PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Viktor Herzog (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tanom Jaa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Jaa has chosen Advanced Training! from the movie Kick Boxer as his entrance music. Tanom Jaa will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Herzog
vs
Jaa

177 cm
20
134 lbs
6 - 1 - 0

172 cm
24
136 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Counter striker
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Powerful

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 6 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Viktor Herzog!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Tanom Jaa!
The judges for this bout are Cecil Peabody, Daniel Franklin and Frank Dennis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Jaa lands a head kick. Herzog smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Herzog steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Jaa. That one must have hurt.

Herzog rushes Jaa and presses him up against the cage.
Herzog blocks an elbow strike from Jaa.
Jaa missing with knees to the body.
Jaa tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Herzog's elbow.
Jaa misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Herzog.
Jaa pushes off an throws an elbow but Herzog leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Jaa misses with a knee to the head.
Jaa tries a knee to the head but Herzog blocks it.
Jaa lands an elbow just above Herzog 's eye.
Jaa swings wildly with an uppercut but Herzog uses good head movement to avoid it.
Jaa tries to land knees in the clinch but Herzog avoids the damage to the body.
Jaa misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Herzog.
Jaa lands an elbow that stopped Herzog in his tracks for a moment.
Jaa looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Herzog blocks an uppercut.
Jaa using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Herzog has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Herzog managing to block the knees to the body from Jaa.
Herzog changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Jaa fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Jaa misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jaa tries to clinch

and Herzog counters with a takedown into side control.

Herzog is trying to get an arm triangle but Jaa is defending well.
Herzog wants to control but Jaa is keeping him busy.
Jaa avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Herzog.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Jaa gets back to half guard.
Herzog looks to land a strike but Jaa avoids it nicely and regains full guard.

Herzog drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Jaa manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Herzog has Jaa in his guard.
Herzog wants to sweep but no luck.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jaa wants to control from the top but Herzog keeps moving.
Herzog is looking to sweep but instead, Jaa has passed into half guard.
Herzog is trying to get back to full guard.
Jaa wants to pass the guard but Herzog is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Herzog works his way to full guard. Good work.

Herzog has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Jaa can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Jaa won't allow Herzog to sweep him here.
Jaa sitting in guard here, content to control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Herzog controlling Jaa's posture.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Jaa looking to pass the guard.

Herzog working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Jaa has passed into half guard!
Herzog wants to get back to full guard but Jaa has passed into side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Viktor Herzog will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Jaa swinging wildly here.
Herzog uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Jaa.
A jab from Jaa misses.
Tanom Jaa seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Jaa throws a body punch but Herzog moves out of range.
Jaa will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Jaa tries to clinch up

and Herzog counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Herzog.
Herzog thows a big elbow that misses.
Herzog trying to control but Jaa is working from the bottom.
Herzog postures up.

Herzog postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Jaa is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Herzog, into his guard.
Herzog 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.
Herzog really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Herzog is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Herzog is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Jaa defends well.
Jaa preventing the sweep.

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.
Herzog not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Herzog 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.
Jaa is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

Herzog escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Jaa gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Herzog looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jaa trying to control but Herzog is working from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Herzog.
Jaa wants to clinch but Herzog slips to the side

and Herzog counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Jaa's guard now.
Herzog missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Herzog trying to control but Jaa is working from the bottom.
Jaa keeping full guard, as Herzog tries to pass.
Jaa pulls Herzog in close to his closed guard and prevents Herzog from doing any damage or advancing position.

Herzog drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Jaa manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Herzog has Jaa in his guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jaa slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Herzog keeping moving, preventing Jaa from controlling successfully.
Herzog looking to control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Viktor Herzog dominated that second round.
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. This is the final round!

Jaa wants to clinch but Herzog slips to the side

and Herzog counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Jaa's guard now.
Herzog advances position into side control!
Jaa tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Herzog wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Herzog landing a few strikes.
Jaa sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.

Herzog is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Jaa doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Herzog.
Herzog is looking to pass Jaa's guard but actually Jaa recovers to full guard.
Jaa is pulling down on Herzog's head to control his posture.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Herzog postures up.
Herzog being controlled here momentarily.
Viktor Herzog overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Jaa wants to sweep but no luck.
Herzog looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Herzog postures up in Jaa's guard and throws a big left but Jaa blocks it.
Tanom Jaa has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Jaa trying to control the position.
Herzog trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Herzog scoring with punches to the head and body.
Herzog working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Jaa keeping moving, preventing Herzog from controlling successfully.
Jaa trying to control the position.
Jaa is adopting a defensive guard.
Jaa is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Herzog trying to control the position from guard on top but Jaa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Jaa working a defensive guard but Herzog manages to pass into side control anyway.
Jaa parries the strikes from Herzog easily there. Herzog is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Jaa to escape.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Jaa thumps Herzog with a low kick.
Jaa swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Herzog shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Jaa but Jaa pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Jaa lands with a shot to the body.
Tanom Jaa is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

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.
Herzog moves out of range as Jaa throws a body kick.
Herzog blocks a head kick by Jaa.
Jaa tries a low kick but Herzog avoids it.
Jaa misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Jaa darts in trying to clinch
and Herzog counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Jaa thinking.

Herzog instigates a clinch.
Jaa tries a knee to the head but Herzog blocks it.
Jaa putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Herzog in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Jaa tries to land knees in the clinch but Herzog avoids the damage to the body.
Herzog on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Jaa is pressed up against the cage. Herzog has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Jaa down to the mat. Jaa avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Herzog checks the leg kick nicely there.
Jaa cracks Herzog with a right hand to the side of the head.
Jaa tries a head kick but it misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
Viktor Herzog showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Herzog, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Cecil Peabody scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Viktor Herzog!