PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Heng Keo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ruud Van Sperr (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Van Sperr has chosen Kagrra, - Utakata as his entrance music. Ruud Van Sperr is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Keo
vs
Van Sperr

173 cm
18
148 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

165 cm
19
135 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Great elbows
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good gas tank

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Heng Keo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Ruud Van Sperr!
The judges for this bout are Radbod Blank, Aafke Stam and Paul Aken.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Keo fails with an attempt to clinch.
Nice jab there from Van Sperr.
Van Sperr avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Van Sperr shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Van Sperr showed some decent athleticism there.
Van Sperr looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Keo with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Van Sperr working over Keo with some ground and pound. Keo looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Van Sperr missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Van Sperr throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Van Sperr sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Keo defending well though.
Ground and pound from Van Sperr.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Van Sperr stands up from half guard.
Van Sperr lands a jab to Keo's midsection.
Van Sperr keeps the fight on the outside.

Van Sperr clinches.
Keo stalling in the clinch but Van Sperr improves position.
Van Sperr tries to break free but Keo pushes him back against the cage.
Keo lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Van Sperr is pushing Keo up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Knees to the body from Keo.
Keo lands a knee to the body.
Keo comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Van Sperr looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Van Sperr lands a hook to the side of the head.
Van Sperr pushes Keo back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Van Sperr lands a hook to the side of the head.

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

Van Sperr moves into the clinch.
Stalling in the clinch from Van Sperr.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Keo tries to land knees in the clinch but Van Sperr avoids the damage to the body.
Van Sperr lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Keo comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Keo landing knees to the body.
Keo is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Van Sperr is keeping busy.
Keo scores a nice knee to the body.
Van Sperr wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Keo is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Van Sperr is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Keo putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Van Sperr in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Keo gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Van Sperr works on Keo's body with a couple of short punches.
Keo keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Van Sperr's efforts to push away.

Van Sperr has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Keo regains guard immediately.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Van Sperr postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Van Sperr working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Keo can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Van Sperr controls the pace.
Keo wants to get back to his feet but Van Sperr is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Van Sperr stands up from Keo's guard - Van Sperr perhaps looking for a knockout.
Keo slips under a jab from Van Sperr.
Van Sperr tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Keo was well out of range. Poor timing from Van Sperr.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Keo tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Van Sperr counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Keo tries to clinch

and Van Sperr counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Van Sperr has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Van Sperr with a flurry of punches that miss.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Keo has momentary wrist control but Van Sperr slips an elbow through the middle.
Van Sperr stands and throws Keo's legs to the side, diving into side control.

Van Sperr decides to stand back up. Van Sperr steps back and let's Keo get back to his feet.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Van Sperr decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Van Sperr throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ruud Van Sperr dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Van Sperr has taken the fight to the clinch.
Keo is looking to control Van Sperr's arms but Van Sperr gets an underhook and turns him. Now Keo has his back to the cage.
Nice elbow from Keo.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Keo as Van Sperr tries to tie him up.
Keo wants to stall.
Keo comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Keo avoiding damage.
Keo lands a good knee to the midsection. Van Sperr won't want to take too many of those.
Van Sperr stalling in the clinch but Keo improves position.
Van Sperr wants to get back to striking at distance but Keo won't allow it.
Van Sperr looking to stall.
Keo is trying to maintain a safe position but Van Sperr gets an underhook and turns Keo into the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Keo lands a nice knee to the body.
Van Sperr has Keo pushed against the cage.
Keo landing knees to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Van Sperr wants to get back to striking at distance but Keo won't allow it.
Keo scores a nice knee to the body.
Van Sperr wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Van Sperr has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Keo is trying to keep an underhook but Van Sperr manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Van Sperr winds up and cracks Keo with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Van Sperr looks to score some points with some ground and pound.

Van Sperr is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Keo doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Van Sperr.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Keo has hold of Van Sperr's hands but Van Sperr slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Van Sperr wants to control but Keo is keeping him busy.
Van Sperr uses his free foot to push down on Keo's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Keo.
Van Sperr lands a big elbow.
Van Sperr wants to control the pace but Keo is squirming around nicely.
Van Sperr content just to control the position here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee warns Keo that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Van Sperr is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Keo can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Van Sperr lands a heavy elbow.
Van Sperr lands with some strikes.
Van Sperr working away from the top, dropping strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Van Sperr landing strikes from the mount.
Van Sperr tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Van Sperr lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Keo hang on?
Keo taking shots to the head.
Van Sperr lands a big shot there that rocks Keo but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Van Sperr postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Keo looks a forlorn figure.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ruud Van Sperr showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Van Sperr gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Keo prevents Van Sperr from breaking the clinch.
Keo's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Keo lands an elbow inside.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Keo obliges.
Van Sperr lands a right hand.
Keo lands a nice knee to the body.
Keo utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Van Sperr wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Van Sperr lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Van Sperr lands a body shot.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Van Sperr.
Keo creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Van Sperr's defenses.
Keo is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Van Sperr is keeping busy.
Van Sperr wants to break free but Keo has control.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Van Sperr wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
A knee to the head by Keo.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Van Sperr has had enough of the clinch but Keo keeps him there for the moment.
Knees to the body from Keo.
Van Sperr takes a knee to the side of the body.
Van Sperr slowing the pace effectively.
Keo landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Keo lands a knee to the body.
Van Sperr managing to block the knees to the body from Keo.
With the fighters up against the cage, Keo throws an elbow but misses.
Van Sperr is looking to break free of the clinch but Keo has double underhooks.
Van Sperr lands a hook that snaps the head of Keo backwards.
Van Sperr on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Van Sperr stalling.
Van Sperr wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Keo lands an elbow that stopped Van Sperr in his tracks for a moment.
Van Sperr wants to break the clinch but can't.
Van Sperr is looking to break free of the clinch but Keo has double underhooks.
Van Sperr wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Keo lands a nice elbow.
Keo misses with an elbow strike.
Keo tries to land knees in the clinch but Van Sperr avoids the damage to the body.
Van Sperr has had enough of the clinch but Keo keeps him there for the moment.
Keo lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Keo being controlled against the cage.

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.
Van Sperr swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Keo looking to stall.
Van Sperr working hard to break the clinch.
A nice right hand lands inside from Van Sperr.
Keo prevents Van Sperr from breaking the clinch.
Keo has Van Sperr pressed against the cage, preventing Van Sperr from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Keo crunches a lovely knee into Van Sperr's ribcage.
Keo utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Van Sperr is looking to break free of the clinch but Keo has double underhooks.
Keo tries to land knees in the clinch but Van Sperr avoids the damage to the body.
Keo looking to stall.
Van Sperr wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Keo lands an elbow that stopped Van Sperr in his tracks for a moment.
Keo lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Keo utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Keo lands an elbow just above Van Sperr 's eye.
Ruud Van Sperr is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Keo is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Van Sperr is defending well for now.
Keo using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Van Sperr has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Keo is looking to control Van Sperr's arms but Van Sperr gets an underhook and turns him. Now Keo has his back to the cage.
Van Sperr blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Keo throws a knee to the head but misses.
Van Sperr wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
The referee is keeping an eye on Van Sperr - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Keo missing with knees to the body.
Van Sperr wants to break free but Keo has control.
Keo tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Keo trying to land knees to the body.
Van Sperr tries to circle away but Keo has him pinned against the cage.
Van Sperr is trying to break the clinch but Keo has him pressed against the cage.
Keo has Van Sperr pressed against the cage, preventing Van Sperr from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Van Sperr manages to pull guard.
Van Sperr pulls Keo in close to prevent any damage.
Van Sperr is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

And that's the end of the fight!
Heng Keo showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Van Sperr 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 Radbod Blank scores the fight 28:29
Judge Aafke Stam scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paul Aken scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ruud Van Sperr!