PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Jurgen Van Damme (ranked 3907 p4p, 5124 weight class) and Mikhail Borta (ranked 419 p4p, 498 weight class). Borta has chosen HARMASAR "DAOI" as his entrance music. Jurgen Van Damme could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Mikhail Borta's chin.

Van Damme
vs
Borta

191 cm
25
195
2 - 1 - 0

185 cm
24
190
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Conquest Nutrition™ (160Q) $97

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 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Jurgen Van Damme!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Mikhail Borta!
The judges for this bout are Josh West, Micheangelo Fripello and Roger Salmon.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Van Damme ducks under a wild hook from Borta.
Van Damme tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Borta was well out of range. Poor timing from Van Damme.
Borta looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.

Van Damme moves into the clinch.
Still in the clinch, Borta scores with a nice short uppercut.

Van Damme manages to break the clinch.
Jurgen Van Damme seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Borta misses with a few strikes there.
Van Damme fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Both fighters circling a little - Van Damme finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Borta gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Van Damme.
Van Damme throws a left and a right that both miss
and Borta counters with a series of strikes. Van Damme will be more careful next time no doubt.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Borta takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Van Damme swats away the attempt to clinch by Borta.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Van Damme throws a nice looking combination but Borta bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Van Damme punishes Borta's body with a nice straight punch.
Van Damme lets loose with a powerful body kick. Borta will feel that in the morning.
Van Damme misses with a combination

and Borta counters with a crisp one two that drops Van Damme! Borta thinks about following him to the mat for a moment but instead steps back and waves Van Damme to his feet! Van Damme is in big trouble!
Van Damme scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Van Damme throws a head kick that misses.
Borta slips a jab and a cross from Van Damme.
Borta avoids a punch combination nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Van Damme clinches up against the cage.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Van Damme lands a nice elbow.
A head punch on the inside from Van Damme fails to land.

Van Damme manages to break the clinch.
Van Damme dodges the punch combination from Borta.
Van Damme slips a jab and a cross from Borta.
Borta slips a jab from Van Damme.
Borta is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Borta forces Van Damme back against the cage and clinches.
Van Damme looks to be in better condition than last time we saw him fight. Obviously he's been working hard on his cardio.
Borta throws a head punch that misses.

Van Damme breaks the clinch.
Borta rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Van Damme moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
It looked like Van Damme was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Borta doesn't manage to clinch there - Van Damme circles away.
Van Damme pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Van Damme pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Borta back to the cage. Van Damme follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Borta swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
As Borta looks to move away, Van Damme throws a big counter combo but Borta just gets out of the way.
A telegraphed right hand from Borta misses the target.
Van Damme cracks Borta with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Borta wants to clinch up but Van Damme keeps it at a distance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Van Damme swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Borta throws a series of punches but Van Damme avoids them all with ease.
Van Damme thinks about countering with a head kick.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Borta tries to keep at a distance but Van Damme has taken the fight into the clinch.
Borta misses with a short punch on the inside.
We've been informed that Borta has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.

Van Damme escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Borta fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Van Damme connects with a high kick.
Borta is looking to clinch.
Borta walks into a jab.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Jurgen Van Damme dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Van Damme throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Borta is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Borta wants to clinch.
Van Damme is looking for a counter combo.
Borta is looking to clinch but Van Damme is avoiding it.
Van Damme throws a right hand that Borta ducks under and follows up with a left that Borta also avoids with ease.
Borta is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Borta throws a series of punches but Van Damme avoids them all with ease.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Borta dodges the punch combination from Van Damme.

Van Damme fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Borta, pushing him back against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Van Damme missing with knees to the body.

Van Damme pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Borta forces Van Damme back against the cage and clinches.
Van Damme blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Van Damme tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Borta lands a shoulder strike.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Borta.
Borta lands a hook to the side of the head.
Borta lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Van Damme backwards.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Borta.

Van Damme's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Van Damme gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Borta lands with a left to the head.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Borta throws a punch but it's blocked by Van Damme.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Borta fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Van Damme throws an elbow that misses.
Van Damme has a couple of punches blocked by Borta.
A short uppercut from Van Damme.

Van Damme pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Van Damme fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Borta swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Van Damme counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
A head kick misses from Van Damme.
Borta looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Van Damme throws a right and a left that both miss.
Borta looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Borta throws a right and a left that Van Damme avoids nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Borta avoids the head kick by Van Damme.
Van Damme misses with a head kick.

Van Damme pushes Borta up against the cage in a clinch.
Borta digs a right hand underneath Van Damme's ribcage. Van Damme let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
A short uppercut from Borta.
Borta throws a head punch that misses.
Van Damme using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Borta creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Van Damme tries to break free but Borta pushes him back against the cage.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Van Damme creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Borta keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Van Damme's efforts to push away.
Van Damme with an attempt at a knee that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Borta blocks the elbow strike.
Van Damme utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Van Damme is trying to break the clinch but Borta has him pressed against the cage.
Van Damme is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Van Damme.
Van Damme tries to circle away but Borta has him pinned against the cage.
Borta throws a punch but it's blocked by Van Damme.
Van Damme connects with a nasty looking knee right to Borta's face.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Van Damme can't break the clinch.
Van Damme has a couple of punches blocked by Borta.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Borta.
Borta lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Borta lands with a left to the head.

Van Damme breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Borta fails to land with a series of punches.
A quick step to the side and Van Damme tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Mikhail Borta will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's time! 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.

Borta gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Van Damme gets through Borta's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Borta lands with a short head shot on the inside.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Borta.
Borta lands a nice shot to the body.
Borta lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Van Damme has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Borta misses with a short punch on the inside.
Van Damme looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Borta swings wildly with an uppercut but Van Damme uses good head movement to avoid it.
Van Damme tries to work over Borta's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Borta.
Van Damme misses with a hook from the clinch.
Van Damme blocks an uppercut.
Borta has a couple of punches blocked by Van Damme.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Van Damme blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Borta fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
A shot in the inside from Borta.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Borta.
Borta lands with a right to the head.
Borta misses with a short punch on the inside.
Van Damme tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
A short right from Borta.

Van Damme escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Borta wants to clinch.
Borta takes a kick to the side of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Borta misses with a jab, cross combination.
It looked like Van Damme was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Borta throws a good cross that connects.

Borta clinches.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Van Damme blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Van Damme scores with a nice hook to the head.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Borta.
Van Damme stalling in the clinch but Borta improves position.
Van Damme throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Van Damme throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Bortas head.
Borta blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

Van Damme breaks from the clinch.
Van Damme avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Borta misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Van Damme lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Van Damme throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Van Damme throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Borta's head.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Borta tries to clinch but Van Damme moves out of range.
It looked like Van Damme was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Borta takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Jurgen Van Damme is winning the standup battle so far.
Borta blocks a head kick by Van Damme.
Despite the aggression on Borta's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Van Damme throws a chopping leg kick but Borta manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Borta is looking for the big counter here.
Van Damme dodges the punch combination from Borta.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Van Damme takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Borta dodges the punch combination from Van Damme.
Van Damme misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Borta is looking for the big counter here.
A big right from Van Damme misses.
Borta looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Van Damme looks to score with a jab to the body but Borta is just out of range.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mikhail Borta comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Borta 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 Josh West scores the fight 29:28
Judge Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight 29:28
Judge Roger Salmon scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Jurgen Van Damme!
In his post fight interview, Jurgen Van Damme started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.