PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Junior Harris (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Henk Jan Van Gompel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Harris
vs
Jan Van Gompel

174 cm
21
168 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

170 cm
26
160 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Cardio machine

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Knockout power

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 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Junior Harris!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Henk Jan Van Gompel!
The judges for this bout are Alyssa Summers, Jonathan Paton and Lou da Vinci.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Van Gompel shoots for a double leg takedown but Harris sprawls well. He's pushed Van Gompel's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Harris closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Harris lands in his opponent's guard.
Van Gompel looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Harris trying to control the position from guard on top but Van Gompel is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Van Gompel keeping full guard, as Harris tries to pass.
Van Gompel keeping moving, preventing Harris from controlling successfully.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Van Gompel is pulling down on Harris's head to control his posture.
We've been hearing good reports from Harris's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Van Gompel looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Harris trying to control the position from guard on top but Van Gompel is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

Harris shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Harris throws a big right hand that misses.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Harris accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Harris wants to pass the guard but Van Gompel is keeping the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Harris trying to control the position from guard on top but Van Gompel is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Van Gompel is trying to control the position but Harris postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harris seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Van Gompel is controlling Harris's posture.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Harris knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Van Gompel on the ground.
Van Gompel looking to hit a scissor sweep but Harris is one step ahead there.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

Harris clinches up with Van Gompel and pushes him back against the cage.

Harris jumps guard and drags Van Gompel to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Harris working a defensive guard but Van Gompel passes into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Van Gompel seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

Harris looking for submissions off his back.
Van Gompel is trying to control. Harris wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Van Gompel working Harris over with strikes.
Van Gompel wants to take a breather but Harris is having none of it.
Harris is looking to control Van Gompel's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Harris avoid being mounted?
Harris avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Van Gompel.
Van Gompel wants to lay and pray for a moment but Harris keeps working.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Van Gompel stalling.
Van Gompel passes to full mount!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Van Gompel is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Harris has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Harris!
Harris with a flurry of punches that miss.
Harris is looking to advance position but Van Gompel has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!

Harris is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Van Gompel working for a guillotine from mount but Harris is in no mood to give up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Junior Harris dominated that round.
That's time! Harris's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Harris shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Harris showed some decent athleticism there.
Harris wants to control but Van Gompel is keeping him busy.
Van Gompel trying to control but Harris postures up.
The fighters are battling for position here. Van Gompel manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Van Gompel keeping moving, preventing Harris from controlling successfully.
Van Gompel wants to sweep here but Harris controlling him for the moment.
Harris wants to pass the guard but Van Gompel is keeping the position.
Harris has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Van Gompel seems keen to control Harris's posture.
Junior Harris overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Van Gompel working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Harris doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Harris manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Harris wants to pass the guard but Van Gompel is keeping the position.
Harris wants to control from the top but Van Gompel keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Harris is stalling in the full guard.

Harris avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Harris throws a big elbow that misses.

Harris 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.
Harris wants to control from the top but Van Gompel keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

Harris closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Van Gompel quickly recovers to half guard.

Harris is trying to work for a kimura but Van Gompel is defending well.
Van Gompel is trying to control but can't.
Van Gompel is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Harris looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harris is trying to control. Van Gompel wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Harris throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Van Gompel trying to control here.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Harris moves nicely into side control.
Van Gompel can't do much from the bottom here.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Van Gompel is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Junior Harris dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Harris moves into range and clinches up with Van Gompel.

Van Gompel has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Harris is trying to keep an underhook but Van Gompel manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Harris tries to get to full guard but Van Gompel has control of the leg.
Harris punching from the bottom.
Van Gompel trying to control the pace.
Van Gompel is trying to control. Harris wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harris makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Harris.

Harris is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Van Gompel defends well.
Van Gompel looking to pass the guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

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

Harris throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Harris working for a triangle but Van Gompel defends it easily.
Harris is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Van Gompel can do to turn this around?
Van Gompel lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Van Gompel trying to control but Harris is working from the bottom.
Van Gompel stands up over Harris, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Harris keeping moving, preventing Van Gompel from controlling successfully.

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

Harris is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Van Gompel is aware though and is defending well.

Van Gompel avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Harris working for a triangle but Van Gompel defends it easily.
Henk Jan Van Gompel has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Van Gompel 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.

Harris throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Van Gompel trying to control but Harris is working from the bottom.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Harris closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Harris lands in his opponent's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harris trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Harris advances to half guard.

Harris is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Van Gompel defends it well.

Van Gompel is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Harris pulls his head out easily.
Junior Harris is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Van Gompel actively working from the bottom here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Junior Harris showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Harris 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 Alyssa Summers scores the fight 30:27
Judge Jonathan Paton scores the fight 30:27
Judge Lou da Vinci scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Junior Harris!
Henk Jan Van Gompel spoke after the fight, saying 'I'll be back'.