PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Nelson Palau (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Basje Schrauwen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Palau comes into the arena with Bob Marley - I shot the sherif blaring out of the sound system. The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Palau
vs
Schrauwen

160 cm
18
133 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

172 cm
22
142 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent knees
Very confident

Blueprint Clothing
Purity Fight Nutrition

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 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Nelson Palau!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Basje Schrauwen!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Schrauwen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Palau throws a low kick but it's checked well by Schrauwen.
Palau keeps the fight on the outside.
Schrauwen tries to clinch but Palau is having none of it.
Palau swats away the attempt to clinch by Schrauwen.
Schrauwen doesn't manage to clinch there - Palau circles away.
Schrauwen tries to clinch but Palau moves out of range.
Schrauwen is looking to clinch.
Palau keeps the fight on the outside.
Schrauwen is looking to clinch but Palau is avoiding it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Schrauwen misses with a low kick.
Palau throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Schrauwen tries to bum rush Palau with a series of wild strikes but Palau uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
The fight stays on the outside here - Palau looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Palau fails with the takedown.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A bone on bone clash there as Schrauwen blocks the leg kick.
Schrauwen closes the distance looking to clinch

and Palau counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Palau stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Schrauwen swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Schrauwen manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Palau manages to get himself to full guard.
Palau will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.

Palau working for a triangle but Schrauwen defends it easily.
Palau 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.
Schrauwen passes Palau's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Palau wants to improve his position but Schrauwen is controlling well.
Schrauwen wants to take a breather but Palau is having none of it.
Schrauwen blocks the strikes from Palau.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Schrauwen looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Palau slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Schrauwen is looking to stand up but Palau won't let him.
Schrauwen pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Palau is keeping the position for now.
Palau lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Schrauwen!
Palau lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Schrauwen can't escape the position.
Palau looking to finish with strikes here!
Palau looking to finish with strikes here!
Palau 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.
Poor strikes thrown by Palau there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Schrauwen is trying desperately to improve position.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Palau cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Schrauwen wants to hold on but Palau pushes him away.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Schrauwen can do anything to dispel that myth.
Schrauwen is trying desperately to improve position.
Palau working Schrauwen over with strikes here.

Schrauwen defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Palau.
Palau is breathing heavily.
Schrauwen sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Schrauwen regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Palau.
Schrauwen lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Palau!
Schrauwen controlling from the full mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nelson Palau dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

A punch combination from Schrauwen misses.
Schrauwen closes the distance looking to clinch

and Palau counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Schrauwen is trying to get back to full guard.
Palau throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Palau thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Schrauwen's head.

Palau 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.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Schrauwen keeping control of the position.
Palau thows a huge punch but Schrauwen dodges it nicely.
Schrauwen is trying to stand back up but Palau is controlling him

Palau is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Schrauwen is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Schrauwen moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Schrauwen is looking to stand up but Palau isn't so interested in that idea.
Palau throwing strikes but missing.
Palau postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Schrauwen looking for a sweep. Not yet Schrauwen, not yet.
Palau pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Schrauwen is keeping the position for now.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Schrauwen has his hands on Palau's head, controlling the position.
Palau is looking to advance position but Schrauwen has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!
Schrauwen controlling the position easily from mount.
Palau is looking to get to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Palau wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Schrauwen.
Schrauwen can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Palau is looking to escape.
Schrauwen takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Palau is desperately trying to improve his position but Schrauwen has a good base and remains in mount.
Schrauwen controlling his opponent.
Let's hope that Schrauwen has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Despite being in the dominant position, Basje Schrauwen just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Palau throws a leg kick that is checked
and Schrauwen counters with a nice leg kick.
Schrauwen looks to clinch
and Palau counters with a slapping leg kick.
Palau circles away from the clinch attempt
and Palau counters with a two punch combo.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Schrauwen checks a leg kick.
Schrauwen closes the distance but Palau moves to the side
and Palau counters with a head kick. That will keep Schrauwen thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Schrauwen misses with a double jab

and Palau moves into the clinch.
Palau takes a knee right on the jaw!
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 Nelson Palau will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Schrauwen misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Schrauwen looks to clinch

and Palau counters with a takedown into side control.
Palau creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.

Palau tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Palau has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Schrauwen is trying to improve his position.
Schrauwen wants to control but Palau postures up.
Palau working the ground and pound from side control.
Palau working away.
Palau working the head and body with strikes.
Schrauwen tries to buck Palau off but Palau is having none of it.
Schrauwen manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Palau thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ground and pound from Palau.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Palau is thwarting Schrauwen's attempts to control the position.
Palau thows a huge punch but Schrauwen dodges it nicely.
Schrauwen gets back to full guard.
Schrauwen manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Palau manages to get himself to full guard.
Palau has a closed guard, preventing Schrauwen from standing up.

Palau looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Schrauwen wants to stand but Palau has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Palau being controlled here, momentarily.
Schrauwen has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Palau is proving hard to escape from.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Palau has his foot on Schrauwen's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Schrauwen works his way back into a safe position though.
Palau looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Schrauwen is pushing down on Palau's leg trying to pass to half guard. Palau is fighting to maintain full guard but Schrauwen has managed to sneak the leg through.
Schrauwen keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Palau makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Palau.
Schrauwen wants to stand but Palau has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Schrauwen trying to control the position from guard on top but Palau is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Palau working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Schrauwen doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Oh but Palau is tightening it up a little... Schrauwen has to be careful here... He's got his foot tucked under now, this looks tight! Schrauwen reacted too slowly and this one could be over in a matter of seconds! YES! Schrauwen taps out! nice BJJ there by Palau!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:18 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle Choke). Nelson Palau!