PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Corporal Clegg (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Axel Van Dam (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Clegg comes to the cage accompanied by Run Like Hell. Van Dam has chosen Beatdown - Gunman Joe as his entrance music. I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Clegg
vs
Van Dam

194 cm
26
217 lbs
8 - 6 - 0

186 cm
24
212 lbs
9 - 4 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Powerful

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 8 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Corporal Clegg!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 4 - 0, fighting out of New York, Axel Van Dam!
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Robert Douchet and Dillan Fox.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Clegg attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Van Dam ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Clegg moves away.
Van Dam throws out a token jab with nothing on it.

Van Dam scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Van Dam wants to lay and pray for a moment but Clegg keeps working.
Clegg is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
You can see the frustration on Clegg's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Van Dam is looking to take a break and control but Clegg is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Van Dam remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Clegg pushes Van Dam away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Van Dam gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Van Dam content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Clegg is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Clegg tries to buck Van Dam off but Van Dam is having none of it.
Clegg on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Van Dam working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Van Dam wants to lay and pray for a moment but Clegg keeps working.
Van Dam tries to move to mount but Clegg blocks the move with his legs.
Van Dam postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Van Dam scores with a couple of short elbows.
Van Dam has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Clegg is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Van Dam wants to control the pace but Clegg is squirming around nicely.
Clegg tries to buck Van Dam off but he can't manage it.
Clegg really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Van Dam has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Van Dam looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Clegg is desperately trying to improve his position but Van Dam has a good base and remains in mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Van Dam throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Van Dam is in the full mount, landing strikes.
A nice elbow there by Van Dam.
Van Dam lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

Clegg is rocked!
Van Dam looking to finish here with some ground and pound. He lands one big shot that has Clegg covering up... and two more big strikes land, forcing the referee to step in and put and end to proceedings! This fight is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:37 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Axel Van Dam!