PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Frankie Figgs (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lars Mintzer (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.

Figgs
vs
Mintzer

183 cm
18
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

181 cm
25
176 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Intelligent

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Frankie Figgs!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Lars Mintzer!
The judges for this bout are Saam Ante, Paul Aken and Radbod Blank.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Mintzer.
Figgs looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Mintzer is fending him off so far but Figgs persists. Nope, Mintzer circles away and we're back to standing.
Mintzer feints and then cracks Figgs's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Figgs down.

Figgs shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Figgs showed some decent athleticism there.
Mintzer tries to get to full guard but Figgs has control of the leg.
Mintzer trying to control from the bottom.
Mintzer tries to get to full guard but Figgs has control of the leg.

Figgs decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
Mintzer delivers a nice body kick.
Figgs chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Mintzer can pounce on him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Figgs closes the distance and clinches up with Mintzer, looking for a takedown. Figgs pushes Mintzer against the cage but Mintzer circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Lars Mintzer seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Figgs closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Mintzer makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Mintzer.
Figgs trying to control but Mintzer is working from the bottom.

Mintzer working for a triangle but Figgs defends it easily.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Mintzer looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

Mintzer is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Figgs is aware though and is defending well.
Figgs wants to pass the guard but Mintzer is keeping the position.

Figgs got a little sloppy there for a moment and Mintzer has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Figgs has managed to get both his arms back between Mintzer's legs - danger averted.
Figgs is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Mintzer has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Figgs can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Figgs looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

That's four 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.
Figgs wants to control from the top but Mintzer keeps moving.

Mintzer looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Mintzer wants to improve his position but instead Figgs has moved into half guard.
Figgs looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Frankie Figgs will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Mintzer scores with a nice body kick.

Figgs drives through and clinches with Mintzer against the cage.
Figgs tries to score a body lock takedown but Mintzer shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Figgs tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Mintzer just stands there and leans against the cage.
Mintzer has Figgs pressed against the cage, preventing Figgs from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Figgs tries to circle away but Mintzer has him pinned against the cage.

Figgs lands a takedown into guard.
Figgs preventing the sweep.
Mintzer lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Figgs!

That's one minute gone in the round.

Mintzer goes for an armbar but Figgs turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Figgs.
Mintzer looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Mintzer looking to control.

Mintzer has his foot on Figgs's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Figgs works his way back into a safe position though.
Figgs loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Figgs trying to control the position from guard on top but Mintzer is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Figgs stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Mintzer swivels though and keeps the full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mintzer looking to hit a scissor sweep but Figgs is one step ahead there.
Mintzer avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Figgs looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Figgs trying to control the action but Mintzer is working from the bottom.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Figgs stalling.
Mintzer tries to roll over but Figgs keeps him under control.

Figgs is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Mintzer is trying to maintain the position but Figgs is very close to passing his half guard.

That's four 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.
Mintzer gets full guard.
Figgs wants to stand but Mintzer has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Mintzer isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Figgs stacks Mintzer on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Figgs!

Figgs decides to take the fight back to the feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Frankie Figgs dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Mintzer throws a quick inside leg kick.
Mintzer scoring well with a low kick there.
Figgs shoots in looking for a takedown. Mintzer tries to sprawl out of it but Figgs keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Mintzer manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Mintzer scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Mintzer explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Mintzer scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Mintzer delivers a nice body kick.
Frankie Figgs is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Mintzer connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A slapping leg kick lands for Mintzer.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Mintzer.
Figgs misses with the body kick
and Mintzer makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Thud! ouch! good body kick from Mintzer - that will leave a mark!
A solid leg kick lands there for Mintzer.
Mintzer connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mintzer throws a leg kick which misses Figgs's front leg but catches the back leg as Figgs tries to avoid it.
Mintzer throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Mintzer scoring well with a low kick there.
An inside leg kick lands from Mintzer.
Figgs is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Figgs chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Mintzer can pounce on him.
Figgs tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Figgs doesn't manage to clinch there - Mintzer circles away.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Mintzer.
Figgs on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Mintzer throws a nice outside leg kick.
No luck for Figgs with that takedown attempt.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Figgs shoots in and drives through. Mintzer sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Frankie Figgs. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Figgs takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Lars Mintzer has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Figgs has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Figgs tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Mintzer just stands there and leans against the cage.
Figgs stalling in the clinch but Mintzer improves position.
Mintzer wants to stall.
Figgs blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Mintzer trying to stall but Figgs improves his position.
Figgs has Mintzer pushed against the cage.

Figgs gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Frankie Figgs overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mintzer wants to get back to full guard.
Mintzer is pressing down on Figgs's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Figgs stopping the sweep attempt from Mintzer.

Mintzer is looking for a triangle here but Figgs uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Mintzer looks to move to half guard but instead Figgs has passed into mount! Damn!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Figgs tries to control but Mintzer wriggling away.
Figgs controlling the pace for now.
Mintzer throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Frankie Figgs is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Mintzer slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Lars Mintzer comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Figgs 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 Paul Aken scores the fight 29:28
Judge Radbod Blank scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Frankie Figgs!