PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Van Driesen (ranked 4988 p4p, 4989 weight class) and Hung Hai (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Driesen
vs
Hai

164 cm
21
141
1 - 0 - 0

168 cm
21
142
1 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Brawler
Very quick

Good takedowns
Brawler
Experienced

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Van Driesen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Hung Hai!
The judges for this bout are Konstantin Menshow, Vladimir Khabensky and Dmitry Maklakov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hai swats away the attempt to clinch by Driesen.
Driesen shoots in for a takedown but Hai shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

Hai scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Hai is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Driesen's shoulder. That is not cool.

Hai goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Driesen has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Hai but great work by Driesen.
Hai stops Driesen from passing to mount.
Hai tries to buck Driesen off but Driesen is having none of it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hai is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Driesen has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Driesen working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.

Driesen looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Driesen is trying to ground and pound but Hai uses the momentary lack of control by Driesen to regain half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Driesen sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Hai defending well though.
Driesen blocks the strikes from Hai.
Hai is trying to stand.
Driesen wants to take a breather but Hai is having none of it.
Hai keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Hai is refusing to be controlled, as Driesen sits in half guard.
Driesen 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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Still in half guard, Driesen seems content to control.
Hai slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

Driesen got a little sloppy there for a moment and Hai has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Driesen has managed to get both his arms back between Hai's legs - danger averted.

Hai throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Driesen preventing the sweep.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Driesen has Hai up against the cage in a clinch.
Hai wants to take the fight to the mat but Driesen manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Driesen leaning against his opponent.
Hai can't break the clinch.

Driesen's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Hai tries to clinch but Driesen moves away

and Driesen counters with a single leg into guard. Hai didn't expect that.
Driesen wants to control from the top but Hai keeps moving.
Driesen sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Hai's guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hai is looking to improve his position.
Driesen throwing shots but Hai is blocking nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Driesen slips a nice elbow through Hai's hands, connecting with Hai's forehead.
Driesen is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.
Driesen seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Driesen wants to get back to his feet.
Hai is trying to control but Driesen passes into side control!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Driesen wants to control but Hai is keeping him busy.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Van Driesen dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Hai throws a head kick but Driesen moves out of range.
Driesen half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Hai displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Driesen.
Driesen closes this distance looking for a takedown but Hai circles away.
No luck for Driesen with that takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Van Driesen. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Driesen darts in looking for a takedown but Hai gets double underhooks and turns Driesen into the cage.
Hai wants to take the fight to the mat but Driesen manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.

Hai's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Driesen shoots for a double leg takedown but Hai sprawls well. He's pushed Driesen's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Hai looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Hai shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Driesen as he avoids it easily.
Hai keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Driesen fails with a takedown attempt.

Driesen shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Driesen was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Hai tries to improve position but can't.
Hai regains half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hai wants to control but Driesen is keeping busy.
Driesen sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Hai defending well though.
Hai trying to control here.
Driesen thows a huge punch but Hai dodges it nicely.
Driesen is looking to advance position but Hai won't allow it.
Driesen with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hai trying to keep hold of his opponent's head but Driesen manages to pass to mount!
Driesen looking to control and managing it successfully.
Hai is looking to get to half guard.
Hai wants to control but Driesen is having none of it.
Hai can't escape the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Driesen goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Hai is on top in guard.
Hai trying to control the position from guard on top but Driesen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hai engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Hai trying to control the position from guard on top but Driesen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Hung Hai showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Hai shoots in and drives through. Driesen sprawls well.
Hai closes this distance looking for a takedown but Driesen circles away.
Driesen misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Horrible takedown attempt by Driesen or perhaps it was just good defense by Hai, which made it look bad.
Driesen avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Hai fails with the takedown

and Driesen counters with a nice double leg into side control. Hai won't be happy with that.
Van Driesen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Hung Hai.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hai is looking for a sweep.
Hai keeps trying to improve his position.
Driesen has control of an arm but Hai manages to advance to Driesen's back!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hai controlling well, preventing Driesen from escaping the position.
Hai takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Hai biding his time, controlling Driesen.
Hai's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Hai is trying to stick to Driesen's back but Driesen is turning into Hai. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Hai's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Driesen.
Driesen stays in close to Hai's body and controls the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hai is pulling down on Driesen's head to control his posture.
Driesen trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Hai trying to keep a closed guard but Driesen is proving a slippery customer.
Hai has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Driesen would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Driesen wants to control from the top but Hai keeps moving.
Driesen preventing the sweep.
Driesen tries to free his leg and advance position but Hai is retaining full guard.
Driesen is looking to stand up but Hai won't let him.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Driesen misses with a leg kick

and Hai counters with a takedown into side control.
Driesen is trying to get back to half guard.
Hai tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Driesen is letting Hai control him for a moment.
Driesen controls the position for a moment.
Hai advances to mount.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Driesen is squirming around, avoiding Hai's attempts to control the action.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Hung Hai.
I think Hai 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 Konstantin Menshow scores the fight for Van Driesen!
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight for Van Driesen!
Judge Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight for Van Driesen!

Van Driesen wins by unanimous decision!
Van Driesen seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.