PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Van Damme (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kendall Clarke (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Damme comes to the cage accompanied by Fight to Survive. Clarke comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Seven Nation Army kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Damme
vs
Clarke

186 cm
26
199 lbs
10 - 1 - 0

198 cm
26
193 lbs
9 - 8 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Lethal high kicks
Very quick

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Global Nutritional ACME (Q157) 90% ROR on Laundry

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Van Damme!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Kendall Clarke!
The judges for this bout are Robert Douchet, Dillan Fox and Yves DeLean.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Clarke misses with a takedown attempt - Damme sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Damme looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Damme tries to clinch up.
Damme lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Clarke swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Damme tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Clarke is defended easily by Damme.
Damme uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Clarke.
Clarke throws a head kick that misses.
Clarke on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Damme. Damme obviously looking to wear him down.
Clarke misses with a wild body shot.

Clarke moves into the clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Damme tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

Clarke has hold of one of Damme's legs. Damme is fighting the takedown attempt but Clarke gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Clarke trying to control but Damme is working from the bottom.
Damme might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Clarke throwing strikes from guard but Damme blocks nicely.
Damme tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Damme knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Clarke on the ground.
Damme wants to get back to his feet but Clarke is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Clarke is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Clarke trying to control the position from guard on top but Damme is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Damme trying to keep a closed guard but Clarke is proving a slippery customer.
Damme wants to stand and escape but Clarke is having none of it.
Clarke has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Clarke throwing strikes from guard but Damme blocks nicely.
Damme is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
A clash of legs there as Damme blocks the low kick.
Van Damme is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
A slow jab from Clarke misses its intended target.
Damme thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Clarke if he has to take too many more of those.
Clarke fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Van Damme has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kendall Clarke.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A nice leg kick lands there from Damme.
Clarke lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Clarke swings for the body but Damme moves out of range.
Clarke's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Clarke duly obliges.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Damme lands a lovely overhand right.
A slapping leg kick lands for Damme.
Clarke takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Clarke shoots in but no luck this time.
Nice defenses there by Damme.
Clarke walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Damme checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Damme pushes Clarke away with a front kick.
Damme throws a head kick that looked like it stung.

It looks like Kendall Clarke has been cut.
Clarke looks to score with a jab to the body but Damme is just out of range.
Damme's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Clarke connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Damme scrambles back to his feet.
Damme looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Clarke misses with a two punch combination.
A combination from Damme does no damage.
Damme wants to clinch up but Clarke keeps it at a distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Clarke scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Nice shot by Clarke.
Damme tries to close the distance and clinch but Clarke swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Damme has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.

Damme is rocked!
Clarke misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Damme.
Damme is looking to slow Clarke down with leg kicks.

Damme pushes Clarke up against the cage in a clinch.
A nice left hand lands by Damme.
Damme misses with the head strike.
Damme misses with a short punch on the inside.
Clarke blocks a punch to the side of the head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Clarke blocks an uppercut.
Damme fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

Damme manages to break the clinch.
Clarke closes this distance looking for a takedown but Damme circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Damme avoids the body shot from Clarke.
Damme uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Clarke.
Damme tries to clinch there but Clarke circles away.
Damme doesn't manage to clinch there - Clarke circles away.
Damme throws a sloppy head kick and Clarke moves out of range easily.
A low kick from Clarke misses
and Damme counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Clarke is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Clarke slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Clarke.
Damme showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Clarke.
Damme is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Damme tries to close the distance and clinch but Clarke swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Damme throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Clarke misses with a few strikes there.
Clarke fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Clarke dives in and grabs Damme's left leg, looking for a takedown. Damme pushes down on Clarke's head and hops out.
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 Van Damme will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Kendall Clarke's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Damme doesn't manage to clinch there - Clarke circles away.
Damme is looking to slow Clarke down with leg kicks.
Clarke moves in looking to clinch but Damme pushes him off.
Clarke on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Damme. Damme obviously looking to wear him down.
Damme fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Clarke looks to land a right hand but Damme moved out of range.
Damme cracks Clarke with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Van Damme is winning the standup battle so far.
Clarke digs a good hook to Damme's body.
Damme connects with an inside leg kick.
Clarke circles away from the clinch attempt.
Clarke looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Damme is fending him off so far but Clarke persists. Nope, Damme circles away and we're back to standing.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Damme lands a right hook to the body.
Clarke swats away the attempt to clinch by Damme.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Damme, right into the meat.
Damme lands a leg kick that knocks Clarke off balance momentarily.
Clarke is breathing heavily.
Damme avoids the body shot from Clarke.
Clarke swats away the attempt to clinch by Damme.
Damme tries to clinch but Clarke is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
An inside leg kick lands from Damme.
Clarke lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Damme at a distance.
Damme tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Clarke manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Clarke fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Damme avoids it really well and circles away.
Damme sizes up Clarke with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.

Damme moves into the clinch.
Damme tries to work over Clarke's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Damme struggles to land a body shot inside as Clarke controls his hands.
Clarke is trying to break the clinch but Damme is controlling him.
Damme misses with a punch on the inside.

Damme breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Damme keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Clarke takes a swing at Damme's ribcage but misses.
Clarke's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Damme lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Damme thumps Clarke with a low kick.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Damme connects with a body shot that sends Clarke's belly button to the back.
A good leg kick by Damme.
Van Damme seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Damme takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Damme is looking to clinch.
Damme leaves Clarke with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Van Damme has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kendall Clarke.
A punch lands to the side of Clarke 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Clarke takes one on the button.
No joy there for Damme, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Damme tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Damme cracks Clarke with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
A telegraphed right hand from Clarke misses the target.
Clarke misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Clarke takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Damme connects with a solid leg kick.
A punch combination from Clarke misses.
Clarke walks into a straight right hand from Damme.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Damme with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Clarke shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Damme looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Clarke chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Damme can pounce on him.
Damme scores with a jab. Clarke acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Damme is looking to clinch but Clarke is avoiding it.
Clarke lands with a right hand.
Clarke throws a series of punches but Damme moves out of range.
Damme fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Damme scores with a nice strike.
Damme swinging wildly here.
Damme tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Damme connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Clarke momentarily.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Clarke circles away from the clinch attempt.
Clarke throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Damme.
Damme fails in his attempt to clinch.
Damme slips a jab and a cross from Clarke.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Clarke shoots in looking for a takedown. Damme tries to sprawl out of it but Clarke keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Damme manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Clarke on the wrong end of a kick to the body.

Clarke gets tackled into the cage by Damme. Damme maintains the clinch.
Clarke has had enough of the clinch but Damme keeps him there for the moment.
Clarke blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Clarke is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Damme pressing his opponent against the cage.
Damme misses with a body punch.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Damme misses with the head strike.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Van Damme dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Kendall Clarke's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Clarke tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Damme was well out of range. Poor timing from Clarke.
A good leg kick by Damme.
Clarke moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
A nice leg kick lands there from Damme.
A nice inside leg kick there by Damme. That's going to slow Clarke down.
Clarke swats away the attempt to clinch by Damme.
Clarke looks to land a combination. Damme sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Damme looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Clarke connects with a crisp jab.
Clarke shoots in looking for a takedown. Damme tries to sprawl out of it but Clarke keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Damme manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Damme rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Clarke moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Clarke takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Damme throws a head kick but Clarke moves out of range.
Damme tries to close the distance and clinch up but Clarke swats him away and circles back towards the center.
No joy there for Damme, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Clarke shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Damme defends it nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Clarke misses with a straight left.
Clarke swinging wildly here.
Damme tries to clinch but Clarke is having none of it.
Damme cracks the inside of Clarke's front leg.
Damme lands a slapping body shot.
Clarke throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Damme scores with a one two! Clarke had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Damme misses with a wild combination.
Damme tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Clarke paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Damme moves in looking to clinch but Clarke pushes him off.
Clarke drops his hands momentarily and Damme takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Damme darts in trying to clinch

and Clarke counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Damme!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Clarke dominating with strikes here.
Damme wants to hold on but Clarke pushes him away.
Damme tries to reverse the position but Clarke maintains control.
Clarke lands a big shot there that rocks Damme but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Damme tries to hold on but Clarke postures up.
Damme keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Clarke looking to ground and pound but Damme is blocking nicely.
Clarke misses with a head shot.
Van Damme is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Clarke working Damme over with strikes here.
Clarke landing strikes from the mount.
Clarke connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Oh Damme is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Damme is squirming around, avoiding Clarke's attempts to control the action.
Clarke misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Damme seems to have got his legs back now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Clarke connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Damme really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Clarke throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Kendall Clarke has got the better of the ground game so far.
Clarke throwing strikes here but Damme is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Clarke tries to control but Damme wriggling away.
Damme blocking the ground and pound.
You get the feeling that Damme really doesn't like being in this position too much.

Clarke is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Damme has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Damme!
Damme not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Damme won't allow Clarke to sweep him here.
Damme wants to stand but Clarke has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Clarke wants to sweep but no luck.
Damme trying to control the position from guard on top but Clarke is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Damme stopping the sweep attempt from Clarke.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Van Damme.
Clarke shoots in looking for a takedown. Damme tries to sprawl out of it but Clarke keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Damme manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Van Damme has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kendall Clarke.
Damme lands a really nice looking cross but Clarke seems unphased.
Damme throws a nice inside leg kick.
Damme lands a leg kick that knocks Clarke off balance momentarily.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Clarke fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Damme is out of range.
Damme tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Kendall Clarke has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Clarke looks to score with a jab to the body but Damme is just out of range.
Clarke misses with a two punch combination.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kendall Clarke comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Damme has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Robert Douchet scores the fight 29:29
Judge Dillan Fox scores the fight 29:28
Judge Yves DeLean scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Van Damme!