PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight kickboxing rules bout between Jake The (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Niek Groot (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Well, the cameraman is lingering on a pretty young lady for a bit too long there. Keep your eyes on the prize buddy or you'll miss the fighter intros!

The
vs
Groot

191 cm
33
221 lbs
19 - 16 - 1

193 cm
23
240 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

Dangerous knees
Cardio machine

World class MT
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 19 - 16 - 1, fighting out of Sydney, Jake The!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Niek Groot!
The judges for this bout are Skip Squint, Steve Erwin and Ben Watson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice uppercut there from Groot.
The pulls out of a head kick attempt.

The has managed to clinch.
Groot's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Groot trying to control the position but instead, The has worked for underhooks and has pushed Groot into the ropes.
The lands a good knee to the midsection. Groot won't want to take too many of those.
Groot managing to block the knees to the body from The.
The lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Groot told us before the fight that he's been working on his elbows. An under utilised technique these days - let's see if it can sway the outcome of the fight.
The creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Groot lands an uppercut.
The blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
The blocking some punches.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Groot tries a knee to the head but The blocks it.
Groot lands an elbow inside that The shrugs off.
The working hard to break the clinch.
The lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Groot backwards.
The with a knee to the head.
Groot manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
The throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Groot blocks it with crossed arms.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Groot lands a body shot.
The swings wildly with an uppercut but Groot uses good head movement to avoid it.

The breaks the clinch.
Groot tries a head kick but it misses.
Groot throws a jab but it's blocked by The.
A punch lands to the side of The 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Groot fails in his attempt to clinch.
A nice inside leg kick there by Groot. That's going to slow The down.
The tries to clinch there but Groot circles away.
The misses with a body kick.
The circles away from the clinch attempt.
Groot connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
The tries to clinch but Groot moves out of range.
The throws a nice inside leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
The with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
The seems to be moving with more speed, compared to his last bout. He must have been working on that in the gym.
The ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.

Groot gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Groot blocks an uppercut.
The has Groot pressed against the ropes.
The fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Groot has a couple of punches blocked by The.

The breaks the clinch.
The avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Groot misses with an uppercut. The saw that one coming.
Groot scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
A head kick misses from The.
Groot fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but The is out of range.
The tries to close the distance and clinch but Groot swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
The staying out of range there.
Groot stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from The.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Groot tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. The manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Groot throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
The throws a right and a left that Groot avoids nicely.
That kick from Groot tenderised The's leg. The is trying to keep his angry face on.
The pulls out of a head kick attempt.
The needs to keep his hands up - Groot had a free shot at his head there.
Groot keeps the fight on the outside.
The has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Groot.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
The scores with a kick to the body.
A low kick from Groot misses
and The cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Groot tries to clinch up.
Groot connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Jake The seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Groot moves forwards but The connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Groot misses with an uppercut.
The doesn't manage to clinch there - Groot circles away.
The scores with a leg kick.
Niek Groot is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Groot throws a nice head kick!
The throws a right and a left that both miss.
Groot throws a leg kick that is checked
and The counters with an inside leg kick.
The is looking to clinch.
Groot lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
The tries to clinch but Groot moves out of range.
Groot is looking to chop away at The's legs.
Good work by The as he checks the leg kick.
Groot fakes high and swings low for a body shot but The manages to avoid it.
The throws a sloppy head kick and Groot moves out of range easily.

The has managed to clinch.
Groot throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but The blocks it with crossed arms.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
A nice left hand lands by The.
A battle for position here, against the ropes.
The is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Groot is defending well for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Niek Groot will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Groot throws a front kick aimed at The's knee but The avoids it well.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Groot crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from The - the referee stops the clock and Groot gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says The. Groot manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
The looks for the body kick but Groot saw that one coming.
Some wild striking there from Groot.
The swings away with a leg kick that misses.
A solid leg kick lands there for Groot.
A head kick from Groot lands but The takes it in his stride.
The lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
The sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
The tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Groot avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Niek Groot seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from The. Groot shrugs it off though.

Groot takes the fight into the clinch.
The scores with a knee to the head.
The tries a knee to the head but Groot blocks it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The breaks the clinch.
Groot lands with a nice body kick.
Groot thows a leg kick but The checks it
and The counters with a low kick, right behind Groot 's knee.
The throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Groot counters with a thumping low kick.
Groot throws a jab when The was well out of range.
A solid body kick from Groot.
Groot tries a head kick but it misses.
The fails with an attempt to clinch.
The throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
The avoids the head kick by Groot.

The moves into the clinch.
The misses with a shot to the kidneys.
The using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
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!
Groot connects with a nasty looking knee right to The's face.
Groot tries to work over The's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Groot lands a body punch in the clinch.
Groot softening up his opponent with strikes, against the ropes.
The tries a body shot but Groot blocks it.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Groot pushes off an throws an elbow but The leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the ropes.

The manages to break the clinch.
Groot misses with a low kick.
Groot lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
A shot to the liver by Groot. Beautiful body shot.
The connects with a nice looking jab.
The throws a leg kick but Groot checks it.
Groot swats away the attempt to clinch by The.
Groot throws a low kick, looking for The's leg but The calmly moves out of range.
Groot tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
The throws a head kick that Groot semi-blocks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
The looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Groot throws a head kick that misses.
A looping hook to the body misses from The. Groot does a little dance to reset his feet.
The tries a head kick but it misses.
Groot with a nice cross.
The misses with a two punch combination.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Groot, right into the meat.
The tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Groot paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Nice body kick from Groot.
A bone on bone clash there as The blocks the leg kick.
The tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
A good leg kick by The.
Groot connects with an inside leg kick.
The tries to clinch there but Groot circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Groot looks to land a body kick but The moved away.
Groot misses with an uppercut.
Groot turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Groot lands a body shot.
The misses with a leg kick.
Groot tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. The manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Groot throws a leg kick
and The makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
The tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Groot paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Groot swings and misses with a hook to the body.
The throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Groot cracks The with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Groot lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Groot throws a lazy head kick
and The counters with a straight right hand.
A punch combination from The misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Niek Groot showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Groot throws a jab when The was well out of range.
The lands with a kick to the temple. Groot shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Groot lands with a hook. The tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.

The has taken the fight to the clinch.
A knee to the head by The.
The looking to throw knees to the head but Groot is blocking nicely.
Groot pushes off an throws an elbow but The leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the ropes.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Groot.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
The putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Groot in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
The tries to land knees in the clinch but Groot avoids the damage to the body.
Groot tries to stall but The uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
The misses with a hook to the ribs.
The trying to control the position but instead, Groot has worked for underhooks and has pushed The into the ropes.
The swings wildly with an uppercut but Groot uses good head movement to avoid it.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Groot has a couple of punches blocked by The.
The misses with a hook from the clinch.

The breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
A nice inside leg kick there by The. That's going to slow Groot down.
Groot buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Groot throws a leg kick but The moved away.
The pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
The tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. Groot manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Groot circles away from the clinch attempt.
A solid leg kick lands there for The.
The throws out a leg kick but Groot moves out of range and The only half commits.
The bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
The looks to throw a body kick
and Groot counters with a one-two to the body.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A solid leg kick lands there for The.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The throws a combination that misses
and Groot counters with a left to the body.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
The fails in his attempt to clinch.
Groot throws a quick inside leg kick.
Groot throws a looping overhand right but The ducks down to avoid it.
The swinging wildly here.
The blocks a head kick by Groot.
A head kick misses from Groot.
The is looking to land body kicks.
The just misses with a punch to the body.
Groot throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
The takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Groot swings and misses with a hook to the body.

The has taken the fight to the clinch.
Jake The has scored more points in the clinch so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The landing knees to the body.
Groot's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Groot avoiding damage as The throws knees to the body.
The is trying to break the clinch but Groot has him pressed against the ropes.
The blocking some punches.
Groot with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

The breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Jake The is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Groot goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
The swings for the body but Groot moves out of range.
Groot does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
The moves in looking to clinch but Groot pushes him off.
Niek Groot is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
A head kick misses from Groot.
Groot is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by The.
The wants to clinch.
The slips a jab from Groot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Groot throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Groot works the jab nicely.
Groot scores with a jab to the body.
Groot ducks down and throws a hook to the body but The moves away.
Jake The has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Groot missing with a left hand there. The was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Groot waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract The.
Groot scores with a kick to the midsection.
Groot looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
The looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
The tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Groot paws at him with a jab and circles away.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Groot scores with a nice strike.
Groot throws a low kick, looking for The's leg but The calmly moves out of range.
The doesn't manage to clinch there - Groot circles away.
The chopping away at his opponent's legs.

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 Jake The.
I think Groot 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 Skip Squint scores the fight 28:30
Judge Steve Erwin scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ben Watson scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Niek Groot!