PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Hendrik Vermeulen (ranked 2260 p4p, 2475 weight class) and African King (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Vermeulen
vs
King

187 cm
43
203
32 - 17 - 1

180 cm
28
199
8 - 14 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Good gas tank

Bondi MMA 🏝️

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 32 - 17 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Hendrik Vermeulen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 14 - 0, fighting out of London, African King!
The judges for this bout are Sosuke Kotani, Yasuomi Hirokawa and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
King fails with a takedown attempt.
Vermeulen connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.

It looks like African King has been cut.
Vermeulen throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Vermeulen throws a big shot that misses.
King ducks under a wild hook from Vermeulen.
King connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
King bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
King slips a jab from Vermeulen.
King tries to close the distance and clinch but Vermeulen swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Vermeulen has been working on his boxing with his coaches at House of 1000 Corpses in the buildup to the fight.
Vermeulen swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Vermeulen listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.

King closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Vermeulen quickly recovers to half guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

King wants to work for an arm triangle but Vermeulen is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Vermeulen desperately trying to maintain half guard.
King trying to mount his opponent but Vermeulen defends it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

King is working for a kimura but Vermeulen is defending it quite comfortably.
Vermeulen keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
King moves into full mount! Vermeulen won't be happy about that!
King avoids the attempt from Vermeulen to control.
Vermeulen is in a bad position, trying to hold on for dear life but he is really struggling to maintain any sort of control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
King fails to advance to Vermeulen's back.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
King prevents Vermeulen from getting the reversal.
Vermeulen wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.

King patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?
Well, with King on his back, surely it's only a matter of time before Vermeulen is tapping out... Can he escape the position?
Vermeulen rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
King is looking to advance position but Vermeulen won't allow it.

King in half guard on the top. He's looking for a kimura... He's got it locked and he's managed to free his trapped foot. Vermeulen tries to escape but it's on too tight and he has to tap! Great BJJ skills there from King!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:57 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). African King!
African King tried to hype himself up post fight but didn't word it too well and it ended up with him sounding like a bit of a tool.