PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight kickboxing rules bout between Pwede Nah (ranked 5622 p4p, 240 weight class) and Van Damme (ranked 4814 p4p, 216 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Nah
vs
Damme

185 cm
18
135 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

185 cm
22
140 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

Basic striking
Granite chin

Good kicks
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Pwede Nah!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Van Damme!
The judges for this bout are Ben Zyskovitsi, Roosa Järviläinen and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Damme tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Damme avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Damme tries a head kick but it misses.
Damme throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Damme pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Nah blocks a head kick by Damme.
Nah tries to clinch but Damme is having none of it.

Nah gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Damme is looking to break free of the clinch but Nah has double underhooks.
Nah prevents Damme from breaking the clinch.
Nah has Damme pushed against the ropes.
Damme tries to circle away but Nah has him pinned against the ropes.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Damme is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the ropes.
The fighters are pressed against the ropes, as the pace of the fight slows.
Nah is looking to control Damme's arms but Damme gets an underhook and turns him. Now Nah has his back to the ropes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Damme wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Damme is trying to break free.
Damme wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Damme is trying to push Nah away but Nah has him pressed against the ropes, so he's going nowhere.
Nah throws an elbow but it misses.
Damme blocks an elbow strike.
Damme managing to block the knees to the body from Nah.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Damme as Nah tries to tie him up.
Nah scores with a shoulder strike.

Nah breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Damme buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.

Nah moves into range and clinches up with Damme.
Nah tries to land knees in the clinch but Damme avoids the damage to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Damme as Nah tries to tie him up.
Damme is trying to break free.
Damme taking a breather.
Damme wants to break the clinch but can't.
Damme wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Nah has him pressed against the ropes.
Our sources have told us that Nah has been working on his knees in the buildup to the fight.
Damme looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Damme has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Damme wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Damme can't break the clinch.

Damme pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Damme throws a head kick but Nah moves out of range.
Damme tries a head kick but it misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Van Damme will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Nah blocks a head kick by Damme.
Damme tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Van Damme seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Damme throws a sloppy head kick and Nah moves out of range easily.

Nah has managed to clinch.

Damme breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Damme tries to keep at a distance but Nah has taken the fight into the clinch.
Nah gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Damme wants to break free but Nah has control.
Damme can't break the clinch.
Nah throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Damme connects with a knee to the head.
Damme tries to circle away but Nah has him pinned against the ropes.
Damme has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Nah throws an elbow but it misses.
Damme is breathing heavily.
Damme blocks the elbow strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Damme avoiding damage as Nah throws knees to the body.
Damme working hard to break the clinch.
Damme has had enough of the clinch but Nah keeps him there for the moment.
Nah really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Nah with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Nah's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
A frustrated look appears on Damme's face as he tries to break the clinch.

Nah breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Damme swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Damme tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Nah is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Damme throws a head kick but Nah moves out of range.
Nah appears to be looking for a big counter.
Damme throws a head kick but Nah moves out of range.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!

Nah closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the ropes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Nah breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Nah pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Damme back to the ropes. Nah follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Nah obliges.
Damme is trying to force a seperation but Nah has the dominant position.
Nah using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Damme has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Nah prevents Damme from breaking the clinch.
A frustrated look appears on Damme's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Nah keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Damme's efforts to push away.
Nah tries to land knees in the clinch but Damme avoids the damage to the body.
Nah is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Damme can do to turn this around?
Damme wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Damme wants to get back to striking at distance but Nah won't allow it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pwede Nah dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Nah darts in and clinches Damme up against the ropes.
Damme has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Nah's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
We've been informed that Damme has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
Nah tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Damme pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Nah moves into the clinch.
Damme working hard to break the clinch.
Nah looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Nah trying to control the position but instead, Damme has worked for underhooks and has pushed Nah into the ropes.
Damme has had enough of the clinch but Nah keeps him there for the moment.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Damme manages to break the clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Nah looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Nah doesn't manage to clinch there - Damme circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nah fails with an attempt to clinch.
Nah avoids the head kick by Damme.
Damme misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Damme takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Damme attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Nah is looking to clinch.
Nah tries a head kick but it misses.

Nah rushes Damme and pushes him back against the ropes in a clinch.
Nah throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Damme looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Nah throws a knee to the head but misses.

Nah's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Nah tries to clinch but Damme is having none of it.
Damme keeps the fight on the outside.
Despite the aggression on Damme's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Nah is looking to clinch.
Damme unleashes a big counter combination but Nah bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Damme throws a head kick that misses.
Nah takes a kick to the side of the head.
Nah tries to clinch up.
Pwede Nah is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nah tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. Damme manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Nah fails in his attempt to clinch.

Nah closes the distance and pushes Damme back into the ropes.
Nah has Damme pressed against the ropes, preventing Damme from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

Damme breaks the clinch.
Damme throws a sloppy head kick and Nah moves out of range easily.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Nah clinches with his opponent.

Nah breaks the clinch.
Damme throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Nah wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Nah doesn't manage to clinch there - Damme circles away.
Nah fails with an attempt to clinch.
Nah blocks a head kick by Damme.
The fight stays on the outside here - Nah looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Nah has Damme up against the ropes in a clinch.
Damme wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Van Damme.
I think Damme 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 Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 28:29
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 28:29
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Van Damme!
Our winner, Van Damme, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.