PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Joe Crusher (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Leon Maes (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.

Crusher
vs
Maes

178 cm
25
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

182 cm
25
210 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Joe Crusher!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Leon Maes!
The judges for this bout are Radbod Blank, Wagner Zegers and Paul Aken.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Maes lands a jab to the nose.
Crusher moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Maes misses with the combination.
Crusher misses with a double jab
and Maes counters with a three punch combo that has Crusher backing up. Crusher nods at Maes to acknowledge the strikes.
Maes swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Maes fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Crusher could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Crusher fails with the takedown.
Crusher is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Crusher motions for Maes to come forward. Crusher throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Maes's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Maes duly obliges.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maes lands a slapping body shot.
Maes lands a head shot.
Maes throws a right hand that Crusher ducks under and follows up with a left that Crusher also avoids with ease.
Crusher throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Maes sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Maes throws a front kick aimed at Crusher's knee but Crusher avoids it well.
Crusher blocks a low kick nicely.
Maes misses with a low kick.
Maes moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Crusher.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maes fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Maes showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Crusher.
Maes connects with a body shot.
Maes misses with a double jab.
Maes scores with a shot to the body.
Crusher misses with a double jab.
Maes digs a good hook to Crusher's body.
Maes throws out a powerful jab.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Excellent takedown into side control there by Crusher.
Crusher is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maes is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Crusher has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Maes tries to buck Crusher off but Crusher is having none of it.
Crusher wants to lay and pray for a moment but Maes keeps working.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Maes can do anything to dispel that myth.

Crusher is trying to get an arm triangle but Maes is defending well.
Maes defending against the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maes tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Crusher is looking to take a break and control but Maes is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Crusher decides to stand back up.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Maes lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Crusher shoots in looking for a takedown but Maes manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Crusher's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Leon Maes dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Maes fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Nice shot by Maes.
Maes lands a jab-cross combination.

It looks like Joe Crusher has been cut.
Crusher avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Maes fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Crusher pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Crusher is looking to clinch but Maes is avoiding it.
Crusher drops his hands momentarily and Maes takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Maes's jab looks to have found its range, popping Crusher under the eye.
Maes throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Crusher.
Crusher fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Crusher on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Maes misses with a leg kick.
Crusher wants to clinch.
Crusher moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
A punch combination from Crusher misses.
Crusher misses with a looping right.
Maes lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Maes.
Leon Maes seems to be getting the better of the standup.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maes misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Maes lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Crusher circles away quickly and effectively.
Maes scores with a crisp jab that stopped Crusher in his tracks.
Maes throws a combination that misses

and Crusher moves into the clinch.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Maes wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Crusher blocks an uppercut.

Crusher is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Maes can't fight it off and eventually Crusher manages to take the fight to the floor. Maes looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Crusher is looking to work some ground and pound but Maes has wrist control.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Crusher 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.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maes seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Crusher advances to half guard.
Crusher not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Maes pushes Crusher off but Crusher dives into side control.
Maes is trying to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Crusher is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Maes knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Crusher trying to control the position but Maes is working away.
Crusher postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Crusher working the head with strikes.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Crusher wants to control but Maes is keeping him busy.
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 Joe Crusher will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Joe Crusher's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Maes cracks Crusher with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Maes stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Maes wants it to stay on the feet.
Crusher checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Crusher dives in and grabs Maes's left leg, looking for a takedown. Maes pushes down on Crusher's head and hops out.
Maes blocks a jab.
Crusher takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Maes lands a jab to the head.
Joe Crusher is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Crusher fails in his attempt to clinch.
Maes scores with a three punch combo!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Crusher misses with an uppercut.
Maes fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Maes swinging wildly here.
Leon Maes is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Maes defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Crusher.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Joe Crusher. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Maes throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Crusher pivots, looking for a leg kick but Maes is out of range and Crusher settles back down.
Crusher tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Maes swivels and escapes.
Maes misses with a low kick.
Joe Crusher seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Maes rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Crusher moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maes lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Crusher fails in his attempt to clinch.
Maes misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Maes fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Maes throws a series of punches but Crusher avoids them all with ease.
Maes lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Crusher backs up against the cage.
Crusher avoids a punch combination nicely.
Crusher lands a jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Crusher closes this distance looking for a takedown but Maes circles away.
Crusher ducks right into an uppercut from Maes.
Maes misses with a wild combination.
No joy there for Crusher, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Crusher moves in looking to clinch but Maes pushes him off.
Maes connects with a good right hand that stumbles Crusher. Crusher circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
No joy there for Crusher, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maes takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Crusher looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Maes swinging wildly here.
Crusher tries to clinch up but Maes circles away and keeps his distance.
Maes throws a left and a right that both miss

and Crusher counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Crusher changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Maes fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Maes looks to land a combination. Crusher sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Crusher misses with a head kick.

And that's the end of the fight!
Leon Maes comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Maes 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 Wagner Zegers scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paul Aken scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Leon Maes!
Leon Maes 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.