PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Gavin Mthembe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Martin Van Buren (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Mthembe comes to the cage accompanied by The Good The Bad and The Ugly. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Mthembe
vs
Van Buren

165 cm
25
143 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

160 cm
18
138 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Heavy handed

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 Tokyo, Gavin Mthembe!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Martin Van Buren!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Tatsuya Matsuyama and Yukihiro Shimada.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Van Buren takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Mthembe throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Van Buren takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Van Buren with a hook.
Gavin Mthembe seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Mthembe lands with a slapping head kick.
Van Buren lands with a good body shot.
Mthembe connects with a right hand. Van Buren shakes it off.
Van Buren avoids the head kick by Mthembe.
Mthembe misses with an uppercut
and Van Buren counters with a nice body shot.

Mthembe closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Van Buren did well to prevent Mthembe getting side control.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Van Buren looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Van Buren is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Mthembe scores with a couple of nice shots.
Van Buren tries to roll over but Mthembe keeps him under control.

Van Buren looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Van Buren moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Mthembe tries to free his leg and advance position but Van Buren is retaining full guard.
Mthembe has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Mthembe has gone for a leg lock! Van Buren slips out almost immediately though and dives into Mthembe's guard.
Mthembe punching from the bottom - just letting Van Buren know he's still in a fight.

Van Buren is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

Van Buren avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Van Buren had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Mthembe defends it easily.
Mthembe scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

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

Mthembe got a little sloppy there for a moment and Van Buren has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Mthembe has managed to get both his arms back between Van Buren's legs - danger averted.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mthembe with a nice head shot there.
Van Buren keeping moving, preventing Mthembe from controlling successfully.
Mthembe connects with a couple of short punches.
Mthembe sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Mthembe landing with the ground and pound.

Mthembe avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Van Buren is looking for a triangle but Mthembe pushes his legs off easily.
Mthembe stays in close to Van Buren's body and controls the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mthembe content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Mthembe pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Van Buren is keeping the position for now.
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!

Van Buren is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Mthembe defends well.
Mthembe passes Van Buren's left leg - he's now in half guard.

Van Buren is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Mthembe pulls his head out easily.

Van Buren looking for submissions off his back.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Mthembe takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Mthembe is looking to take a break and control but Van Buren is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
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 Gavin Mthembe will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Mthembe keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Mthembe scores with a head kick. Van Buren tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Van Buren scores with a decent looking hook.
Van Buren throws a lazy right hand but Mthembe sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Gavin Mthembe is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
A combination from Van Buren does no damage.

Mthembe scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Van Buren tries to buck Mthembe off but Mthembe is having none of it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mthembe tries to advance to mount but can't.
Mthembe lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Van Buren down.
Van Buren tries to bench press Mthembe off him but Mthembe keeps the position.
Mthembe is looking to take a break and control but Van Buren is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mthembe lands a few punches from side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Mthembe is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Van Buren is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Gavin Mthembe overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Van Buren is looking for a sweep.
Mthembe works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Van Buren regains half guard.
Van Buren is breathing heavily.

Mthembe looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Van Buren is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Mthembe scores with a couple of nice shots.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Mthembe is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

Van Buren looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Mthembe scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Ground and pound from Mthembe.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Mthembe trying to control from half guard but Van Buren is working away.
Van Buren is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Van Buren looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Mthembe is working for a kimura but Van Buren is defending it quite comfortably.
Mthembe looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Mthembe drops an elbow to the side of Van Buren's head.
Mthembe knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Van Buren on the ground.

Mthembe is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Mthembe scoring with strikes to the body and head.

Van Buren looking for submissions off his back.
Ground and pound from Mthembe.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Mthembe wants to work for an arm triangle but Van Buren is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

Mthembe is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Van Buren defends it well.

Van Buren looking for submissions off his back.

Mthembe is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Mthembe looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gavin Mthembe dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Mthembe lands a high kick!
Van Buren scores with a jab to the body.
Mthembe lands a nice shot that snaps Van Buren's head back.

Mthembe closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Van Buren takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Van Buren is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.

Van Buren actively working from the bottom here.
Mthembe winds up and cracks Van Buren with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Mthembe looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
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!
Nice strikes from Mthembe there.

Van Buren looking for submissions off his back.
Van Buren takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Ground and pound from Mthembe.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mthembe seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Mthembe landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Van Buren has hold of Mthembe's hands but Mthembe slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.

Van Buren is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Mthembe pulls his head out easily.
Van Buren on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.

Van Buren is rocked!
Mthembe looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Mthembe lands with a punch from half guard.
Van Buren is still in real trouble! Can Mthembe finish him?
Mthembe is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Mthembe seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Mthembe seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Mthembe is just content to waste time from the top position. Van Buren takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.

Van Buren has his foot on Mthembe's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Mthembe works his way back into a safe position though.
Martin Van Buren has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mthembe scoring with punches to the head and body.
Van Buren can't keep his opponent in guard - Mthembe advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Van Buren seems to have recovered his senses.
Mthembe scoring with strikes to the body and head.

Mthembe looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Mthembe lands a nice short elbow.
Mthembe is nestled in close to Van Buren, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Van Buren is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Mthembe scores with a couple of nice shots.
Mthembe scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

Van Buren looking for submissions off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mthembe drops an elbow to the side of Van Buren's head.
Mthembe is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.

Mthembe is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Van Buren sees it coming and defends easily.
Ground and pound from Mthembe.

Van Buren looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Mthembe is looking for a kimura but Van Buren is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Mthembe to get the leverage.
Mthembe is keen to just control but Van Buren is a slippery customer.

Mthembe is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Van Buren has managed to free his arm - good work.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Mthembe lands a nice short elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mthembe takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Mthembe lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.

Van Buren is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Mthembe pulls his head out easily.

Mthembe is trying to work for a kimura but Van Buren is defending well.
Mthembe scoring with strikes to the body and head.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Mthembe is nestled in close to Van Buren, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Van Buren on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.

Mthembe is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Van Buren doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Mthembe.
Gavin Mthembe is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Van Buren is not content to let Mthembe control the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gavin Mthembe showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Mthembe 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 Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 30:27
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gavin Mthembe!
A victorious Gavin Mthembe thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.