clinch

and Callahan moves into the clinch.
Royal's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
A right hook to the body lands for Callahan.
A frustrated look appears on Callahan's face as he tries to break the clinch.

Callahan pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Callahan looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Royal is fending him off so far but Callahan persists. Nope, Royal circles away and we're back to standing.
Royal works over Callahan's head and body with a nice combination.
Nice sprawl there from Royal as Callahan shoots in.
Sam Royal has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tommy Callahan.
Royal throws a nice head kick!
Royal scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Royal throws a head kick that misses

and Callahan counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Royal keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Callahan works his way into side control.

Callahan goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Royal has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Callahan but great work by Royal.
Callahan taking a bit of punishment here - Royal scoring with strikes.
Callahan manages to get back to half guard.
Tommy Callahan has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Callahan has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Royal is working away from the top position though.
Royal not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Callahan is refusing to be controlled, as Royal sits in half guard.
Callahan moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

Callahan looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Callahan wants to sweep but no luck.

Callahan looking for a guillotine here but Royal defends easily.
Sam Royal is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Callahan working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Royal doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Royal manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tommy Callahan comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Royal 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 Aafke Stam scores the fight 29:29
Judge Albert Achterberg scores the fight 29:29
Judge Daniel Blasius scores the fight 29:28

The fight is ruled a majority draw!