PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Milan Hoffman (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Martin Berg (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Hoffman
vs
Berg

184 cm
19
140 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

175 cm
18
140 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Milan Hoffman!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Martin Berg!
The judges for this bout are Patrick Alders, Paul Aken and Albert Achterberg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Berg moves into the clinch.
Berg is trying to pull guard but Hoffman turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Berg throws an elbow that misses.
Hoffman on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
A bit of stalling here from Berg.
Hoffman misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Berg.

Berg's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Hoffman stuffs the takedown.
Crunch! Berg slams his shin into Hoffman's torso.
Hoffman stuffs the takedown attempt from Berg. Berg gets slowly back to his feet.
Milan Hoffman has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Martin Berg.
Hoffman defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Berg.
Hoffman fails with a takedown attempt.
Hoffman lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Berg circles away quickly and effectively.
Berg tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Hoffman paws at him with a jab and circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Berg shoots in for a takedown but Hoffman shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Hoffman misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

Hoffman darts in and clinches Berg up against the cage.

Berg escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Berg throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Hoffman counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Berg breaks the clinch.
Hoffman jabs at Berg's body.
Berg avoids a kick to the body.
Berg shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Hoffman defends it nicely.
Berg looks winded!
No luck for Hoffman with that takedown attempt.
Berg tries to close the distance and clinch up but Hoffman swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Berg tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Berg darts in trying to clinch

and Hoffman counters by clinching up.
Hoffman wants to break the clinch but can't.
Hoffman fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Hoffman is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Berg is keeping busy.
Hoffman tries to pull guard but Berg won't allow it.
Berg is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Berg tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Hoffman just stands there and leans against the cage.
Berg is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Hoffman is keeping busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hoffman looking for a takedown.
Berg avoids the elbow strike from Hoffman, against the cage.
Hoffman blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Berg jumps guard but Hoffman turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Hoffman is trying to break free.
Berg tries a knee to the head but Hoffman blocks it.
Berg is trying to break the clinch but Hoffman is controlling him.
Hoffman is pushing Berg up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.

Hoffman pulls guard effortlessly.
Berg is fighting to break Hoffman's control of his arms but Hoffman is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Hoffman keeping moving, preventing Berg from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Berg engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Hoffman is pulling down on Berg's head to control his posture.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Martin Berg hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Hoffman fails with a takedown attempt.
Hoffman moves in looking to clinch but Berg pushes him off.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Berg displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Hoffman.
Hoffman avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Martin Berg will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Nice sprawl there from Berg as Hoffman shoots in.
Berg misses with a jab, cross combination.
Berg fails with an attempt to clinch.
Berg looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Hoffman is fending him off so far but Berg persists. Nope, Hoffman circles away and we're back to standing.
Hoffman fails with a takedown attempt.
Nice sprawl there from Berg as Hoffman shoots in.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Milan Hoffman. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Berg tries to clinch up.
Berg throws a series of punches but Hoffman moves out of range.
Berg tries to close the distance and clinch up but Hoffman swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Berg tries to close the distance and clinch up but Hoffman swats him away and circles back towards the center.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Berg.
Berg wants to clinch

and Hoffman counters by moving into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hoffman blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Berg is breathing heavily.
Hoffman is pushing Berg up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Hoffman looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Berg with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Hoffman drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Berg is trying to pull guard but Hoffman has him pressed against the cage.
Berg keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Hoffman's efforts to push away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Berg is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Hoffman blocks an uppercut.
Berg looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Hoffman is pressed up against the cage. Berg has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Hoffman down to the mat. Hoffman avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Milan Hoffman is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Berg jabs Hoffman to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Hoffman swats away the attempt to clinch by Berg.
Hoffman closes the distance and clinches up with Berg, looking for a takedown. Hoffman pushes Berg against the cage but Berg circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Berg blocks a head kick by Hoffman.
Hoffman will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Berg fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hoffman circles away from the clinch attempt

and Hoffman counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Hoffman is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Hoffman drops down looking for an ankle pick but Berg pulls his leg out and moves away.
No luck for Hoffman with that takedown attempt.
Berg throws out a loose jab but Hoffman uses good head movement to avoid it.
Berg tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Hoffman counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hoffman fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Berg leaves Hoffman with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Hoffman shoots in but Berg avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Berg.
Hoffman slaps away a takedown attempt from Berg, before circling back to the center of the mat.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Hoffman tries to score a power double leg takedown but Berg sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Hoffman somewhat.
Berg fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Hoffman avoids it really well and circles away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Martin Berg showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Berg will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Berg doesn't manage to clinch there - Hoffman circles away.
Berg fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Hoffman avoids it really well and circles away.

Hoffman clinches with his opponent.
Berg is trying to stall.
Berg goes for a takedown in the clinch but Hoffman prevents it.
Milan Hoffman has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Martin Berg.
Hoffman keeps control of Berg as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Berg takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Berg just misses with a elbow thrown towards Hoffman's brow.
Berg working Hoffman over with knees to the body.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Hoffman keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Berg's efforts to push away.
Knees to the body from Berg.

Hoffman manages to pull guard.
Hoffman is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Hoffman wants to lay and pray for a moment but Berg keeps working.
Hoffman is controlling the pace.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Hoffman decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.
A head kick misses from Hoffman.
Hoffman moves out of range of the body kick from Berg.
Hoffman shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Berg but Berg pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Berg defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Hoffman.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Berg closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Berg pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Berg wants to clinch but Hoffman slips to the side
and Hoffman connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Berg tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Hoffman manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Nice takedown defense from Hoffman. No joy for Berg on that attempt.

Hoffman gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Hoffman stalls.
Berg is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Hoffman is defending well for now.
Hoffman with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Hoffman really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Berg is pressed up against the cage. Hoffman has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Berg down to the mat. Berg avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Berg drives through and clinches with Hoffman against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A frustrated look appears on Berg's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Berg goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Berg working hard to break the clinch.

Berg pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Hoffman.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Hoffman has Berg pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Berg manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Hoffman tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Berg avoids it.
Hoffman changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Berg fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Milan Hoffman has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Martin Berg is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Berg misses with the combination.

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 Milan Hoffman.
I think Berg 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 Patrick Alders scores the fight 28:30
Judge Paul Aken scores the fight 29:29
Judge Albert Achterberg scores the fight 29:28

The fight is ruled a draw!