PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Vincent Van Elburg (ranked 4622 p4p, 5649 weight class) and Devin McGrew (ranked 326 p4p, 366 weight class). The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Van Elburg
vs
McGrew

188 cm
18
157
1 - 0 - 0

176 cm
23
152
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Solid chin

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Vincent Van Elburg!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Devin McGrew!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Viktor Lagutenko and Illya Tyunina.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

McGrew bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
McGrew lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Van Elburg down.
Van Elburg is looking for a sweep.
Van Elburg sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Van Elburg is trying to defend against the ground and pound but McGrew scores with a couple of nice shots.

Van Elburg actively working from the bottom here.

McGrew is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Van Elburg has managed to free his arm - good work.

Van Elburg is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but McGrew pulls his head out easily.

Van Elburg looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
McGrew working over Van Elburg with some ground and pound. Van Elburg looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Van Elburg has hold of McGrew's hands but McGrew slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
McGrew seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
McGrew slips a nice elbow through Van Elburg's hands, connecting with Van Elburg's forehead.

Van Elburg actively working from the bottom here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Van Elburg looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
McGrew slips a nice elbow through Van Elburg's hands, connecting with Van Elburg's forehead.

Van Elburg looking for submissions off his back.
McGrew drops an elbow to the side of Van Elburg's head.
McGrew takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.

McGrew is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Van Elburg is just riding it out for now. McGrew eventually gives up the hold.

Van Elburg is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but McGrew pulls his head out easily.
Van Elburg on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.

Van Elburg looking for submissions off his back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
McGrew is nestled in close to Van Elburg, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.

Van Elburg looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
McGrew looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Van Elburg with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
McGrew has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
McGrew looking to control but Van Elburg is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
McGrew in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Van Elburg definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Van Elburg really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Van Elburg tries to reverse the position but McGrew maintains control.
McGrew looking to control and managing it successfully.
McGrew prevents Van Elburg from getting the reversal.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
McGrew controlling the pace for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
McGrew punishing his opponent with strikes.
Van Elburg is in a horrible position here. McGrew smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
McGrew looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
McGrew lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Van Elburg regains half guard.

Van Elburg looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Van Elburg manages to get to full guard.
McGrew looking to pass the guard.

Van Elburg is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. McGrew is aware though and is defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
McGrew lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
McGrew trying to control but Van Elburg is working from the bottom.

McGrew decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Van Elburg misses the jab.

McGrew drives through with a takedown into Van Elburg's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Van Elburg working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. McGrew doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. McGrew manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

Van Elburg working for submissions but it's allowed McGrew to get to half guard.

Van Elburg is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but McGrew pulls his head out easily.
McGrew is controlling the pace.

McGrew stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Van Elburg to get to his feet.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Devin McGrew 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.

McGrew uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Van Elburg.
Van Elburg throws a body punch but McGrew moves out of range.
Vincent Van Elburg seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
McGrew slips under a jab.
McGrew is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
McGrew keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

McGrew changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Van Elburg looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Van Elburg tries to buck McGrew off but McGrew is having none of it.
McGrew is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.

McGrew tries for a kimura but Van Elburg is defending well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Van Elburg tries to bench press McGrew off him but McGrew keeps the position.
Van Elburg manages to work his way to half guard, despite McGrew's best efforts.

McGrew decides to stand and escape the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Van Elburg throws an ugly left hook that misses

and McGrew counters by clinching up.

McGrew ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. McGrew no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.

McGrew uses the cage to get back to his feet.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Van Elburg enables McGrew to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Van Elburg manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
McGrew forces his way into half guard.

Van Elburg looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Van Elburg looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
McGrew wants to control but Van Elburg is keeping him busy.

Van Elburg looking for submissions off his back.

Van Elburg is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but McGrew pulls his head out easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Van Elburg is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Van Elburg looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
McGrew working Van Elburg over with strikes.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Van Elburg looking for submissions off his back.
McGrew is keen to just control but Van Elburg is a slippery customer.

Van Elburg looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Van Elburg is looking for a sweep. McGrew is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. McGrew connects with a nice short shot to Van Elburg's temple.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Van Elburg gets full guard.

Van Elburg had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. McGrew defends it easily.
McGrew postures up and lands a big shot to Van Elburg's brow.
Van Elburg will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

Van Elburg is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. McGrew is aware though and is defending well.

McGrew gets to his feet - Van Elburg follows without any prompting.

McGrew closes the distance and pushes Van Elburg back into the cage.

McGrew tightens his grip and picks Van Elburg up, before dumping him to the ground. Van Elburg manages to land in guard.
McGrew must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

McGrew stands up from Van Elburg's guard - McGrew perhaps looking for a knockout.

McGrew rushes Van Elburg and presses him up against the cage.

McGrew gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
McGrew content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

Van Elburg looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
McGrew drops an elbow to the side of Van Elburg's head.
McGrew trying to pass the guard but Van Elburg defending well.
McGrew sitting and controlling from the half guard.

Van Elburg looking for submissions off his back.

Van Elburg looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Devin McGrew 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!

Van Elburg throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
McGrew ducks under a wild hook from Van Elburg.

McGrew shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Van Elburg's guard.

Van Elburg working for a triangle but McGrew defends it easily.

Van Elburg looking for submissions from the bottom but instead McGrew passes into side control.
McGrew passes to full mount! That's big trouble for Van Elburg!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Van Elburg is desperately trying to improve his position but McGrew has a good base and remains in mount.

McGrew is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Van Elburg has managed to escape the submission attempt.
McGrew takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Van Elburg keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

McGrew has hold of Van Elburg's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Van Elburg manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Van Elburg really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

McGrew jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Van Elburg manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Van Elburg is looking to reverse the position.
McGrew working the head and body with strikes.
McGrew grinds an elbow into Van Elburg's temple.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Van Elburg manages to work his way to half guard, despite McGrew's best efforts.

Van Elburg is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but McGrew pulls his head out easily.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Van Elburg looking for submissions off his back.
McGrew content to control rather than advance.
McGrew has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Van Elburg actively working from the bottom here.

McGrew looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
McGrew takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ground and pound from McGrew.
McGrew wants to control but Van Elburg is keeping him busy.

Van Elburg is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but McGrew pulls his head out easily.

Van Elburg is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but McGrew pulls his head out easily.
McGrew works his way into side control.

McGrew working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Van Elburg sneaks back into half guard.
Vincent Van Elburg has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
McGrew looks to score some points with some ground and pound.

Van Elburg is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but McGrew pulls his head out easily.

Van Elburg looking for submissions off his back.

McGrew is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Devin McGrew has got the better of the ground game so far.
McGrew passes to side control.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
McGrew working the head with strikes.
Devin McGrew is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
McGrew is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Van Elburg's shoulder. That is not cool.
Van Elburg wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!

And that's the end of the fight!
Devin McGrew comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got McGrew winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 27:30
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 27:30
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Devin McGrew!