PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Sam Royal (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rafael Garcia (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.

Royal
vs
Garcia

200 cm
22
216 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
18
220 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

Rock Hard Nutrition

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 Amsterdam, Sam Royal!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Rafael Garcia!
The judges for this bout are Saam Ante, Daniel Blasius and Wagner Zegers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Royal fails in his attempt to clinch.
Royal stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Royal wants it to stay on the feet.
Garcia dives in and grabs Royal's left leg, looking for a takedown. Royal pushes down on Garcia's head and hops out.
Garcia throws the left hand but Royal avoids the punch easily.
Garcia attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.

Royal closes the distance and pushes Garcia back into the cage.
Royal lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Royal wants a takedown but no success here.

Royal breaks the clinch.
Garcia scores with a jab to the jaw.
Garcia throws a series of punches but Royal avoids them all with ease.
Garcia defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Royal.
Garcia fails to land with a series of punches.
Royal fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Sam Royal. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Garcia misses the jab.

Royal gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Royal tries to pull guard but Garcia holds him up against the cage and eventually Royal drops back down to his feet.
Royal goes for a takedown in the clinch but Garcia prevents it.
Royal wants a takedown.

Garcia breaks from the clinch.
Royal misses with a double jab.
Garcia catches Royal with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!

It looks like Sam Royal has been cut.
Royal is breathing heavily.
Royal fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Garcia throws a head kick but Royal moves out of range.
Garcia misses with a wild body shot.
Garcia stuffs the takedown attempt from Royal. Royal gets slowly back to his feet.
Garcia throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Royal.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Garcia misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Garcia displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Garcia lands with a straight right. Royal didn't see that one coming.
A big right from Garcia misses.
Garcia shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Royal pinned against the cage. Royal gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

Royal moves into the clinch.
Garcia wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Royal has him pressed against the cage.
Garcia wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Royal wants a takedown but no success here.
Royal prevents the takedown attempt.
Garcia is trying to force a seperation but Royal has the dominant position.
Royal crunches a lovely knee into Garcia's ribcage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Royal tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Garcia wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Garcia has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Garcia escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Royal slips a jab from Garcia.

Royal scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Garcia struggling a bit here.
Garcia tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Royal wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

Royal thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Royal stands up and we're back to a striking position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Garcia throws a big shot that misses.
A left and a right from Garcia both land. Nice combination.
Garcia throws a shot from downtown. Royal moves away and avoids it.
Royal shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Garcia as he avoids it easily.
Royal checks the leg kick nicely there.
Royal is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Garcia.
Garcia swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Royal counters with a left and a right that stings Garcia.
Garcia defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Royal.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Royal ducks under a wild hook from Garcia.
Garcia misses with a wild combination.
Garcia throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rafael Garcia dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Sam Royal's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Garcia cracks Royal with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
A right-left combo lands from Garcia.
Garcia fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Royal misses with a series of wild punches.
Sam Royal is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Royal misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Royal fails with the takedown.
Royal wants to clinch up but Garcia keeps it at a distance.
Garcia shoots in for a takedown but Royal shows good takedown defense.
Garcia falls off balance throwing a combination

and Royal counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Royal seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Royal looking to sit in guard and control but Garcia gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Garcia gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Royal slips a jab and a cross from Garcia.
Royal tries to clinch up.

Royal bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Garcia prevents Royal from improving position.
Garcia can't do much from the bottom here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Garcia takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Royal controlling the position.
Royal wants to control but Garcia is keeping him busy.
Royal wants to stand but Garcia is controlling his arm.
Garcia is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Royal is controlling him well.
Garcia can't do much from the bottom here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
No joy there for Garcia, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Garcia throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Royal counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Royal.
Royal is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Garcia gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Royal effectively controlling the action here.
Garcia is trying to break the clinch but Royal has him pressed against the cage.
Garcia tries to circle away but Royal has him pinned against the cage.
Garcia tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Royal tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Sam Royal. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Garcia is looking to break free of the clinch but Royal has double underhooks.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Royal just misses with a elbow thrown towards Garcia's brow.
Royal fails to pull the fight into his guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Royal tries to land knees in the clinch but Garcia avoids the damage to the body.
Garcia is trying to break the clinch but Royal is controlling him.
Garcia is trying to force a seperation but Royal has the dominant position.
Royal is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.

Garcia breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Garcia connects with a looping right hand.
Royal tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
The crowd cheers as Garcia lands an impressive looking overhand right. Royal doesn't seem phased though.
Royal blocks a leg kick.
Garcia fails to land with a series of punches.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Garcia, as that shot connected.
Garcia will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sam Royal dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Sam Royal's cut.
That's time! Royal's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Royal is looking to clinch but Garcia is avoiding it.
Garcia with a nice cross.
Royal changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Garcia tries to avoid it but Royal manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Garcia to the ground. Garcia escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Garcia fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Royal looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Garcia misses with a looping right.
Garcia throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Garcia lands a jab to the head.
Garcia misses with an uppercut.
Garcia rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Royal moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Garcia goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Royal lands a high kick!
Garcia swings for the body but Royal moves out of range.
Garcia misses with a low kick as Royal jumps back.
Garcia misses with a wild combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Garcia keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Garcia attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Garcia misses with a series of wild punches.
Garcia avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Garcia is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Royal.
Royal lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Garcia circles away quickly and effectively.
Garcia connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Garcia misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Royal uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Garcia.
Garcia defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Royal.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Sam Royal. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Garcia throws a series of punches but Royal avoids them all with ease.
Garcia throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Garcia, as that shot connected.
Garcia throws a left and a right that both miss

and Royal counters with a nice double leg into side control. Garcia won't be happy with that.
Garcia wants to control but Royal postures up.
Garcia is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Royal is controlling him well.

Royal thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Royal trying to control the position but Garcia is working away.
Garcia is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Garcia manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Royal will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Royal is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Royal throws out a loose jab but Garcia uses good head movement to avoid it.
No luck for Royal with that takedown attempt.
Garcia lands a slapping body shot.
Garcia feints and then cracks Royal's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Royal down.
Royal displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Garcia.
A punch lands to the side of Royal 's head but he takes it in his stride.

Royal pushes Garcia up against the cage in a clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Royal has Garcia pressed against the cage, preventing Garcia from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Garcia wants to get back to striking at distance but Royal won't allow it.
Garcia is trying to force a seperation but Royal has the dominant position.

Royal jumps into guard, dragging Garcia to the mat.
Royal is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Royal prevents Garcia from standing back up.
Royal tries to stand and escape but Garcia actually recovers to full guard.

Royal drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Garcia dives on top into guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Sam Royal.
I think Royal has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Saam Ante scores the fight 29:28
Judge Daniel Blasius scores the fight 29:28
Judge Wagner Zegers scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Sam Royal!