PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Neil Drake (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jandre Vorster (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Neil Drake has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Drake
vs
Vorster

165 cm
32
145 lbs
20 - 8 - 0

152 cm
29
137 lbs
19 - 4 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Highland Clothing
Spartan Nutrition

Notorious Clothing Co.

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 20 - 8 - 0, fighting out of London, Neil Drake!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 19 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, Jandre Vorster!
The judges for this bout are Richard Clark, Andrew Berry and Steven Brown.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Donk. Drake catches Vorster right on the button with a cross.
Vorster shoots and misses
and Drake counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Drake swats away the attempt to clinch by Vorster.

Drake gets tackled into the cage by Vorster. Vorster maintains the clinch.
Drake lands a shoulder strike.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Drake works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Vorster tries for a takedown. No joy.
Vorster tries for a takedown. No joy.
Neil Drake has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jandre Vorster.

Drake jumps guard and drags Vorster to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.

Vorster thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Vorster trying to control the position from guard on top but Drake is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Vorster got a little sloppy there for a moment and Drake has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Vorster has managed to get both his arms back between Drake's legs - danger averted.

Drake is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Vorster defends well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Drake is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Vorster wants to get back to full guard but Drake has mounted him!
Drake prevents Vorster from getting the reversal.

Drake is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Vorster has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Vorster is looking to get to half guard.
Vorster slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Drake trying to pass the guard but Vorster defending well.

Vorster is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Drake pulls his head out easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Drake is working for a submission of some sort.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Vorster wants to improve his position but Drake is controlling well.
Drake missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Drake trying to control the action but Vorster is working from the bottom.
Drake wants to pass to mount but Vorster is defending the position.
Vorster moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Drake pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Vorster is keeping the position for now.
Vorster keeping moving, preventing Drake from controlling successfully.

Vorster working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Drake doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Drake manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Drake sitting in guard here, content to control.
Drake wants to pass the guard but Vorster is keeping the position.
Our spies down at at ~T~ Troid - Gym inform us that Vorster has really been working on his submissions in the buildup to this fight. Will it pay off?
Drake keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Vorster's head.
Vorster working a defensive guard here.
Drake stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Vorster swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Vorster throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Drake escapes and throws Vorster's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Drake looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Vorster is avoiding damage well.
You can see the frustration on Vorster's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Vorster is looking to reverse the position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Vorster sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Drake missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Drake wants to advance to full mount but Vorster doesn't think that's going to happen and regains full guard instead.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Neil Drake dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Vorster tries to clinch but Drake is having none of it.
Drake swinging wildly here.
Drake throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Jandre Vorster seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Vorster stuffs the takedown.

Vorster closes the distance and clinches.
Vorster is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Drake is defending well.
Drake gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Vorster.
Drake working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Vorster can't get the takedown.
Neil Drake has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jandre Vorster.
Vorster is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Vorster turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Drake is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Drake is looking to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vorster wants to free his trapped foot but Drake is holding on for dear life with his legs.

Vorster is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Vorster is thwarting Drake's attempts to control the position.
Drake is looking to improve his position.
Drake gets back to full guard.
Vorster wants to control from the top but Drake keeps moving.
Vorster is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

Vorster thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Neil Drake overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Drake had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Vorster defends it easily.

Drake is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Vorster is aware though and is defending well.
Vorster wants to control from the top but Drake keeps moving.
Vorster is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vorster working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Drake.
Vorster looking for a sweep. Not yet Vorster, not yet.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Drake accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Drake trying to control but Vorster is working from the bottom.

Vorster has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Drake can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Drake postures up.

Vorster escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Drake gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Drake slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vorster tries to bench press Drake off him but Drake keeps the position.
Drake trying to control the position but Vorster is working away.
Drake in side control, throwing shots but Vorster defends.
Vorster avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Drake.
Vorster is looking for a sweep.

Drake looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Vorster gets back to half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Vorster keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Neil Drake dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Vorster gets caught napping as Drake dives in and scores a takedown. Vorster manages to retain guard.

Drake thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Vorster throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Drake slips nicely into half guard.

Drake is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Vorster is looking for a sweep. Drake is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Vorster wants to control but Drake is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Drake is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Vorster can do to turn this around?
Vorster makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Vorster.

Drake got a little sloppy there for a moment and Vorster has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Drake has managed to get both his arms back between Vorster's legs - danger averted.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Vorster is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Drake pushes down on Vorster's leg and manages to get into half guard.

Drake looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Drake trying to control the action but Vorster is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Drake passes to full mount!
Vorster slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Vorster is looking to improve his position.

Drake seems to be looking for submissions.

Drake is working for a kimura but Vorster is defending it quite comfortably.
Vorster wants to improve his position but Drake is controlling well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vorster gets full guard.
Vorster working a defensive guard here.

Drake avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Jandre Vorster has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Drake working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Drake trying to control but Vorster is working from the bottom.

That's four 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.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Vorster is on top in guard.

Vorster wants to control from the top but Drake keeps moving.

Vorster postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Drake is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Vorster, into his guard.

Drake trying to control the position from guard on top but Vorster is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Drake tries to free his leg and advance position but Vorster is retaining full guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Neil Drake showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Drake has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Richard Clark scores the fight 30:27
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight 30:27
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Neil Drake!
During a confident post fight interview, Neil Drake thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.