PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Dominique Samson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Siggi Hemerijckx (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Samson
vs
Hemerijckx

175 cm
21
154 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

178 cm
22
155 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Big heart

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

Boondock Fightwear
Blaze Ronin Street Gear

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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Dominique Samson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Siggi Hemerijckx!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Sano, Tatsuya Matsuyama and Shigeki Fujiwara.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hemerijckx tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Samson swivels and escapes.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Samson.
Hemerijckx wants to control but Samson postures up.
Hemerijckx is looking to get back to his feet here but Samson is keeping cool and he's managed to take Hemerijckx's back.
Hemerijckx rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
Hemerijckx won't allow Samson to pass to mount.

Samson stands up and beckons Hemerijckx to join him on the feet.
Samson moves out of range of the body kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Samson misses with an uppercut. Hemerijckx saw that one coming.
Hemerijckx is looking to clinch but Samson is avoiding it.
Hemerijckx shoots and misses
and Samson counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Hemerijckx fails with the takedown

and Samson counters with a nice double leg into side control. Hemerijckx won't be happy with that.
Dominique Samson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Siggi Hemerijckx.
Hemerijckx is pushing Samson's head away, looking to escape. Samson manages to hold on to the position though.
Hemerijckx is trying to work for a sweep but Samson has mounted him!

Samson has control of Hemerijckx's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Hemerijckx regains control of the situation pretty easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hemerijckx is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Hemerijckx tries to hold on but Samson pushes him away.

Samson get's back to his feet.
A choreographed right hand from Samson misses the target.
Samson connects with a crisp jab.
Hemerijckx tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Samson counters with a single leg into guard. Hemerijckx didn't expect that.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hemerijckx looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Samson stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Hemerijckx misses with a takedown attempt

and Samson counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Hemerijckx looks gassed!

Samson is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Hemerijckx defends it well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hemerijckx wants to control but Samson is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Hemerijckx is looking to improve his position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Samson is looking for a kimura but Hemerijckx is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Samson to get the leverage.

Hemerijckx manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Samson misses with an uppercut.

Samson shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Hemerijckx trying to keep a closed guard but Samson is proving a slippery customer.
Hemerijckx looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Hemerijckx is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Hemerijckx looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dominique Samson dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Samson scores with a three punch combo!
A punch combination from Samson misses.
Hemerijckx shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Samson counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Hemerijckx!
Hemerijckx is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

Samson is standing up, even though he is in mount.
Hemerijckx doesn't manage to clinch there - Samson circles away.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Samson fails to land with a series of punches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Samson tries to clinch up but Hemerijckx circles away and keeps his distance.
Samson keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Hemerijckx tries for a takedown but Samson circles away easily
and Samson counters with a nice uppercut.
Samson connects with a crisp jab.
Hemerijckx tries for a takedown but Samson circles away easily
and Samson counters with a two punch combo.
Dominique Samson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Siggi Hemerijckx.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Samson has closed the distance and engaged Hemerijckx in a clinch.

Samson escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Dominique Samson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Hemerijckx thows a leg kick but Samson checks it

and Samson counters with a shoot takedown. Hemerijckx fights it but they end up in guard.
Hemerijckx looking to control.

Hemerijckx is looking for a triangle but Samson pushes his legs off easily.

Hemerijckx is looking for a triangle but Samson pushes his legs off easily.
Samson passes Hemerijckx's left leg - he's now in half guard.

Hemerijckx is defending against the submission attempts here by Samson.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hemerijckx is trying to maintain the position but Samson is very close to passing his half guard.
Samson slips a nice elbow through Hemerijckx's hands, connecting with Hemerijckx's forehead.
Samson uses his free foot to push down on Hemerijckx's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Hemerijckx.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Samson stands up from mount. Strange move.
Samson wants to clinch.
Hemerijckx misses with a takedown attempt

and Samson counters with a nice double leg into side control. Hemerijckx won't be happy with that.

Samson stands up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hemerijckx has his takedown stuffed

and Samson counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Samson.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Hemerijckx controls Samson momentarily but Samson frees himself.
Samson working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Hemerijckx's head.

Hemerijckx kicks Samson off and gets to his feet.
Samson is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Hemerijckx can do to turn this around?
Samson lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Samson tries to clinch up but Hemerijckx circles away and keeps his distance.
Hemerijckx has his takedown stuffed

and Samson counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dominique Samson dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Hemerijckx shoots and misses

and Samson counters with a takedown into side control.

Samson stands up.
Hemerijckx misses with a takedown
and Hemerijckx takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.

Samson shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Hemerijckx on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Hemerijckx moves into full guard.

Hemerijckx has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Samson is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Hemerijckx.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hemerijckx can't do much from the bottom here.
Hemerijckx manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Hemerijckx is looking to control Samson's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Hemerijckx avoid being mounted?

Samson gets to his feet - back to striking we go!
Hemerijckx has his takedown stuffed

and Samson counters with a single leg into guard. Hemerijckx didn't expect that.
Dominique Samson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Siggi Hemerijckx.

Samson decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Hemerijckx, up you get!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hemerijckx tries for a takedown but Samson circles away easily
and Samson counters with a nice body shot.
Hemerijckx fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Samson shoots in but Hemerijckx avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Hemerijckx keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Samson.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hemerijckx doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Samson counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Hemerijckx shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Samson counters with a big head kick but Hemerijckx shrugs it off.

Samson decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Hemerijckx gets back to full guard.
Samson slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
You can see the frustration on Hemerijckx's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hemerijckx tries to contro but end up mounted... ooooh, that's bad.
Hemerijckx regains half guard.
Hemerijckx is trying to stand back up but Samson is controlling him
Hemerijckx is trying to maintain the position but Samson is very close to passing his half guard.

Hemerijckx looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Hemerijckx tries to roll over but Samson keeps him under control.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Hemerijckx has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Samson is working away from the top position though.
Siggi Hemerijckx has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Hemerijckx is pressing down on Samson's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dominique Samson showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Samson 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 Sano scores the fight 30:25
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 30:25
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 30:25

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dominique Samson!