PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Sebastian Diestien (ranked 4553 p4p, 4462 weight class) and Kevin Owens (ranked 478 p4p, 471 weight class). Owens has chosen Fight as his entrance music. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Diestien
vs
Owens

175 cm
22
155
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
18
155
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Tends to cut

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Sebastian Diestien!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Kevin Owens!
The judges for this bout are Gregory Folan, Ian Loll and Dillan Fox.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Owens tests Diestien's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Diestien wants to clinch.
Owens avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Owens doesn't manage to clinch there - Diestien circles away.
Diestien tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Owens manages to circle out of the way.
Kevin Owens seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Owens connects with a nice looking jab.
Owens lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Owens throws a nice looking combination but Diestien bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Owens throws a left and a right that both miss

and Diestien counters with a shoot takedown. Owens fights it but they end up in guard.

Owens scrambles and gets back to his feet.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Owens gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Owens takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Owens throws a body kick that misses.
Owens stuffs the takedown.

Diestien shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Diestien showed some decent athleticism there.
Owens is looking to get back to is feet but Diestien passes into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Owens is trying to get back to half guard.
Owens is letting Diestien control him for a moment.
Owens prevents Diestien from moving into mount.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Diestien lands some shots froms side control.
Owens is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Owens is holding on to half guard well.
Owens tries to get to full guard but Diestien has control of the leg.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Owens won't allow Diestien to pass to mount.

Owens looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Owens is looking to improve his position.
Owens is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Owens looks winded!
Diestien works his way into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Diestien in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Diestien landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Owens gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Owens wants to control but Diestien is having none of it.
Owens is looking to get to half guard.
Diestien looking to control and managing it successfully.

Diestien has hold of Owens's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Owens manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Owens is trying to get back to his feet but can't.

Diestien is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Owens can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Owens tries to control Diestien's body but Diestien pushes him off. Owens squirms to his side and now Diestien has his back!
Owens is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Kevin Owens will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Owens swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Owens misses with a few strikes there.
Owens lands a jab to Diestien's midsection.

Diestien gets the takedown into side control.

Owens throws Diestien to one side and escapes!

Diestien tries to sprawl but Owens drives through with a takedown into half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Owens is looking for the mount but instead finds himself back in full guard.
Diestien has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

Diestien is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Sebastian Diestien overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Owens stands up from Diestien's guard - Owens perhaps looking for a knockout.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Owens tries to clinch up.
Owens misses with a few strikes there.
Owens is breathing heavily.
Owens scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Owens connects with a jab.
Diestien fails with an attempt to clinch.
Owens misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Diestien throws a series of punches but Owens moves out of range.
Owens cracks Diestien with an open hand slap.

Diestien shoots in for a takedown and gets it.

Diestien decides to return to a standing position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Owens moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Diestien tries to clinch but Owens moves out of range.
Owens tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Diestien paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Owens shoots in looking for a takedown. Diestien tries to sprawl out of it but Owens keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Diestien manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Diestien shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Owens eats them both and turns towards Diestien to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Diestien has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Diestien there as he acknowledges the shot.
Diestien lands with a cross.
Owens fails with a takedown attempt.
Diestien attempts a counter takedown but Owens avoids it well and moves away.

Owens decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

Diestien has managed to escape just enough to sneak back to his feet but Owens is on him like a limpet, forcing Diestien back against the cage.

Diestien breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Owens fails to land with a series of punches.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Diestien dives in for a single leg takedown but Owens sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.

Owens escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Owens wants to clinch but Diestien slips to the side
and Diestien counters with a leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Owens shoots in but no luck this time.
Sebastian Diestien has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kevin Owens.
Owens walks into a stiff left hand from Diestien.

Owens moves into the clinch.
Owens wants to break the clinch but can't.
Owens drops down looking for an ankle pick but Diestien pulls his leg out and moves away.

Diestien has Owens up against the cage in a clinch.
Owens is looking to break free of the clinch but Diestien has double underhooks.

Owens has picked Diestien up - he's going for a ride! Owens dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.

Diestien kicks Owens off and gets back to his feet.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Kevin Owens will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Diestien shoots in looking for a takedown but Owens manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Diestien's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Owens tries to close the distance and clinch up but Diestien swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Diestien feinted with a counter takedown.
Diestien tries to clinch but Owens moves out of range.
Owens throws a combination that misses
and Diestien counters with an inside leg kick.
Owens throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Owens throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.

Diestien clinches up against the cage.
Diestien wants to get back to striking at distance but Owens won't allow it.
Diestien dodges an elbow strike from Owens.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Owens tries to pull guard but Diestien forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Owens takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Diestien prevents the takedown attempt.
Owens lands an uppercut.

Owens drags the fight down to the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Owens is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Diestien is working Owens over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

Owens throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Diestien 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.
Diestien slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

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

Diestien stands and steps away. Owens gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

Diestien drives through with a takedown into guard.

Owens looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Owens controls Diestien momentarily but Diestien frees himself.
Diestien looking to pass the guard.
Diestien stops Owens from standing up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Diestien scoring with punches to the head and body.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Diestien is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

Diestien stands and steps away. Owens gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Diestien is trying hard to land a takedown here. Owens sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Owens throws a head kick that half lands.
The fight stays on the outside here - Owens looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Diestien appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.

Diestien fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Owens to the ground. Diestien is now in Owens's guard.
Owens wants to get back to his feet but Diestien is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Diestien engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Owens wants to sweep here but Diestien controlling him for the moment.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Owens not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Diestien loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters, thinking about a standup.

Diestien 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.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sebastian Diestien showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Owens 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 Gregory Folan scores the fight for Sebastian Diestien!
Judge Ian Loll scores the fight for Kevin Owens!
Judge Dillan Fox scores the fight for Kevin Owens!

Kevin Owens wins by split decision!
Kevin Owens decided to go for the less than humble approach in his post fight interview, telling everyone how he is going to conquer the world. The crowd seemed to like it when really that sort of approach could have gone either way.