PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Jaspar Van Clausen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rusev Hungary (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.

Van Clausen
vs
Hungary

155 cm
21
135 lbs
3 - 6 - 0

194 cm
29
130 lbs
8 - 11 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

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 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Jaspar Van Clausen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Rusev Hungary!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Ben Zyskovitsi and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hungary throws a combination that misses
and Van Clausen counters with a right hand to the body.
Hungary looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!
Van Clausen tries to clinch up.
Van Clausen tries to clinch but Hungary is having none of it.
Van Clausen tries to clinch up.
Rusev Hungary seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Van Clausen gets a clinch.

Van Clausen breaks the clinch.
Van Clausen tries to clinch there but Hungary circles away.
Hungary is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Hungary swinging wildly here.
Hungary circles away from the clinch attempt.
Van Clausen moves in looking to clinch but Hungary pushes him off.
Hungary shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Van Clausen eats them both and turns towards Hungary to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Van Clausen is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Hungary.
Van Clausen doesn't manage to clinch there - Hungary circles away.
Van Clausen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Van Clausen doesn't manage to clinch there - Hungary circles away.
Van Clausen tries to clinch but Hungary moves out of range.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!

Van Clausen rushes Hungary and presses him up against the cage.
Van Clausen tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Van Clausen decides to pull guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Hungary throwing strikes from guard but Van Clausen blocks nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Van Clausen looking to control.
Hungary throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Van Clausen works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Van Clausen trying to strike off his back.
Van Clausen trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Van Clausen trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Van Clausen tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Van Clausen throwing short punches from the bottom.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Hungary trying to control the position from guard on top but Van Clausen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Van Clausen is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Van Clausen closes this distance looking for a takedown but Hungary circles away.
Hungary is looking to clinch but Van Clausen is avoiding it.
Van Clausen wants to clinch up but Hungary keeps it at a distance.
The fight stays on the outside here - Van Clausen looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Van Clausen tries to clinch there but Hungary circles away.
Van Clausen moves in looking to clinch but Hungary pushes him off.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hungary swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Van Clausen doesn't manage to clinch there - Hungary circles away.
Van Clausen wants to clinch.
Van Clausen tries to close the distance and clinch but Hungary swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Hungary misses with a combination
and Van Clausen counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

Hungary is rocked!
Van Clausen tries to clinch but Hungary moves out of range.
A little jabbing left from Hungary on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Hungary is still on wobbly legs! Can Van Clausen finish him?
Van Clausen tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Hungary manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Hungary looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Van Clausen tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Hungary paws at him with a jab and circles away.
As Van Clausen backs off Hungary throws a huge counter combo but Van Clausen manages to avoid it all.
Van Clausen tries to clinch up but Hungary circles away and keeps his distance.
Hungary lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Hungary misses with a wild combination.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Van Clausen is defended easily by Hungary.
Van Clausen shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Hungary as he avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jaspar Van Clausen. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hungary tries to clinch up.
Hungary avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Hungary seems to have recovered his senses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Van Clausen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Hungary wants to counter the offense by Van Clausen and move into the clinch position.
Hungary keeps the fight on the outside.
Van Clausen wants to clinch.
Hungary lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Hungary keeps the fight on the outside.
Hungary throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Van Clausen is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Hungary is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Van Clausen moves in looking to clinch but Hungary pushes him off.
Van Clausen tries to close the distance and clinch but Hungary swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Van Clausen tests Hungary's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Van Clausen tries to clinch but Hungary is having none of it.
Van Clausen tries to clinch up but Hungary circles away and keeps his distance.
Van Clausen is looking to clinch but Hungary is avoiding it.
Van Clausen tries to close the distance and clinch but Hungary swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Van Clausen tries to clinch but Hungary moves out of range.
Van Clausen dodges the punch combination from Hungary.
Hungary throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Van Clausen.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Van Clausen is looking to clinch.
Hungary avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Van Clausen misses with a kick to the body.
Van Clausen fails with an attempt to clinch.
Van Clausen wants to clinch.
Van Clausen tries to close the distance and clinch but Hungary swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Van Clausen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Van Clausen tries to clinch up but Hungary circles away and keeps his distance.
Hungary keeps the fight on the outside.
Van Clausen moves in looking to clinch but Hungary pushes him off.
Van Clausen doesn't manage to clinch there - Hungary circles away.
Van Clausen throws a looping overhand right but Hungary ducks down to avoid it.
Van Clausen showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Hungary.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Van Clausen tries to clinch but Hungary is having none of it.
Van Clausen is looking to clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Van Clausen looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rusev Hungary dominated that round.
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.

Van Clausen drives through and clinches with Hungary against the cage.
Van Clausen lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Van Clausen jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Hungary walks away with a smile on his face. Van Clausen gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Van Clausen shoots in for a takedown but Hungary shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Nice shot lands for Hungary.
Van Clausen tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Hungary manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Van Clausen closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Hungary breaks the clinch.
Hungary misses with an uppercut.
Van Clausen tries to clinch but Hungary is having none of it.
Hungary shoots in and drives through. Van Clausen sprawls well.
It looked like Van Clausen wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Hungary throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Van Clausen.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Van Clausen tries to clinch but Hungary moves out of range.
Hungary is breathing heavily.
Van Clausen wants to clinch up but Hungary keeps it at a distance.
Hungary is looking for the big counter here.
Van Clausen swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Van Clausen tries to clinch there but Hungary circles away.
Van Clausen lands a nice looking body kick.
Van Clausen digs a good body shot into Hungary's ribs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Van Clausen tries to clinch but Hungary moves out of range.
Van Clausen is looking to clinch but Hungary is avoiding it.
Hungary lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Rusev Hungary is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Van Clausen gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Van Clausen misses with the head strike.
Hungary blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Van Clausen tries to pull guard but Hungary holds him up against the cage and eventually Van Clausen drops back down to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jaspar Van Clausen. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hungary blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Hungary has had enough of the clinch but Van Clausen keeps him there for the moment.
Van Clausen lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Van Clausen lands an elbow just above Hungary 's eye.
Van Clausen throws a head punch that misses.
Van Clausen misses with a hook from the clinch.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Van Clausen tries to pull guard but Hungary forces him back to his feet, against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A frustrated look appears on Hungary's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Van Clausen pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Van Clausen misses with the head strike.
Van Clausen lands a hook to the side of the head.
Jaspar Van Clausen has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Van Clausen comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Van Clausen misses with a body punch.
Hungary is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Van Clausen lands a left hand.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Van Clausen keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Hungary's efforts to push away.
A frustrated look appears on Hungary's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Van Clausen with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Van Clausen tries to work over Hungary's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Van Clausen misses with a punch on the inside.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hungary blocks an uppercut.
Hungary is trying to break the clinch but Van Clausen is controlling him.
Van Clausen tries to pull guard but Hungary forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Van Clausen tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Van Clausen lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Van Clausen misses with a short punch on the inside.
Van Clausen tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Hungary smiles and moves away.
Van Clausen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Van Clausen tries to close the distance and clinch but Hungary swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Van Clausen tries to close the distance and clinch up but Hungary swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Van Clausen is looking to clinch.
Hungary is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Hungary will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Van Clausen wants to clinch up but Hungary keeps it at a distance.
Van Clausen is looking to clinch.
Van Clausen wants to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Van Clausen fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Hungary looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.

Van Clausen drives through and clinches with Hungary against the cage.
Van Clausen tries to stall but Hungary uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Van Clausen misses with some punches.
A head punch on the inside from Van Clausen fails to land.
Hungary wants to get back to striking at distance but Van Clausen won't allow it.

Van Clausen breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Van Clausen tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Hungary paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Hungary throws a right and a left that both miss.
Van Clausen tries to clinch but Hungary moves out of range.
Hungary swats away the attempt to clinch by Van Clausen.
Hungary is looking for the big counter here.
Van Clausen fails with an attempt to clinch.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Van Clausen.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jaspar Van Clausen dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Van Clausen tries to clinch there but Hungary circles away.
Van Clausen avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Van Clausen tries to clinch but Hungary moves out of range.
Hungary throws a right and a left that Van Clausen avoids nicely.
Van Clausen is looking to clinch.
Hungary lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Van Clausen moves in looking to clinch but Hungary pushes him off.
Van Clausen wants to clinch.
Van Clausen wants to clinch.
Hungary avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Van Clausen is looking to clinch but Hungary is avoiding it.
Van Clausen fails with an attempt to clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Van Clausen looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Van Clausen tries to close the distance and clinch but Hungary swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Van Clausen tries to clinch up but Hungary circles away and keeps his distance.
Hungary takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Van Clausen tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Hungary paws at him with a jab and circles away.
No joy there for Hungary, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Van Clausen is looking to clinch but Hungary is avoiding it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hungary lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Van Clausen circles away quickly and effectively.
Hungary circles away from the clinch attempt.
Nice takedown defense from Hungary. No joy for Van Clausen on that attempt.

Van Clausen has managed to clinch.
Van Clausen lands an elbow inside that Hungary shrugs off.

Van Clausen manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Van Clausen bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Hungary's guard.

Hungary has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Van Clausen scoring with some ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Van Clausen wants to control from the top but Hungary keeps moving.
Van Clausen controls from within his opponent's guard.
Van Clausen wants to control from the top but Hungary keeps moving.
Van Clausen throwing strikes from guard but Hungary blocks nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Van Clausen showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Van Clausen trying to control the position from guard on top but Hungary is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Van Clausen might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Van Clausen gets to his feet - Hungary follows without any prompting.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Van Clausen tries to clinch there but Hungary circles away.
Van Clausen doesn't manage to clinch there - Hungary circles away.
Van Clausen fails with an attempt to clinch.
Rusev Hungary seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Van Clausen swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Van Clausen wants to clinch up but Hungary keeps it at a distance.
The fight stays on the outside here - Van Clausen looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Hungary throws a counter combo.
Nice defenses there by Hungary.
Hungary looks to land a combination but Van Clausen avoids it well.
Van Clausen wants to clinch.
Van Clausen moves in looking to clinch but Hungary pushes him off.
Van Clausen fails in his attempt to clinch.
Van Clausen is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Van Clausen moves in looking to clinch but Hungary pushes him off.
The fight stays on the outside here - Van Clausen looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Van Clausen tries to clinch up but Hungary circles away and keeps his distance.
Hungary works over Van Clausen's head and body with a nice combination.
Hungary keeps the fight on the outside.
The fight stays on the outside here - Van Clausen looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Hungary shoots in looking for a takedown. Van Clausen tries to sprawl out of it but Hungary keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Van Clausen manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Van Clausen wants to clinch up but Hungary keeps it at a distance.
Van Clausen wants to clinch up but Hungary keeps it at a distance.

Van Clausen shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Van Clausen slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Van Clausen is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Van Clausen throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Rusev Hungary.
I think Hungary 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 Marco Blurström scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 28:29
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rusev Hungary!
Rusev Hungary took his opportunity to call for a title shot in his post fight interview.
Jaspar Van Clausen was interviewed post fight and said 'I thank everyone for coming to watch tonight, my foe was just better, but it was a good fight and am going to learn from this and come back stronger.'.