PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Arjen De Jong (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Igor Curcic (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

De Jong
vs
Curcic

195 cm
18
246 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

225 cm
22
265 lbs
1 - 4 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Enjoys gardening

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Arjen De Jong!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Igor Curcic!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Blasius, Radbod Blank and Nard Betker.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
De Jong misses with a jab, cross combination.
Curcic avoids a punch combination nicely.
De Jong moves in looking to clinch but Curcic pushes him off.
De Jong misses with a leg kick.
Curcic avoids a punch combination nicely.

De Jong closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
De Jong tries to stand and escape but Curcic is controlling the position.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. De Jong connects with a nice short shot to Curcic's temple.
De Jong is thwarting Curcic's attempts to control the position.
De Jong wants to free his trapped foot but Curcic is holding on for dear life with his legs.
De Jong sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Curcic defending well though.
Curcic is looking to control De Jong's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Curcic avoid being mounted?
Curcic missing with punches from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Curcic regains full guard. Nicely done.

Curcic is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
De Jong would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Curcic wants to stand but De Jong is controlling the position.
Curcic working a defensive guard here.
Curcic trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
De Jong advances to half guard.
Curcic avoiding damage under a succession of punches from De Jong.

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.
It looks like De Jong is going to stand back up.
Curcic is trying to maintain the position but De Jong is very close to passing his half guard.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Curcic shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Curcic looks gassed!

De Jong is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Curcic's half guard.
De Jong has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
De Jong looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Curcic with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
De Jong sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Curcic defending well though.
De Jong throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Curcic is trying to defend against the ground and pound but De Jong scores with a couple of nice shots.
De Jong tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Curcic.
Curcic tries to get to full guard but De Jong has control of the leg.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

De Jong is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Curcic doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time De Jong.
Curcic wants to control but De Jong passes into side.
De Jong creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Curcic sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.

De Jong decides to take the fight back to the feet.
De Jong throws a nice outside leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
De Jong shoots in for a double leg but Curcic sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
De Jong fails with the takedown.

De Jong shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Curcic's guard.

De Jong gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
De Jong fails with an attempt to clinch.
De Jong has his takedown stuffed
and Curcic counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Arjen De Jong. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Curcic circles away from the clinch attempt
and Curcic counters with a series of strikes. De Jong will be more careful next time no doubt.
De Jong is trying hard to land a takedown here. Curcic sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
De Jong looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Curcic is fending him off so far but De Jong persists. Nope, Curcic circles away and we're back to standing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Arjen De Jong dominated that 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.

Curcic closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
De Jong can't break the clinch.
De Jong lands an elbow just above Curcic 's eye.

Curcic manages to break the clinch.
De Jong lands with a nice combination. Curcic backs away looking to recover.
Curcic looks for a takedown but De Jong sprawls well.
De Jong tries to close the distance and clinch but Curcic swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
De Jong shoots in for a double leg but Curcic sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
De Jong tries to clinch but Curcic moves away
and Curcic counters with a body kick.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Curcic.
De Jong fails in his attempt to clinch.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

De Jong rushes Curcic and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
De Jong lands a nice knee to the body.
De Jong looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
De Jong tries to land a knee to the head but Curcic blocks with his arms.

De Jong gets control of Curcic's arms and successfully pulls guard. De Jong will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Curcic trying to control the position from guard on top but De Jong is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Curcic throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
De Jong might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Curcic looking to pass the guard.
Curcic trying to stand up but can't free himself from De Jong's guard.

De Jong uses the cage to get back to his feet.
De Jong is looking to clinch but Curcic is avoiding it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
De Jong closes the distance and clinches up with Curcic, looking for a takedown. De Jong pushes Curcic against the cage but Curcic circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
De Jong is trying hard to land a takedown here. Curcic sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Arjen De Jong. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Curcic bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Curcic working the ground and pound but De Jong is defending the strikes.

Curcic decides to stand back up. Curcic steps back and let's De Jong get back to his feet.

De Jong shoots in and bounces Curcic off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Curcic is trying to control the position but De Jong postures up.
De Jong with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
De Jong stops Curcic from standing up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

De Jong gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.

Curcic clinches with his opponent.
De Jong tries a knee to the head but Curcic blocks it.
De Jong gets underhooks to prevent Curcic's takedown attempt.
Curcic tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
De Jong gets underhooks to prevent Curcic's takedown attempt.
De Jong tries to pull guard but Curcic won't allow it.
Curcic managing to block the knees to the body from De Jong.
Curcic is working for takedown but De Jong is calmly controlling the position for now.

Curcic breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
De Jong tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Curcic counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Curcic has gone for a leg lock! De Jong slips out almost immediately though and dives into Curcic's guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
De Jong working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Curcic's head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Arjen De Jong will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

De Jong shoots in looking for a takedown. Curcic tries to sprawl out of it but De Jong keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Curcic manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
De Jong misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
De Jong dives in and grabs Curcic's left leg, looking for a takedown. Curcic pushes down on De Jong's head and hops out.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Arjen De Jong. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Curcic looks for a takedown but De Jong sprawls well.
De Jong tries to clinch but Curcic moves out of range.
Arjen De Jong is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Curcic has managed to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Curcic scores with a hook to the body.

Curcic escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Curcic fails with the takedown

and De Jong decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Curcic's guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Curcic is trying to control the position but De Jong postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Curcic wants to sweep here but De Jong controlling him for the moment.

De Jong stands up and waves to Curcic to follow him.

De Jong takes the fight into the clinch.
De Jong misses with an elbow over the top.
De Jong connects with a knee to the head.
De Jong connects with a knee to the head.
Curcic fails to pull guard.
De Jong working hard to break the clinch.
De Jong landing some nice looking knees to the body.
A short left from Curcic.
Curcic throws a knee to the head but misses.
De Jong stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.

De Jong decides to pull guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Curcic's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Curcic with a flurry of punches that miss.
Curcic pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. De Jong is keeping the position for now.
De Jong preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Curcic looking to pass the guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Curcic is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

Curcic stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Curcic tries to clinch up.
Nice sprawl there from De Jong as Curcic shoots in.
De Jong misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
De Jong throws a shot from downtown. Curcic moves away and avoids it.
Nice sprawl there from Curcic as De Jong shoots in.

That's four 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.

Curcic drives through with a takedown into guard.
Curcic looking to pass the guard.
Curcic trying to control the position from guard on top but De Jong is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Arjen De Jong is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Arjen De Jong overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Curcic gets to his feet. De Jong looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
De Jong closes the distance but Curcic moves to the side

and Curcic counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Igor Curcic has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
De Jong is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Igor Curcic.
Well De Jong has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Daniel Blasius scores the fight 29:28
Judge Radbod Blank scores the fight 29:28
Judge Nard Betker scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Arjen De Jong!