PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Robert Haanneman (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Randy Couture (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.

Haanneman
vs
Couture

197 cm
22
230 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
22
230 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Good chin

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Experienced

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Robert Haanneman!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Randy Couture!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Couture tries to pull guard but Haanneman holds him up against the cage and eventually Couture drops back down to his feet.
Haanneman tries a body shot but Couture blocks it.
Couture looking for a takedown.
Haanneman tries for a takedown. No joy.

Couture jumps guard.
Couture looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Haanneman works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Couture is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Haanneman working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Haanneman is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Couture wants to control but Haanneman is keeping busy.
Couture should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Haanneman is trying to control the action in half guard but Couture is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Haanneman is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Couture is trying to get back to full guard.
Couture is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Couture gets back to full guard.
Haanneman wants to control from the top but Couture keeps moving.

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.
Couture is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Couture wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Haanneman is now in half guard.
Haanneman will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Couture wants to get back to full guard.
Haanneman is tying to control. Couture wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Couture tries to get to full guard but Haanneman has control of the leg.
Couture trying to hold on to Haanneman's head to control him but Haanneman postures up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Haanneman shoots for a takedown but Couture saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Haanneman tries to close the distance and clinch but Couture swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Haanneman stuffs the takedown.
Robert Haanneman has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Randy Couture.
Haanneman is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Couture wants to clinch.
Haanneman walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Couture checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Haanneman closes the distance looking to clinch

and Couture counters by moving into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Haanneman is pressed up against the cage. Couture has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Haanneman down to the mat. Haanneman avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Haanneman closes the distance looking to clinch

so Couture counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Couture wants to control from the top but Haanneman keeps moving.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Couture tries to clinch but Haanneman moves out of range.

Couture closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Couture is tying to control. Haanneman wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Haanneman is looking to improve his position.
Couture seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Haanneman does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Couture is looking to advance position but Haanneman won't allow it.
Couture is tying to control. Haanneman wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Haanneman tries to get to full guard but Couture has control of the leg.
Couture is looking to take a break and control but Haanneman is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Despite being in the dominant position, Randy Couture just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Couture gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Couture is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

Couture jumps guard and drags Haanneman to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.

Haanneman thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Couture is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Haanneman landing with the ground and pound.
Haanneman won't allow Couture to sweep him here.
Haanneman looking to sit in guard and control but Couture gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Haanneman keeping moving, preventing Couture from controlling successfully.
Haanneman 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.
Haanneman keeping moving, preventing Couture from controlling successfully.
Couture pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Haanneman is keeping the position for now.
Couture works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Haanneman is not content to let Couture control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Couture is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Haanneman defends it well.
Haanneman avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Couture.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Nice takedown defense from Haanneman. No joy for Couture on that attempt.
Haanneman with a poor takedown

and Couture counters with a nice double leg into side control. Haanneman won't be happy with that.
Haanneman tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Couture cracks Haanneman with a big right hand but Haanneman just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Haanneman is not content to let Couture control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Couture sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Haanneman is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Couture working away.
Couture in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Couture trying to control the action but Haanneman is working from the bottom.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Couture fails with the takedown

and Haanneman counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Robert Haanneman has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Randy Couture.
Couture trying to control but Haanneman postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Randy Couture 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! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Couture fails with the takedown

so Haanneman counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Couture is trying to keep Haanneman in close.

Couture is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Haanneman's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Haanneman sitting in guard here, content to control.
Couture has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Haanneman has passed into side control.
Couture tries to buck Haanneman off but Haanneman is having none of it.
Couture takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
You can see the frustration on Couture's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Haanneman has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Couture!
Couture tries to reverse the position but Haanneman maintains control.
Couture has given up his back here.

Couture tries to escape but he's let his defenses down in doing so and Haanneman has slipped in the rear naked choke! Oh, that's tiiiiiiiiight! Couture is tapping! This one is aaaaaaaaaaaall over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:01 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Robert Haanneman!