PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Nate Jayden (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tong Van damm (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Jayden
vs
Van damm

190 cm
23
215 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

198 cm
19
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Nate Jayden!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Tong Van damm!
The judges for this bout are Trevor Gratis, Dillan Fox and William Peck.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Horrible takedown by Jayden or perhaps it was just good defense by Van damm which made him look bad.
Jayden looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Van damm is fending him off so far but Jayden persists. Nope, Van damm circles away and we're back to standing.
Van damm leaves Jayden with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nate Jayden. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Jayden misses with a series of wild punches.
Jayden tries to clinch but Van damm is having none of it.
Jayden shoots in for a takedown but Van damm shows good takedown defense.
Van damm fails with an attempt to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A shot to de liver by Jayden. Beautiful body shot.
Van damm tries to clinch but Jayden moves out of range.
Jayden misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Nate Jayden seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Jayden drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Jayden pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Van damm is keeping the position for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jayden stops Van damm from standing up.
Jayden trying to control the position from guard on top but Van damm is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Van damm wants to stand but Jayden is controlling the position.
Jayden trying to control but Van damm is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Jayden showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Jayden prevents Van damm from getting back to his feet.
Jayden wants to control from the top but Van damm keeps moving.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Jayden shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Van damm as he jumps to the side.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
No luck for Jayden with that takedown attempt.
Jayden fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Van damm slaps away a takedown attempt from Jayden, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Van damm scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Jayden changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Van damm tries to avoid it but Jayden manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Van damm to the ground. Van damm escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Jayden tries to clinch up

and Van damm counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Jayden wants to break the clinch but can't.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Van damm missing with knees to the body.
Jayden has Van damm pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Van damm manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Jayden is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Van damm with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Jayden tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Van damm just stands there and leans against the cage.
Jayden tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Van damm smiles and moves away.
Jayden tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Van damm counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Van damm.
Jayden on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

Van damm breaks from the clinch.
Jayden misses with a takedown

and Van damm moves into the clinch.
Jayden has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Van damm is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Van damm working Jayden over with knees to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Tong Van damm will probably get the nod.
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.

Van damm clinches up with Jayden and pushes him back against the cage.
Come on Jayden - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Jayden tries to pull guard but Van damm won't allow it.
Jayden wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Jayden trying to stall but Van damm improves his position.

Van damm tightens his grip and picks Jayden up, before dumping him to the ground. Jayden manages to land in guard.
Van damm tries to stand but Jayden is controlling from the bottom.
Jayden knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Van damm on the ground.
Jayden pulls Van damm in to control the position.
Van damm would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Jayden is pulling down on Van damm's head. It's preventing any offense from Van damm, at least for the moment.
Van damm would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Van damm gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.

Van damm gets caught flat footed, as Jayden shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Jayden is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Jayden postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jayden content to stall in guard here.
Jayden chips away with some ground and pound.
Jayden wants to pass the guard but Van damm is keeping the position.
Jayden trying to control the position from guard on top but Van damm is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jayden is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Jayden trying to control the position from guard on top but Van damm is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Jayden stands and throws Van damm's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Jayden misses with an attempted head punch from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Van damm is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Jayden asserts his dominance and retains side control.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Van damm bucks up and manages to escape back to his feet!
Jayden misses with a takedown

and Van damm holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Tong Van damm will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Van damm tries to clinch but Jayden moves out of range.
Van damm lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Jayden circles away quickly and effectively.
Jayden fails with the takedown

and Van damm counters with a single leg into guard. Jayden didn't expect that.
Van damm tries to stand but Jayden is controlling from the bottom.
Van damm stopping the sweep attempt from Jayden.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Jayden holds on and takes a little breather.
Van damm is looking to stand up but Jayden won't let him.
Van damm postures up in Jayden's guard and throws a big left but Jayden blocks it.
Van damm tries to stand but Jayden is controlling from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Van damm being controlled here momentarily.

Jayden is working an open guard so Van damm takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Jayden is looking to clinch.
Jayden closes the distance but Van damm moves to the side

and Van damm moves into the clinch.

Van damm breaks the clinch.
Jayden keeps the fight on the outside.
Van damm fails with a takedown attempt.
Van damm tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Jayden paws at him with a jab and circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jayden misses with a takedown

and Van damm counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Van damm is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Jayden is defending well for now.
Van damm keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Jayden's efforts to push away.
Jayden tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Van damm avoids it.
Jayden is trying to break free.
Jayden looking to stall.
Jayden wants a takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nate Jayden. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Van damm pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Jayden misses with a takedown attempt

and Van damm moves into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Van damm tries to land knees in the clinch but Jayden avoids the damage to the body.
Van damm tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Jayden has had enough of the clinch but Van damm keeps him there for the moment.
Jayden jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Van damm walks away with a smile on his face. Jayden gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Jayden throws a leg kick but Van damm moved away.
Jayden with a lazy takedown attempt

and Van damm counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Jayden's guard now.
Jayden has a closed guard, preventing Van damm from standing up.
Van damm won't allow Jayden to sweep him here.
Van damm trying to stand up but can't free himself from Jayden's guard.

Jayden is working an open guard so Van damm takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jayden tried to score with a low kick but Van damm checks it.

Van damm darts in and clinches Jayden up against the cage.
Jayden is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Van damm gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Jayden on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Jayden on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Jayden trying to land knees to the body.
Jayden fails to pull guard.
Van damm tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Jayden avoids it.
Jayden is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Van damm tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Jayden tries to pull guard but Van damm holds him up against the cage and eventually Jayden drops back down to his feet.
Nate Jayden has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Tong Van damm is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Jayden has a couple of punches blocked by Van damm.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tong Van damm comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Van damm has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Trevor Gratis scores the fight 27:30
Judge Dillan Fox scores the fight 27:30
Judge William Peck scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tong Van damm!