PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Bertus Eppinga (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Diogo Casca (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Eppinga
vs
Casca

187 cm
22
198 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

188 cm
26
207 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Dangerous knees
Prefers standup

[WOT] DTK Designs (Laundry)

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 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Bertus Eppinga!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Diogo Casca!
The judges for this bout are Radbod Blank, Paul Aken and Wagner Zegers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Eppinga lands a nice shot to the body.
Eppinga is trying hard to land a takedown here. Casca sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Casca wants to clinch up but Eppinga keeps it at a distance.
Eppinga shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Casca sprawls well. Casca wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Eppinga gets slowly back to his feet.
Casca tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Casca tries to clinch up.

Casca moves into range and clinches up with Eppinga.
Eppinga is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Casca to keep the fight standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bertus Eppinga. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Eppinga looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Casca unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Casca misses with a knee strike.
Casca tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Casca tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Casca keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Eppinga's efforts to push away.
Casca misses with a knee to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Casca tries a knee to the head but Eppinga blocks it.
Eppinga is trying to force a seperation but Casca has the dominant position.
Casca using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Eppinga has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Eppinga fails to pull guard.
Casca is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Eppinga is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Casca prevents Eppinga from breaking the clinch.
Eppinga is trying to push Casca away but Casca has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Casca with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Eppinga wants to take the fight to the mat but Casca manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Casca misses with a knee to the head.
Casca scores with a knee to the head.
Casca lands a knee to the head.
Eppinga tries to pull guard but Casca won't allow it.

Casca's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Casca tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Eppinga manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Eppinga tries to clinch up but Casca circles away and keeps his distance.
Eppinga closes the distance but Casca moves to the side

and Casca moves into the clinch.
Casca tries to land a knee to the head but Eppinga blocks with his arms.
Eppinga is looking to break free of the clinch but Casca has double underhooks.
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!
Eppinga jumps guard but Casca turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Casca tries to land a knee to the head but Eppinga blocks with his arms.

Eppinga pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Eppinga avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Thud! ouch! good body kick from Eppinga - that will leave a mark!
Eppinga looks for a takedown but Casca sprawls well.
Eppinga tries to close the distance and clinch but Casca swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Eppinga clinches up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Casca has Eppinga pressed against the cage.
Eppinga jumps guard but Casca turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Eppinga wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Casca lands a knee to the head.
Casca lands a good knee to the midsection. Eppinga won't want to take too many of those.
Casca with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Casca misses with a knee to the head.
Casca looking to throw knees to the head but Eppinga is blocking nicely.
Casca looking to throw knees to the head but Eppinga is blocking nicely.
Casca connects with a knee to the head.
Eppinga looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Eppinga tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Casca smiles and moves away.
Casca doesn't manage to clinch there - Eppinga circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Eppinga is defended easily by Casca.
Eppinga shoots in and drives through. Casca sprawls well.
Casca is looking to clinch but Eppinga is avoiding it.
Casca tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Eppinga manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Eppinga misses with an attempted mid kick.
The fight stays on the outside here - Casca looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Eppinga circles away from the clinch attempt.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Eppinga changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Casca tries to avoid it but Eppinga manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Casca to the ground. Casca escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Diogo Casca is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Eppinga pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Diogo Casca dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Casca wants to clinch up but Eppinga keeps it at a distance.

Casca tries to sprawl but Eppinga drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Casca wants to get back to his feet.

Eppinga stands up and beckons Casca to join him on the feet.
Casca tries to clinch up but Eppinga circles away and keeps his distance.

Casca moves into the clinch.
Casca with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Casca misses with a knee to the head.
Eppinga jumps guard but Casca turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Casca scores with a knee to the head.
Eppinga throws an elbow but it's blocked.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Eppinga fails to pull guard.
Casca with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Casca tries to land a knee to the head but Eppinga blocks with his arms.
Casca throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Eppinga blocks it with crossed arms.
Eppinga tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Eppinga can't break the clinch.
Casca scores with a knee to the head.
Eppinga tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Casca just stands there and leans against the cage.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bertus Eppinga. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Eppinga is trying to break the clinch but Casca has him pressed against the cage.
Eppinga can't break the clinch.
Eppinga is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Eppinga goes for a takedown in the clinch but Casca prevents it.
Eppinga is trying to push Casca away but Casca has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Casca with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Casca looking to throw knees to the head but Eppinga is blocking nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Casca with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Eppinga is trying to force a seperation but Casca has the dominant position.
Casca looking to throw knees to the head but Eppinga is blocking nicely.
Eppinga fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Casca throws a knee to the head but misses.
Casca misses with a knee strike.
Casca connects with a knee to the head.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Casca tries a knee to the head but Eppinga blocks it.
Casca is breathing heavily.
Eppinga wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Eppinga has had enough of the clinch but Casca keeps him there for the moment.
Casca prevents a takedown attempt there.
Casca with a knee to the head.
Casca misses with a knee to the head.
Eppinga fails to pull guard.
Eppinga is looking to break free of the clinch but Casca has double underhooks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Eppinga wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Casca with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Casca tries to stall but Eppinga uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Eppinga is trying to force a seperation but Casca has the dominant position.
Eppinga working hard to break the clinch.

Casca escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Eppinga fails with a takedown attempt.
Eppinga misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Eppinga shoots in and bounces Casca off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Casca really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Eppinga. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Casca utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Eppinga drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Eppinga jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

Eppinga stands and steps away. Casca gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Diogo Casca is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Casca fails in his attempt to clinch.
Casca keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Eppinga pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Casca tries to clinch there but Eppinga circles away.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Casca wants to clinch.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Casca tries to clinch but Eppinga is having none of it.
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 Bertus Eppinga will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Casca is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Casca tries to clinch up but Eppinga circles away and keeps his distance.
Casca is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Casca stuffs the takedown attempt from Eppinga. Eppinga gets slowly back to his feet.

Casca has Eppinga up against the cage in a clinch.
Eppinga swings wildly with an uppercut but Casca uses good head movement to avoid it.
Casca throws a knee to the head but misses.
Eppinga fails to pull guard.
Eppinga can't break the clinch.
Eppinga jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Casca walks away with a smile on his face. Eppinga gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bertus Eppinga. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Eppinga gets the takedown into side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
An elbow from Eppinga crashes against the mat.

Eppinga tries for a kimura but Casca is defending well.

Eppinga tries for a kimura but Casca is defending well.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Casca is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Eppinga has just dragged him back down to the mat.

Eppinga decides to stand up, so the ref orders Casca to his feet.
Casca tries to close the distance and clinch up but Eppinga swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Bertus Eppinga seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Eppinga is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Casca slaps away a takedown attempt from Eppinga, before circling back to the center of the mat.

Eppinga closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Eppinga drops down looking for an ankle pick but Casca pulls his leg out and moves away.
No luck for Eppinga with that takedown attempt.
Eppinga tries for a takedown but Casca sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

Casca rushes Eppinga and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Casca with a knee to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Eppinga has had enough of the clinch but Casca keeps him there for the moment.

Eppinga manages to break the clinch.
Casca slaps away a takedown attempt from Eppinga, before circling back to the center of the mat.

Casca clinches up against the cage.
Casca throws a knee to the head but misses.
Casca is struggling to control the position.
Eppinga is trying to break the clinch but Casca is controlling him.

Casca's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Casca fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Eppinga, pushing him back against the cage.
Casca lands a knee to the head.
Eppinga tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Eppinga pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Casca tries to clinch up but Eppinga circles away and keeps his distance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Casca wants to clinch.
Casca fails in his attempt to clinch.
Casca tries to close the distance and clinch up but Eppinga swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Eppinga circles away from the clinch attempt.

Casca rushes Eppinga and presses him up against the cage.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Casca misses with a knee strike.

Eppinga's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Casca fails in his attempt to clinch.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Eppinga fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Casca avoids it really well and circles away.
Eppinga throws a head kick that misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Diogo Casca.
I think Casca 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 29:28
Judge Paul Aken scores the fight 29:29
Judge Wagner Zegers scores the fight 28:29

The fight is ruled a draw!