PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mon Key (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Cloud Van Rude (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Key
vs
Van Rude

185 cm
24
205 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

190 cm
25
215 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Cuts easily

Good wrestler
Brawler
Solid chin

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 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Mon Key!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Cloud Van Rude!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Yasuomi Hirokawa and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Key fails with an attempt to clinch.
Van Rude misses with a body shot.
Key tries to clinch but Van Rude is having none of it.
Key slips a jab and a cross from Van Rude.
Van Rude swats away the attempt to clinch by Key.
Key is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Key is looking to clinch but Van Rude is avoiding it.
Key tries to close the distance and clinch but Van Rude swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Key tries to close the distance and clinch but Van Rude swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Van Rude tries to clinch up but Key circles away and keeps his distance.
Mon Key seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A jab from Van Rude misses.
Key tries to clinch up but Van Rude circles away and keeps his distance.

Van Rude gets the takedown into side control.
You can see the frustration on Key's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Van Rude taking a break here but Key is having none of it and regains half guard.
Van Rude trying to control the pace.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Key trying to control from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Van Rude is trying to control. Key wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Van Rude with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

Cloud Van Rude has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.

Key darts in and clinches Van Rude up against the cage.
Key missing with knees to the body.
Key looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Van Rude avoids the elbow strike from Key, against the cage.
Key lands a nice elbow.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Key just misses with a elbow thrown towards Van Rude's brow.
Van Rude looking to stall.
Van Rude blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Key trying to land knees to the body.
Key pushes off an throws an elbow but Van Rude leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Van Rude pressing his opponent against the cage.
Key tries to land knees in the clinch but Van Rude avoids the damage to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Key is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Van Rude is defending well for now.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Van Rude tries to break the clinch but Key is controlling the position.
Van Rude is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Key throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Key misses with an elbow over the top.

Van Rude jumps guard.
Key postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Key throws a big right hand that misses.
Van Rude looking to control.
Van Rude wants to sweep but no luck.

Van Rude is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Key throwing strikes but missing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Van Rude has Key pulled in close to control his posture.

Van Rude looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Key working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Key working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Key accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Key missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Van Rude working a defensive guard here.
Van Rude seems keen to control Key's posture.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Van Rude throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Van Rude looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Cloud Van Rude will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Key wants to clinch but Van Rude slips to the side

and Van Rude counters by clinching up.
Key unloads a knee to the mid-section. Van Rude lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Key utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Key trying to land knees to the body.
Van Rude managing to block the knees to the body from Key.

Van Rude pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Key tries to clinch but Van Rude moves out of range.

Key takes the fight into the clinch.
Key misses with an elbow strike.
Van Rude wants to break the clinch but can't.
Key is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Van Rude is defending well for now.
Van Rude is breathing heavily.
Key is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Key comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Key lands a damaging elbow.
Key lands a nice elbow.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Key lands an elbow inside.
Key pushes off an throws an elbow but Van Rude leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Key has Van Rude pressed against the cage, preventing Van Rude from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Key tries to land knees in the clinch but Van Rude avoids the damage to the body.
Nice elbow from Key.
Van Rude blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Van Rude is trying to push Key away but Key has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Key lands a nice knee to the body.
Key creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Van Rude's defenses.
Nice elbow from Key.
Key missing with knees to the body.
Key throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Key tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Van Rude avoids it.
Van Rude stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Key landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Van Rude looking to stall.
Stalling in the clinch from Van Rude.
Van Rude is trying to force a seperation but Key has the dominant position.
Key with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Van Rude breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Van Rude throws a sloppy head kick and Key moves out of range easily.
Van Rude misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Van Rude fails in his attempt to clinch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Key is looking to clinch.
Key doesn't manage to clinch there - Van Rude circles away.
Van Rude throws a sloppy head kick and Key moves out of range easily.
Van Rude wants to clinch up but Key keeps it at a distance.
Van Rude is looking to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Van Rude wants to clinch up but Key keeps it at a distance.
The fight stays on the outside here - Key looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Key tries to clinch but Van Rude is having none of it.

Van Rude moves into the clinch successfully.
Van Rude is trying to force a seperation but Key has the dominant position.
Key misses with an elbow over the top.
Van Rude is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Van Rude blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Key misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Van Rude.

Van Rude's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Van Rude throws a nice looking combination but Key bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Van Rude swats away the attempt to clinch by Key.
Key tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Van Rude manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Key tries to clinch but Van Rude is having none of it.
Van Rude tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Key paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Van Rude is looking to clinch.
Van Rude moves in looking to clinch but Key pushes him off.
A telegraphed right hand from Van Rude misses the target.
Key is looking to clinch.

Van Rude gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Van Rude managing to block the knees to the body from Key.
Van Rude avoiding damage as Key throws knees to the body.
Van Rude wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Key has him pressed against the cage.
Van Rude takes a knee to the side of the body.
This has been an exciting period of action!
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Key looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Key using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Van Rude has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Van Rude avoiding damage as Key throws knees to the body.
Van Rude displaying some good clinch control by pressing Key up against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mon Key dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Van Rude changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Key looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Van Rude working away.
Van Rude is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Key will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Van Rude trying to control the position but Key is working away.
Key takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Van Rude trying to control the action but Key is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Van Rude in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Key is looking for a sweep.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Van Rude taking a breather here.
Van Rude lands a decent elbow from side control.
Key is looking for a sweep.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Van Rude working the body and head with strikes.
You can see the frustration on Key's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Van Rude just content to control the position.
Van Rude in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Van Rude remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Key is trying to improve his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Van Rude working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Key takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Van Rude controls the position.
Key is looking for a sweep.
Van Rude staying calm.
Van Rude tries to advance to mount but can't.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Key wants to control but Van Rude postures up.
Van Rude controls the position.
Key managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Van Rude.
Key struggling a bit here.
Key on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Van Rude taking a breather here.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Van Rude landing strikes.

And that's the end of the fight!
Cloud Van Rude comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Van Rude 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 Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 28:29
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Cloud Van Rude!
Cloud Van Rude spent the whole post fight interview bigging himself up. It didn't go down that well with the fans after a while as they thought it was a bit arrogant.