PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Rod Rivers (ranked 23850 p4p, 0 weight class) and Flin Van Kalvenhaar (ranked 5361 p4p, 0 weight class). Rod Rivers has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Rivers
vs
Van Kalvenhaar

206 cm
25
279 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

191 cm
25
261 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Rod Rivers!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Flin Van Kalvenhaar!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Aleksandr Martynov and Fedor Mirinova.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Van Kalvenhaar fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Rivers takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.

It looks like Rod Rivers has been cut.
Van Kalvenhaar works over Rivers's head and body with a nice combination.
Van Kalvenhaar looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Van Kalvenhaar wants to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Van Kalvenhaar shoots for a takedown but Rivers saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

Van Kalvenhaar closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Rivers is trying to pull guard but Van Kalvenhaar has him pressed against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rivers displaying some good clinch control by pressing Van Kalvenhaar up against the cage.
Van Kalvenhaar is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Van Kalvenhaar pulls guard successfully.
Van Kalvenhaar wants to get back to his feet but Rivers is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Van Kalvenhaar looking for a guillotine here but Rivers defends easily.
Van Kalvenhaar working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rivers.

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.
Van Kalvenhaar throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Van Kalvenhaar wants to control the position but Rivers says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.
Rivers is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Rivers wants to stand but Van Kalvenhaar has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Rivers will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Nice strikes from Rivers there.
Rivers throwing shots but Van Kalvenhaar is blocking nicely.
Van Kalvenhaar blocking the ground and pound attempt from Rivers.
Rivers slips a nice elbow through Van Kalvenhaar's hands, connecting with Van Kalvenhaar's forehead.
Rivers looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Rivers looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Van Kalvenhaar with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Van Kalvenhaar tries to get to full guard but Rivers has control of the leg.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rivers looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Van Kalvenhaar with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Rivers winds up and cracks Van Kalvenhaar with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Nice strikes from Rivers there.
Rivers stops Van Kalvenhaar from getting back to his feet.
Van Kalvenhaar avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Rivers.

Van Kalvenhaar manages to create a bit of space in order to work his way back to his feet. Rivers keeps hold of his opponent and drives him back against the cage.
Rivers swings away with an uppercut that misses.

Rivers is trying to trip Van Kalvenhaar. He has hold of a leg but Van Kalvenhaar is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Rivers persists though and gets the takedown into guard.

Van Kalvenhaar manages to wriggle out and sneak his way back up to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched up against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A bit of stalling here from Rivers.

The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Rivers's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Van Kalvenhaar tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rivers swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Van Kalvenhaar looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Rivers is looking to counter the offense by Van Kalvenhaar and move into the clinch.
A head kick misses from Rivers.
Rivers tries to close the distance and clinch up but Van Kalvenhaar swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Flin Van Kalvenhaar seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Van Kalvenhaar fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Rod Rivers has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Flin Van Kalvenhaar.
Rivers walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Flin Van Kalvenhaar will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Rod Rivers's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Van Kalvenhaar will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Danga de danga de dang - Van Kalvenhaar scores with a four punch combination!

Rivers shoots in for a takedown and gets it.

Van Kalvenhaar has one foot on Rivers's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Van Kalvenhaar lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Rivers instigates a clinch.
Van Kalvenhaar drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Rivers gets the underhooks and prevents it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rivers misses with a body punch.
Van Kalvenhaar is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

Rivers pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Rod Rivers is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rivers doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Van Kalvenhaar counters with a leg kick then a big left hand that sends Rivers down! Van Kalvenhaar is looking to finish but Rivers is intelligently defending himself.

Rivers is rocked!

Rod Rivers's cut is getting worse.
Van Kalvenhaar controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Oh Rivers is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Flin Van Kalvenhaar has got the better of the ground game so far.
Van Kalvenhaar is continuing to stall.
Rivers seems to have got his legs back now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Van Kalvenhaar wants to pass the guard but Rivers is keeping the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rivers working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Van Kalvenhaar.
Van Kalvenhaar wants to control from the top but Rivers keeps moving.
Rivers wants to stand but Van Kalvenhaar is controlling the position.
Van Kalvenhaar trying to control but Rivers is working from the bottom.
Van Kalvenhaar must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

Van Kalvenhaar content to sit in guard, stalling... Great. Oh but he could get punished here because Rivers has locked up a guillotine! Rivers's face is contorted as he sqeezes tight on the submission attempt - will he finish? Van Kalvenhaar is holding on here and Rivers must be using up a lot of energy. Van Kalvenhaar has gone limp! He's out! He's out cold! Rivers gets to his feet, tossing aside his stricken foe. Arms raised, he milks the applause from the crowd. Great submission!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:56 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Rod Rivers!