PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Bal Zak (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jaak Normaal (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Zak
vs
Normaal

180 cm
18
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
20
155 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Bal Zak!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Jaak Normaal!
The judges for this bout are Wagner Zegers, Aafke Stam and Patrick Alders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Normaal fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Zak, pushing him back against the cage.
Zak unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Zak tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Normaal just stands there and leans against the cage.
Normaal missing with knees to the body.

Zak ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Zak no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Zak looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Zak looking for a guillotine here but Normaal defends easily.
Zak is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.

Zak looking for a guillotine here but Normaal defends easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Normaal content to stall in guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Normaal throws an elbow that misses. Zak uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Normaal's guard. Nice move by Zak!

Normaal wants to stand but Zak is controlling the position.
Normaal is pulling down on Zak's head to control his posture.
Zak pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Normaal is keeping the position for now.
Zak throws a big elbow that misses.
Normaal is pulling down on Zak's head to control his posture.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Zak showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

Normaal manages to wriggle out and sneak his way back up to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched up against the cage.
A left hand lands to the body for Zak.
Zak wants to break the clinch but can't.
Zak doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Normaal tries to break the clinch but Zak is controlling the position.
Normaal is pressed up against the cage. Zak has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Normaal down to the mat. Normaal avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Normaal goes for a double leg but Zak avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Zak continues to drive forward.
Normaal connects with a nice looking jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zak avoids a punch combination nicely.
Zak is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Jaak Normaal seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Zak delivers a nice body kick.
Zak darts in looking for a takedown but Normaal gets double underhooks and turns Zak into the cage.
Normaal thinks about the counter body kick.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bal Zak. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Normaal stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Normaal wants it to stay on the feet.
Zak tries to clinch up.
A nice side step and Normaal releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.
Normaal tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Zak is looking to counter the offense by Normaal and move into the clinch.
Normaal looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Zak checks a low kick from Normaal.
Normaal stuffs the takedown.
Zak is breathing heavily.
Normaal looks to land a combination but Zak avoids it well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zak looks for the body kick but Normaal saw that one coming.
Normaal looks to clinch
and Zak counters with a stiff right hand.

Normaal forces Zak back against the cage and clinches.

Normaal jumps guard and drags Zak to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Normaal is pulling down on Zak's head. It's preventing any offense from Zak, at least for the moment.
Zak trying to control but Normaal is working from the bottom.

Normaal scrambles and gets back to his feet.
This has been an exciting period of action!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Normaal tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Normaal misses with a jab, cross combination.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jaak Normaal dominated that round.
That's time! Zak's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Zak will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Normaal lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Bal Zak is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Zak tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Normaal paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Normaal lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Zak avoids the body shot from Normaal.
Zak tries to counter by clinching up but Normaal breaks away and moves out of range.
Zak shoots and misses

and Normaal counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Normaal has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Zak is looking to control Normaal's arms but Normaal gets an underhook and turns him. Now Zak has his back to the cage.
Normaal is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Zak breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Normaal closes the distance and pushes Zak back into the cage.
Normaal prevents the takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bal Zak. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A shot in the inside from Normaal.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Zak is working for takedown but Normaal is calmly controlling the position for now.
Normaal unloads a knee to the mid-section. Zak lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Normaal lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Zak backwards.
Normaal is looking for a takedown.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Normaal moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Zak changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Normaal tries to avoid it but Zak manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Normaal to the ground. Normaal escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Normaal displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Normaal fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
A punch combination from Normaal misses.
Normaal looks to land a combination but Zak avoids it well.

Normaal rushes Zak and presses him up against the cage.

Normaal jumps into guard, dragging Zak to the mat.
Normaal controlling Zak's posture.
Zak wants to control from the top but Normaal keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Normaal is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Zak is controlling him.
Normaal has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Normaal bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Zak's guard.

Normaal with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Zak wants to stand but Normaal is controlling the position.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Zak trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Normaal stands up from Zak's guard - Normaal perhaps looking for a knockout.

Normaal has taken the fight to the clinch.
Zak changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Normaal fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Jaak Normaal seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Zak takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Normaal will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Zak half committed to a counter leg kick.
Normaal avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Normaal misses with a wild combination.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Normaal shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Zak defends it nicely.
Normaal avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Normaal takes the fight into the clinch.
Normaal doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Normaal misses with a knee to the head.

Zak breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Normaal lands a nice looking kick to the body. Zak takes a step back to recover.
Normaal lands a jab to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jaak Normaal showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! And we move into the final round!

Normaal misses with an uppercut. Zak saw that one coming.
Normaal stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Normaal wants it to stay on the feet.
Zak closes the distance and clinches up with Normaal, looking for a takedown. Zak pushes Normaal against the cage but Normaal circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Zak shoots in for a double leg but Normaal sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bal Zak. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Normaal is looking to clinch.
Normaal shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Zak eats them both and turns towards Normaal to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Thud! ouch! good body kick from Normaal - that will leave a mark!
Normaal misses with a takedown attempt - Zak sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Normaal, right into the meat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Normaal darts in and clinches Zak up against the cage.
Zak wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Zak has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Normaal avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Normaal escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Normaal feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Zak's calf.
Normaal misses with a wild combination.
Normaal throws a combination. Zak tries to block but a couple of punches get through.

Normaal has taken the fight to the clinch.
Normaal keeps control of Zak as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Normaal landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.

Normaal manages to break the clinch.
Zak tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Normaal falls off balance throwing a combination
and Zak counters with a right hand to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zak needs to keep his hands up - Normaal had a free shot at his head there.

Normaal fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Zak, pushing him back against the cage.

Normaal escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Zak fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Danga de danga de dang - Normaal scores with a four punch combination!

Zak pushes Normaal up against the cage in a clinch.
Zak is working for takedown but Normaal is calmly controlling the position for now.

Normaal escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Normaal tries to bum rush Zak with a series of wild strikes but Zak uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Zak pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Normaal misses with a body kick.
Normaal looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Normaal fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Zak tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Normaal paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Zak looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Normaal fails in his attempt to clinch.
Zak fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Normaal throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Normaal throws a head kick that half lands.

Normaal clinches up with Zak and pushes him back against the cage.
Zak jumps guard but Normaal stands there with Zak around his waist. Zak gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

Normaal breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Zak blocks a head kick by Normaal.
Zak seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zak shoots in and drives through. Normaal sprawls well.
Zak walks into a stiff left hand from Normaal.
Normaal rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Zak moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Zak forces Normaal back against the cage and clinches.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Normaal pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Normaal throws a head kick that misses.
Zak is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Normaal.
Zak lands with a kick to the ribs.
Some wild striking there from Zak.
Normaal is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.

Normaal clinches up against the cage.
Bal Zak has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Jaak Normaal is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Normaal blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jaak Normaal comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Normaal has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Wagner Zegers scores the fight 27:30
Judge Aafke Stam scores the fight 27:30
Judge Patrick Alders scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jaak Normaal!