PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Willem vanGeel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Michael Walters (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

vanGeel
vs
Walters

191 cm
20
153 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

182 cm
18
165 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Willem vanGeel!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Michael Walters!
The judges for this bout are Jeff Smith, Chris Saunders and Paul Gruel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
vanGeel connects with a nice looking jab.
Walters avoids a kick to the body.
vanGeel misses with a head kick.
vanGeel throws a head kick that misses.
vanGeel dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
vanGeel rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Walters moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Walters dives in for a single leg takedown but vanGeel sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.

vanGeel escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
vanGeel really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Walters lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but vanGeel circles away quickly and effectively.
vanGeel fails with a takedown attempt.
vanGeel misses with a head kick.
vanGeel closes the distance looking to clinch

and Walters holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Walters looking for a takedown.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Walters gets control of vanGeel's arms and successfully pulls guard. Walters will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Walters controlling the position.
Walters keeping moving, preventing vanGeel from controlling successfully.
Walters throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
vanGeel has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Walters working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. vanGeel doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. vanGeel manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
vanGeel knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Walters on the ground.

Walters pushes vanGeel off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Walters throws a sloppy head kick and vanGeel moves out of range easily.
vanGeel fails with a takedown attempt.
Walters shoots for a takedown but vanGeel saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Willem vanGeel has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Michael Walters.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Walters fails to land with a series of punches.
vanGeel throws a sloppy head kick and Walters moves out of range easily.
Walters shoots in for a takedown but vanGeel shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Walters looks winded!
vanGeel shoots in looking for a takedown. Walters tries to sprawl out of it but vanGeel keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Walters manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Walters tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but vanGeel defends well and Walters ends up having to push vanGeel into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.

Walters escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Walters moves into the clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
vanGeel can't break the clinch.

Walters pulls guard successfully.
Walters tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
vanGeel throws a strike but Walters rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Walters throwing strikes but missing.
Walters tries to free his leg and advance position but vanGeel is retaining full guard.

Walters thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
vanGeel throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
vanGeel wants to sweep here but Walters controlling him for the moment.
Walters is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

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

Walters gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.

vanGeel tries to sprawl but Walters drives through with a takedown into half guard.

Walters is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Well, if Walters is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Michael Walters dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

vanGeel shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Walters as he avoids it easily.

Walters has managed to clinch.
vanGeel is trying to push Walters away but Walters has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Walters's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
vanGeel tries to land a front kick but Walters steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Walters fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
vanGeel throws a head kick but Walters moves out of range.
Nice sprawl there from Walters as vanGeel shoots in.

Walters drives through and clinches with vanGeel against the cage.

Walters breaks from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Some wild striking there from Walters.
Michael Walters is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
vanGeel shoots and misses

and Walters moves into the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Willem vanGeel. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Walters drops to a knee looking for a takedown but vanGeel gets the underhooks and prevents it.
The referee calls for Walters to work.

Walters has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics vanGeel uses from the top position.
Walters 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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
vanGeel trying to control but Walters is working from the bottom.
Walters has vanGeel pulled in close to control his posture.
vanGeel trying to control the position from guard on top but Walters is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Walters doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.

Walters looking for a guillotine here but vanGeel defends easily.
vanGeel throwing strikes but missing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Walters is scooting his butt against the cage and has managed to get back to his feet. vanGeel presses him back against the cage, presumably looking to take the fight back to the mat.
Walters stalling.
Walters lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt vanGeel or not.
Walters tries to pull guard but vanGeel forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Walters prevents vanGeel from breaking the clinch.

Walters breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
vanGeel misses the body punch
and Walters counters with an outside leg kick.
Walters looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? vanGeel is fending him off so far but Walters persists. Nope, vanGeel circles away and we're back to standing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Walters blocks a head kick by vanGeel.
Willem vanGeel seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
vanGeel tries to clinch up.
vanGeel closes the distance but Walters moves to the side
and Walters counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
vanGeel lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.

Walters clinches with his opponent.
Walters on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Walters slows down the pace here.
vanGeel jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Walters walks away with a smile on his face. vanGeel gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Michael Walters showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Walters closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
vanGeel wants to break the clinch but can't.
Walters stalls.
Walters tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Walters pulls guard effortlessly.
vanGeel looking to sit in guard and control but Walters gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Walters showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
vanGeel tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Walters gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
vanGeel fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
vanGeel tries a head kick but it misses.
Walters misses with a few strikes there.
Walters throws a jab when vanGeel was well out of range.
vanGeel throws a head kick but Walters moves out of range.
Walters looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? vanGeel is fending him off so far but Walters persists. Nope, vanGeel circles away and we're back to standing.
vanGeel throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
vanGeel fails with an attempt to clinch.
vanGeel closes this distance looking for a takedown but Walters circles away.
Walters shoots in looking for a takedown. vanGeel tries to sprawl out of it but Walters keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. vanGeel manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Willem vanGeel has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Michael Walters.
vanGeel tries a head kick but it misses.
vanGeel leaves Walters with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.

Walters pushes vanGeel up against the cage in a clinch.
Walters has vanGeel pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. vanGeel manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Walters is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables vanGeel to keep the fight standing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
vanGeel wants to break free but Walters has control.
Walters content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Walters wants to take the fight to the mat but vanGeel manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Walters is looking to control vanGeel's arms but vanGeel gets an underhook and turns him. Now Walters has his back to the cage.
vanGeel is looking to break free of the clinch but Walters has double underhooks.
vanGeel wants to get back to striking at distance but Walters won't allow it.
Walters is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Walters tries for a takedown. No joy.
vanGeel tries to break the clinch but Walters is controlling the position.
vanGeel effectively controlling the action here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Walters escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
vanGeel moves in looking to clinch but Walters pushes him off.

vanGeel tries to keep at a distance but Walters has taken the fight into the clinch.
vanGeel jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Walters walks away with a smile on his face. vanGeel gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Walters gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Walters stalling in the clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Walters gets control of vanGeel's arms and successfully pulls guard. Walters will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Willem vanGeel has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Walters wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

And that's the end of the fight!
Michael Walters comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Walters winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Jeff Smith scores the fight for Michael Walters!
Judge Chris Saunders scores the fight for Michael Walters!
Judge Paul Gruel scores the fight for Michael Walters!

Michael Walters wins by unanimous decision!