PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Van Dam (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Uldis Bauska (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Dam
vs
Bauska

188 cm
18
205 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

195 cm
21
205 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Enjoys gardening

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Van Dam!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Uldis Bauska!
The judges for this bout are Valeri Chadov, Illya Tyunina and Igor Prikhodko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Dam closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Bauska on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Bauska tries to bench press Dam off him but Dam keeps the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Dam 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 Bauska's shoulder. That is not cool.
Dam throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Dam tries to score with some ground and pound. Bauska controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Bauska is trying to improve his position.
The strikes coming from Dam are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Bauska is looking for a sweep.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Dam.
Dam lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Bauska down.
Dam grinds an elbow into Bauska's temple.
Bauska managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Dam.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The strikes coming from Dam are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Dam has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Bauska is trying to control Dam's posture but Dam avoids it.
Dam working the ground and pound.
Dam scoring with punches and elbows.
Sloppy strikes there by Dam.
Dam is breathing heavily.
Dam sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Bauska is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Dam throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Bauska works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.
Dam wants to pass to mount but Bauska is defending the position.

Bauska pushes Dam off and gets back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Dam gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Bauska controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Bauska trying to control but Dam is working from the bottom.
Dam keeping full guard, as Bauska tries to pass.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dam is looking to stand up but Bauska isn't so interested in that idea.
Bauska tries to free his leg and advance position but Dam is retaining full guard.
Dam keeping moving, preventing Bauska from controlling successfully.
Bauska looking to sit in guard and control but Dam gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Bauska is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

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.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Bauska fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Bauska slaps away a takedown attempt from Dam, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Bauska tries to score a power double leg takedown but Dam sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Bauska somewhat.
Dam doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Bauska counters with a head kick. That will keep Dam thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Dam misses with a takedown
and Bauska counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Van Dam. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Bauska is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Dam's half guard.
Bauska is thwarting Dam's attempts to control the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Van Dam dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Bauska fails with the takedown.

Dam scores a takedown into full mount!
Bauska regains half guard.
Bauska desperately trying to maintain half guard.
Dam is trying to control the action in half guard but Bauska is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Dam throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Bauska trying to control but Dam postures up.
Dam landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bauska wants to improve his position but Dam is controlling well.
Dam scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Bauska is refusing to be controlled, as Dam sits in half guard.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Bauska plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
A head kick from Bauska lands but Dam takes it in his stride.
Bauska closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Bauska dives in and grabs Dam's left leg, looking for a takedown. Dam pushes down on Bauska's head and hops out.
Dam closes the distance and clinches up with Bauska, looking for a takedown. Dam pushes Bauska against the cage but Bauska circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Dam will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Bauska stuffs the takedown attempt from Dam. Dam gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Van Dam. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bauska shoots for a double leg takedown but Dam sprawls well. He's pushed Bauska's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Dam with a poor takedown
and Bauska counters with a left and a right that stings Dam.

Bauska closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Bauska in the domination position with Dam hanging on.
Bauska working away.
Dam sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.

Dam makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Nice sprawl there from Bauska as Dam shoots in.
Bauska is looking to clinch but Dam is avoiding it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bauska explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Dam changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Bauska tries to avoid it but Dam manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Bauska to the ground. Bauska escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Dam keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Bauska has his takedown stuffed

and Dam moves into the clinch.

Dam drags the fight down to the ground.
Dam trying to keep a closed guard but Bauska is proving a slippery customer.
Bauska tries to free his leg and advance position but Dam is retaining full guard.
Bauska trying to control the position from guard on top but Dam is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Dam has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Bauska must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Dam wriggles free and stands up.

Dam shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Bauska is trying to defend but Dam finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Bauska taking some punishment here, with Dam in his half guard.
Van Dam overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Dam is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Bauska!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Van Dam dominated that second 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. This is the final round!

Dam misses with a takedown attempt
and Bauska counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Bauska tries to clinch but Dam is having none of it.
Bauska throws a nice outside leg kick.
Dam throws a body punch but Bauska moves out of range.

Bauska gets a clinch.
Bauska is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Dam gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Bauska breaks from the clinch.

Bauska fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Dam sprawls well initially but Bauska persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Bauska tries to stand and escape but Dam is controlling the position.

Bauska decides to stand and escape the position.

Dam shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Bauska manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Bauska has momentary wrist control but Dam slips an elbow through the middle.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bauska pulls Dam in to control the position.
Bauska is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Dam is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Bauska keeping moving, preventing Dam from controlling successfully.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Dam accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Bauska looking to hit a scissor sweep but Dam is one step ahead there.

That's two 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.
Bauska utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Dam shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Bauska as he avoids it easily.

Dam feints and as Bauska raises his hands in defense, Dam changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Dam working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Bauska's head.
Dam connects with a couple of short punches.
Dam is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Bauska looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Dam trying to control but Bauska is working from the bottom.
Bauska utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dam trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Dam trying to control the position from guard on top but Bauska is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Bauska scores with a punch to the head.
Dam fails with the takedown
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Van Dam. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Bauska looks to land a combination. Dam sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Bauska misses with a takedown

and Dam counters with a single leg into guard. Bauska didn't expect that.
Dam is looking to advance position but Bauska has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!
Dam is trying to escape the mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bauska sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Bauska tries to control but Dam wriggling away.
Dam bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Dam scoring with some ground and pound.
Uldis Bauska has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Van Dam is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Dam with a flurry of punches that miss.

And that's the end of the fight!
Van Dam showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Dam, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Valeri Chadov scores the fight 30:27
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 30:27
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Van Dam!