PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Thomas Gunner (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Pj Veenstra (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Gunner
vs
Veenstra

178 cm
32
165 lbs
14 - 13 - 0

165 cm
35
167 lbs
15 - 14 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Great elbows
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Dangerous knees
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 14 - 13 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Thomas Gunner!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 14 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Pj Veenstra!
The judges for this bout are Nard Betker, Daniel Blasius and Paul Aken.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Veenstra scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Gunner wants to control but Veenstra is keeping busy.
Veenstra trying to pass the guard but Gunner defending well.
Veenstra controlling the action here.

Veenstra decides to stand up.
Gunner fails with the takedown

and Veenstra counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Gunner wants to get back to his feet.
Gunner is not content to let Veenstra control the position.
Veenstra is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gunner is trying to stand up here but Veenstra is controlling him well.
Gunner trying to control here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Veenstra wants to take a breather but Gunner is having none of it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Pj Veenstra wasn't active enough on the ground.
Gunner gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Veenstra makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Veenstra with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Veenstra misses the jab.
Gunner misses with a takedown attempt - Veenstra sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Thomas Gunner. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Veenstra throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Gunner was covering up waiting for the punch and Veenstra finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Veenstra throwing strikes but missing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Veenstra preventing the sweep.
Veenstra pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Gunner is keeping the position for now.

Gunner escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Veenstra gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Veenstra told us pre-fight that he has been working on his escapes in training. Let's see if he can call on some of his new skills to get back to his feet.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Veenstra pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Gunner is keeping the position for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Veenstra lands a couple of elbows.

Veenstra stands up and waves to Gunner to follow him.
Gunner shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Veenstra closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Veenstra lands in his opponent's guard.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Veenstra is looking to work some ground and pound but Gunner has wrist control.
Gunner trying to keep a closed guard but Veenstra is proving a slippery customer.

Veenstra gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Veenstra feints and as Gunner raises his hands in defense, Veenstra changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Gunner is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Gunner looking to hit a scissor sweep but Veenstra is one step ahead there.
Gunner is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Veenstra sitting in guard here, content to control.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Veenstra stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Gunner swivels though and keeps the full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pj Veenstra dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Veenstra closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Veenstra working away.

Veenstra stands up and beckons Gunner to his feet.
Gunner moves out of range of the body kick.
Gunner shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Veenstra defends it nicely.
Gunner stuffs the takedown.

Veenstra instigates a clinch.
Veenstra lands a shot to the body.
Gunner is working for takedown but Veenstra is calmly controlling the position for now.
Our sources have told us that Gunner has been working on his knees in the buildup to the fight.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Veenstra has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Gunner clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!

Veenstra has his opponent's back and is working for the choke.
The referee is taking a good look at Gunner as he is on the wrong end of some big shots from Veenstra!
Veenstra tries to keep control of the position but Gunner is staying busy.
Oooh a big shot gets through from Veenstra. Many more shots like that and the referee will have to think about stepping in!
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Veenstra's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.
Veenstra is riding his opponent, not letting Gunner buck him off.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Veenstra is looking to control Gunner but Gunner is wriggling around and keeping busy.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Pj Veenstra.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Veenstra.

Gunner pushes Veenstra up against the cage in a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gunner tries to score a body lock takedown but Veenstra shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Thomas Gunner. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gunner keeps control of Veenstra as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Gunner gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Veenstra.

Gunner works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Gunner controlling from the top position.
Gunner throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Veenstra controls Gunner momentarily but Gunner frees himself.

Veenstra working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Gunner doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Gunner manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Veenstra wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Pj Veenstra has got the better of the ground game so far.

Veenstra has his foot on Gunner's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Gunner works his way back into a safe position though.
Gunner trying to control but Veenstra is working from the bottom.
Gunner preventing the sweep.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gunner trying to control the position from guard on top but Veenstra is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pj Veenstra showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Veenstra moves into the clinch.
Gunner fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Gunner escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Veenstra closes the distance and clinches up with Gunner, looking for a takedown. Veenstra pushes Gunner against the cage but Gunner circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Gunner is looking to clinch but Veenstra is avoiding it.
Gunner takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Gunner shoots in but Veenstra avoids the takedown attempt easily.

Veenstra scores with a takedown into Gunner's guard.
Veenstra pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Gunner is keeping the position for now.
Veenstra in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Veenstra controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Veenstra won't allow Gunner to sweep him here.
Gunner wants to stand but Veenstra is controlling the position.
Veenstra wants to control from the top but Gunner keeps moving.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Pj Veenstra hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Veenstra looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Gunner is fending him off so far but Veenstra persists. Nope, Gunner circles away and we're back to standing.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Veenstra.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gunner can't do much from the bottom here.
Veenstra has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Gunner tries to reverse the position but Veenstra maintains control.
Gunner tries to hold on but Veenstra postures up.
Veenstra is looking to work his way around to Gunner's back. He needs to be careful though, as he's in danger of losing this dominant position.
Veenstra trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Veenstra looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gunner is in all sorts of trouble here.
Veenstra controlling his opponent.
Veenstra with a couple of short strikes.
Thomas Gunner has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Pj Veenstra is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Gunner is looking to improve his position but Veenstra isn't that keen on the idea.
Veenstra controlling the pace for now.
Gunner is trying to escape the mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gunner tries to hold on but Veenstra pushes him away.
Veenstra lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.

Veenstra working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Veenstra controlling from mount.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Veenstra tries to control but Gunner wriggling away.

And that's the end of the fight!
Pj Veenstra comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Veenstra 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 Nard Betker scores the fight 27:30
Judge Daniel Blasius scores the fight 27:30
Judge Paul Aken scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Pj Veenstra!
Pj Veenstra gave a mention to Cyclone Nutrition Company in his post fight interview. That will please them (and hopefully generate some sales).