PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Thomas Buffel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Stephan Kastner (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Stephan Kastner will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Buffel
vs
Kastner

170 cm
25
133 lbs
5 - 0 - 0

160 cm
25
147 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

Good takedowns
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Thomas Buffel!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Stephan Kastner!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Luis Engracia and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Kastner has managed to clinch.
Kastner stalling.

Kastner manages to break the clinch.
Buffel throws a head kick but Kastner moves out of range.

Buffel drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

Buffel tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Buffel in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Buffel is looking to take a break and control but Kastner is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Buffel working the head and body with strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kastner tries to get back to half guard but can't.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Kastner wants to control but Buffel postures up.
Buffel controlling the position.
Kastner really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Buffel. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Kastner tries to buck Buffel off but Buffel is having none of it.
Buffel is looking to take a break and control but Kastner is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two 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.
Buffel lands a few punches from side control.
Buffel wants to stand but Kastner has his arm trapped.

Buffel decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Kastner tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Kastner should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.

Kastner moves into range and clinches up with Buffel.
Kastner throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Buffel blocks it with crossed arms.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Buffel is trying to push Kastner away but Kastner has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Buffel's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Kastner drives through and clinches with Buffel against the cage.

Kastner manages to break the clinch.

Buffel gets tackled into the cage by Kastner. Kastner maintains the clinch.
Buffel is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Kastner is defending well.
Buffel is looking to break free of the clinch but Kastner has double underhooks.
Buffel wants to break the clinch but can't.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Kastner breaks from the clinch.

Kastner closes the distance and clinches.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Buffel is trying to push Kastner away but Kastner has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Buffel breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Buffel displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Kastner.
Kastner stuffs the takedown attempt from Buffel. Buffel gets slowly back to his feet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Kastner clinches.
Kastner is struggling to control the position.

Buffel escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Stephan Kastner will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Buffel fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Kastner avoids it really well and circles away.
Kastner lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.

Kastner darts in and clinches Buffel up against the cage.

Buffel pulls Kastner into guard.
Kastner showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

Kastner avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kastner trying to control the position from guard on top but Buffel is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Kastner must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Buffel throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Buffel is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Buffel keeping moving, preventing Kastner from controlling successfully.
Buffel wants to stand up but Kastner is controlling him.
Buffel is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Buffel has decided to stand back up but his arm is trapped. Whilst he's worrying about his arm, Kastner works to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kastner is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Kastner looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Buffel has gone for a leg lock! Kastner slips out almost immediately though and dives into Buffel's guard.

Buffel looking to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kastner tries to free his leg and advance position but Buffel is retaining full guard.
Buffel bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Kastner's guard.

Kastner controls Buffel momentarily but Buffel frees himself.
Buffel trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Buffel controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Buffel stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Kastner swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Buffel trying to control but Kastner is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Buffel is fighting to break Kastner's control of his arms but Kastner is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Buffel trying to control but Kastner is working from the bottom.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Buffel shoots in for a double leg but Kastner sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.

Kastner clinches with his opponent.
Kastner misses with a knee strike.
Kastner fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Kastner's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Buffel will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Thomas Buffel. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kastner fails with an attempt to clinch.
Kastner keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stephan Kastner showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Buffel blocks a head kick by Kastner.
Kastner misses with a two punch combination.
Kastner tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
A head kick misses from Kastner.
Buffel goes for a double leg but Kastner avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Kastner continues to drive forward.
Kastner avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Buffel blocks a head kick by Kastner.
Thomas Buffel is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Buffel is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Kastner throws a front kick aimed at Buffel's knee but Buffel avoids it well.

Kastner has managed to clinch.

Buffel decides to pull guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Buffel trying to control the position.
Buffel with a couple of shots from the bottom there - nothing Kastner can't handle though.
Kastner has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kastner has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Buffel is proving hard to escape from.
Buffel not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Buffel is controlling Kastner's posture.
Kastner controls from within his opponent's guard.
Buffel is trying to control the position from the bottom.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Buffel throws a body kick that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Buffel fails with the takedown.
Kastner wants to counter the offense by Buffel and move into the clinch position.
Kastner tries to clinch up but Buffel circles away and keeps his distance.
It looked like Buffel was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Kastner lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Kastner is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Buffel tries to counter with a takedown but Kastner is quick to defend against it.
Kastner pivots, looking for a leg kick but Buffel is out of range and Kastner settles back down.

Kastner moves into range and clinches up with Buffel.

Buffel decides to pull guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Buffel is on top in guard.

Buffel tries to free his leg and advance position but Kastner is retaining full guard.
Buffel is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Buffel tries to stand but Kastner is controlling from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Buffel controls from within his opponent's guard.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Kastner holds on and takes a little breather.
Buffel stays in close to Kastner's body and controls the position.
Kastner trying to control the position here.

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.
Buffel trying to control but Kastner is working from the bottom.
Buffel lands a couple of elbows.
Stephan Kastner is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Buffel is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Buffel throwing strikes but missing.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Buffel darts in looking for a takedown but Kastner gets double underhooks and turns Buffel into the cage.
Despite the aggression on Kastner's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Thomas Buffel. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Buffel fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

And that's the end of the fight!
Stephan Kastner comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Kastner winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 27:30
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 27:30
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Stephan Kastner!