PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between DaMarcus Saint (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Clementin Mathieux (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Saint comes into the arena with Bobby Womack - Across 110th Street blaring out of the sound system. DaMarcus Saint could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Clementin Mathieux's chin.

Saint
vs
Mathieux

183 cm
31
180 lbs
20 - 6 - 0

178 cm
23
180 lbs
8 - 4 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Dangerous knees
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Good low kicks
Good gas tank

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 20 - 6 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, DaMarcus Saint!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Clementin Mathieux!
The judges for this bout are Albert Achterberg, Aafke Stam and Nard Betker.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mathieux looks to score with a jab to the body but Saint is just out of range.
Mathieux looks to throw a body kick
and Saint counters with an inside leg kick.
Saint misses the jab.
Mathieux lands a front kick.
Saint tries to clinch up but Mathieux circles away and keeps his distance.
Saint connects with a body shot that sends Mathieux's belly button to the back.
Mathieux fails with a takedown attempt.
Saint works Mathieux's body with a nice hook.

Saint clinches.

Saint breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Mathieux connects with a crisp jab.
Saint plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Saint misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Saint throws a poor cross that misses

and Mathieux counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Saint wants to improve his position but Mathieux is controlling well.
Mathieux wants to pass to mount but Saint is defending the position.
Saint blocking the ground and pound attempt from Mathieux.

Mathieux is looking for a kimura but Saint is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Mathieux to get the leverage.
Saint punching from the bottom.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.

Mathieux is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Saint is just riding it out for now. Mathieux eventually gives up the hold.
Mathieux not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mathieux throws a big elbow that misses, also allowing Saint to regain full guard.
Saint controls Mathieux momentarily but Mathieux frees himself.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Saint avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Mathieux working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Mathieux with a flurry of punches that miss.
Mathieux trying to control the position from guard on top but Saint is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Mathieux with a flurry of punches that miss.
Saint wants to sweep here but Mathieux controlling him for the moment.
Mathieux has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Saint being controlled here, momentarily.
Saint is trying to keep Mathieux in close.
Mathieux trying to control the position from guard on top but Saint is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Saint takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Saint walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.

Saint gets caught flat footed, as Mathieux shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Mathieux trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Mathieux working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mathieux won't allow Saint to sweep him here.
Saint keeping full guard, as Mathieux tries to pass.
Mathieux trying to control the position from guard on top but Saint is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Mathieux stopping the sweep attempt from Saint.
Mathieux wants to pass the guard but Saint is keeping the position.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Mathieux postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Mathieux 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.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Clementin Mathieux dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the ring so we can get back down to business.

Mathieux shoots in for a takedown but Saint shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Saint throws a head kick but Mathieux moves out of range.
Saint jabs Mathieux to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Mathieux works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Saint avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Saint fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Mathieux looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Mathieux takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Saint sizes up Mathieux with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Mathieux looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Saint connects with a body shot.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Good leg kick by Saint there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A low kick from Saint misses

so Mathieux counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Mathieux trying to control the position from guard on top but Saint is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Saint wants to control but Mathieux passes easily into half guard.
Saint won't allow Mathieux to pass to mount.
Saint is staying active underneath Mathieux, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Clementin Mathieux has got the better of the ground game so far.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Mathieux trying to control from Saint's half guard. Saint has other ideas though and has regained full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mathieux stopping the sweep attempt from Saint.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Mathieux wants to control from the top but Saint keeps moving.
Mathieux throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Mathieux trying to control but Saint is working from the bottom.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Clementin Mathieux hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Saint throws the left hand but Mathieux avoids the punch easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Good leg kick by Saint there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Mathieux ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Saint moves away.
Saint misses with a telegraphed body shot

and Mathieux counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Saint's guard now.
Mathieux sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Saint's guard.
Saint won't allow Mathieux to pass to mount.
Mathieux is trying to control the action in half guard but Saint is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Mathieux is thwarting Saint's attempts to control the position.
Saint is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Mathieux's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Mathieux's back!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Saint lands a couple of good shots to his opponent's body and a final shot to the head. Good little attack there by Saint.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mathieux is trying to break free.
Saint trying to secure his dominant position for a moment - making sure Mathieux doesn't escape.
Mathieux avoids the strikes from Saint.
Mathieux staying busy and making it hard for Saint to control.
Mathieux just trying to survive but Saint is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.
Mathieux is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Saint is staying active.
Saint controlling the position well here. Mathieux rolled but Saint kept the hooks locked in and stayed in the dominant position.
Mathieux staying busy and making it hard for Saint to control.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that DaMarcus Saint will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Saint misses with a body punch

and Mathieux counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Mathieux lands a couple of digs.
Saint is trying to control the position but Mathieux postures up.
Saint utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Saint looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Saint keeping full guard, as Mathieux tries to pass.
Mathieux wants to control from the top but Saint keeps moving.
Mathieux engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
A jab from Saint misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mathieux lands a slapping body shot.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Saint, right into the meat.
Saint fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Mathieux manages to avoid it.
Saint misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Mathieux scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Mathieux misses with a low kick.

Saint gets caught napping as Mathieux dives in and scores a takedown. Saint manages to retain guard.
Mathieux slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Saint looking for a sweep but Mathieux has passed into full mount! Oh no!
Saint working to try and regain half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Saint is in a horrible position here. Mathieux smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
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!

Mathieux moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Saint has worked his arm free - good work by Saint!
The ground and pound from Mathieux seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Mathieux taking a break here but Saint is having none of it and regains half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Saint is trying to get back to full guard.

Mathieux is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Mathieux misses with a head shot. Saint uses the momentum to regain guard.
Mathieux trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Saint looking to control.
Mathieux scoring with punches to the head and body.
Saint keeping moving, preventing Mathieux from controlling successfully.
Mathieux working some strikes from top position.
Mathieux not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Mathieux wants to control from the top but Saint keeps moving.
Mathieux looking to sit in guard and control but Saint gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Mathieux is trying to control the position from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Clementin Mathieux comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Mathieux has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Albert Achterberg scores the fight 28:29
Judge Aafke Stam scores the fight 28:30
Judge Nard Betker scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Clementin Mathieux!
A pretty intense looking Clementin Mathieux took the opportunity post-fight to ask for a shot at the title.