PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ham Shank (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rudi Voller (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.

Shank
vs
Voller

180 cm
20
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
22
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Cardio machine

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
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 Amsterdam, Ham Shank!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Rudi Voller!
The judges for this bout are Radbod Blank, Paulsen Ambrosius and Albert Achterberg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Shank tries to clinch but Voller is having none of it.
Shank shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Voller but Voller pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Shank throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Voller changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Shank looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Shank tries to bench press Voller off him but Voller keeps the position.
Voller wants to control but Shank is keeping him busy.
Shank can't do much from the bottom here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Shank tries to bench press Voller off him but Voller keeps the position.
Shank is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Voller asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Shank is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Voller off and has taken his back!
Voller just trying to survive but Shank is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.
Shank knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Voller on the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Voller covering up well under a barage of strikes.
Shank missing with strikes.
Shank scores with a nice shot to the head of his opponent. Voller is looking for a way out.
Voller manages to reverse the position and now he's in Shank's guard. Nice work there by Voller.
Voller scoring with some ground and pound.
Shank looking for a sweep. Not yet Shank, not yet.
Voller loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Voller's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Voller pushing down on Shank's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Shank is trying to control but can't.
Shank is looking for a sweep. Voller is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Voller seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Shank does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Voller prevents Shank from improving his position.
Voller slows the pace down in half guard.
Shank looks like he's trying to stand up.

Voller stands up and beckons Shank to join him on the feet.

Voller scores a takedown into full mount!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Voller prevents Shank from getting the reversal.
Voller fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Shank wants to hold on but Voller pushes him away.
Voller unloading with bombs!
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Voller cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Shank is in all sorts of trouble here.
Voller blocks Shank's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Shank is looking to get to half guard.

Voller looking for a guillotine from mount but Shank is having none of it.
Voller looks gassed!
Shank wants to hold on but Voller pushes him away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Voller is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Shank to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Shank shrugs it off.
Shank regains half guard.
Shank tries to get to full guard but Voller has control of the leg.
Shank pushes Voller off looking to stand but Voller dives back in and keeps control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Shank is trying to maintain the position but Voller is very close to passing his half guard.
Shank tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Shank is pressing down on Voller's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Shank rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Voller moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Voller misses with a jab, cross combination.
Shank throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Shank fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Shank misses with a takedown

and Voller counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Voller scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Shank pushes Voller off looking to stand but Voller dives back in and keeps control.
Voller wants to take a breather but Shank is having none of it.
Shank tries to kick Voller off but Voller keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Voller is breathing heavily.
Voller wants to lay and pray for a moment but Shank keeps working.

Shank kicks off Voller and gets to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shank tries for a takedown but Voller circles away easily

and Voller counters with a single leg into guard. Shank didn't expect that.
Shank wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Voller is now in half guard.
Shank wants to get back to full guard but Voller has mounted him!
Voller lands a big elbow.
Shank tries to lock up and control but Voller gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

Voller is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Shank has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Shank sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.

Shank looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shank wants to control but Voller is keeping busy.
Shank punching from the bottom.
Shank wants to improve his position but Voller is controlling well.
Shank trying to control here but he's found himself mounted! Oh no!
Shank throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Shank sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shank trying to control but Voller postures up.
Shank punching from the bottom.
Shank makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Shank.
Rudi Voller has got the better of the ground game so far.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Shank is on top in guard.
Shank trying to control the position from guard on top but Voller is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Shank 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.

That's four 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.
Shank wants to stand but Voller is controlling his posture from full guard.
Voller wants to get back to his feet but Shank is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Shank wants to get up but he can't break Voller's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Shank with a flurry of punches that miss.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rudi Voller showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Shank stuffs the takedown attempt from Voller. Voller gets slowly back to his feet.
Shank misses with a takedown attempt - Voller sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Shank closes the distance but Voller moves to the side
and Voller counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Shank connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Shank shoots and misses

so Voller counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Shank wants to get back to his feet but Voller is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Voller trying to control the position from guard on top but Shank is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Shank not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Voller takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Voller prevents Shank from getting back to his feet.
Shank working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Voller.
Voller controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Shank throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Voller takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Shank doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Voller counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ham Shank. That's going to take a lot out of him.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Shank is on top in guard.
Shank wants to control from the top but Voller keeps moving.
Shank lands a couple of digs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shank wants to control from the top but Voller keeps moving.

Shank decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Shank pushes Voller away with a front kick.
Shank shoots in looking for a takedown. Voller tries to sprawl out of it but Shank keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Voller manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Shank throws a right hand that Voller ducks under and follows up with a left that Voller also avoids with ease.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shank looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

Shank shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Shank missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Shank seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Shank thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Shank 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.
Shank 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.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Shank missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Shank wants to stand but Voller has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Shank connects with a nice short shot to Voller's temple.

Shank decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.

Shank shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Shank showed some decent athleticism there.
Shank tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Voller.

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 Ham Shank.
I think Voller has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Radbod Blank scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paulsen Ambrosius scores the fight 28:29
Judge Albert Achterberg scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rudi Voller!