PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Van Driesen (ranked 5028 p4p, 4294 weight class) and Deacon Fries (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Van Driesen could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Deacon Fries's chin.

Driesen
vs
Fries

164 cm
21
141
2 - 0 - 0

165 cm
21
143
2 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Brawler
Very quick

Good takedowns
Basic striking
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 2 - 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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Deacon Fries!
The judges for this bout are Illya Tyunina, Igor Prikhodko and Sergei Dronov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Driesen rushes Fries and presses him up against the cage.

Driesen breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Driesen fails to land the takedown.
Driesen is looking to clinch.
Driesen shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Fries but Fries pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Fries shoots in but Driesen avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Driesen misses with a head kick.
Driesen tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Fries defends well and Driesen ends up having to push Fries into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Van Driesen. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Driesen has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Fries regains guard immediately.
Driesen looking to sit in guard and control but Fries gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Driesen looking for a guillotine here but Fries defends easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fries wants to control from the top but Driesen keeps moving.
Driesen wants to sweep here but Fries controlling him for the moment.
Driesen is working hard here to advance position.
Driesen is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Driesen keeping moving, preventing Fries from controlling successfully.

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.
Fries working some strikes from top position.
Driesen trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Driesen is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Driesen is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Fries trying to control from the bottom.
Driesen prevents Fries from improving his position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fries gets full guard.
Fries manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Driesen manages to get himself to full guard.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Fries won't allow Driesen to sweep him here.
Driesen scores with a couple of body punches from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Driesen is trying to control the position but Fries postures up.
Fries prevents Driesen from getting back to his feet.
Driesen preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Fries trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fries is pushing down on Driesen's leg trying to pass to half guard. Driesen is fighting to maintain full guard but Fries has managed to sneak the leg through.
Fries performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Fries throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Fries is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Driesen tries to get to full guard but Fries has control of the leg.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Fries shoots in but Driesen avoids the takedown attempt easily.

Fries dives in and scores a takedown into Driesen's guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Deacon Fries will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Driesen is looking to clinch but Fries is avoiding it.
Driesen tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Fries throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Driesen's waist but Driesen gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Fries off to one side.
Driesen appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Fries fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Driesen avoids it really well and circles away.
Fries thows a left - swing and a miss!

Driesen manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Fries on his heels. He'll look to pass Fries's guard now, I'm sure.
Driesen lands a couple of elbows.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Driesen has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Fries is proving hard to escape from.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Driesen engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.

Fries looking for a guillotine here but Driesen defends easily.
Driesen preventing the sweep.
Fries not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters, thinking about a standup.
Driesen working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Driesen is looking to pass into half guard but Fries pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Fries is in guard.

Fries throws a big right hand that misses.
Fries throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Driesen controls Fries momentarily but Fries frees himself.
Fries stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Driesen swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Driesen utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fries distracts Driesen with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Fries is looking to advance position but Driesen has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!

Driesen trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Driesen looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Driesen scoring with strikes but Fries is staying in there.
Driesen controlling his opponent.

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fries keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Driesen wants to control the pace but Fries is squirming around nicely.
Fries slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Driesen stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
Driesen is looking to clinch but Fries is avoiding it.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Van Driesen dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Driesen forces Fries back against the cage and clinches.
Driesen goes for a takedown attempt but Fries pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Fries shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Driesen's guard.
Driesen keeping moving, preventing Fries from controlling successfully.
Fries is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Fries wants to pass the guard but Driesen is keeping the position.
Fries won't allow Driesen to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fries trying to control but Driesen is working from the bottom.
Fries throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Driesen works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Driesen not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Fries throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

Driesen has managed to clinch.
Driesen is pushing Fries up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Fries wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

That's two 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.

Driesen successfully pulls guard.
Fries looking to pass the guard.
Fries postures up.
Driesen trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Fries is looking to work some ground and pound but Driesen has wrist control.
Van Driesen overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Fries working some strikes from top position.
Fries stops Driesen from standing up.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Fries accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fries pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Driesen is keeping the position for now.
Fries preventing the sweep.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Driesen looks to land a left hand but Fries moved out of range nicely.

Fries shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Driesen's guard.
Driesen tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Fries is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Driesen keeping moving, preventing Fries from controlling successfully.
Fries might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Driesen haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Driesen is trying to keep Fries in close.
Driesen avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Fries throws a big right hand that misses.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Van Driesen is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Driesen shoots in for a takedown but Fries shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
No luck for Fries with that takedown attempt.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Driesen fails with an attempt to clinch.
Driesen with a poor takedown

so Fries counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Van Driesen. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Driesen looking to control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Deacon Fries comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Fries 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 Illya Tyunina scores the fight for Van Driesen!
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight for Deacon Fries!
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight for Van Driesen!

Van Driesen wins by split decision!
Van Driesen thanked the fans post fight for their support.