PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Franscois Coetzee (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nate Sayer (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.

Coetzee
vs
Sayer

173 cm
18
206 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

196 cm
21
215 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Franscois Coetzee!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Nate Sayer!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sayer shoots for a takedown but Coetzee saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Coetzee throws a right hand that Sayer ducks under and follows up with a left that Sayer also avoids with ease.
A head kick misses from Coetzee.
Coetzee throws a head kick that lands with a deafening thwack! The crowd roars as Sayer stumbles backwards and falls to the mat. Coetzee follows into mount!

It looks like Nate Sayer has been cut.
Coetzee really is a fat lump.
Sayer is squirming around, avoiding Coetzee's attempts to control the action.
Sayer squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
Sayer regains half guard.

Coetzee stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Sayer to get to his feet.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Sayer shoots in and drives through. Coetzee sprawls well.
Sayer looks gassed!

Sayer changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Coetzee looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Coetzee is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Coetzee is looking for a sweep.
Sayer sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Coetzee is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Sayer is looking to take a break and control but Coetzee is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sayer wants to take a breather but Coetzee manages to regain guard - a lesson learnt for Sayer.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sayer prevents Coetzee from getting back to his feet.
Sayer won't allow Coetzee to sweep him here.
Sayer trying to control but Coetzee is working from the bottom.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Coetzee shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Coetzee was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Coetzee blocks Sayer's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Coetzee trying to control but Sayer is having none of it.
Coetzee landing shots from mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sayer tries to hold on but Coetzee postures up.
Sayer is wriggling around trying to escape.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Coetzee looking to finish Sayer with some ground and pound. This is bad for Sayer!
Sayer keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Coetzee breaks from Sayer's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Sayer tries to hold on but Coetzee postures up.
Coetzee with the ground and pound from mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sayer is in all sorts of trouble here.
Coetzee tries to control but Sayer wriggling away.
Sayer really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Sayer takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Sayer is wriggling around trying to escape.

Coetzee wants to finish this one by submission but Sayer is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Coetzee.
Coetzee wants to control the pace but Sayer is squirming around nicely.

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.
Coetzee throwing strikes here but Sayer is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Sayer can't escape the position.
Sayer is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Coetzee has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Sayer's face.
Coetzee prevents Sayer from getting the reversal.
Coetzee can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Sayer is looking to escape.
Coetzee prevents Sayer from getting the reversal.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Franscois Coetzee dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Nate Sayer's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Sayer moves into the clinch successfully.
Sayer prevents a takedown attempt there.

Sayer drags the fight down to the ground.

Coetzee drops back, looking for a kneebar! Sayer looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Sayer looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Sayer!
Coetzee gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Sayer tries to control but Coetzee wriggling away.
Coetzee is desperately trying to improve his position but Sayer has a good base and remains in mount.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sayer working the ground and pound effectively.
Coetzee is working to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sayer looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Sayer lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Coetzee hang on?
Coetzee is in all sorts of trouble here.
Coetzee is working hard here to advance position.
Sayer postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Coetzee looks a forlorn figure.
Sayer is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Coetzee can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Sayer avoids the attempt from Coetzee to control.
Coetzee is working to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Sayer working Coetzee over with strikes here.
Sayer fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Coetzee is squirming around, avoiding Sayer's attempts to control the action.
Coetzee is trying to stand.
Coetzee takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Coetzee is wriggling around trying to escape.
Sayer scoring with strikes but Coetzee is staying in there.
Coetzee is squirming around, avoiding Sayer's attempts to control the action.
Coetzee is desperately trying to improve his position but Sayer has a good base and remains in mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sayer lands a heavy elbow.
Sayer with good strikes from the mount here!
Sayer landing shots from mount.
Sayer has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Coetzee's face.
Coetzee might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Coetzee wants to control but Sayer is having none of it.
Coetzee is trying to escape the mount.
Sayer connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Coetzee really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Sayer has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Coetzee's face.
Sayer has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Sayer lands a big elbow.
Sayer working the ground and pound effectively.
Sayer won't let Coetzee get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
Coetzee sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Sayer blocks the strikes from Coetzee.
Sayer seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sayer stalling away here and it's allowed Coetzee to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Coetzee throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nate Sayer showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Nate Sayer's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Sayer with a lazy takedown attempt

and Coetzee counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Coetzee in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Coetzee slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Coetzee lands a decent elbow from side control.
Sayer is looking for a sweep.
Sayer is trying to control Coetzee's posture but Coetzee avoids it.
Sayer is looking for a sweep.

Coetzee wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Sayer, who protects the arm well.
Sayer tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Coetzee controls the position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Coetzee doesn't manage to clinch there - Sayer circles away.
Coetzee stuffs the takedown attempt from Sayer. Sayer gets slowly back to his feet.
Coetzee avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Sayer.
Sayer creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Coetzee is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Coetzee wants to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Coetzee on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Coetzee takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Coetzee is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Sayer off and has taken his back!
Sayer can't escape the position.
Coetzee avoiding Sayer 's attempts to control his hands.

Coetzee patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?
Franscois Coetzee overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Coetzee trying desperately to keep hold of the dominant position.
Coetzee is trying to stick to Sayer's back but Sayer is turning into Coetzee. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Coetzee's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Sayer.

Coetzee pushes Sayer off and gets back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Coetzee has his takedown stuffed

and Sayer counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Coetzee has hold of Sayer's hands but Sayer slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.

Sayer decides to return to a standing position.
Sayer shoots in but no luck this time.
Franscois Coetzee has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Nate Sayer.
Sayer fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Coetzee misses with a combination
and Sayer counters with a two punch combo.
Sayer shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Coetzee counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Sayer moves out of range of the body kick.

Sayer looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Sayer distracts Coetzee with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.

Coetzee pushes Sayer off and scrambles back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Coetzee takes the fight into the clinch.
Sayer lands a right hand.
Coetzee holding his opponent close, against the cage.

Coetzee breaks from the clinch.
Sayer looks for a takedown but Coetzee sprawls well.

Sayer darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Sayer blocks the strikes from Coetzee.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Coetzee landing strikes from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nate Sayer comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Sayer has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 28:29
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nate Sayer!