PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Ari Gold (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Romano Schoots (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gold comes to the cage accompanied by All of the Lights. Ari Gold had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Gold
vs
Schoots

178 cm
29
156 lbs
16 - 10 - 0

180 cm
22
155 lbs
8 - 3 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
World class boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 16 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Ari Gold!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Romano Schoots!
The judges for this bout are Paul Aken, Patrick Alders and Radbod Blank.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gold works Schoots's body with a nice hook.
Schoots scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Gold doesn't seem bothered though.
Gold finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Gold swings away with a body shot that misses
and Schoots counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Gold takes one to the chin there.
Gold missing with a left hand there. Schoots was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Gold 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.
Schoots misses with the combination.
Gold throws a solid leg kick but Schoots takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Gold.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gold throws a leg kick but Schoots sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Gold throws a right hand that misses
and Schoots counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Gold misses with a left hand
and Schoots counters with a one-two to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gold throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Gold throws a body punch but Schoots moves out of range.
Gold misses with an uppercut
and Schoots cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Gold throws a wild body kick that Schoots sees coming a mile off.
Schoots misses with a two punch combination.
Gold misses with a body punch
and Schoots counters with a stiff right hand.
Gold throws a right hand that Schoots ducks under and follows up with a left that Schoots also avoids with ease.
Gold comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Gold wants to clinch but Schoots slips to the side

and Schoots counters with a takedown into side control.
Gold is looking for a sweep.
Gold is working hard here to advance position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gold manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Schoots has his hands clasped together around Gold's back. He's all about the action.

Gold seems to be working for a kimura but Schoots defends the submission attempt.
Gold wants to take a breather but Schoots is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gold with the ground and pound but Schoots uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Gold with a flurry of punches that miss.
Schoots avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Gold throwing strikes from guard but Schoots blocks nicely.
Gold trying to control the position from guard on top but Schoots is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Gold slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

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.
Gold trying to control the position but Schoots is working away.
Gold is working Schoots over with some ground and pound from side control.
Gold landing strikes.
Schoots tries to bench press Gold off him but Gold keeps the position.

Gold is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Schoots has escaped the position, nice work there.
Gold 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.
Schoots is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Romano Schoots will probably get the nod.
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.

Schoots moves out of range of the leg kick from Gold.
Schoots blocks a low kick nicely.
Gold throws a lazy uppercut
and Schoots connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Gold scores with a hook.
Schoots avoids the body shot from Gold.
Gold takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Nice jab there from Schoots.
Schoots misses with a double jab
and Schoots takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gold throws a predictable looking body shot

and Schoots counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Gold wants to control but Schoots is keeping busy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gold is pressing down on Schoots's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Schoots must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

Gold looking for a guillotine here but Schoots defends easily.
Gold looking to control.

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

Gold had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Schoots defends it easily.

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.
Gold looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Schoots sitting in guard here, content to control.
Schoots wants to control from the top but Gold keeps moving.

Gold uses the cage to get back to his feet.
A looping hook to the body misses from Gold. Schoots does a little dance to reset his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gold misses with a hook
and Schoots counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Gold misses with a leg kick.
Gold throws a sloppy head kick and Schoots moves out of range easily.
Schoots's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Schoots duly obliges.
Gold scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Schoots uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Gold has time to react.
Ari Gold seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A thudding body kick lands there by Gold!
Schoots scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Gold throws a right hand that misses
and Schoots counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Gold thinking.
Gold misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Schoots counters with a nice uppercut.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A clash of legs there as Schoots blocks the low kick.
Gold misses with a body shot
enabling Schoots to counter with a crisp jab.
Schoots throws a left and a right that both miss
letting Gold counter with a right hand.
Gold throws a sloppy body shot
and Schoots counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Gold keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Gold pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.

Gold pushes Schoots up against the cage in a clinch.
Gold misses with a punch on the inside.

Gold breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Schoots moves out of range as Gold strikes.
Gold takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Romano Schoots showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Gold swings widly with a right hand
and Schoots counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Schoots tries to clinch but Gold moves out of range.
Nice cross by Gold.
Gold throws a chopping leg kick but Schoots manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Schoots misses with a looping right.
Gold misses with a leg kick

and Schoots counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Schoots.
Gold wants to get back to striking at distance but Schoots won't allow it.
Gold misses with a body punch.
Gold is trying to break the clinch but Schoots is controlling him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gold tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Schoots's elbow.
Gold misses with a short punch on the inside.
Schoots dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Schoots lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Gold backwards.
Gold doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Schoots blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Gold fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

Gold breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Gold misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Schoots.
Schoots misses with a wild body shot.
Gold misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Schoots.
Schoots uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Gold.

Gold gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.

Gold is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Schoots trying to control the position from guard on top but Gold is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Gold has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Schoots can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Schoots sitting in guard here, content to control.
Schoots wants to control from the top but Gold keeps moving.
Ari Gold has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

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

Gold escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Schoots gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Gold trying to control the position.
Gold lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Schoots!

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.
Gold misses with a head shot.
The referee warns Schoots that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.

It looks like Romano Schoots has been cut.
Schoots sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Schoots wants to get back to full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gold trying to mount his opponent but Schoots defends it.

Gold is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

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 Ari Gold.
Well Schoots has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Paul Aken scores the fight 28:29
Judge Patrick Alders scores the fight 28:29
Judge Radbod Blank scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Romano Schoots!