PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Alton Newcastle (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nathan Schoots (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Newcastle
vs
Schoots

170 cm
22
148 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

175 cm
22
145 lbs
7 - 1 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Alton Newcastle!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Nathan Schoots!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Jack Bonds and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Newcastle connects with a body shot.
Newcastle misses with an uppercut. Schoots saw that one coming.
Newcastle with a hook.
Newcastle lands a jab.

Schoots is rocked!
Schoots shoots for a double leg takedown but Newcastle sprawls well. He's pushed Schoots's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Schoots is still on wobbly legs! Can Newcastle finish him?
Schoots cracks Newcastle with a right hand to the side of the head.
Schoots seems to have recovered his senses.
A lazy left from Newcastle finds it's target.
Newcastle ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Newcastle throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Schoots on the side of the head.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Newcastle swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Newcastle misses with a hook. Schoots ducked under it nicely.
Schoots shoots in and drives through. Newcastle sprawls well.

Newcastle closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Schoots quickly recovers to half guard.
Schoots wants to improve his position but Newcastle is controlling well.
Newcastle throwing shots but Schoots is blocking nicely.

Newcastle wants to work for an arm triangle but Schoots is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Schoots is defending against the submission attempts here by Newcastle.

Newcastle is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

Newcastle is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Newcastle thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Schoots's head.
Newcastle passes to full mount!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Schoots is trying desperately to improve position.

Newcastle looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Newcastle goes for an armbar but Schoots turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Schoots.
Newcastle manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Schoots manages to get himself to full guard.

Schoots controls Newcastle momentarily but Newcastle frees himself.

Newcastle has gone for a leg lock! Schoots slips out almost immediately though and dives into Newcastle's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Newcastle is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

We've been hearing that Newcastle has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.

Newcastle seems to be looking for submissions.

Newcastle is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Schoots defends it well.
Schoots wants to get back to full guard.
Schoots regains full guard. Nicely done.
Newcastle stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Schoots swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Schoots is trying to keep Newcastle in close.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Schoots had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Newcastle defends it easily.
Newcastle wants to pass the guard but Schoots is keeping the position.
Newcastle pushes down on Schoots's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Newcastle moves nicely into side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Newcastle fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Newcastle tries to clinch there but Schoots circles away.
Schoots closes this distance looking for a takedown but Newcastle circles away.
Schoots fails with the takedown.
Newcastle throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Schoots.
Newcastle with a jab.
Schoots ducks right into an uppercut from Newcastle.
Schoots takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Newcastle fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Schoots looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.

Newcastle shoots in and gets a takedown into Schoots's guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Schoots preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Newcastle advances to half guard.
Newcastle is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Schoots can do to turn this around?

Newcastle is looking for a kimura but Schoots is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Newcastle to get the leverage.

Newcastle wants to work for an arm triangle but Schoots is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Newcastle is looking to advance position but Schoots won't allow it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Schoots wants to control but Newcastle is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Alton Newcastle overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Schoots manages to get to full guard.
Newcastle stands and throws Schoots's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Schoots stops Newcastle from passing to mount.
Schoots tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Newcastle wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

Newcastle working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Newcastle has knee on belly and moves into mount.

Newcastle has control of Schoots's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Schoots regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Schoots is in all sorts of trouble here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Newcastle fails to move to back control.
Schoots wants to control but Newcastle is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Schoots keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

Newcastle with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Newcastle is looking to work his way around to Schoots's back. He needs to be careful though, as he's in danger of losing this dominant position.
Schoots tries to hold on but Newcastle postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Schoots takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Newcastle wants to take Schoots's back but he can't do it this time.
Schoots can't escape the position.
Schoots tries to hold on but Newcastle postures up.

Schoots defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Newcastle.

Newcastle goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Schoots turns into him and now he's in Newcastle's guard.
Newcastle bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Schoots's guard.

And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alton Newcastle dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Schoots staying out of range there.
Schoots shoots in but no luck this time.
Newcastle takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Schoots changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Newcastle tries to avoid it but Schoots manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Newcastle to the ground. Newcastle escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.

Schoots gets a double leg takedown into Newcastle's guard.
My spies in Mano`s Elite BJJ Gym inform me that Schoots has been getting involved in the gym's BJJ sparring sessions. Let's see whether that pays dividends!
Schoots preventing the sweep.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Newcastle is working hard here to advance position.
Schoots showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

Schoots got a little sloppy there for a moment and Newcastle has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Schoots has managed to get both his arms back between Newcastle's legs - danger averted.
Schoots must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Schoots stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Newcastle swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Schoots's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Schoots is stalling in the full guard.
Schoots working some strikes from top position.
Schoots postures up.
Schoots stopping the sweep attempt from Newcastle.
Schoots tries to free his leg and advance position but Newcastle is retaining full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

Newcastle is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Schoots defends well.
Newcastle has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Schoots has passed into side control.
Newcastle tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Schoots wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Schoots scores with punches from side control.
Newcastle tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Schoots presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
Newcastle is looking to get to half guard.
Schoots tries to control but Newcastle wriggling away.
Newcastle is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Schoots tries to control but Newcastle wriggling away.
Schoots lands a big elbow.
Newcastle is trying to escape the mount.
Newcastle is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Schoots controlling his opponent.
Schoots lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Newcastle is working to get back to half guard.
Schoots lands a big elbow.
Newcastle manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Newcastle is trying to get back to full guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Newcastle wants to get back to full guard but Schoots has mounted him!
Nathan Schoots has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Alton Newcastle is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Newcastle manages to regain half guard. Good work.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nathan Schoots comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Newcastle has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Don Winkell scores the fight 29:28
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 29:28
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Alton Newcastle!
An out of breath Alton Newcastle thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.