PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Neil Donovan (ranked 7029 p4p, 0 weight class) and Punching Bag (ranked 5424 p4p, 0 weight class). Punching Bag has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Donovan
vs
Bag

225 cm
18
193 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

190 cm
25
195 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Neil Donovan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Punching Bag!
The judges for this bout are Wagner Zegers, Nard Betker and Aafke Stam.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bag shoots and misses

and Donovan counters with a nice double leg into side control. Bag won't be happy with that.
Bag is trying to control Donovan's posture but Donovan avoids it.
Donovan lands a decent elbow from side control.
Bag is looking to regain half guard here but Donovan keeps moving and retains side control.
Donovan working the ground and pound but Bag is defending the strikes.
Bag is trying to control Donovan's posture but Donovan avoids it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bag tries to bench press Donovan off him but Donovan keeps the position.
Donovan trying to control the position but Bag is working away.
Bag is trying to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Donovan controlling the position.

Donovan is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Bag has escaped the position, nice work there.
Bag tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Donovan wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Donovan misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Bag parries the strikes from Donovan easily there. Donovan is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Bag to escape.

Donovan tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Bag tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Donovan presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
Bag gets back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Donovan thows a huge punch but Bag dodges it nicely.
Donovan not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

Donovan is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Bag has managed to free his arm - good work.
Bag trying to control but Donovan postures up.
Bag is staying active underneath Donovan, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Bag trying to control but Donovan postures up.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Punching Bag seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Donovan has managed to clinch.
Donovan is trying to push Bag away but Bag has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Donovan breaks the clinch.
Bag is trying hard to land a takedown here. Donovan sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Bag lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Donovan circles away quickly and effectively.

Bag shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Donovan keeping moving, preventing Bag from controlling successfully.
Donovan working a defensive guard here.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Bag working some strikes from top position.
Bag must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Donovan is on top in guard.

Donovan trying to control the position from guard on top but Bag is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Neil Donovan 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.

Bag looking to score a takedown here. Donovan is defending well but Bag drives through and ends up in Donovan's guard.
Donovan has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Bag wants to control from the top but Donovan keeps moving.
Donovan really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Donovan is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Donovan working for a triangle but Bag defends it easily.
Donovan will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Donovan looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bag working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Donovan's head.
Donovan is trying to control the position but Bag postures up.
Neil Donovan overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Bag really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Donovan. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bag pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Donovan is keeping the position for now.
Donovan is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Bag passes into half guard.
Bag wants to pass the guard but Donovan is defending well.
Donovan trying to control but Bag postures up.
Bag is controlling the pace.

Donovan is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Bag pulls his head out easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Bag trying to control the pace.
Ground and pound from Bag.
Donovan wants to control but Bag is keeping busy.
Donovan wants to improve his position but Bag is controlling well.
Donovan is trying to maintain the position but Bag is very close to passing his half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Bag with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Bag is pressing down on Donovan's thigh, looking to free his foot. Donovan is holding on for now.
Donovan wants to control but Bag is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Donovan is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Bag pulls his head out easily.
Donovan is controlling Bag's position as best he can from this difficult position.
Donovan is trying to maintain the position but Bag is very close to passing his half guard.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

Bag is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Donovan's half guard.
Bag working Donovan over with strikes.

Donovan is rocked!
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Bag in particular looking to stall.
Oh Donovan is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Let's hope that Bag has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Nice strikes from Bag there.

Bag is looking for a kimura here.
Bag lands strikes from half guard.
Bag stalling.
Donovan on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Bag has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bag trying to control the pace.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Bag working over Donovan with some ground and pound. Donovan looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Bag scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Donovan wants to improve his position but Bag is controlling well.
Bag drops an elbow to the side of Donovan's head.
Bag controlling the action here.
Bag landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Bag lands with a punch from half guard.
Donovan wants to improve his position but Bag is controlling well.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Bag sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Donovan wants to control but Bag passes into side.

Bag is trying to get an arm triangle but Donovan is defending well.
Bag wants to control but Donovan is keeping him busy.
Bag moves into full mount!
Donovan is trying desperately to improve position.
Bag lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Bag controlling the pace for now.
Bag cracks Donovan with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.

Bag looking to secure an arm triangle but Donovan defends it well.
BOOM! Bag connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Donovan is working to get back to half guard.
Donovan tries to lock up and control but Bag gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Bag raining down shots from the mount!
Bag content just to control the position here.
The referee warns Donovan that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Bag lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Bag manages to capitalize on a mistake by Donovan to take his back!

Donovan fending off the submission attempt from Bag.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Punching Bag showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

A head kick by Bag misses

and Donovan counters with a single leg into guard. Bag didn't expect that.
Bag has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

Bag working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Donovan doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Donovan manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Donovan trying to control the position from guard on top but Bag is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bag wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Donovan is now in half guard.
Bag takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Donovan lands strikes from half guard.
Bag is looking for a sweep. Donovan is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Donovan takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Bag blocking the ground and pound attempt from Donovan.
Bag is trying to control but can't.
Donovan seems to have got his legs back now.
Donovan not doing much here.

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

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.
Bag looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

Bag tries to sprawl but Donovan drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Bag is trying to stand up here but Donovan is controlling him well.
Bag avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Donovan.
Donovan thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Bag's head.
Donovan lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Donovan lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nice strikes from Donovan there.
Donovan trying to control the pace.
Bag is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Donovan jumps into side control!
Bag is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Donovan tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Bag is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Donovan is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
Bag in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Donovan landing shots from mount.
Donovan avoids the attempt from Bag to control.
Donovan postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Bag looks a forlorn figure.

Donovan looking to secure an arm triangle but Bag defends it well.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Bag manages to regain half guard. Good work.

And that's the end of the fight!
Neil Donovan showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Donovan has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Wagner Zegers scores the fight 28:28
Judge Nard Betker scores the fight 28:28
Judge Aafke Stam scores the fight 28:28

The fight is ruled a draw!