PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Fernando Neto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lars De Groot (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.

Neto
vs
De Groot

165 cm
24
141 lbs
7 - 4 - 0

150 cm
20
144 lbs
4 - 1 - 1

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 4 - 0, fighting out of New York, Fernando Neto!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 1, fighting out of New York, Lars De Groot!
The judges for this bout are Lou da Vinci, Dean Styles and Columbo Gatti.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
De Groot checks a low kick from Neto.
No joy there for De Groot, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
A jab from Neto misses.
A good leg kick by De Groot.
Neto scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
De Groot ducks under a wild hook from Neto.
Neto throws a lazy right hand but De Groot sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Neto throws out a loose jab but De Groot uses good head movement to avoid it.
Neto just misses with a punch to the body.
Neto closes this distance looking for a takedown but De Groot circles away.
Neto closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Neto misses with a low kick.
Neto throws a big shot that misses.
Neto has a takedown stuffed.
Neto misses with an uppercut. De Groot saw that one coming.

That's one minute gone in the round.
De Groot lands a high kick!
De Groot walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Neto scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Neto digs a good hook to De Groot's body.
De Groot stuffs the takedown attempt from Neto. Neto gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Fernando Neto. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Neto misses with a lunging right hand
and De Groot counters with a leg kick.
Lars De Groot is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Neto closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. De Groot did well to prevent Neto getting side control.

Neto is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

Neto is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and De Groot defends it well.
Neto trying to control from half guard but De Groot is working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neto sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. De Groot defending well though.
De Groot trying to hold on to Neto's head to control him but Neto postures up.
Neto wants to lay and pray for a moment but De Groot keeps working.
Neto thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing De Groot to regain full guard.
Neto is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

Neto drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Neto jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Neto missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Neto trying to control the position from guard on top but De Groot is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Neto in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
De Groot has control of Neto's left arm, preventing Neto from doing any damage.
Neto wants to pass the guard but De Groot is keeping the position.
De Groot is trying to keep Neto in close.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
De Groot lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Neto backs up against the cage.
Neto takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
De Groot pulls out of a head kick attempt.
De Groot misses with a head kick.
De Groot throws a one two combo.
Neto feints and then cracks De Groot's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow De Groot down.
De Groot fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Neto.
Neto misses with a hook
and De Groot counters with a leg kick.
De Groot uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Neto.
Neto scores with a hook.
De Groot throws a sloppy head kick and Neto moves out of range easily.
Neto shoots in and drives through. De Groot sprawls well.
Fernando Neto seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A low kick from Neto misses
and De Groot counters with a slapping leg kick.
Neto darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
De Groot tries a head kick but it misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lars De Groot dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

De Groot throws a head kick but Neto moves out of range.
De Groot throws a right and a left that Neto avoids nicely.
Lars De Groot is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
De Groot misses with a double jab.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Neto.
Neto lands a few punches from side control.
Neto is putting a hurting on De Groot here, landing some big shots from side control.
De Groot wants to control but Neto postures up.
Neto tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
De Groot really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Neto. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Neto is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. De Groot knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
De Groot avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Neto.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Neto is looking to take a break and control but De Groot is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
De Groot is trying to improve his position.

Neto tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Neto in side control, throwing shots but De Groot defends.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
De Groot takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.

Neto is trying to get an arm triangle but De Groot is defending well.
Neto will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Neto throws an elbow but De Groot slips to the side and avoids it well.
Neto creates some space and throws a big elbow, but De Groot sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
De Groot can't do much from the bottom here.
The ground and pound from Neto seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Neto working away.
Neto tries to score with some ground and pound. De Groot controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.

Neto tries for a kimura but De Groot is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Neto in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Neto sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but De Groot is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.

Neto tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Neto lands an elbow.
Neto moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
You can see the frustration on De Groot's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Neto taking a breather here.
Neto is looking to take a break and control but De Groot is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
The strikes coming from Neto are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Neto tries to score with some ground and pound. De Groot controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Neto remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
De Groot can't do much from the bottom here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Fernando Neto dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Neto with a hook.
Neto lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
De Groot lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
De Groot feints and then cracks Neto's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Neto down.
Neto lands with a right hand.
Neto looks to land a right hand but De Groot moved out of range.
Neto circles away from the clinch attempt.
De Groot chopping away at his opponent's legs.
De Groot ducks right into an uppercut from Neto.
Neto swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Neto throws a leg kick
and De Groot counters with a good low kick that Neto was not able to check.
De Groot scores with a three punch combo!

That's one minute gone in the round.
De Groot fails to land with a series of punches.
Neto fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but De Groot avoids it really well and circles away.
De Groot tries to work over Neto's front leg with a kick but Neto checks it.
Neto throws a nice inside leg kick.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by De Groot.
Neto throws a right hand that misses
and De Groot counters with a head kick.
Neto avoids a punch combination nicely.
Lars De Groot seems to be getting the better of the standup.
De Groot moves out of range as Neto strikes.
Neto connects with a looping right hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
De Groot pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Neto back to the cage. De Groot follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
De Groot looks to land a combination but Neto avoids it well.
Neto changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Neto throws a leg kick
and De Groot counters with a leg kick.
Neto is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Neto is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Neto motions for De Groot to come forward. Neto throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
De Groot moves out of range as Neto strikes.
Neto throws a lazy body kick
and De Groot counters with a one-two to the body.
De Groot throws a head kick that misses

and Neto decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in De Groot's guard.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Neto wants to control from the top but De Groot keeps moving.
De Groot is trying to control the position but Neto postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Neto with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Neto trying to control the position from guard on top but De Groot is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
De Groot keeping full guard, as Neto tries to pass.
De Groot managing to control the position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Neto misses with a hook. De Groot ducked under it nicely.

Neto looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for De Groot!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Neto cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Neto landing strikes from the mount.
Neto raining down hammerfists from mount.

Neto looking for a guillotine from mount but De Groot is having none of it.
Neto throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Neto looking to finish with strikes here!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
De Groot is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Neto throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.

And that's the end of the fight!
Fernando Neto showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Neto 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 Lou da Vinci scores the fight 29:28
Judge Dean Styles scores the fight 29:28
Judge Columbo Gatti scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Fernando Neto!